Caste-selective pheromone biosynthesis in honeybees

Science

Volumn 271, Issue 5257, 1996, Pages 1851-1853

  Plettner, Erika ^a   Slessor, Keith N ^a   Winston, Mark L ^a   Oliver, James E ^b  

^a SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY   (Canada)

^b AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

FATTY ACID; HYDROXYACID; PHEROMONE; STEARIC ACID;

ANIMAL TISSUE; ARTICLE; CONTROLLED STUDY; FATTY ACID OXIDATION; FEMALE; HONEYBEE; HORMONE SYNTHESIS; HYDROXYLATION; NONHUMAN; PRIORITY JOURNAL; SUBMANDIBULAR GLAND;

ANIMALIA; APIS MELLIFERA;

EID: 0029998979     PISSN: 00368075     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1126/science.271.5257.1851     Document Type: Article

References (24)

1. M. L. Winston, The Biology of the Honey Bee (Harvard Univ. Press, Cambridge, MA, ed. 1, 1987); B. Holidobler and E O Wilson, The Ants (Harvard Univ Press, Cambridge, MA, 1990); K. G. Ross and R. W. Mathews, The Social Biology of the Wasps (Cornell Univ. Press, Ithaca, NY, 1991).
2. M. L. Winston, The Biology of the Honey Bee (Harvard Univ. Press, Cambridge, MA, ed. 1, 1987); B. Holidobler and E O Wilson, The Ants (Harvard Univ Press, Cambridge, MA, 1990); K. G. Ross and R. W. Mathews, The Social Biology of the Wasps (Cornell Univ. Press, Ithaca, NY, 1991).
3. M. L. Winston, The Biology of the Honey Bee (Harvard Univ. Press, Cambridge, MA, ed. 1, 1987); B. Holidobler and E O Wilson, The Ants (Harvard Univ Press, Cambridge, MA, 1990); K. G. Ross and R. W. Mathews, The Social Biology of the Wasps (Cornell Univ. Press, Ithaca, NY, 1991).
4. M L Winston and K. N. Slessor, Am. Sci 80, 374 (1992).
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6. T. Pankiw, unpublished material.
7. H. H Kaatz, H. Hildebrandt, W. Engels, J. Comp. Physiol B162, 588 (1992); T. Pankiw, thesis, Simon Fraser University (1995).
8. H. H Kaatz, H. Hildebrandt, W. Engels, J. Comp. Physiol B162, 588 (1992); T. Pankiw, thesis, Simon Fraser University (1995).
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13. E. Plettner, K N Slessor, M. L. Winston, G E Robinson, R. E Page, J. Insect Physiol 39, 235 (1993), and references therein
14. R. M. Crewe, in The Biology of Social Insects, M D. Breed, G D Michener, H. E. Evans, Eds. (Westview, London, 1982), pp 318-322
15. 3 octadecanoic acid was obtained from MSD Isotopes (division of Merck Frosst, Montreal, Canada).
16. A solution in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) of the deuterated compound to be tested (0.5 μl of a 40 μg/μg solution) was applied to a freshly dissected mandibular gland (from a 1 - to 3-day-old bee). The treatment solution applied was sufficient to cover the outer surface of the gland. In treatments with 2-fluoroocta-decanoic acid, the concentration of inhibitor was equal to that of substrate (20 μg/μl). The gland was perfused for 10 mm, rinsed with buffer, and extracted with methanol. A sample of the methanol extract was derivatized with bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA) and analyzed by GC and GC-MS. The identity of the compounds in the extract was verified by comparison of their retention times and mass spectra with those of synthetic standards Treatments were compared with glands treated with DMSO The M-15 ion in the mass spectra of the trimethylsilyl derivatives was used to determine the extent of labeling because it is more prominent than the molecular ion. The percentage of labeled material was calculated from calibration curves prepared with known proportions of labeled and unlabeled standards (75).
17. E Plettner, G R J. Sutherland, K N. Slessor, M. L. Winston, J. Chem. Ecol 21, 1017 (1995).
18. E. Plettner, thesis. Simon Fraser University (1995).
19. G. Resell, S. Hospital, F. Camps, A. Guerrero. Insect Biochem. Molec Biol 22, 679 (1992).
20. J. E. Oliver, R M Waters, W R. Lusby, Synthesis (March 1994), p. 273
21. G. R. J Sutherland and E. Plettner, unpublished material.
22. K N. Slessor, L.-A. Kaminski, G. G. S. King, M L Winston,J Chem Ecol 16, 851 (1990); T Pankiw et al., ibid., in press.
23. K N. Slessor, L.-A. Kaminski, G. G. S. King, M L Winston,J Chem Ecol 16, 851 (1990); T Pankiw et al., ibid., in press.
24. We thank K Bray, H. Higo, S King, P. Lafiamme, S. Mitchell, G. Owen, G. Sutherland, M. Tracey, R. Wells, and P. Zhang for technical assistance and T Pankiw and G. Robinson for reviewing the manuscript This work was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (graduate award to E P and Strategic and Operating grants to K.N.S. and M.L W.) and Simon Fraser University.