Disruption of vitellogenin gene function in adult honeybees by intra-abdominal injection of double-stranded RNA.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:The ability to manipulate the genetic networks underlying the physiological and behavioural repertoires of the adult honeybee worker (Apis mellifera) is likely to deepen our understanding of issues such as learning and memory generation, ageing, and the regulatory anatomy of social systems in proximate as well as evolutionary terms. Here we assess two methods for probing gene function by RNA interference (RNAi) in adult honeybees. RESULTS:The vitellogenin gene was chosen as target because its expression is unlikely to have a phenotypic effect until the adult stage in bees. This allowed us to introduce dsRNA in preblastoderm eggs without affecting gene function during development. Of workers reared from eggs injected with dsRNA derived from a 504 bp stretch of the vitellogenin co

SUBMITTER: Amdam GV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC149360 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature