changes during metamorphosis, a process influenced by hormones, mainly 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E). To understand metamorphosis at the molecular level, we investigated gene expression changes in the honeybee thoracic integument during adult cuticle formation. Using cDNA microarrays constructed from 13,440 oligos, we monitored gene expression during pupal/ pharate-adult transition at three specific...

Swarm cognition is the field that explores the possibility of implanting human cognitive functions on machines by transplanting the processes in naturally self-organized colonies. These natural colonies, especially ant colony, honey bee colony, etc, have been deeply studied to explore the factors which enable them to simulate high cognitive functions, such as decision making, labor division, et...

Honeybee stings are a severe public health problem. Bee venom contains a series of active components, including enzymes, peptides, and biogenic amines. The local reactions observed after envenoming include a typical inflammatory response and pain. Honeybee venom contains some well-known polycationic peptides, such as Melittin, Apamin, MCD peptide, Cardiopep, and Tertiapin. Secapin in honeybee v...

The higher cognitive functions of insects are dependent on their mushroom bodies (MBs), which are particularly large in social insects such as honeybees. MB Kenyon cells (KCs) receive multisensory input and are involved in associative learning and memory. In addition to receiving sensory input via excitatory nicotinic synapses, KCs receive inhibitory GABAergic input from MB feedback neurons. Cu...

Honeybees play an important ecological role as pollinators of many plant species, and their products are the basis for a multi-million dollar commercial industry around the world. They are major agricultural pollinators around the world and are keystone pollinators in tropical ecosystems. Pollination has been considered a keystone process to ecosystem function through the facilitation of both p...

This work analyzed genome-wide nucleotide distribution patterns in ten insect genomes. Two internal measures were applied – (i) GC variation and (ii) third codon nucleotide preference. Although the genome size and overall GC level did not show any correlation with insect order, the internal measures usually displayed higher levels of consistency. GC variations in genomes of hymenopteran insects...

Due to their high toxicity healthy body cells, chemotherapy drugs used treat cancer pose a serious threat the organism. Recent studies have encouraged utilization of bee products prevent and cancer. The specific food for queen honeybee larva (Apis mellifera), royal jelly (RJ) is yellow, milky, cremy product which stowed from mandibular hypopharyngeal glands worker honeybee. According reports, R...

Honeybees, termites and ants occupy the 'pinnacle of social evolution' with societies of a complexity that rivals our own. The sequencing of the honeybee genome will provide a strong foundation for studying the genetic basis of complex social behavior.