title: Cross-modal interaction between visual and olfactory learning in Apis cerana.
abstract: The power of the small honeybee brain carrying out behavioral and cognitive tasks has been shown repeatedly to be highly impressive. The present study investigates, for the first time, the cross-modal interaction between visual and olfactory learning in Apis cerana. To explore the role and molecular mechanisms of cross-modal learning in A. cerana, the honeybees were trained and tested in a modified Y-maze with seven visual and five olfactory stimulus, where a robust visual threshold for black/white grating (period of 2.8°-3.8°) and relatively olfactory threshold (concentration of 50-25%) was obtained. Meanwhile, the expression levels of five genes (AcCREB, Acdop1, Acdop2, Acdop3, Actyr1) related to learning and memory were analyzed under different training conditions by real-time RT-PCR. The experimental results indicate that A. cerana could exhibit cross-modal interactions between visual and olfactory learning by reducing the threshold level of the conditioning stimuli, and that these genes may play important roles in the learning process of honeybees.
authors.affiliation: Honeybee Research Institute, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, 330045, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Li-Zhen
authors.initials: LZ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shao-Wu
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zi-Long
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wei-Yu
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Zhi-Jiang
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Zeng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001516:Bees / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D050882:CREB-Binding Protein / Q000235:genetics; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009812:Odorants; D055696:Olfactory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D017982:Receptors, Biogenic Amine / Q000235:genetics; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000235:genetics; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D017982:Receptors, Biogenic Amine; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; C066175:tyramine receptor; D050882:CREB-Binding Protein