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A Genetic Analysis of the Stinging and Guarding Behaviors of the Honey Bee

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Abstract

In order to identify genes that are influencing defensive behaviors, we have taken a new approach by dissecting colony-level defensive behavior into individual behavioral measurements using two families containing backcross workers from matings involving European and Africanized bees. We removed the social context from stinging behavior by using a laboratory assay to measure the stinging response of individual bees. A mild shock was given to bees using a constant-current stimulator. The time it took bees to sting in response to this stimulus was recorded. In addition, bees that were seen performing guard behaviors at the hive entrance were collected. We performed QTL mapping in two backcross families with SNP probes within genes and identified two new QTL regions for stinging behavior and another QTL region for guarding behavior. We also identified several candidate genes involved in neural signaling, neural development and muscle development that may be influencing stinging and guarding behaviors. The lack of overlap between these regions and previous defensive behavior QTL underscores the complexity of this behavior and increases our understanding of its genetic architecture.

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Acknowledgments

Thanks to Lauren Brierley, Matthew Ginzel, Christie Williams and two anonymous reviewers for helpful comments. The crosses for this study were performed by M. A-V and C. R-R. Behavioral assays were performed by M. A-V., C. R-R., Sarah Kocher and G. H. This project was funded by USDA NIFA Grant 2008-35302-18803.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Entomology, Purdue University, 901 West State St, West Lafayette, IN, 47906, USA

    John R. Shorter & Greg J. Hunt

  2. Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agricolas y Pecuarias, Apiculture, 76280, Ajuchitlan, QRO, Mexico

    Miguel Arechavaleta-Velasco & Carlos Robles-Rios

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  1. John R. Shorter
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  2. Miguel Arechavaleta-Velasco
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  3. Carlos Robles-Rios
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  4. Greg J. Hunt
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Correspondence to John R. Shorter.

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Shorter, J.R., Arechavaleta-Velasco, M., Robles-Rios, C. et al. A Genetic Analysis of the Stinging and Guarding Behaviors of the Honey Bee. Behav Genet 42, 663–674 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10519-012-9530-5

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