蜜蜂级型分化相关生理因子研究进展

蜜蜂Apis melliferaL.是典型的社会性昆虫,蜂群内蜂王和工蜂的级型分化现象吸引了众多研究者的高度关注。蜜蜂级型分化是一个极为复杂的生长发育调节过程,许多重要生理因子参与其中,包括保幼激素、蜕皮激素、胰岛素/胰岛素类似物信号通路等。本文概述了蜜蜂级型分化相关生理因子研究进展:保幼激素决定着蜜蜂级型发育的轨迹并能阻止卵巢发育过程中细胞的程序性死亡;蜕皮激素协同保幼激素发挥调节作用;蜜蜂蜂王与工蜂的躯体大小及相关器官大小的级型特异性差异与胰岛素/胰岛素类似物信号通路密切相关。此外,本文还介绍了蜜蜂级型分化模型,该模型系统描述了上述各生理因子对级型分化的综合作用。

Advances on the physiological factors relating to honeybee caste differentiation

The honeybee,Apis mellifera L.,is a typical social insect.The phenomenon of caste differentiation between queens and workers in this species has attracted a tremendous amount of scientific interest.Honeybee caste differentiation is an extremely complex growth adjustment process with many important physiological factors,including juvenile hormone（JH）,ecdysteroid（Ecd） and insulin /insulin-like signal pathway（IIS）.In this paper,we summarize advances in research on the physiological factors relating to honeybee caste differentiation：JH determines the path of caste differentiation and can hinder programmed cell death during larval ovary growth.Ecd,together with JH,plays a regulatory role.The queen and worker＇s body and organ size are correlated with IIS in a caste-specific fashion.In addition,a model of caste differentiation in A.mellifera,which systematically describes the integrative effects of the above physiological factors on the caste differentiation,is introduced.