AmelOBP4: an antenna-specific odor-binding protein gene required for olfactory behavior in the honey bee (Apis mellifera)
Abstract Background Odorant binding proteins (OBPs) initiate the process of odorant perception. Numerous investigations have demonstrated that OBPs bind a broad variety of chemicals and are more likely to carry pheromones or odor molecules with high binding affinities. However, few studies have inve...
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2025-01-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12983-024-00554-y |
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| author | Fang Liu Yu Lai Lixian Wu Qiang Li Linyue Lei Wei Yin Yuan Zhang Zachary Y. Huang Hongxia Zhao |
| author_facet | Fang Liu Yu Lai Lixian Wu Qiang Li Linyue Lei Wei Yin Yuan Zhang Zachary Y. Huang Hongxia Zhao |
| author_sort | Fang Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Odorant binding proteins (OBPs) initiate the process of odorant perception. Numerous investigations have demonstrated that OBPs bind a broad variety of chemicals and are more likely to carry pheromones or odor molecules with high binding affinities. However, few studies have investigated its effects on insect behavior. Previously, we found that AmelOBP4 has a significantly higher expression in the heads of foragers than that of nurses regardless of their ages, revealing its importance in foraging behaviour of the honey bee. RNA interference (RNAi) is the induction of sequence specific gene silencing by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), it is a powerful tool that makes gene inactivation possible in organisms that were not amenable to genetic analysis before. Results In this study, we found that AmelOBP4 had high expression levels in the antennae of both nurses and foragers, and could be successfully inhibited by feeding double stranded RNA of AmelOBP4 (dsAmelOBP4). Foragers with inhibited AmelOBP4 showed significantly lower sugar responsiveness than control bees, and also significantly reduced EAG response to plant volatiles of nonanal, linalool and 1-Octen-3ol. On the other hand, nurses with inhibited AmelOBP4 showed significantly reduced EAG response to brood pheromone of ethyl oleate, methyl linoleate, methyl palmitate and β-ocimene. Finally, the Y-tube choice assay showed nurses only exhibited a significantly reduced preference to ethyl oleate, but foragers exhibited significantly reduced preference to all these three plant volatiles. Conclusions The findings of our study suggested that AmelOBP4 plays an important role in the odorant binding process, especially in modulating olfactory behaviour in workers. Our results provide a foundation for exploring the olfactory mechanism of Apis mellifera. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
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| series | Frontiers in Zoology |
| spelling | doaj-art-09e513cf88344f93af0fe85bda2a76102025-01-19T12:33:33ZengBMCFrontiers in Zoology1742-99942025-01-0122111210.1186/s12983-024-00554-yAmelOBP4: an antenna-specific odor-binding protein gene required for olfactory behavior in the honey bee (Apis mellifera)Fang Liu0Yu Lai1Lixian Wu2Qiang Li3Linyue Lei4Wei Yin5Yuan Zhang6Zachary Y. Huang7Hongxia Zhao8Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of SciencesGuangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of SciencesGuangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of SciencesGuangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of SciencesGuangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of SciencesThe Core Facility, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang UniversityYunnan Academy of Biodiversity, Southwest Forestry UniversityDepartment of Entomology, Michigan State UniversityGuangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of SciencesAbstract Background Odorant binding proteins (OBPs) initiate the process of odorant perception. Numerous investigations have demonstrated that OBPs bind a broad variety of chemicals and are more likely to carry pheromones or odor molecules with high binding affinities. However, few studies have investigated its effects on insect behavior. Previously, we found that AmelOBP4 has a significantly higher expression in the heads of foragers than that of nurses regardless of their ages, revealing its importance in foraging behaviour of the honey bee. RNA interference (RNAi) is the induction of sequence specific gene silencing by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), it is a powerful tool that makes gene inactivation possible in organisms that were not amenable to genetic analysis before. Results In this study, we found that AmelOBP4 had high expression levels in the antennae of both nurses and foragers, and could be successfully inhibited by feeding double stranded RNA of AmelOBP4 (dsAmelOBP4). Foragers with inhibited AmelOBP4 showed significantly lower sugar responsiveness than control bees, and also significantly reduced EAG response to plant volatiles of nonanal, linalool and 1-Octen-3ol. On the other hand, nurses with inhibited AmelOBP4 showed significantly reduced EAG response to brood pheromone of ethyl oleate, methyl linoleate, methyl palmitate and β-ocimene. Finally, the Y-tube choice assay showed nurses only exhibited a significantly reduced preference to ethyl oleate, but foragers exhibited significantly reduced preference to all these three plant volatiles. Conclusions The findings of our study suggested that AmelOBP4 plays an important role in the odorant binding process, especially in modulating olfactory behaviour in workers. Our results provide a foundation for exploring the olfactory mechanism of Apis mellifera.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12983-024-00554-yAmelOBP4Apis melliferaRNAiBehaviour |
| spellingShingle | Fang Liu Yu Lai Lixian Wu Qiang Li Linyue Lei Wei Yin Yuan Zhang Zachary Y. Huang Hongxia Zhao AmelOBP4: an antenna-specific odor-binding protein gene required for olfactory behavior in the honey bee (Apis mellifera) Frontiers in Zoology AmelOBP4 Apis mellifera RNAi Behaviour |
| title | AmelOBP4: an antenna-specific odor-binding protein gene required for olfactory behavior in the honey bee (Apis mellifera) |
| title_full | AmelOBP4: an antenna-specific odor-binding protein gene required for olfactory behavior in the honey bee (Apis mellifera) |
| title_fullStr | AmelOBP4: an antenna-specific odor-binding protein gene required for olfactory behavior in the honey bee (Apis mellifera) |
| title_full_unstemmed | AmelOBP4: an antenna-specific odor-binding protein gene required for olfactory behavior in the honey bee (Apis mellifera) |
| title_short | AmelOBP4: an antenna-specific odor-binding protein gene required for olfactory behavior in the honey bee (Apis mellifera) |
| title_sort | amelobp4 an antenna specific odor binding protein gene required for olfactory behavior in the honey bee apis mellifera |
| topic | AmelOBP4 Apis mellifera RNAi Behaviour |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12983-024-00554-y |
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