婚飞行为影响中华蜜蜂性成熟处女蜂王的基因表达

婚飞是性成熟处女蜂王与雄蜂交配过程中的一个重要前奏， 在该过程中蜂王体内伴随着一系列重要的生理变化。为了探究中华蜜蜂Apis cerana cerana处女蜂王婚飞过程中基因表达变化， 本研究利用数字基因表达谱(digital gene expression, DGE) 技术分析了中华蜜蜂性成熟处女蜂王飞行与未飞行之间的基因表达差异。经DGE测序， 分别从两个样品中获得5.98和6.01 百万条Clean标签。通过分析检测到250个基因有差异表达， 其中133个基因在飞行蜂王中上调表达， 117个基因在飞行蜂王中下调表达。这些差异基因可以归类到348个功能性类别和142个生化途径。结果表明中华蜜蜂性成熟处女蜂王在婚飞过程中大量基因的表达发生了变化。这些结果为进一步研究中华蜜蜂蜂王婚飞过程中生理变化的分子机制提供了重要的基因表达信息。

Mating flight behaviour affects gene expression in matured virgin queens of Apis cerana cerana (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Queen mating flight is an important prelude of sexual matured virgin queens mating with drones, which is usually accompanied by a series of important physiological changes in queens’ bodies. In order to explore the differences of gene expression following queen mating flight behaviour, we analyzed the gene expression differences between the flying matured virgin queens and non-flying matured virgin queens of Apis cerana cerana using a high-throughput sequencing method. Through digital gene expression (DGE) sequencing, we obtained 5.98 and 6.01 million clean tags from the flying matured virgin queen and non-flying matured virgin queen samples, respectively. A total of 250 genes were differentially expressed between both, with 133 up-regulated and 117 down-regulated in the flying matured virgin queens. These differentially expressed genes can be classified into 348 functional categories and involved in 142 biochemical pathways, indicating that there are a large number of genes whose expression levels change during mating flight process of matured virgin queens. The results provide important gene expression information for further researching the molecular mechanisms of the physiological changes during queen mating flight in A. cerana cerana.