关键词: 意大利蜜蜂, 抗氧化酶, mRNA表达量, 发育时期, 实时荧光定量PCR

Abstract:

The superoxide dismutase and catalase play an important role in protecting worker bees from reactive oxygen species, and their enzyme activities and expression levels are associated with honeybee longevity and disease resistance which affect the performance of the colony. This study was to observe the developmental regulation of CuZnSOD, MnSOD and CAT genes in Apis mellifera ligustica worker bees at mRNA level by real-time quantitative PCR, so as to provide a theoretical basis for the study of aging and disease resistance of honeybees. During the larval, pupal and adult stages, we collected the samples of larva (5 d after egg laying by the queen), pupa (14 d after egg laying by the queen) and adult (1 d, 12 d, 32 d after emergence), respectively. The results showed that these three antioxidant enzyme genes were expressed in all developmental stages. Both CuZnSOD and MnSOD mRNA expression levels decreased during larval to pupal stages and the adult stage at 12-32 d after emergence, with the highest level at 1 d adult after emergence and the lowest level in pupa. However, no significant decrease was found in the expression of CuZnSOD gene at the adult stage, while the expression of MnSOD gene decreased obviously. The lower mRNA level of the CAT gene was detected in pupa. However, the CAT gene expression steadily increased during the development of honeybees, and the expression at 12-32 d adult after emergence was significantly higher than those at the other stages (P<0.05). The study illustrates the function of antioxidant enzymes at the molecular level during different developmental stages of A. mellifera ligustica worker bees.

Key words: Apis mellifera ligustica, antioxidant enzyme, mRNA expression level, developmental