title: Gonadotropic effects of dopamine in isolated workers of the primitively eusocial wasp, Polistes chinensis.
abstract: In social insects, biogenic amines are thought to play regulatory roles in the transition between reproductive states in females. To determine the effect of dopamine on the reproductive development of workers in primitively eusocial societies, isolated workers of the paper wasp Polistes chinensis were supplied with oral dopamine. Ovarian development was accelerated in dopamine-fed workers as compared to control workers of the same age fed only sucrose solution. Oral dopamine increased brain levels of dopamine and its metabolite (N-acetyldopamine). Brain levels of tyramine or octopamine were also increased by dopamine application in one of two colonies; levels of the tyramine metabolite N-acetyltyramine were unchanged. These results indicate that dopamine plays a gonadotropic role in isolated workers in the primitively eusocial wasp, similar to the gonadotropic role previously reported for juvenile hormone. This is the first study to report effects of dopamine on ovarian development in workers of the paper wasp.
authors.affiliation: Department of Brain and Bioinformation Science, Kanazawa Institute of Technology, 3-1 Yakkaho, Hakusan, Ishikawa 924-0838, Japan. sasaki@his.kanazawa-it.ac.jp
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Kazuhisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamasaki
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsuchida
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagao
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D001679:Biogenic Amines / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D004298:Dopamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D007564:Japan; D009655:Octopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D010053:Ovary / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D012919:Social Behavior; D014041:Tokyo; D014439:Tyramine / Q000378:metabolism; D014863:Wasps / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001679:Biogenic Amines; D009655:Octopamine; D012701:Serotonin; D004298:Dopamine; D014439:Tyramine