title: 5-Hydroxytryptamine in the venom of the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.): variation with season and with insect age.
abstract: We used liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection to show that 5-HT is present in the venom of worker honey bees (Apis mellifera L.). Immunohistochemical demonstration of 5-HT-like immunoreactivity within the venom reservoir supports this finding. Measurements were made on bees of known age at various times during the summer season. The amount of 5-HT in the venom system varies with the age of the bee and with the time of year at which the bees reached a specific age. 5-HT is shown to be a component of pure venom, rather than simply present in venom gland and reservoir tissues, by its presence in venom collected by electrical 'milking' of worker bees.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Owen
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Sloley
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001514:Bee Venoms / Q000032:analysis*; D012621:Seasons; D012701:Serotonin / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D001514:Bee Venoms; D012701:Serotonin