Inter-strain differences in the development of the pattern of periplasm distribution during cleavage of honeybee eggs

During cleavage of honeybee eggs two peaks arise in the longitudinal distribution pattern of the periplasm which coincide with the site of the differentiation center and the site of a mesodermal center. A very similar pattern is exhibited by the dorsal plasmstrip, a narrow band of thicker periplasm which is formed during cleavage along the dorsal midline of the egg. The present paper describes the development of the dorsal plasmstrips of two inbred strains of honeybees during early cleavage stages. Differences between the two strains reside in the total size of their dorsal plasmstrips and in the timing of the formation of the anterior peak which coincides with the site of the differentiation center. The bearing of these findings upon embryological studies is discussed.