title: Vitellogenin in the honey bee brain: Atypical localization of a reproductive protein that promotes longevity.
abstract: In comparative gerontology, highly social insects such as honey bees (Apis mellifera) receive much attention due to very different and flexible aging patterns among closely related siblings. While experimental strategies that manipulate socio-environmental factors suggest a causative link between aging and social signals and behaviors, the molecular underpinnings of this linkage are less well understood. Here we study the atypical localization of the egg-yolk protein vitellogenin (Vg) in the brain of the honey bee. Vg is known to influence honey bee social regulation and aging rate. Our findings suggest that Vg immunoreactivity in the brain is specifically localized within the class of non-neuronal glial cells. We discuss how these results can help explain the socially-dependent aging rate of honey bees.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1432 Aas, Norway. Electronic address: daniel.munch@nmbu.no.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Münch
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1432 Aas, Norway.
authors.forename: Kate E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Ihle
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosciences, Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, University of Helsinki, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Heli
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Salmela
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1432 Aas, Norway; School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
authors.forename: Gro V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Amdam
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001516:Bees / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000502:physiology; D007013:Hypopharynx / Q000737:chemistry; D008136:Longevity / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000737:chemistry; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D014819:Vitellogenins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014819:Vitellogenins
keywords: Aging; Glial cells; Insects; Lipid transport proteins