Abstract
The first studies on the genome size of stingless bee species showed a range from 0.27 pg (Melipona subnitida and Melipona quadrifasciata) to 1.38 pg (Melipona capixaba). Considering this variation, we quantified the DNA content of 26 species of Meliponini, in order to provide input for future comparative studies in this tribe. Haploid genome size (1C) estimates, using flow cytometry analyses (FCM), ranged from 0.26 ± 0.003 pg (Paratrigona subnuda) to 0.98 ± 0.023 pg (Melipona flavolineata), with an average of 0.54 ± 0.17 pg. FCM analyses also demonstrated a small difference in the haploid genome size between males and females of the same species, with the males generally having a smaller genome than females. Our data also evidenciated that variations in the genome size of stingless bees do not correlate with changes in chromosome number and that in some genera the DNA content is more variable than in others.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ardila-Garcia, A.M., Umphrey, G.J., Gregory, T.R. (2010) An expansion of the genome size dataset for the insect order Hymenoptera, with a first test of parasitism and eusociality as possible constraints. Insec. Mol. Biol. 19, 337–346
Caixeiro, A.P.A. (1998) Caracterização citogenética da heterocromatina constitutiva e sua implicação na evolução do cariótipo de espécies do gênero Plebeia (Hymenoptera: Apinae: Meliponini). Dissertação de Mestrado. Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa. 70p
Costa, M.A., Pompolo, S.G., Campos, L.A.O. (1992) Supernumerary chromosomes in Partamona cupira (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponinae). Rev. Bras. Genet. 15, 801–806
Cruz, C.D. (2011) Programa Genes: Aplicativo Computacional em Genética e Estatística. Versão Windows—2011. UFV, Viçosa
Dolezel, J., Bartos, J. (2005) Plant DNA flow cytometry and estimation of nuclear genome size. Ann. Bot. 95, 99–110
Dolezel, J., Bartos, J., Voglmayr, H., Greilhuber, J. (2003) Nuclear DNA content and genome size of trouts and human. Cytometry 51A, 127–128
Domingues, A.M.T., Waldschmidt, A.M., Andrade, S.E., Andrade-Souza, V., Alves, R.M.O., Silva Junior, J.C., Costa, M.A. (2005) Karyotype characterization of Trigona fulviventris Guérin, 1835 (Hymenoptera, Meliponini) by C banding and fluorochrome staining: report of a new chromosome number in the genus. Gen. Mol. Biol. 28, 390–393
Fernandes A., Sampaio W.M.S., Lazarotto A. (2009) Contribuição citogenética ao estudo do gênero Partamona, In: I BIOTA- Ciclo de Estudos de Biologia de Tangará da Serra, Tangará da Serra. Resumo Expandido-Biologia Celular e Genética
Geraci, N.S., Jonston, J.S., Robinson, J.P., Wikel, S.K., Hill, C.A. (2007) Variation in genome size of argasid and ixodid ticks. Insect Biochem. Mol. Biol. 37, 399–408
Gregory, T.R. (2002) Genome size and developmental complexity. Genetica 115, 131–146
Gregory, T.R. (2005) The C-value enigma in plants and animals: a review of parallels and an appeal for partnership. Ann. Bot. 95, 133–146
Gregory, T.R. (2011) Animal Genome Size Database, http://www.genomesize.com (accessed on 10 July 2011).
Hardie, D.C., Gregory, T.R., Hebert, P.D.N. (2002) From pixels to picograms: a beginners’ guide to genome quantification by Feulgen image analysis densitometry. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 50, 735–749
Honeybee Genome Sequencing Consortium (2006) Insights into social insects from the genome of the honeybee Apis mellifera. Nature 443, 931–949
Imai, H., Taylor, R.W., Crosland, M.W.J., Crozier, R.H. (1988) Modes of spontaneous evolution in ants with reference to the minimum interaction hypothesis. Jpn. J. Genet. 63, 159–185
Lopes, D.M., Pompolo, S.G., Campos, L.A.O., Tavares, M.G. (2008) Cytogenetic characterization of Melipona rufiventris Lepeletier 1836 and Melipona mondury Smith 1863 (Hymenoptera, Apidae) by C banding and fluorochromes staining. Genet. Mol. Biol. 31, 49–52
Lopes, D.M., Carvalho, C.R., Clarindo, W.R., Praça, M.M., Tavares, M.G. (2009) Genome size estimation of three stingless bee species (Hymenoptera, Meliponinae) by flow cytometry. Apidologie 40, 517–523
Lopes, D.M., Fernandes, A., Praça-Fontes, M.M., Werneck, H.D., Resende, H.C., Campos, L.A.D. (2011) Cytogenetics of three Melipona species (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponini). Sociobiology 58, 185–194
Loureiro, J., Rodriguez, E., Dole el, J., Santos, C. (2006a) Comparison of four nuclear isolation buffers for plant DNA flow cytometry. Ann. Bot. 98, 679–689
Loureiro, J., Rodriguez, E., Dole el, J., Santos C. (2006b) Flow cytometric and microscopic analysis of the effect of tannic acid on plant nuclei and estimation of DNA content. Ann. Bot. 98, 515–527
Marthe, J.B., Pompolo, S.G., Campos, L.A.O., Salomão, T.M.F., Tavares, M.G. (2010) Cytogenetic characterization of Partamona cupira (Hymenoptera, Apidae) by fluorochromes. Gen. Mol. Biol. 33, 253–255
Michener, C.D. (2000) The bees of the world. The John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. 913p
Otto, F.J. (1990) DAPI staining of fixed cells for high-resolution flow cytometry of nuclear DNA. In: Darzynkiewiez, Z., Crissman, H.A., Robinson, J.P. (eds.), Methods in Cell Biology, vol 33, Academic Press, San Diego, pp.105–110
Praça-Fontes, M.M., Fernandes, A., Werneck H., Campos, L.A.O., Drummond, M., Lopes, D. M. (2010) Contribuição ao estudo citogenético de espécies do gênero Trigona (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini). In: Anais do IX Encontro sobre Abelhas. Ribeirão Preto
Rasmussen, C., Camargo, J.M.F. (2008) A molecular phylogeny and the evolution of nest architecture and behavior in Trigona s.s. (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini). Apidologie 39, 102–118
Rasmussen, C., Cameron, S.A. (2010) Global stingless bee phylogeny supports ancient divergence, vicariance, and long distance dispersal. Biol. J. Linnean Soc. 99, 206–232
Rocha, M.P. (2002) Análises citogenéticas em abelhas do gênero Melipona (Hymenoptera, Meliponinae). Universidade Estadual de Campinas, São Paulo. 84p
Rocha, M.P., Pompolo, S.G., Campos, L.A.O. (2003) Citogenética da tribo Meliponini (Hymenoptera, Apidae). In: Melo, G.A.R., Santos, I.A. (eds.), Apoidea Neotropica. Homenagem aos 90 anos de Jesus Santiago Moure, UNESC, Santa Catarina, Brasil, pp. 311–320
Shapiro, H.M. (2003) Practical flow cytometry, 4th ed., John Wiley & Sons, New Jersey. 736p
Tavares, M.G., Carvalho, C.R., Soares, F.A.F. (2010a) Genome size variation in Melipona species (Hymenoptera: Apidae) and sub-grouping by their DNA content. Apidologie 41, 636–642
Tavares, M.G., Carvalho, C.R., Soares, F.A.F., Fernandes, A. (2010b) Detection of diploid males in a natural colony of the cleptobiotic bee Lestrimelitta sp. (Hymenoptera, Apidae). Gen. Mol. Biol. 33, 491–493
Tsutsui, N.D., Suarez, A.V., Spagna, J.C., Johnston, J.S. (2008) The evolution of genome size in ants. BMC Evol. Biol. 8, 1–9
Acknowledgments
We are grateful to Dr. Leonardo Lopes Bhering for his statistical assistance with GENES Program and to all researches and bee keepers that kindly provided the specimens analyzed. This work was supported by the Brazilian agency FAPEMIG (Process number: APQ 218 00564-08).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Manuscript editor: David Tarpy
Diversité dans la taille du génome chez les abeilles sans aiguillon (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Meliponini)
Valeur C / contenu de l’ADN / cytométrie en flux / meliponines
Variation der Genomgrösse bei Stachellosen Bienen (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Meliponini)
C-Wert / DNA-Gehalt / Durchflusszytometrie / Meliponinen
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tavares, M.G., Carvalho, C.R., Soares, F.A.F. et al. Genome size diversity in stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Meliponini). Apidologie 43, 731–736 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-012-0145-x
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-012-0145-x