Age- and division-of-labour-dependent differential expression of a novel non-coding RNA, Nb-1, in the brain of worker honeybees, Apis mellifera L.
To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying honeybee social behaviours, we identified a novel gene, Nb-1, whose expression in the worker brain changes according to the age-dependent division of labour in normal colonies. The open reading frames contained in the Nb-1 cDNA were not conserved in the homologue of a related species, suggesting that the Nb-1 gene product is a non-coding RNA. The distribution of Nb-1-expressing cells partially overlapped that of octopamine-immunoreactive cells and neurosecretory cells, the latter of which are involved in the synthesis and secretion of juvenile hormone (JH). Octopamine and JH control worker task transition, and thus Nb-1 might be involved in task transition through the modulation of octopamine/JH synthesis and secretion.
Tadano
H
H
Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
Yamazaki
Y
Y
Takeuchi
H
H
Kubo
T
T
D000367:Age Factors; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001516:Bees / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology*; D006608:Hierarchy, Social; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007605:Juvenile Hormones / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009655:Octopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D016366:Open Reading Frames / Q000235:genetics; D022661:RNA, Untranslated / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D007605:Juvenile Hormones; D022661:RNA, Untranslated; D009655:Octopamine