Differential protein expression in honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) larvae: underlying caste differentiation.

ABSTRACT: Honeybee (Apis mellifera) exhibits divisions in both morphology and reproduction. The queen is larger in size and fully developed sexually, while the worker bees are smaller in size and nearly infertile. To better understand the specific time and underlying molecular mechanisms of caste differentiation, the proteomic profiles of larvae intended to grow into queen and worker castes were compared at 72 and 120 hours using two dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE), network, enrichment and quantitative PCR analysis. There were significant differences in protein expression between the two larvae castes at 72 and 120 hours, suggesting the queen and the worker larvae have already decided their fate before 72 hours. Specifically, at 72 hours, queen intended larvae over-expressed transketolase, aldehy

SUBMITTER: Li J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2958119 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature