ORCID Profile
0000-0002-1136-5967
Current Organisations
Universitas Islam Negeri Ar-Raniry
,
University of California Riverside
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Research Topics
In Research Link Australia (RLA), "Research Topics" refer to ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes. These topics are either sourced from ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes listed in researchers' related grants or generated by a large language model (LLM) based on their publications.
Top 5 Research Topics
ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)
Zoology | Host-Parasite Interactions | Animal Developmental and Reproductive Biology | Invertebrate Biology | Biochemistry and Cell Biology | Evolutionary Biology | Population Ecology | Animal Reproduction | Life Histories (Incl. Population Ecology) | Ecology | Biochemistry And Cell Biology Not Elsewhere Classified | Colloid And Surface Chemistry | Botany Not Elsewhere Classified | Zoology Not Elsewhere Classified | Physical Chemistry (Incl. Structural) | Plant Biology | Evolutionary Biology not elsewhere classified | Physiology not elsewhere classified | Ethology and Sociobiology | Evolution of Developmental Systems | Plant Cell and Molecular Biology | Proteomics and Intermolecular Interactions (excl. Medical Proteomics) | Analytical Biochemistry | Cell Metabolism | Population And Ecological Genetics | Crop and Pasture Biochemistry and Physiology | Animal Protection (Pests and Pathogens) | Invertebrate Biology | Comparative Physiology | Sociobiology And Behavioural Ecology
ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)
Livestock Raising not elsewhere classified | Honey | Livestock not elsewhere classified | Biological sciences | Control of Pests, Diseases and Exotic Species in Urban and Industrial Environments | Expanding Knowledge in the Biological Sciences | Reproductive system and disorders | Environmentally Sustainable Plant Production not elsewhere classified | Rice | Wheat | Animal Welfare | Immune system and allergy | Higher education | Primary animal products not elsewhere classified | Scientific instrumentation | Primary plant products not elsewhere classified | Livestock |
Related Links
Publications
Cuticular lipids correlate with age and insemination status in queen honeybees
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-07-2014
Insights into female sperm storage from the spermathecal fluid proteome of the honeybee Apis mellifera
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 2009
Unexpected consequences of polyandry for parasitism and fitness in the bumblebee, Bombus terrestris
Publisher: The Society for the Study of Evolution
Date: 2001
Multi-modal imaging and analysis in the search for iron-based magnetoreceptors in the honeybee Apis mellifera
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 09-2018
DOI: 10.1098/RSOS.181163
Abstract: The honeybee Apis mellifera is one of many animal species for which empirical evidence of a magnetic sense has been provided. The underlying mechanisms postulated for magnetoreception in bees are varied, but most point towards the abdomen as the most likely anatomical region for its location, partly owing to the large accumulation of iron in trophocyte cells that comprise the honeybee fat body. Using a multi-modal imaging and analysis approach, we have investigated iron in the honeybee, with a particular focus on the abdomen and the utility of such techniques as applied to magnetoreception. Abdominal iron is shown to accumulate rapidly, reaching near maximum levels only 5 days after emerging from the comb and is associated with the accumulation of iron within the fat body. While fat body iron could be visualized, no regions of interest, other than perhaps the fat body itself, were identified as potential sites for magnetoreceptive cells. If an iron-based magnetoreceptor exists within the honeybee abdomen the large accumulation of iron in the fat body is likely to impede its discovery.
Bumblebees as model organisms to study male sexual selection in social insects
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-2003
A technique to artificially inseminate leafcutter ants
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-12-2012
A nonspecific fatty acid within the bumblebee mating plug prevents females from remating
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 13-03-2001
Abstract: The best mating strategy for males differs from that of females, because females gain from mating with several males (polyandry), but males gain from monopolizing the females. As a consequence, males have evolved a variety of methods, such as the transfer of inhibitory substances from their accessory glands, to ensure exclusive paternity of the female's offspring, generally with detrimental effects on female fitness. Inhibitory substances have been identified as peptides or other specific molecules. Unfortunately, in social insects male-mating traits are investigated only poorly, although male social insects might have the same fundamental influence on female-mating behavior as found in other species. A recently developed technique for the artificial insemination of bumblebee queens allowed us to investigate which chemical compound in the mating plug of male bumblebees, Bombus terrestris L., prevents females (queens) from further mating. Surprisingly, we found that the active substance is linoleic acid, a ubiquitous and rather unspecific fatty acid. Contrary to mating plugs in other insect species, the bumblebee mating plug is highly efficient and allows the males to determine queen-mating frequencies.
Examination of the immune responses of males and workers of the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex echinatior and the effect of infection
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-2005
Sexual Selection in Social Insects
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Date: 2020
Protein-Level Interactions as Mediators of Sexual Conflict in Ants*
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2019
Male reproductive investment and queen mating-frequency in fungus-growing ants
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 05-2004
The evolutionary significance of long copulation duration in bumble bees
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 04-2005
Synergistic effects of pathogen and pesticide exposure on honey bee (Apis mellifera) survival and immunity
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.JIP.2018.10.005
Abstract: Declines in native insect pollinator populations and substantial losses in managed honey bees have been reported on a global scale and become a widespread concern because of the importance of these insects for human food production and ecosystem stability. Several potential factors have been studied as possible causes of declining pollinator health, such as parasites and pathogens, exposure to agricultural pesticides, habitat loss and/or climate change. More recently, a combination of these factors rather than a single cause have been blamed for observed pollinator losses, but field studies of such interactions are challenging, especially in the presence of confounding environmental stressors. We therefore examined the impact of single and combined stressors on the honey bee (Apis mellifera) in a generally healthy Australian population. We exposed workers during their larval development and drones until they reached sexual maturity to the neonicotinoid pesticide Thiamethoxam, at concentrations more than 20 times lower than we initially measured in the field, the microsporidian gut pathogen Nosema apis or both stressors at the same time. We found that simultaneous exposure significantly reduced bee health. We observed a substantial increase in mortality and a reduction of immunocompetence in workers exposed to both the pathogen and the pesticide. We conclude that the exposure of generally healthy bees to multiple environmental stressors results in synergistic effects where the effects are expected to negatively impact performance and could be sufficient to trigger colony collapse. We found that the vast majority of males did not survive to sexual maturity after exposure to very low levels of Thiamethoxam. This would not only reduce the reproductive success of in idual colonies, but can also impact gene flow and genetic ersity at the population level, which are both known as key components of honey bee health.
Preventing Adipogenesis and Preserving Mitochondria and GLUT-4 Functions by Extracts and Isolated Compounds of Australian Acacia saligna
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 18-09-2023
Antihyperglycemic Properties of Extracts and Isolated Compounds from Australian Acacia saligna on 3T3-L1 Adipocytes
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 12-05-2023
DOI: 10.3390/MOLECULES28104054
Abstract: Our early work indicated that methanolic extracts from the flowers, leaves, bark, and isolated compounds of Acacia saligna exhibited significant antioxidant activities in vitro. The overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the mitochondria (mt-ROS) interfered with glucose uptake, metabolism, and its AMPK-dependent pathway, contributing to hyperglycemia and diabetes. This study aimed to screen the ability of these extracts and isolated compounds to attenuate the production of ROS and maintain mitochondrial function via the restoration of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Downstream effects were investigated via an immunoblot analysis of the AMPK signalling pathway and glucose uptake assays. All methanolic extracts effectively reduced cellular ROS and mt-ROS levels, restored the MMP, activated AMPK-α, and enhanced cellular glucose uptake. At 10 µM, (−)-epicatechin-6 (from methanolic leaf and bark extracts) markedly reduced ROS and mt-ROS levels by almost 30% and 50%, respectively, with an MMP potential ratio 2.2-fold higher compared to the vehicle control. (−)-Epicatechin 6 increased the phosphorylation of AMPK-α by 43%, with an 88% higher glucose uptake than the control. Other isolated compounds include naringenin 1, naringenin-7-O-α-L-arabinopyranoside 2, isosalipurposide 3, D-(+)-pinitol 5a, and (−)-pinitol 5b, which also performed relatively well across all assays. Australian A. saligna active extracts and compounds can reduce ROS oxidative stress, improve mitochondrial function, and enhance glucose uptake through AMPK-α activation in adipocytes, supporting its potential antidiabetic application.
Rival seminal fluid induces enhanced sperm motility in a polyandrous ant
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 23-03-2018
Queen reproductive tract secretions enhance sperm motility in ants
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 11-2016
Abstract: Queens of Acromyrmex leaf-cutting ants store sperm of multiple males after a single mating flight, and never remate even though they may live for decades and lay tens of thousands of eggs. Sperm of different males are initially transferred to the bursa copulatrix and compete for access to the long-term storage organ of queens, but the factors determining storage success or failure have never been studied. We used in vitro experiments to show that reproductive tract secretions of Acromyrmex echinatior queens increase sperm swimming performance by at least 50% without discriminating between sperm of brothers and unrelated males. Indiscriminate female-induced sperm chemokinesis makes the likelihood of storage directly dependent on initial sperm viability and thus provides a simple mechanism to secure maximal possible reproductive success of queens, provided that initial sperm motility is an accurate predictor of viability during later egg fertilization.
Variation in male body size and reproductive allocation in the leafcutter ant Atta colombica: estimating variance components and possible trade-offs
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 21-08-2010
Stored sperm differs from ejaculated sperm by proteome alterations associated with energy metabolism in the honeybee Apis mellifera
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-02-2011
Differential immune-gene expression in sperm storage organs of leaf-cutting ants
Publisher: The Company of Biologists
Date: 2018
DOI: 10.1242/JEB.173435
Abstract: Leaf-cutting ant queens mate with multiple males during a single nuptial flight and store sperm for up to two decades. During mating, males transfer sperm from their accessory testes to the queen bursa copulatrix from where it enters the spermatheca, an insect sperm storage organ that has become highly specialised in long-lived ant queens who never re-mate later in life. Long-term storage without the possibility to obtain new sperm creates an immune defence dilemma, because recognition of non-self cells eliminates infections but may also target irreplaceable sperm and reduce lifetime reproductive success. We therefore hypothesised that non-specific immune responses, like pathogen melanisation, should be silenced in the spermatheca, because they rely on general non-self recognition, but that specific responses such as antimicrobial peptides are activated instead because they specifically target pathogenic bacteria and/or fungi. The maintenance of uninfected sperm cells by males before mating is not constrained by non-self recognition meaning immune regulation might be more liberal in male reproductive organs. To test this hypothesis, we measured gene expression of two antimicrobial peptides, abaecin and defensin, and prophenoloxidase, an important enzyme of the melanisation pathway, in male accessory glands and testes and in queen bursae copulatrix and spermathecae of Acromyrmex echinatior and Atta colombica leaf-cutting ants. As expected, prophenoloxidase expression was low in reproductive organs that sustain prolonged contact with sperm whereas antimicrobial peptides showed average to high expression, indicating that leaf-cutting ants invest in specific rather than generalist immune defences for pathogen protection in organs that store sperm.
Long-Term Survival of High Quality Sperm: Insights into the Sperm Proteome of the Honeybee Apis mellifera
Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS)
Date: 15-10-2013
DOI: 10.1021/PR4004773
Abstract: In the social bees, ants, and wasps, females (queens) mate only during a brief period early in their lives and afterward store a lifetime supply of sperm in a specialized organ, the spermatheca. In some species, stored sperm can remain viable for several decades and is used by queens to fertilize millions of eggs. The physiological adaptations that allow this prolonged survival are unknown. To unravel them, we conducted proteomic analyses on the sperm of the honeybee Apis mellifera to define proteins that are bee-specific or highly ergent from sequences in the sperm proteomes of flies or mammals and might therefore be associated with long-term sperm survival. We identified a honeybee sperm proteome of 336 members and defined the subset of proteins or protein networks that cannot be discerned in the sperm proteomes of fruit flies and humans. This subset contained a significant number of proteins that are predicted to act in enzyme regulation or in nucleic acid binding and processing. From our analysis we conclude that long-term survival of sperm in social insects could be underpinned by substantial changes in only a specific subset of sperm proteins that allow physiological adaptation to storage. The unexpected preponderance of proteins predicted to be involved in transcriptional processes and enzyme regulation suggest these are the primary targets of this adaptation.
Short independent lives and selection for maximal sperm survival make investment in immune defences unprofitable for leaf-cutting ant males
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 21-03-2014
Differential proteomics reveals novel insights into Nosema–honey bee interactions
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.IBMB.2016.10.005
Abstract: Host manipulation is a common strategy by parasites to reduce host defense responses, enhance development, host exploitation, reproduction and, ultimately, transmission success. As these parasitic modifications can reduce host fitness, increased selection pressure may result in reciprocal adaptations of the host. Whereas the majority of studies on host manipulation have explored resistance against parasites (i.e. ability to prevent or limit an infection), data describing tolerance mechanisms (i.e. ability to limit harm of an infection) are scarce. By comparing differential protein abundance, we provide evidence of host-parasite interactions in the midgut proteomes of N. ceranae-infected and uninfected honey bees from both Nosema-tolerant and Nosema-sensitive lineages. We identified 16 proteins out of 661 protein spots that were differentially abundant between experimental groups. In general, infections of Nosema resulted in an up-regulation of the bee's energy metabolism. Additionally, we identified 8 proteins that were differentially abundant between tolerant and sensitive honey bees regardless of the Nosema infection. Those proteins were linked to metabolism, response to oxidative stress and apoptosis. In addition to bee proteins, we also identified 3 Nosema ceranae proteins. Interestingly, abundance of two of these Nosema proteins were significantly higher in infected Nosema-sensitive honeybees relative to the infected Nosema-tolerant lineage. This may provide a novel candidate for studying the molecular interplay between N. ceranae and its honey bee host in more detail.
Prudent sperm use by leaf-cutter ant queens
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 26-08-2009
Abstract: In many species, females store sperm between copulation and egg fertilization, but the consequences of sperm storage and patterns of sperm use for female life history and reproductive success have not been investigated in great detail. In hymenopteran insect societies (ants, bees, wasps), reproduction is usually monopolized by one or relatively few queens, who mate only during a brief period early in life and store sperm for later use. The queens of some ants are particularly long-lived and have the potential to produce millions of offspring during their life. To do so, queens store many sperm cells, and this sperm must remain viable throughout the years of storage. Queens should also be under strong selection to use stored sperm prudently when fertilizing eggs. We used the leaf-cutter ant Atta colombica to investigate the dynamics of sperm use during egg fertilization. We show that queens are able to fertilize close to 100 per cent of the eggs and that the average sperm use per egg is very low, but increases with queen age. The robustness of stored sperm was found to decrease with years of storage, signifying that senescence affects sperm either directly or indirectly via the declining glandular secretions or deteriorating sperm-storage organs. We evaluate our findings with a heuristic model, which suggests that the average queen has sperm for almost 9 years of normal colony development. We discuss the extent to which leaf-cutter ant queens have been able to optimize their sperm expenditure and infer that our observed averages of sperm number, sperm robustness and sperm use are consistent with sperm depletion being a significant cause of mortality of mature colonies of Atta leaf-cutter ants.
The mating biology of termites: a comparative review
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2011
Seminal Fluid Mediates Ejaculate Competition in Social Insects
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 19-03-2010
Abstract: Some female insects mate on only one day of their life, but then they may mate with multiple males and store the sperm, sometimes for years. But as the mates compete for mates, so their sperm compete for ova, and competition between ejaculates can result in the destruction of sperm inside multiply mated females. But females need to select the sperm they want and to maintain stores of viable sperm to ensure a lifetime's fertility. Den Boer et al. (p. 1506 ) compared species of bees and ants with queens that either mate once or mate multiple times, and found that sperm competition has driven the evolution of compounds in the male accessory gland that protect a male's own sperm while damaging another male's sperm. To counteract the male effect, queens produce compounds that mitigate sperm destruction and maximize the number of her offspring.
Phenotypic variation in male and worker encapsulation response in the bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 28-11-2006
Bioactive Phytochemicals of Acacia saligna
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 28-05-2023
DOI: 10.3390/MOLECULES28114396
Abstract: Acacia saligna is native to Western Australia. It has become an introduced and fast-growing plant in other parts of the world due to its ability to adapt to drought, saline and alkaline soils, and hast growing environments. Studies on the bioactivities and phytochemicals of the plant extracts were conducted. However, comprehensive information that links those bioactivities to the identified compounds in the plant’s extracts is still lacking. Data gathered in this review revealed a rich chemical ersity of hydroxybenzoic acids, cinnamic acids, flavonoids, saponins, and pinitols in A. saligna growing in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, South Africa, and Australia. The variability in phytochemical composition and quantity could be attributed to plant parts, growing locations, extraction solvents, and analysis methods. Identified phytochemicals support observed biological activities such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, α-glucosidase inhibition, and anti-inflammation in the extracts. The knowledge of chemical structures, biological activities, and possible mechanisms of action of the bioactive phytochemicals identified in A. saligna were discussed. In addition, the structure–activity relationships of dominant active compounds were examined to explain the bioactivities exerted by A. saligna extracts. The review provides valuable insights towards future research and the development of new therapeutics from this plant.
Mating biology of the leaf-cutting ants Atta colombica and A-cephalotes
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 2006
DOI: 10.1002/JMOR.10467
Abstract: Copulation behavior has often been shaped by sexually selected sperm competition or cryptic female choice. However, manipulation of previously deposited ejaculates is unknown in the social Hymenoptera and the degree to which sperm competes after insemination or is actively selected by females has remained ambiguous. We studied the mating process in the leaf-cutting ants Atta colombica and A. cephalotes, which belong to one of the few derived social insect lineages where obligate multiple mating has evolved. As copulations often occur at night and in remote places, direct observations were impossible, so we had to reconstruct the sequential copulation events by morphological analysis of the male and female genitalia and by tracking the process of sperm transfer and sperm storage. We show that Atta male genitalia have two external rows of spiny teeth, which fit into a specialized pouch organ in the female sexual tract. Reconstruction of the sperm storage process indicated that sperm is transferred to the spermatheca during or immediately after ejaculation and without being mixed with sperm and seminal fluids from other males. A convergent mechanism of direct sperm transfer to the spermatheca of queens is known from two species of dwarf honeybees. Direct sperm transfer may restrict female control over the sperm storage process and the number of males that contribute to the stored sperm.
The seminal fluid proteome of the honeybee Apis mellifera
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-2009
Abstract: Ejaculates contain sperm but also seminal fluid, which is increasingly recognized to be of central importance for reproductive success. However, a detailed biochemical composition and physiological understanding of seminal fluid is still elusive. We have used MS to identify the 57 most abundant proteins within the ejaculated seminal fluid of the honeybee Apis mellifera. Their amino acid sequences revealed the presence of erse functional categories of enzymes, regulators and structural proteins. A number have known or predicted roles in maintaining sperm viability, protecting sperm from microbial infections or interacting with the physiology of the female. A range of putative glycoproteins or glycosylation enzymes were detected among the 57, subsequent fluorescent staining of glycolysation revealed several prominent glycoproteins in seminal fluid, while no glycoproteins were detected in sperm s les. Many of the abundant proteins that accumulate in the seminal fluid did not contain predictable tags for secretion for the cell. Comparison of the honeybee seminal fluid proteins with Drosophila seminal fluid proteins (including secreted accessory gland proteins known as ACPs), and with the human seminal fluid proteome revealed the bee protein set contains a range of newly identified seminal fluid proteins and we noted more similarity of the bee protein set with the current human seminal fluid protein set than with the known Drosophila seminal fluid proteins. The honeybee seminal fluid proteome thus represents an important addition to available data for comparative studies of seminal fluid proteomes in insects.
Proteins within the seminal fluid are crucial to keep sperm viable in the honeybee Apis mellifera
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2011
DOI: 10.1016/J.JINSPHYS.2010.12.011
Abstract: Seminal fluid is a biochemically complex mixture of glandular secretions that is transferred to the females sexual tract as part of the ejaculate. Seminal fluid has received increasing scientific interest in the fields of evolutionary and reproductive biology, as it seems a major determinant of male fertility/infertility and reproductive success. Here we used the honeybee Apis mellifera, where seminal fluid can be collected as part of a male's ejaculate, and performed a series of experiments to investigate the effects of seminal fluid and its components on sperm viability. We show that honeybee seminal fluid is highly potent in keeping sperm alive and this positive effect is present over a 24h time span, comparable to the timing of the sperm storage process in the queen. We furthermore show that the presence of proteins within the seminal fluid and their structural integrity are crucial for this effect. Finally, we activated sperm using fructose and provide evidence that the positive effect of seminal fluid proteins on sperm survival cannot be replicated using generic protein substitutes. Our data provide experimental insights into the complex molecular interplay between sperm and seminal fluid defining male fertility and reproductive success.
Consequences of Nosema apis infection for male honey bees and their fertility
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-06-2015
DOI: 10.1038/SREP10565
Abstract: The queens of eusocial bees, ants and wasps mate only during a very short period early in life and males therefore produce ejaculates consisting of large numbers of high quality sperm. Such extreme selection for high fecundity resulted in males investing minimally into their somatic survival, including their immune system. However, if susceptible males are unable to protect their reproductive tissue from infections, they compromise queen fitness if they transfer pathogens during mating. We used the honey bee Apis mellifera and investigated the course of infection of the sexually transmitted pathogen Nosema apis . We predicted that honey bee males are susceptible but protect their reproductive tissues from infections. We investigated the effects of N. apis infections on the midgut, the accessory glands and the accessory testes and quantified the consequences of infection on male survival and fecundity. We found that N. apis is able to infect males and as infections progressed, it significantly impacted fertility and survival in older males. Even though we confirm males to be able to minimize N. apis infections of their reproductive tissues, the parasite is present in ejaculates of older males. Consequently N. apis evolved alternative routes to successfully infect ejaculates and get sexually transmitted.
Magnetic particle-mediated magnetoreception
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 09-2015
Abstract: Behavioural studies underpin the weight of experimental evidence for the existence of a magnetic sense in animals. In contrast, studies aimed at understanding the mechanistic basis of magnetoreception by determining the anatomical location, structure and function of sensory cells have been inconclusive. In this review, studies attempting to demonstrate the existence of a magnetoreceptor based on the principles of the magnetite hypothesis are examined. Specific attention is given to the range of techniques, and main animal model systems that have been used in the search for magnetite particulates. Anatomical location/cell rarity and composition are identified as two key obstacles that must be addressed in order to make progress in locating and characterizing a magnetite-based magnetoreceptor cell. Avenues for further study are suggested, including the need for novel experimental, correlative, multimodal and multidisciplinary approaches. The aim of this review is to inspire new efforts towards understanding the cellular basis of magnetoreception in animals, which will in turn inform a new era of behavioural research based on first principles.
Effects of selective episodes in the field on life history traits in the bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-05-2003
Synthesis and biological evaluation of tetrahydroisoquinoline-derived antibacterial compounds
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.BMC.2022.116648
Abstract: Antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest threats to modern medicine. Drugs that were once routinely used to treat infections are being rendered ineffective, increasing the demand for novel antibiotics with low potential for resistance. Here we report the synthesis of 18 novel cationic tetrahydroisoquinoline-triazole compounds. Five of the developed molecules were active against S. aureus at a low MIC of 2-4 μg/mL. Hit compound 4b was also found to eliminate M. tuberculosis H37Rv at MIC of 6 μg/mL. This potent molecule was found to eliminate S. aureus effectively, with no resistance observed after thirty days of sequential passaging. These results identified compound 4b and its analogues as potential candidates for further drug development that could help tackle the threat of antibiotic resistance.
Identification of Phytochemicals in Bioactive Extracts of Acacia saligna Growing in Australia
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 19-01-2023
DOI: 10.3390/MOLECULES28031028
Abstract: Acacia saligna growing in Australia has not been fully investigated for its bioactive phytochemicals. Sequential polarity-based extraction was employed to provide four different extracts from in idual parts of A. saligna. Bioactive extracts were determined using in vitro antioxidant and yeast α-glucosidase inhibitory assays. Methanolic extracts from barks, leaves, and flowers are the most active and have no toxicity against 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Compound isolation of bioactive extracts provided us with ten compounds. Among them are two novel natural products naringenin-7-O-α-L-arabinopyranoside 2 and (3S*,5S*)-3-hydroxy-5-(2-aminoethyl) dihydrofuran-2(3H)-one 9. D-(+)-pinitol 5a (from barks and flowers), (−)-pinitol 5b (exclusively from leaf), and 2,4-di-t-butylphenol 7 are known natural products and new to A. saligna. (−)-Epicatechin 6, quercitrin 4, and myricitrin 8 showed potent antioxidant activities consistently in DPPH and ABTS assays. (−)-Epicatechin 6 (IC50 = 63.58 μM),D-(+)-pinitol 5a (IC50 = 74.69 μM), and naringenin 1 (IC50 = 89.71 μM) are the strong inhibitors against the α-glucosidase enzyme. The presence of these compounds supports the activities exerted in our methanolic extracts. The presence of 2,4-di-t-butylphenol 7 may support the reported allelopathic and antifungal activities. The outcome of this study indicates the potential of Australian A. saligna as a rich source of bioactive compounds for drug discovery targeting type 2 diabetes.
PATTERNS OF PATERNITY SKEW AMONG POLYANDROUS SOCIAL INSECTS: WHAT CAN THEY TELL US ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR SEXUAL SELECTION?
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 15-07-2012
DOI: 10.1111/J.1558-5646.2012.01721.X
Abstract: Monogamy results in high genetic relatedness among offspring and thus it is generally assumed to be favored by kin selection. Female multiple mating (polyandry) has nevertheless evolved several times in the social Hymenoptera (ants, bees, and wasps), and a substantial amount of work has been conducted to understand its costs and benefits. Relatedness and inclusive fitness benefits are, however, not only influenced by queen mating frequency but also by paternity skew, which is a quantitative measure of paternity biases among the offspring of polyandrous females. We performed a large-scale phylogenetic analysis of paternity skew across polyandrous social Hymenoptera. We found a general and significant negative association between paternity frequency and paternity skew. High paternity skew, which increases relatedness among colony members and thus maximizes inclusive fitness gains, characterized species with low paternity frequency. However, species with highly polyandrous queens had low paternity skew, with paternity equalized among potential sires. Equal paternity shares among fathers are expected to maximize fitness benefits derived from genetic ersity among offspring. We discuss the potential for postcopulatory sexual selection to influence patterns of paternity in social insects, and suggest that sexual selection may have played a key, yet overlooked role in social evolution.
Proteomics in evolutionary ecology
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.JPROT.2015.09.031
Abstract: Evolutionary ecologists are traditionally gene-focused, as genes propagate phenotypic traits across generations and mutations and recombination in the DNA generate genetic ersity required for evolutionary processes. As a consequence, the inheritance of changed DNA provides a molecular explanation for the functional changes associated with natural selection. A direct focus on proteins on the other hand, the actual molecular agents responsible for the expression of a phenotypic trait, receives far less interest from ecologists and evolutionary biologists. This is partially due to the central dogma of molecular biology that appears to define proteins as the 'dead-end of molecular information flow' as well as technical limitations in identifying and studying proteins and their ersity in the field and in many of the more exotic genera often favored in ecological studies. Here we provide an overview of a newly forming field of research that we refer to as 'Evolutionary Proteomics'. We point out that the origins of cellular function are related to the properties of polypeptide and RNA and their interactions with the environment, rather than DNA descent, and that the critical role of horizontal gene transfer in evolution is more about coopting new proteins to impact cellular processes than it is about modifying gene function. Furthermore, post-transcriptional and post-translational processes generate a remarkable ersity of mature proteins from a single gene, and the properties of these mature proteins can also influence inheritance through genetic and perhaps epigenetic mechanisms. The influence of post-transcriptional ersification on evolutionary processes could provide a novel mechanistic underpinning for elements of rapid, directed evolutionary changes and adaptations as observed for a variety of evolutionary processes. Modern state-of the art technologies based on mass spectrometry are now available to identify and quantify peptides, proteins, protein modifications and protein interactions of interest with high accuracy and assess protein ersity and function. Therefore, proteomic technologies can be viewed as providing evolutionary biologist with exciting novel opportunities to understand very early events in functional variation of cellular molecular machinery that are acting as part of evolutionary processes.
Seminal fluid enhances sperm viability in the leafcutter ant Atta colombica
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-07-2008
Insights into the molecular basis of long-term storage and survival of sperm in the honeybee (Apis mellifera)
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 16-01-2017
DOI: 10.1038/SREP40236
Abstract: Honeybee males produce ejaculates consisting of large numbers of high quality sperm. Because queens never re-mate after a single mating episode early in life, sperm are stored in a specialised organ for years but the proximate mechanisms underlying this key physiological adaptation are unknown. We quantified energy metabolism in honeybee sperm and show that the glycolytic metabolite glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (GA3P) is a key substrate for honeybee sperm survival and energy production. This reliance on non-aerobic energy metabolism in stored sperm was further supported by our findings of very low levels of oxygen inside the spermatheca. Expression of GA3P dehydrogenase (GAPDH) , the enzyme involved in catabolism of GA3P, was significantly higher in stored compared to ejaculated sperm. Therefore, long-term sperm storage seems facilitated by the maintenance of non-aerobic energy production, the need for only the ATP-producing steps of glycolysis and by avoiding sperm damage resulting from ROS production. We also confirm that honeybee sperm is capable of aerobic metabolism, which predominates in ejaculated sperm while they compete for access to the spermatheca, but is suppressed during storage. Consequently, the remarkable reproductive traits of honeybees are proximately achieved by differential usage of energy production pathways to maximise competitiveness and minimise damage of sperm.
Sperm length, sperm storage and mating system characteristics in bumblebees
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 04-2003
Sperm length evolution in the fungus-growing ants
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 11-09-2008
Honeybee venom and melittin suppress growth factor receptor activation in HER2-enriched and triple-negative breast cancer
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-2020
DOI: 10.1038/S41698-020-00129-0
Abstract: Despite decades of study, the molecular mechanisms and selectivity of the biomolecular components of honeybee ( Apis mellifera ) venom as anticancer agents remain largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that honeybee venom and its major component melittin potently induce cell death, particularly in the aggressive triple-negative and HER2-enriched breast cancer subtypes. Honeybee venom and melittin suppress the activation of EGFR and HER2 by interfering with the phosphorylation of these receptors in the plasma membrane of breast carcinoma cells. Mutational studies reveal that a positively charged C-terminal melittin sequence mediates plasma membrane interaction and anticancer activity. Engineering of an RGD motif further enhances targeting of melittin to malignant cells with minimal toxicity to normal cells. Lastly, administration of melittin enhances the effect of docetaxel in suppressing breast tumor growth in an allograft model. Our work unveils a molecular mechanism underpinning the anticancer selectivity of melittin, and outlines treatment strategies to target aggressive breast cancers.
Fungus gardens of the leafcutter ant Atta colombica function as egg nurseries for the snake Leptodeira annulata
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 13-06-2009
Evolutionary Biology in Economics: A Review
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-05-2016
Sperm use economy of honeybee (Apis mellifera) queens
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 22-03-2016
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.2075
Honey bee males and queens use glandular secretions to enhance sperm viability before and after storage
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2009
DOI: 10.1016/J.JINSPHYS.2009.01.012
Abstract: Internal fertilization requires live sperm to be transferred from male to female before egg fertilization. Both males and females assist the insemination process by providing sperm with glandular secretions, which have been inferred to contain subsets of proteins that maintain sperm viability. Here we show that in the honeybee (Apis mellifera) secretions of the male accessory glands, the major contributors towards seminal fluid, enhance sperm survival. We further demonstrate that the protein fraction of the male accessory gland secretion is indeed important for achieving the maximal effect on sperm survival. After sperm storage, the queens also provide sperm with secretions from spermathecal glands and we show that these secretions have a comparable positive effect on sperm viability. SDS gels show that the proteomic profiles of accessory gland secretion and spermathecal fluid secretion hardly overlap, which suggests that males and females use different proteins to enhance sperm viability during, respectively, ejaculation and final sperm storage.
Consequences of a short time exposure to a sublethal dose of Flupyradifurone (Sivanto) pesticide early in life on survival and immunity in the honeybee (Apis mellifera)
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 24-12-2019
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-019-56224-1
Abstract: Dramatic losses of pollinating insects have become of global concern, as they threaten not only key ecosystem services but also human food production. Recent research provided evidence that interactions between ecological stressors are drivers of declining pollinator health and responsible for observed population collapses. We used the honeybee Apis mellifera and conducted a series of experiments to test for long-term effects of a single short exposure to the agricultural pesticide flupyradifurone to a second environmental stressor later in life. To do this, we exposed in iduals during their larval development or early adulthood to sublethal dosages of flupyradifurone (0.025 μg for larvae and 0.645 μg for imagos), either pure or as part of an agricultural formulation (Sivanto). We afterwards exposed bees to a second ecological stressor infecting in iduals with 10,000 spores of the fungal gut parasite Nosema ceranae . We found that pesticide exposures significantly reduced survival of bees and altered the expression of several immune and detoxification genes. The ability of bees to respond to these latter effects differed significantly between colonies, offering opportunities to breed bees with elevated levels of pesticide tolerance in the future. We conclude that short episodes of sublethal pesticide exposures during development are sufficient to trigger effects later in life and could therefore contribute to the widespread declines in bee health.
Diploid male production in a leaf-cutting ant
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-03-2010
Natural variation in the genetic architecture of a host-parasite interaction in the bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 31-01-2007
Quantifying spore viability of the honey bee pathogen Nosema apis using flow cytometry
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-12-2014
DOI: 10.1002/CYTO.A.22428
Abstract: Honey bees are hosts to more than 80 different parasites, some of them being highly virulent and responsible for substantial losses in managed honey bee populations. The study of honey bee pathogens and their interactions with the bees' immune system has therefore become a research area of major interest. Here we developed a fast, accurate and reliable method to quantify the viability of spores of the honey bee gut parasite Nosema apis. To verify this method, a dilution series with 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% live N. apis was made and SYTO 16 and Propidium Iodide (n = 35) were used to distinguish dead from live spores. The viability of spores in each s le was determined by flow cytometry and compared with the current method based on fluorescence microscopy. Results show that N. apis viability counts using flow cytometry produced very similar results when compared with fluorescence microscopy. However, we found that fluorescence microscopy underestimates N. apis viability in s les with higher percentages of viable spores, the latter typically being what is found in biological s les. A series of experiments were conducted to confirm that flow cytometry allows the use of additional fluorescent dyes such as SYBR 14 and SYTOX Red (used in combination with SYTO 16 or Propidium Iodide) to distinguish dead from live spores. We also show that spore viability quantification with flow cytometry can be undertaken using substantially lower dye concentrations than fluorescence microscopy. In conclusion, our data show flow cytometry to be a fast, reliable method to quantify N. apis spore viabilities, which has a number of advantages compared with existing methods.
Worker heterozygosity and immune response in feral and managed honeybees (Apis mellifera)
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2011
DOI: 10.1071/ZO11041
Abstract: Genetic ersity in workers influences colony immunity in several species of eusocial insects. Much less work has been conducted to test for comparable effects of worker heterozygosity, a measure of genetic ersity within an in idual. Here we present a field study using the honeybee (Apis mellifera) and s led foraging workers throughout Western Australia. S les were taken from feral and managed colonies, aiming to maximise the variation in worker and colony heterozygosity. We quantified worker heterozygosity using microsatellites, and tested the idea that in idual worker heterozygosity predicts immune response, measured as the enzymatic activity of an antimicrobial peptide phenoloxidase (PO) and encapsulation response. We found substantial variation in worker heterozygosity, but no significant effects of heterozygosity on PO activity or encapsulation response, either on the in idual or colony level. Heterozygosity was found to be higher in workers of feral colonies compared with managed colonies. Colonies kept in husbandry, as compared with colonies from the field, had significantly higher levels of PO activity and encapsulation response, providing evidence for substantial environmental effects on in idual and colony immunity.
Flow Cytometry as a Rapid and Reliable Method to Quantify Sperm Viability in the Honeybee Apis mellifera
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-04-2014
DOI: 10.1002/CYTO.A.22462
Abstract: An important measure of male quality is sperm viability i.e., the percentage of live sperm within an ejaculate, as this provides an accurate measure of the number of sperm potentially available for egg fertilization. Sperm viability is often determined by fluorescence microscopy using dyes that differentially stain viable and nonviable sperm, but the technique has a number of limitations. Here, a flow cytometry (FCM) method was developed, which allows the rapid determination of honeybee sperm viability, facilitating high throughput analyses. Using s les with known sperm viabilities, it was found that data obtained from FCM were more accurate and less variable compared with data obtained for the same s les using fluorescence microscopy. It was also found that a previously reported additional population of honeybee sperm found in datasets using FCM is caused by freeze-thawing s les. In conclusion, the method described here allows to quantify sperm viability of honeybees quickly and with high accuracy. This will be of great value for future scientific research and could also be of value to guide future bee breeding programs, given the agricultural importance of honeybees as pollinators.
Parasitized honey bees are less likely to forage and carry less pollen
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.JIP.2015.06.003
Abstract: Research into loss of pollination capacity has focused primarily on documenting pollinator declines and their causes with comparatively little attention paid to how stressors may affect pollinating behavior of surviving pollinators. The European honey bee, Apis mellifera is one of the world's most important generalist pollinators, and Nosema apis is a widespread microsporidian gut parasite of adult A. mellifera. We in idually fed 960 newly eclosed A. mellifera workers either a sucrose solution or 400 N. apis spores in a sucrose solution and tagged them with a unique radio frequency identification (RFID) tag to monitor their foraging behavior. We found spore-fed bees were less likely to forage than those fed sugar only. Those that did forage started foraging when they were older and stopped foraging when they were younger than bees fed sugar only. However, inoculated and non-inoculated bees did not significantly differ in the number of foraging trips taken per day, the total hours foraged over their lifetime, or homing ability. Inoculated returning foragers were 4.3 times less likely to be carrying available pollen than non-inoculated returning foragers and the number of pollen grains carried was negatively correlated with the number of N. apis spores. In an arena of artificial flowers, inoculated bees had a tendency (p=0.061) to choose sugar flowers over pollen flowers, compared to non-inoculated bees which visited pollen and sugar flowers equally. These results demonstrate that even a relatively low dose of a widespread disease of A. mellifera may adversely affect bees' ability to pollinate.
Sperm influences female hibernation success, survival and fitness in the bumble-bee Bombus terrestris
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 02-02-2021
Abstract: We present evidence that in the absence of the transfer of male gland compounds in the ejaculate as well as of behavioural male traits, such as mate guarding or harming of females, sperm itself affects female life–history traits such as hibernation success, female longevity and female fitness. Using the bumble–bee Bombus terrestris , we artificially inseminated queens (females) with sperm from one or several males and show that sire groups (groups of brother males) vary in their effects on queen hibernation survival, longevity and fitness. In addition, multiply inseminated queens always had a lower performance as compared to singly inseminated queens. Apart from these main effects, sire groups (in situations of multiple insemination) affected queen longevity and fitness not independently of each other, i.e. certain sire group combinations were more harmful to queens than others. So far, the cause(s) of these effects remain(s) elusive. Harmful male traits as detected here are not necessarily expected to evolve in social insects because males depend on females for a successful completion of a colony cycle and thus have strong convergent interests with their mates.
Hobbyist Beekeepers and Their Importance for Future Beekeeping and Food Production
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 20-10-2023
When every sperm counts: factors affecting male fertility in the honeybee Apis mellifera
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 18-06-2013
The ejaculatory biology of leafcutter ants
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.JINSPHYS.2015.02.006
Abstract: The eusocial ants are unique in that females (queens) acquire and store sperm on a single mating flight early in adult life. This event largely determines the size (possibly millions of workers), longevity (possibly decades) and genetic variation of the colonies that queens found, but our understanding of the fundamental biology of ejaculate production, transfer and physiological function remains extremely limited. We studied the ejaculation process in the leafcutter ant Atta colombica and found that it starts with the appearance of a clear pre-ejaculatory fluid (PEF) at the tip of the endophallus that is followed by the joint expulsion of the remainder of accessory gland (AG) secretion, sperm, accessory testes (AT) secretion, and a small mating plug. PEF, AG secretion and AT secretion all contribute to sperm survival, but PEF and AG secretion also reduce the survival of sperm from other males. We show that PEF is produced in the AGs and is likely identical to AG secretion because protein-banding patterns of PEF and AG secretion were similar on 1D electrophoresis gels, but differed from the protein-banding pattern of AT secretion. We show that proteins in AG secretion are responsible for the incapacitation of rival sperm and infer that transfer of AG secretion prior to sperm may allow these components to interact with rival sperm, while at the same time providing a supportive biochemical environment for the arrival of own sperm.
Heritability of sperm length in the bumblebee Bombus terrestris
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-2006
DOI: 10.1007/S10709-005-2157-1
Abstract: Sperm length is highly variable, both between and within species, but the evolutionary significance of this variation is poorly understood. Sexual selection on sperm length requires a significant additive genetic variance, but few studies have actually measured this. Here we present the first estimates of narrow sense heritability of sperm length in a social insect, the bumblebee Bombus terrestris. In spite of a balanced and straightforward rearing design of colonies, and the possibility to replicate measurements of sperm within single males nested within colonies, the analysis proved to be complex. Several appropriate statistical models were derived, each depending on different assumptions. The heritability estimates obtained ranged from h (2) = 0.197 +/- 0.091 to h (2) = 0.429 +/- 0.154. All our estimates were substantially lower than previous estimates of sperm length heritability in non-social insects and vertebrates.
Putative Drone Copulation Factors Regulating Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Queen Reproduction and Health: A Review
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 08-01-2019
Abstract: Honey bees are major pollinators of agricultural and non-agricultural landscapes. In recent years, honey bee colonies have exhibited high annual losses and commercial beekeepers frequently report poor queen quality and queen failure as the primary causes. Honey bee colonies are highly vulnerable to compromised queen fertility, as each hive is headed by one reproductive queen. Queens mate with multiple drones (male bees) during a single mating period early in life in which they obtain enough spermatozoa to fertilize their eggs for the rest of their reproductive life span. The process of mating initiates numerous behavioral, physiological, and molecular changes that shape the fertility of the queen and her influence on the colony. For ex le, receipt of drone semen can modulate queen ovary activation, pheromone production, and subsequent worker retinue behavior. In addition, seminal fluid is a major component of semen that is primarily derived from drone accessory glands. It also contains a complex mixture of proteins such as proteases, antioxidants, and antimicrobial proteins. Seminal fluid proteins are essential for inducing post-mating changes in other insects such as Drosophila and thus they may also impact honey bee queen fertility and health. However, the specific molecules in semen and seminal fluid that initiate post-mating changes in queens are still unidentified. Herein, we summarize the mating biology of honey bees, the changes queens undergo during and after copulation, and the role of drone semen and seminal fluid in post-mating changes in queens. We then review the effects of seminal fluid proteins in insect reproduction and potential roles for honey bee drone seminal fluid proteins in queen reproduction and health. We finish by proposing future avenues of research. Further elucidating the role of drone fertility in queen reproductive health may contribute towards reducing colony losses and advancing honey bee stock development.
The evolution of male traits in social insects
Publisher: Annual Reviews
Date: 2005
DOI: 10.1146/ANNUREV.ENTO.50.071803.130416
Abstract: ▪ Abstract Pair formation in social insects mostly happens early in adult life and away from the social colony context, which precludes promiscuity in the usual sense. Termite males have continuous sperm production, but males of social Hymenoptera have fixed complements of sperm, except for a few species that mate before female dispersal and show male-fighting and lifelong sperm production. We develop an evolutionary framework for testing sexual selection and sperm competition theory across the advanced eusocial insects (ants, wasps, bees, termites) and highlight two areas related to premating sexual selection (sexual dimorphism and male mate number) that have remained understudied and in which considerable progress can be achieved with relatively simple approaches. We also infer that mating plugs may be relatively common, and we review further possibilities for postmating sexual selection, which gradually become less likely in termite evolution, but for which eusocial Hymenoptera provide unusual opportunities because they have clonal ejaculates and store viable sperm for up to several decades.
Author response: Seminal fluid compromises visual perception in honeybee queens reducing their survival during additional mating flights
Publisher: eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd
Date: 23-07-2019
Seminal fluid proteins differ in abundance between genetic lineages of honeybees
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.JPROT.2012.08.002
Abstract: Seminal fluid is transferred to the females' reproductive tract as part of the ejaculate and contains highly complex molecular machinery that is of central importance for male and female reproductive success. Interspecific studies suggest rapid evolutionary changes in the sequences of some seminal fluid proteins and also highlight the importance of specific seminal fluid proteins for sperm function and paternity success. Much less work has been conducted to study if variation in the steady-state abundance of seminal fluid proteins occurs within a species, which could provide a foundation for future selection to act upon. Here we used a unique breeding program of the honeybee Apis mellifera to provide evidence for quantified differences in seminal fluid protein abundances between three genetic lineages that have been bred for ~20 generations. We found the same subset of seminal fluid proteins to be present in all lines, but protein abundance or protein modification state varied significantly for 16% of the protein spots investigated. Protein spots with changed abundances were identified using mass spectrometry, with the abundance of a number documented from other species to be correlated with male fertility, reproductive success or immune-competence. We conclude that significant alterations in the abundance or modification state of specific proteins in seminal fluid can be linked to different genotypes in honeybees.
Bumblebee workers from different sire groups vary in susceptibility to parasite infection
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 14-01-2003
POLYANDRY REDUCES SPERM LENGTH VARIATION IN SOCIAL INSECTS
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 02-06-2011
DOI: 10.1111/J.1558-5646.2011.01343.X
Abstract: Postcopulatory sexual selection, either in the form of sperm competition or cryptic female choice, is an important selective force that is thought to have generated the enormous variation in sperm morphology observed interspecifically. However, the evolutionary significance of intraspecific variation in sperm morphology, and the role that postcopulatory sexual selection plays in influencing this variation, remains poorly investigated in invertebrates. Here, we tested the hypothesis that postcopulatory sexual selection reduces variation in sperm morphology, both between and within males, in 27 species of eusocial ants and bees. These eusocial species offer an unusual opportunity to assess how selection acts on variance in sperm morphology, as haploid males produce clonal, haploid sperm that does not experience haploid-diploid conflict. We provide solid evidence that males of polyandrous ant and bee species indeed produce less-variable sperm, indicating that sperm competition selected for sperm of superior quality. Our results offer a mechanistic explanation for the evolution of high-quality sperm and provide comprehensive evidence that sperm morphology of social insects is influenced by sexual selection.
Sperm storage induces an immunity cost in ants
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-2006
DOI: 10.1038/NATURE04698
Abstract: Ant queens are among the most long-lived insects known. They mate early in adult life and maintain millions of viable sperm in their sperm storage organ until they die many years later. Because they never re-mate, the reproductive success of queens is ultimately sperm-limited, but it is not known what selective forces determine the upper limit to sperm storage. Here we show that sperm storage carries a significant cost of reduced immunity during colony founding. Newly mated queens of the leaf-cutting ant Atta colombica upregulate their immune response shortly after completing their nest burrow, probably as an adaptive response to a greater exposure to pathogens in the absence of grooming workers. However, the immune response nine days after colony founding is negatively correlated with the amount of sperm in the sperm storage organ, indicating that short-term survival is traded off against long-term reproductive success. The immune response was lower when more males contributed to the stored sperm, indicating that there might be an additional cost of mating or storing genetically different ejaculates.
Seminal fluid of honeybees contains multiple mechanisms to combat infections of the sexually transmitted pathogen Nosema apis
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 27-01-2016
Abstract: The societies of ants, bees and wasps are genetically closed systems where queens only mate during a brief mating episode prior to their eusocial life and males therefore provide queens with a lifetime supply of high-quality sperm. These ejaculates also contain a number of defence proteins that have been detected in the seminal fluid but their function and efficiency have never been investigated in great detail. Here, we used the honeybee Apis mellifera and quantified whether seminal fluid is able to combat infections of the fungal pathogen Nosema apis , a widespread honeybee parasite that is also sexually transmitted. We provide the first empirical evidence that seminal fluid has a remarkable antimicrobial activity against N. apis spores and that antimicrobial seminal fluid components kill spores in multiple ways. The protein fraction of seminal fluid induces extracellular spore germination, which disrupts the life cycle of N. apis , whereas the non-protein fraction of seminal fluid induces a direct viability loss of intact spores. We conclude that males provide their ejaculates with efficient antimicrobial molecules that are able to kill N. apis spores and thereby reduce the risk of disease transmission during mating. Our findings could be of broader significance to master honeybee diseases in managed honeybee stock in the future.
Sperm Competition
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Date: 2020
Flight behaviour of honey bee (Apis mellifera) workers is altered by initial infections of the fungal parasite Nosema apis
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-11-2016
DOI: 10.1038/SREP36649
Abstract: Honey bees ( Apis mellifera) host a wide range of parasites, some being known contributors towards dramatic colony losses as reported over recent years. To counter parasitic threats, honey bees possess effective immune systems. Because immune responses are predicted to cause substantial physiological costs for infected in iduals, they are expected to trade off with other life history traits that ultimately affect the performance and fitness of the entire colony. Here, we tested whether the initial onset of an infection negatively impacts the flight behaviour of honey bee workers, which is an energetically demanding behaviour and a key component of foraging activities. To do this, we infected workers with the widespread fungal pathogen Nosema apis , which is recognised and killed by the honey bee immune system. We compared their survival and flight behaviour with non-infected in iduals from the same cohort and colony using radio frequency identification tags (RFID). We found that over a time frame of four days post infection, Nosema did not increase mortality but workers quickly altered their flight behaviour and performed more flights of shorter duration. We conclude that parasitic infections influence foraging activities, which could reduce foraging ranges of colonies and impact their ability to provide pollination services.
The artificial insemination of bumblebee queens
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-2000
DOI: 10.1007/PL00001699
The cost of promiscuity: sexual transmission of Nosema microsporidian parasites in polyandrous honey bees
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-06-2015
DOI: 10.1038/SREP10982
Abstract: Multiple mating (and insemination) by females with different males, polyandry, is widespread across animals, due to material and/or genetic benefits for females. It reaches particularly high levels in some social insects, in which queens can produce significantly fitter colonies by being polyandrous. It is therefore a paradox that two thirds of eusocial hymenopteran insects appear to be exclusively monandrous, in spite of the fitness benefits that polyandry could provide. One possible cost of polyandry could be sexually transmitted parasites, but evidence for these in social insects is extremely limited. Here we show that two different species of Nosema microsporidian parasites can transmit sexually in the honey bee Apis mellifera . Honey bee males that are infected by the parasite have Nosema spores in their semen and queens artificially inseminated with either Nosema spores or the semen of Nosema -infected males became infected by the parasite. The emergent and more virulent N. ceranae achieved much higher rates of infection following insemination than did N. apis . The results provide the first quantitative evidence of a sexually transmitted disease (STD) in social insects, indicating that STDs may represent a potential cost of polyandry in social insects.
Larval Exposure to Parasitic Varroa destructor Mites Triggers Specific Immune Responses in Different Honey Bee Castes and Species
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2022
Synthesis and biological evaluation of 3,5-substituted pyrazoles as possible antibacterial agents
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2021
DOI: 10.1016/J.BMC.2021.116401
Abstract: The emergence of multi-drug resistant bacteria has increased the need for novel antibiotics to help overcome what may be considered the greatest threat to modern medicine. Here we report the synthesis of fifteen novel 3,5-diaryl-1H- pyrazoles obtained via one-pot cyclic oxidation of a chalcone and hydrazine-monohydrate. The synthesised pyrazoles were then screened against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli to determine their antibacterial potential. The results show that compound 7p is bacteriostatic at MIC 8 µg/mL. The compound is non-toxic against healthy mammalian cells, 3T3-L1 at the highest test concentration 50 µg/mL. Furthermore, compound 7p significantly affected bacterial morphogenesis before cell lysis in Bacillus subtilis when treated above the MIC concentration. From the results, a promising lead compound was identified for future development.
Genetic Variation in Antimicrobial Activity of Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Seminal Fluid
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 09-12-2021
Abstract: Honey bees can host a remarkably large number of different parasites and pathogens, and some are known drivers of recent declines in wild and managed bee populations. Here, we studied the interactions between the fungal pathogen Nosema apis and seminal fluid of the Western honey bee ( Apis mellifera ). Honey bee seminal fluid contains multiple antimicrobial molecules that kill N. apis spores and we therefore hypothesized that antimicrobial activities of seminal fluid are genetically driven by interactions between honey bee genotype and different N. apis strains/ecotypes, with the virulence of a strain depending on the genotype of their honey bee hosts. Among the antimicrobials, chitinases have been found in honey bee seminal fluid and have the predicted N. apis killing capabilities. We measured chitinase activity in the seminal fluid of eight different colonies. Our results indicate that multiple chitinases are present in seminal fluid, with activity significantly differing between genotypes. We therefore pooled equal numbers of N. apis spores from eight different colonies and exposed subs les to seminal fluid s les from each of the colonies. We infected males from each colony with seminal fluid exposed spore s les and quantified N. apis infections after 6 days. We found that host colony had a stronger effect compared to seminal fluid treatment, and significantly affected host mortality, infection intensity and parasite prevalence. We also found a significant effect of treatment, as well as a treatment × colony interaction when our data were analyzed ignoring cage as a blocking factor. Our findings provide evidence that N. apis -honey bee interactions are driven by genotypic effects, which could be used in the future for breeding purposes of disease resistant or tolerant honey bee stock.
No sex in fungus-farming ants or their crops
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 15-04-2009
Abstract: Asexual reproduction imposes evolutionary handicaps on asexual species, rendering them prone to extinction, because asexual reproduction generates novel genotypes and purges deleterious mutations at lower rates than sexual reproduction. Here, we report the first case of complete asexuality in ants, the fungus-growing ant Mycocepurus smithii , where queens reproduce asexually but workers are sterile, which is doubly enigmatic because the clonal colonies of M. smithii also depend on clonal fungi for food. Degenerate female mating anatomy, extensive field and laboratory surveys, and DNA fingerprinting implicate complete asexuality in this widespread ant species. Maternally inherited bacteria (e.g. Wolbachia , Cardinium ) and the fungal cultivars can be ruled out as agents inducing asexuality. M. smithii societies of clonal females provide a unique system to test theories of parent–offspring conflict and reproductive policing in social insects. Asexuality of both ant farmer and fungal crop challenges traditional views proposing that sexual farmer ants outpace coevolving sexual crop pathogens, and thus compensate for vulnerabilities of their asexual crops. Either the double asexuality of both farmer and crop may permit the host to fully exploit advantages of asexuality for unknown reasons or frequent switching between crops (symbiont reassociation) generates novel ant–fungus combinations, which may compensate for any evolutionary handicaps of asexuality in M. smithii .
Chemistry of a mating plug in bumblebees
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 2000
Seminal fluid compromises visual perception in honeybee queens reducing their survival during additional mating flights
Publisher: eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd
Date: 10-09-2019
DOI: 10.7554/ELIFE.45009
Abstract: Queens of social insects make all mate-choice decisions on a single day, except in honeybees whose queens can conduct mating flights for several days even when already inseminated by a number of drones. Honeybees therefore appear to have a unique, evolutionarily derived form of sexual conflict: a queen’s decision to pursue risky additional mating flights is driven by later-life fitness gains from genetically more erse worker-offspring but reduces paternity shares of the drones she already mated with. We used artificial insemination, RNA-sequencing and electroretinography to show that seminal fluid induces a decline in queen vision by perturbing the phototransduction pathway within 24–48 hr. Follow up field trials revealed that queens receiving seminal fluid flew two days earlier than sister queens inseminated with saline, and failed more often to return. These findings are consistent with seminal fluid components manipulating queen eyesight to reduce queen promiscuity across mating flights.
Dynamics of multiple-mating in the bumble bee Bombus hypnorum
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-2002
DOI: 10.1007/PL00012654
The emergence of the brain non-CpG methylation system in vertebrates
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 18-01-2021
Sexual selection in Apis bees
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 04-2005
Sperm transfer and male competition in a bumblebee
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-1999
Sperm Storage Costs Determine Survival and Immunocompetence in Newly Mated Queens of the Leaf-Cutting Ant Atta colombica
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 04-01-2022
Abstract: In the leaf-cutting ant Atta colombica , queens receive ejaculates from multiple males during one single mating event early in their lives. A queen’s fertility and fitness therefore depend on maximizing the number of sperm cells she can store and maintain inside her spermatheca. Previous studies implied significant physiological mating costs, either originating from energetic investments maximizing sperm survival, or from resolving sexual conflicts to terminate male-driven incapacitation of rival sperm via serine proteases found in seminal fluid. Here we conducted an artificial insemination experiment, which allowed us to distinguish between the effects of sperm and seminal fluid within the queen’s sexual tract on her survival and immunocompetence. We found significantly higher mortality in queens that we had inseminated with sperm, independently of whether seminal fluid was present or not. Additionally, after receiving sperm, heavier queens had a higher probability of survival compared to lightweight queens, and immunocompetence decreased disproportionally for queens that had lost weight during the experiment. These findings indicate that queens pay significant physiological costs for maintaining and storing sperm shortly after mating. On the other hand, the presence of seminal fluid within the queens’ sexual tract neither affected their survival nor their immunocompetence. This suggests that the energetic costs that queens incur shortly after mating are primarily due to investments in sperm maintenance and not costs of terminating conflicts between competing ejaculates. This outcome is consistent with the idea that sexually selected traits in social insects with permanent castes can evolve only when they do not affect survival or life-time fitness of queens in any significant way.
ECONOMIC GROWTH AND EVOLUTION: PARENTAL PREFERENCE FOR QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF OFFSPRING
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 27-06-2014
DOI: 10.1017/S1365100513000163
Abstract: This paper presents a quantitative analysis of the model developed by Galor and Moav [Galor, Oded and Omer Moav (2002) Natural selection and the origin of economic growth. Quarterly Journal of Economics 117(4), 1133–1191] in which agents vary genetically in their preference for quality and quantity of children. The simulation produces a pattern of income and population growth that resembles the period of Malthusian stagnation before the Industrial Revolution and the take-off into a modern growth era. We also investigate the stability of the modern growth era as an absorbing state of the model under the introduction of a strongly quantity-preferring genotype. We show that, given the absence of a scale effect of population in the model, the economy can regress to a Malthusian state under this change in the initial distribution of genotypes.
Related Organisations
University Of California Riverside
Location: United States of America
Related Funding Activities
How Do Males Adjust Their Sperm Quality In Response To Social Cues?
Start Date: 2013
End Date: 2016
Funder: Marsden Fund
View Funded ActivityMolecules Of Love And Warfare As Agents Of Sperm Competition
Start Date: 2017
End Date: 2019
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityDiscovery Projects - Grant ID: DP0878107
Start Date: 03-2008
End Date: 06-2011
Amount: $285,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityARC Future Fellowships - Grant ID: FT110100105
Start Date: 02-2012
End Date: 05-2016
Amount: $815,356.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityLinkage Projects - Grant ID: LP100100438
Start Date: 06-2010
End Date: 06-2014
Amount: $640,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityDiscovery Projects - Grant ID: DP0770050
Start Date: 03-2007
End Date: 12-2012
Amount: $840,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityDiscovery Projects - Grant ID: DP170100097
Start Date: 02-2017
End Date: 12-2018
Amount: $414,500.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityLinkage Projects - Grant ID: LP140100762
Start Date: 10-2014
End Date: 01-2018
Amount: $430,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityLinkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0882866
Start Date: 12-2008
End Date: 12-2009
Amount: $470,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityLinkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE110100188
Start Date: 03-2011
End Date: 12-2012
Amount: $550,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityDiscovery Projects - Grant ID: DP130100087
Start Date: 2013
End Date: 12-2015
Amount: $280,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityLinkage Projects - Grant ID: LP130100029
Start Date: 09-2013
End Date: 12-2016
Amount: $430,138.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityLinkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0882893
Start Date: 2008
End Date: 12-2008
Amount: $260,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded Activity