biostudies-literatureSpannhoff ANIEHS NIH HHS238-43https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC3059907biostudies-literatureUnknown12(3)Worker and queen bees are genetically indistinguishable. However, queen bees are fertile, larger and have a longer lifespan than their female worker counterparts. Differential feeding of larvae with royal jelly controls this caste switching. There is emerging evidence that the queen-bee phenotype is driven by epigenetic mechanisms. In this study, we show that royal jelly--the secretion produced by the hypopharyngeal and mandibular glands of worker bees--has histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) activity. A fatty acid, (E)-10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10HDA), which accounts for up to 5% of royal jelly, harbours this HDACi activity. Furthermore, 10HDA can reactivate the expression of epigenetically silenced genes in mammalian cells. Thus, the epigenetic regulation of queen-bee development is EMBO reportsHistone deacetylase inhibitor activity in royal jelly might facilitate caste switching in bees.PMC3059907ES007784P30 ES007784Raynal NJLi JSbardella GSpannhoff ASu MBBedford MTKim YKGharibyan VZhou YYIssa JPCastellano SfalseHistone deacetylase inhibitor activity in royal jelly might facilitate caste switching in bees.Worker and queen bees are genetically indistinguishable. However, queen bees are fertile, larger and have a longer lifespan than their female worker counterparts. Differential feeding of larvae with royal jelly controls this caste switching. There is emerging evidence that the queen-bee phenotype is driven by epigenetic mechanisms. In this study, we show that royal jelly--the secretion produced by the hypopharyngeal and mandibular glands of worker bees--has histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) activity. A fatty acid, (E)-10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10HDA), which accounts for up to 5% of royal jelly, harbours this HDACi activity. Furthermore, 10HDA can reactivate the expression of epigenetically silenced genes in mammalian cells. Thus, the epigenetic regulation of queen-bee development is 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z2011 Mar2025-04-19T21:40:33.381Z2019-03-27T00:39:50ZS-EPMC30599072133109910.1038/embor.2011.9