Dance type and flight parameters are associated with different mushroom body neural activities in worker honeybee brains.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Honeybee foragers can transmit the information concerning the location of food sources to their nestmates using dance communication. We previously used a novel immediate early gene, termed kakusei, to demonstrate that the neural activity of a specific mushroom body (MB) neuron subtype is preferentially enhanced in the forager brain. The sensory information related to this MB neuron activity, however, remained unclear.

Methodology/principal findings

Here, we used kakusei to analyze the relationship between MB neuron activity and types of foraging behavior. The number of kakusei-positive MB neurons was higher in the round dancers that had flown a short distance than in the waggle dancers that had flown a long distance. Furthermore, the amount of kakusei transcript i

SUBMITTER: Kiya T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3082565 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature