熊蜂级型分化研究进展

熊蜂是众多野生植物及农作物的有效授粉昆虫，具有重要的经济和生态价值。熊蜂复杂的生长发育过程及社会性使其成为社会生物学研究的最佳模式生物之一。社会性昆虫的生殖劳动分工具有重要的进化意义，而级型分化是形成生殖劳动分工的基础。蜜蜂级型分化的研究已取得诸多重要成果，其机理也得到了较为深入的阐释，而熊蜂的社会性研究尚未形成系统，与蜜蜂研究相差甚远。近来的研究表明，饲喂频率或者饲喂总量的差异能够引起熊蜂级型分化的发生。保幼激素和蜕皮激素与熊蜂幼虫的发育紧密联系，在熊蜂级型分化的过程中发挥重要作用。一些参与蜜蜂级型分化的基因，在熊蜂级型间也存在差异表达。此外，群体间的相互作用以及蜂王和工蜂间的竞争也是促进熊蜂级型分化发生的重要因素。本文从营养、激素调控、群体发展及相互作用等方面综述熊蜂级型分化机制，并对未来的研究提出可能方向。

Research progress on caste differentiation in bumblebees

Bumblebees are effective pollinators for many natural plants and crops and have great value in economy and ecology. Bumblebees’ complex growth process and high eusociety make them become outstanding model organisms in sociobiology research. The reproductive division of labor based on caste differentiation in social insects is of great significance in evolution. Many important findings about honeybee caste differentiation have been obtained, and the mechanisms underpinning this process are well elucidated. Compared with honeybees, the system of bumblebees’ eusociety has not been thoroughly studied. Recently, it is evident that the feeding frequency or the feeding amount may induce bumblebee caste differentiation. Juvenile hormone and ecdysteroid are associated with the development of bumblebee larvae and play an important role in caste differentiation. Some genes involved in the regulation of honeybee caste differentiation were also found to be differentially expressed between bumblebee castes. In addition, the caste interaction and competition are found to be key factors causing bumblebee caste differentiation. In this article, we reviewed the mechanisms of bumblebee caste differentiation from nutrition, hormonal regulation, community development and interaction, and also proposed several directions for future studies in these areas.