Genetic variation influences food-sharing sociability in honey bees.

ABSTRACT: Individual variation in sociability is a central feature of every society. This includes honey bees, with some individuals well connected and sociable, and others at the periphery of their colony's social network. However, the genetic and molecular bases of sociability are poorly understood. Trophallaxis-a behavior involving sharing liquid with nutritional and signaling properties-comprises a social interaction and a proxy for sociability in honey bee colonies: more sociable bees engage in more trophallaxis. Here, we identify genetic and molecular mechanisms of trophallaxis-based sociability by combining genome sequencing, brain transcriptomics, and automated behavioral tracking. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) identified 18 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with var

SUBMITTER: Traniello IM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12440162 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature