Studies were conducted on the physiological mode of action and mode of perception of a queen pheromone that inhibits dealation (wing-shedding) and ovary development in virgin queens of the fire ant Solenopsis inuicta. Winged virgin queens were removed from the pheromonal signal (queen) to compare the response time for dealation, a behavioral response, and ovary development, a physiological resp...

Honeybee workers (Apis mellifera) may be classified as either short-lived summer bees or long-lived winter bees in temperate zones. The protein status appears to be a major determinant of honeybee lifespan, and the lipoprotein vitellogenin seems to play a crucial role. Here, we give a review of the role of the vitellogenin in honeybee workers, and present a data-driven mathematical model descri...

Specific cell-surface receptors mediate the uptake of plasma proteins into growing oocytes of oviparous species, thereby forming yolk. Quantitatively the most important yolk precursors are the lipoproteins, very low density lipoprotein, and vitellogenin. We show that a single major chicken oocyte plasma membrane protein with an apparent molecular mass of 95 kDa as determined by SDS/PAGE under n...

Complex social behaviour in Hymenoptera has been hypothesized to evolve by co-opting reproductive pathways (the ovarian ground plan hypothesis, OGPH) and gene networks (the reproductive ground plan hypothesis, RGPH). In support of these hypotheses, in eusocial Hymenoptera where there is reproductive division of labour, the yolk precursor protein vitellogenin (Vg) influences the expression of wo...

Cytoplasmic regulation of the length of poly(A) on mRNA is a well-characterized process involved in translational control during development. In contrast, there is no direct in vivo evidence for regulation of the length of poly(A) added during nuclear pre-mRNA processing in somatic cells. We previously reported that Xenopus serum albumin [Schoenberg et al. (1989) Mol. Endocrinol. 3, 805-815] an...

BACKGROUND The ability to manipulate the genetic networks underlying the physiological and behavioural repertoires of the adult honeybee worker (Apis mellifera) is likely to deepen our understanding of issues such as learning and memory generation, ageing, and the regulatory anatomy of social systems in proximate as well as evolutionary terms. Here we assess two methods for probing gene functio...

The alimentary canal carries out many functions critical to insect physiology, including digesting and absorbing nutrients water, housing beneficial gut bacteria, eliciting immunological responses. midgut, in particular, is a compartment for digestion absorption serves as first point of contact between ingested pathogens the immune system. Recently, we found protein vitellogenin (Vg) localized ...