Dufour’s gland analysis reveals caste and physiology specific signals in Bombus impatiens
Abstract Reproductive division of labor in insect societies is regulated through multiple concurrent mechanisms, primarily chemical and behavioral. Here, we examined if the Dufour’s gland secretion in the primitively eusocial bumble bee Bombus impatiens signals information about caste, social condit...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2021-02-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-82366-2 |
| _version_ | 1818952279449927680 |
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| author | Nathan T. Derstine Gabriel Villar Margarita Orlova Abraham Hefetz Jocelyn Millar Etya Amsalem |
| author_facet | Nathan T. Derstine Gabriel Villar Margarita Orlova Abraham Hefetz Jocelyn Millar Etya Amsalem |
| author_sort | Nathan T. Derstine |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Reproductive division of labor in insect societies is regulated through multiple concurrent mechanisms, primarily chemical and behavioral. Here, we examined if the Dufour’s gland secretion in the primitively eusocial bumble bee Bombus impatiens signals information about caste, social condition, and reproductive status. We chemically analyzed Dufour’s gland contents across castes, age groups, social and reproductive conditions, and examined worker behavioral and antennal responses to gland extracts. We found that workers and queens each possess caste-specific compounds in their Dufour’s glands. Queens and gynes differed from workers based on the presence of diterpene compounds which were absent in workers, whereas four esters were exclusive to workers. These esters, as well as the total amounts of hydrocarbons in the gland, provided a separation between castes and also between fertile and sterile workers. Olfactometer bioassays demonstrated attraction of workers to Dufour’s gland extracts that did not represent a reproductive conflict, while electroantennogram recordings showed higher overall antennal sensitivity in queenless workers. Our results demonstrate that compounds in the Dufour’s gland act as caste- and physiology-specific signals and are used by workers to discriminate between workers of different social and reproductive status. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T09:47:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a96ce9d7974b4ebcb0173d3b41f597ce |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T09:47:51Z |
| publishDate | 2021-02-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-a96ce9d7974b4ebcb0173d3b41f597ce2022-12-21T19:44:41ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222021-02-0111111310.1038/s41598-021-82366-2Dufour’s gland analysis reveals caste and physiology specific signals in Bombus impatiensNathan T. Derstine0Gabriel Villar1Margarita Orlova2Abraham Hefetz3Jocelyn Millar4Etya Amsalem5Department of Entomology, Center for Chemical Ecology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State UniversityDepartment of Entomology, Center for Chemical Ecology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State UniversityDepartment of Entomology, Center for Chemical Ecology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State UniversitySchool of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv UniversityDepartments of Entomology and Chemistry, University of California RiversideDepartment of Entomology, Center for Chemical Ecology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State UniversityAbstract Reproductive division of labor in insect societies is regulated through multiple concurrent mechanisms, primarily chemical and behavioral. Here, we examined if the Dufour’s gland secretion in the primitively eusocial bumble bee Bombus impatiens signals information about caste, social condition, and reproductive status. We chemically analyzed Dufour’s gland contents across castes, age groups, social and reproductive conditions, and examined worker behavioral and antennal responses to gland extracts. We found that workers and queens each possess caste-specific compounds in their Dufour’s glands. Queens and gynes differed from workers based on the presence of diterpene compounds which were absent in workers, whereas four esters were exclusive to workers. These esters, as well as the total amounts of hydrocarbons in the gland, provided a separation between castes and also between fertile and sterile workers. Olfactometer bioassays demonstrated attraction of workers to Dufour’s gland extracts that did not represent a reproductive conflict, while electroantennogram recordings showed higher overall antennal sensitivity in queenless workers. Our results demonstrate that compounds in the Dufour’s gland act as caste- and physiology-specific signals and are used by workers to discriminate between workers of different social and reproductive status.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-82366-2 |
| spellingShingle | Nathan T. Derstine Gabriel Villar Margarita Orlova Abraham Hefetz Jocelyn Millar Etya Amsalem Dufour’s gland analysis reveals caste and physiology specific signals in Bombus impatiens Scientific Reports |
| title | Dufour’s gland analysis reveals caste and physiology specific signals in Bombus impatiens |
| title_full | Dufour’s gland analysis reveals caste and physiology specific signals in Bombus impatiens |
| title_fullStr | Dufour’s gland analysis reveals caste and physiology specific signals in Bombus impatiens |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dufour’s gland analysis reveals caste and physiology specific signals in Bombus impatiens |
| title_short | Dufour’s gland analysis reveals caste and physiology specific signals in Bombus impatiens |
| title_sort | dufour s gland analysis reveals caste and physiology specific signals in bombus impatiens |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-82366-2 |
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