Relationship of SNPs in Octopamine and Tyramine Receptor Genes with Hygienic Behavior in Honey Bees and Their Effects on Breeding Process

Neslihan Özsoy; Banu Yücel; Metin Erdoğan

Article Details

Relationship of SNPs in Octopamine and Tyramine Receptor Genes with Hygienic Behavior in Honey Bees and Their Effects on Breeding Process

Authors:

Neslihan Özsoy | Banu Yücel | Metin Erdoğan

Publisher:

Tekirdag Namik Kemal University

Main Topics:

Arı ve İpek Böceği Yetiştiriciliği ve Islahı

Journal:

Tekirdağ Ziraat Fakültesi Dergisi Vol.22 Issue 3, pp.811-825

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

9/2025

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

2001358523

pISSN:

1302-7050

Keywords:

Abstract:

 Hygienic behavior in honey bees is a critical for maintaining colony health, preventing the spread of diseases, and providing resistance to harmful parasites. This behavior is defined as the worker bees detecting diseased, dead or parasitized brood cells and removing and cleaning them from the honeycomb cells. This feature, which is the defense mechanism of the colony, has developed on a genetic basis in natural selection and controlled breeding processes. Therefore, understanding the genetic mechanisms of hygienic behavior has become an important research subject in honey bee breeding studies. Recent studies have shown that neurotransmitter systems and receptor genes in honeybees affect various social and cognitive processes, including hygienic behavior. It is known that biogenic amines, especially octopamine and tyramine, regulate the learning, memory, olfactory perception, decision-making mechanisms and social behaviors of bees. Octopamine receptor and tyramine receptor can have a direct effect on stress response, flight activity, foraging behavior and hygienic behavior by acting as stimulants in the nervous system. In this study, in order to understand the genetic basis of hygienic behavior in Efe ecotype honey bees Apis mellifera anatoliaca, colonies showing hygienic and non-hygienic behavior were determined according to the pin-killed test. Then, single nucleotide polymorphisms SNPs were detected in the AmOA1 and AmTYR1 gene regions of worker bees belonging to these colonies. As a result of the sequence analysis, 10 polymorphisms were determined in the AmOA1 receptor gene and 11 polymorphisms were determined in the AmTYR1 receptor gene. However, no significant difference was observed in the distribution of these SNPs between colonies showing hygienic and non-hygienic behavior. These results indicate that there is no direct relationship between hygienic behavior in Efe Bees and SNPs in AmOA1 and AmTYR1 genes. Therefore, no differences were detected between colonies in terms of SNPs. The polymorphisms have not been reported before in Efe Bee and this contributes to the originality of the study. More comprehensive studies to be conducted in the future will increase the knowledge in this field and contribute to the development of new strategies for selecting colonies in terms of hygienic behavior in the beekeeping industry.

 Hygienic behavior in honey bees is a critical for maintaining colony health, preventing the spread of diseases, and providing resistance to harmful parasites. This behavior is defined as the worker bees detecting diseased, dead or parasitized brood cells and removing and cleaning them from the honeycomb cells. This feature, which is the defense mechanism of the colony, has developed on a genetic basis in natural selection and controlled breeding processes. Therefore, understanding the genetic mechanisms of hygienic behavior has become an important research subject in honey bee breeding studies. Recent studies have shown that neurotransmitter systems and receptor genes in honeybees affect various social and cognitive processes, including hygienic behavior. It is known that biogenic amines, especially octopamine and tyramine, regulate the learning, memory, olfactory perception, decision-making mechanisms and social behaviors of bees. Octopamine receptor and tyramine receptor can have a direct effect on stress response, flight activity, foraging behavior and hygienic behavior by acting as stimulants in the nervous system. In this study, in order to understand the genetic basis of hygienic behavior in Efe ecotype honey bees Apis mellifera anatoliaca, colonies showing hygienic and non-hygienic behavior were determined according to the pin-killed test. Then, single nucleotide polymorphisms SNPs were detected in the AmOA1 and AmTYR1 gene regions of worker bees belonging to these colonies. As a result of the sequence analysis, 10 polymorphisms were determined in the AmOA1 receptor gene and 11 polymorphisms were determined in the AmTYR1 receptor gene. However, no significant difference was observed in the distribution of these SNPs between colonies showing hygienic and non-hygienic behavior. These results indicate that there is no direct relationship between hygienic behavior in Efe Bees and SNPs in AmOA1 and AmTYR1 genes. Therefore, no differences were detected between colonies in terms of SNPs. The polymorphisms have not been reported before in Efe Bee and this contributes to the originality of the study. More comprehensive studies to be conducted in the future will increase the knowledge in this field and contribute to the development of new strategies for selecting colonies in terms of hygienic behavior in the beekeeping industry.

 Hygienic behavior in honey bees is a critical for maintaining colony health, preventing the spread of diseases, and providing resistance to harmful parasites. This behavior is defined as the worker bees detecting diseased, dead or parasitized brood cells and removing and cleaning them from the honeycomb cells. This feature, which is the defense mechanism of the colony, has developed on a genetic basis in natural selection and controlled breeding processes. Therefore, understanding the genetic mechanisms of hygienic behavior has become an important research subject in honey bee breeding studies. Recent studies have shown that neurotransmitter systems and receptor genes in honeybees affect various social and cognitive processes, including hygienic behavior. It is known that biogenic amines, especially octopamine and tyramine, regulate the learning, memory, olfactory perception, decision-making mechanisms and social behaviors of bees. Octopamine receptor and tyramine receptor can have a direct effect on stress response, flight activity, foraging behavior and hygienic behavior by acting as stimulants in the nervous system. In this study, in order to understand the genetic basis of hygienic behavior in Efe ecotype honey bees Apis mellifera anatoliaca, colonies showing hygienic and non-hygienic behavior were determined according to the pin-killed test. Then, single nucleotide polymorphisms SNPs were detected in the AmOA1 and AmTYR1 gene regions of worker bees belonging to these colonies. As a result of the sequence analysis, 10 polymorphisms were determined in the AmOA1 receptor gene and 11 polymorphisms were determined in the AmTYR1 receptor gene. However, no significant difference was observed in the distribution of these SNPs between colonies showing hygienic and non-hygienic behavior. These results indicate that there is no direct relationship between hygienic behavior in Efe Bees and SNPs in AmOA1 and AmTYR1 genes. Therefore, no differences were detected between colonies in terms of SNPs. The polymorphisms have not been reported before in Efe Bee and this contributes to the originality of the study. More comprehensive studies to be conducted in the future will increase the knowledge in this field and contribute to the development of new strategies for selecting colonies in terms of hygienic behavior in the beekeeping industry.

 Bal arılarında hijyenik davranış, koloni sağlığının sürdürülmesi, hastalıkların yayılmasının önlenmesi ve zararlı parazitlere karşı direnç sağlanması açısından kritik bir öneme sahiptir. Bu davranış, işçi arıların hastalıklı, ölü veya parazitlenmiş yavru hücrelerini tespit ederek petek gözlerinden çıkarması ve temizlemesi olarak tanımlanmaktadır. Zararlılara karşı koloninin savunma mekanizmasını oluşturan bu özellik, doğal seçilim ve kontrollü ıslah süreçlerinde genetik bir temele dayanarak gelişmiştir. Bu nedenle, hijyenik davranışın genetik mekanizmalarının anlaşılması, bal arısı ıslah çalışmalarında önemli bir araştırma konusu haline gelmiştir. Son yıllarda yapılan çalışmalar, bal arılarındaki nörotransmitter sistemlerinin ve reseptör genlerinin, hijyenik davranış da dahil olmak üzere çeşitli sosyal ve bilişsel süreçleri etkilediğini göstermektedir. Özellikle oktopamin ve tyramin gibi biyojenik aminlerin, arıların öğrenme, hafıza, koku algısı, karar verme mekanizmaları ve sosyal davranışlarını düzenlediği bilinmektedir. Oktopamin reseptörü ve tyramine reseptörü, sinir sisteminde uyarıcı işlev görerek stres yanıtı, uçuş aktivitesi, besin arama davranışı ve hijyenik davranış üzerinde doğrudan etkiye sahip olabilmektedir. Bu çalışmada, Efe ekotipi bal arılarında Apis mellifera anatoliaca hijyenik davranışın genetik temellerini anlamak amacıyla pin-killed testi uygulanarak hijyenik davranış gösteren ve hijyenik davranış göstermeyen koloniler belirlenmiştir. Ardından, bu kolonilere ait işçi arıların AmOA1 ve AmTYR1 gen bölgelerinde tek nükleotid polimorfizmleri SNP tespit edilmeye çalışılmıştır. Dizi analizi sonucunda, AmOA1 reseptör geninde toplam 10 polimorfizm ve AmTYR1 reseptör geninde 11 polimorfizm belirlenmiştir. Ancak, yüksek ve düşük hijyenik davranış gösteren koloniler arasında bu SNPlerin dağılımında belirgin bir fark gözlenmemiştir. Bu sonuçlar, Efe Arısında hijyenik davranış ile AmOA1 ve AmTYR1 genlerindeki SNPler arasında doğrudan bir ilişki olmadığına işaret etmektedir. Daha önce Efe Arısında bu genlerde herhangi bir polimorfizm rapor edilmemiş olması, bu çalışmanın özgün bir katkı sunduğunu göstermektedir. Gelecekte gerçekleştirilecek daha kapsamlı genomik çalışmalar, bu alandaki bilgi birikimini artırarak arıcılık sektöründe hijyenik davranışı yönünden kolonilerin seçilmesi için yeni stratejiler geliştirilmesine katkı sağlayacaktır.

Article Details

Relationship of SNPs in Octopamine and Tyramine Receptor Genes with Hygienic Behavior in Honey Bees and Their Effects on Breeding Process

Authors:

Neslihan Özsoy | Banu Yücel | Metin Erdoğan

Publisher:

Tekirdag Namik Kemal University

Main Topics:

Arı ve İpek Böceği Yetiştiriciliği ve Islahı

Journal:

Tekirdağ Ziraat Fakültesi Dergisi Vol.22 Issue 3, pp.811-825

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

9/2025

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

2001358523

pISSN:

1302-7050

Apis mellifera

Biogenic amines

Colony resistance

Learning and memory

NeurotransmittersApis mellifera

Biyojenik aminler

Koloni direnci

Öğrenme ve hafıza

Nörotransmitterler

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Neslihan Özsoy | Banu Yücel | Metin Erdoğan

Publisher: Tekirdag Namik Kemal University

Main Topics: Arı ve İpek Böceği Yetiştiriciliği ve Islahı

Journal: Tekirdağ Ziraat Fakültesi Dergisi Vol.22 Issue 3, pp.811-825

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 9/2025

Document Language: English

Document ID (Org No.): 2001358523

pISSN: 1302-7050

Issues

Authors:

Neslihan Özsoy | Banu Yücel | Metin Erdoğan

Publisher:

Tekirdag Namik Kemal University

Main Topics:

Arı ve İpek Böceği Yetiştiriciliği ve Islahı

Journal:

Tekirdağ Ziraat Fakültesi Dergisi Vol.22 Issue 3, pp.811-825

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

9/2025

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

2001358523

pISSN:

1302-7050