Honeybees control the gas permeability of brood and honey cappings
Summary: Some bee species use wax to build their nests. They store honey and raise their brood in cells made entirely from wax. How can the bee brood breathe and develop properly when sealed in wax cells? We compared the chemical composition and structural properties of the honey cappings and worker...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-11-01
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| Series: | iScience |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004222017175 |
| _version_ | 1828336837769297920 |
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| author | Jiří Kubásek Karolína Svobodová František Půta Alena Bruce Krejčí |
| author_facet | Jiří Kubásek Karolína Svobodová František Půta Alena Bruce Krejčí |
| author_sort | Jiří Kubásek |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Summary: Some bee species use wax to build their nests. They store honey and raise their brood in cells made entirely from wax. How can the bee brood breathe and develop properly when sealed in wax cells? We compared the chemical composition and structural properties of the honey cappings and worker brood cappings of the honeybee Apis mellifera carnica, measured the worker brood respiration, and calculated the CO2 gradients across the two types of cappings. We identified microscopic pores present in the brood cappings that allow efficient gas exchange of the developing brood. In contrary, honey cappings are nearly gas impermeable to protect honey from fermenting. Similar principles apply in bumble bees. Our data suggest the control of gas exchange of cappings as a selective pressure in the evolution of wax-building bees that drives their adaptation for using wax in two highly contrasting biological contexts. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T22:07:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e3b6d8c5c90e4e0abca0cfd1b2ea5081 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2589-0042 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T22:07:36Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | iScience |
| spelling | doaj.art-e3b6d8c5c90e4e0abca0cfd1b2ea50812022-12-22T02:27:54ZengElsevieriScience2589-00422022-11-012511105445Honeybees control the gas permeability of brood and honey cappingsJiří Kubásek0Karolína Svobodová1František Půta2Alena Bruce Krejčí3University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science, Ceske Budejovice, Czech RepublicUniversity of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science, Ceske Budejovice, Czech RepublicDepartment of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech RepublicUniversity of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic; Czech Academy of Sciences, Biology Centre, Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic; Corresponding authorSummary: Some bee species use wax to build their nests. They store honey and raise their brood in cells made entirely from wax. How can the bee brood breathe and develop properly when sealed in wax cells? We compared the chemical composition and structural properties of the honey cappings and worker brood cappings of the honeybee Apis mellifera carnica, measured the worker brood respiration, and calculated the CO2 gradients across the two types of cappings. We identified microscopic pores present in the brood cappings that allow efficient gas exchange of the developing brood. In contrary, honey cappings are nearly gas impermeable to protect honey from fermenting. Similar principles apply in bumble bees. Our data suggest the control of gas exchange of cappings as a selective pressure in the evolution of wax-building bees that drives their adaptation for using wax in two highly contrasting biological contexts.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004222017175BiochemistryBiophysicsBiological sciences |
| spellingShingle | Jiří Kubásek Karolína Svobodová František Půta Alena Bruce Krejčí Honeybees control the gas permeability of brood and honey cappings iScience Biochemistry Biophysics Biological sciences |
| title | Honeybees control the gas permeability of brood and honey cappings |
| title_full | Honeybees control the gas permeability of brood and honey cappings |
| title_fullStr | Honeybees control the gas permeability of brood and honey cappings |
| title_full_unstemmed | Honeybees control the gas permeability of brood and honey cappings |
| title_short | Honeybees control the gas permeability of brood and honey cappings |
| title_sort | honeybees control the gas permeability of brood and honey cappings |
| topic | Biochemistry Biophysics Biological sciences |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004222017175 |
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