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Effects of patriline on gustatory responsiveness and olfactory learning in honey bees

Influence de la lignée paternelle sur la sensibilité gustative et l’apprentissage olfactif chez les abeilles (Apis mellifera)

Einflüsse der Patrilinie auf die Zuckerwasserempfindlichkeit und das Duftlernen bei Honigbienen

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Abstract

Associative proboscis extension learning differs widely among bees of a colony. This variety of performances is often related to differences in sucrose responsiveness, which determines learning performance. Sucrose responsiveness is partly determined genetically. We studied for the first time effects of paternal genes on associative learning independent of sucrose responsiveness. To do this, we used wild-type workers stemming from five unrelated patrilines. Bees of the patrilines were first tested for sucrose responsiveness. Only bees with equal sucrose responsiveness were analysed for associative olfactory learning, memory and discrimination. The bees of different patrilines did not differ in their acquisition, memory or discrimination of odours when they had similar sucrose responsiveness. But patrilines differed significantly in their sucrose responsiveness. This shows genetic effects on sensory responsiveness but no independent effects on associative learning.

Zusammenfassung

Arbeiterinnen einer Honigbienenkolonie unterscheiden sich oft sehr stark in ihrem Rüsselreflex-Lernen. Diese Vielfalt im Lernverhalten hängt dabei häufig mit der individuellen Empfindlichkeit für den Belohnungsreiz Zuckerwasser zusammen. Die Zuckerwasserempfindlichkeit ist zumindest teilweise genetisch programmiert.

Wir haben zum ersten Mal untersucht, inwieweit väterliche Gene das assoziative Lernverhalten unabhängig von der Zuckerwasserempfindlichkeit beeinflussen. Dazu haben wir Arbeiterinnen untersucht, die von fünf nicht miteinander verwandten Patrilinien stammten. Von jeder Arbeiterin wurde zunächst die Zuckerwasserempfindlichkeit bestimmt. Anschließend wurden Bienen mit ähnlicher Empfindlichkeit auf ihr Duftlernen, ihr Gedächtnis und ihre Duftdiskriminierung getestet.

Bienen gleicher Zuckerwasserempfindlichkeit haben sich weder im Lernverlauf noch im Gedächtnis oder in der Diskriminierung unterschieden. Aber Bienen verschiedener Patrilinien unterschieden sich in ihrer Zuckerwasserempfindlichkeit. Unsere Ergebnisse zeigen daher keinen von der Zuckerwasserempfindlichkeit unabhängigen Effekt väterlicher Gene auf das Lernverhalten bei Bienen.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Ökologie, Technische Universität Berlin, Franklinstr. 28/29, 10587, Berlin, Germany

    Ricarda Scheiner

  2. Laboratoire Évolution, Génomes, Spéciation (LEGS), CNRS UPR 9034, 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France

    Gérard Arnold

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  1. Ricarda Scheiner
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  2. Gérard Arnold
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Correspondence to Ricarda Scheiner.

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Manuscript editor: Stan Schneider

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Scheiner, R., Arnold, G. Effects of patriline on gustatory responsiveness and olfactory learning in honey bees. Apidologie 41, 29–37 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1051/apido/2009040

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/apido/2009040

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