Molecular profiling of behavioural development: differential expression of mRNAs for inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate 3-kinase isoforms in naive and experienced honeybees (Apis mellifera).
In seeking genetic factors that may control the extended behavioural maturation of adult honeybees we found that inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP(3)) 3-kinase, a key enzyme in the IP(3)-mediated signalling cascade, is differentially expressed in brains of naive, newly emerged bees and experienced foragers. DNA sequencing yielded a contig of 21.5 kb spanning the honeybee IP(3)K locus and a 3' flanking gene similar to a transcription factor NFR-kappa-B. The IP(3)K locus gives rise to three differentially expressed major transcripts produced by alternative splicing that encode proteins with identical, highly conserved C-termini and distinct, non-conserved N-terminal domains. The type A transcript is dominant in the adult brain and its level of expression increases threefold during the first 4 days of adult development. The type B message is expressed in brains of naive bees, but is also found in the thorax and abdomen, whereas transcript C is expressed largely in non-neural tissues and in the antenna. In contrast to type A message, the brain levels of transcript B decrease during the first 4 days of adult life. Our data are evaluated in the context of the contrasting behavioural phenotypes of immature and experienced worker honeybees.
Kucharski
R
R
Visual Sciences, Research School of Biological Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia.
Maleszka
R
R
D000818:Animals; D001516:Bees / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology*; D005796:Genes / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D017853:Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor) / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D014781:Viscera / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism
D020033:Protein Isoforms; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D004247:DNA; D017853:Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor); C051038:Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate 3-kinase