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Food manipulation in honeybees induces physiological responses at the individual and colony level

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Acknowledgements

We thank Kaitlin Clinnin for practical support at the early stages of this experiment. We would also like to acknowledge the financial support of the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign and the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative of the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, grant number #2010-65104-20533.

La manipulation des sources de nourriture chez les abeilles provoque des réponses physiologiques au niveau de l’individu et de la colonie.

cellule souche intestinale / pollen/ nutrition / plasticité démographique / mortalité

Zusammenfassung – Physiologische Reaktionen auf Manipulationen des Nahrungsangebots von Individuen und Völkern. Die aktuellen Gesundheitsprobleme der Honigbienen sind vermutlich auf mehrere Faktoren zurückzuführen und daher werden vielfältige Ansätze verfolgt. In diesem Zusammenhang wurden Bienen in dieser Studie am Polleneintrag in den Stock gehindert und stattdessen entweder mit minderwertigen Pollen oder mit frischem Futtersaft (Gelee Royale) gefüttert. Nach einer Eingewöhnungsphase, wurden die zu untersuchenden, jungen Bienen in die Stöcke gegeben und später auf Proteingehalt und Replikation der Stammzellen im Darm untersucht. Zudem wurden die Koloniegrössen, Brutmengen, und die Masse des abgefangenen Pollens der Kolonien aufgezeichnet. Die experimentelle Manipulation der Ernährung im Stock wirkte sich auf individueller und Stock-Ebene aus. Die individuelle Mortalität von Arbeiterinnen und deren interne Proteintiter wurden allerdings kaum beeinträchtigt, aber die Futtersaftdiät führte im Ammenstadium zu einer signifikanten Reduzierung der Zellteilungsraten von Stammzellen in der Darmwand. Die Ernährungsqualität scheint die Darmwand zu beeinflussen. Am Ausgeprägtesten waren jedoch die Unterschiede bei der Brutmenge zwischen den drei Völkern. Dies könnte darauf hinweisen, dass die demografische Plastizität eines Bienenvolkes stärker ist als die individuelle physiologische Plastizität.

Intestinale Stammzellen / Pollen / Ernährung / Demographische Plastizität / Mortalität

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 312 Eberhart Building, 1000 Spring Garden Street, Greensboro, NC, 27403, USA

    Laura Evins Willard, Ashley Maria Hayes, Megan Ann Wallrichs & Olav Rueppell

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  1. Laura Evins Willard
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  2. Ashley Maria Hayes
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  3. Megan Ann Wallrichs
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  4. Olav Rueppell
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Correspondence to Olav Rueppell.

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Manuscript editor: Peter Rosenkranz

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Willard, L.E., Hayes, A.M., Wallrichs, M.A. et al. Food manipulation in honeybees induces physiological responses at the individual and colony level. Apidologie 42, 508–518 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-011-0006-z

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