Comparative proteomic analysis provides insight into 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid biosynthesis in honey bee workers

• Published in: Amino acids Vol. 49; no. 7; pp. 1177 - 1192
• Main Authors: Yang, Xiao-Hui, Yang, Shi-Fa, Wang, Rui-Ming
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Vienna Springer Vienna 01.07.2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Age; Analytical Chemistry; Animals; Bees; Bees - metabolism; Biochemical Engineering; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biosynthesis; Carbohydrate metabolism; Carbohydrates; Cytoskeleton; Developmental stages; Electron transfer; Energy metabolism; Enzymes; Fatty acids; Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated - metabolism; Fatty-acid synthase; Folding; Gene expression; Glands; Insect Proteins - metabolism; Interference; Life Sciences; Mandible; Metabolism; Molecular modelling; Neurobiology; Original Article; Oxidation; Physical characteristics; Protein folding; Protein metabolism; Protein turnover; Proteins; Proteomics; Ribonucleic acid; RNA; RNA-mediated interference; Secretion; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; Workers (insect caste); RNAi; Biosynthesis; Honey bee; 10-Hydroxy-2-decenoic acid; Proteomics
• ISSN: 0939-4451; 1438-2199
• DOI: 10.1007/s00726-017-2418-1

10-Hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10-HDA) is the major compound produced from the mandibular glands (MGs) of honey bee workers. However, little information is available on the molecular mechanisms of 10-HDA biosynthesis. In our study, based on investigating the 10-HDA secretion pattern and the morphological characteristics of MGs from honey bee workers of different ages, a comparative proteomic analysis was performed in the MGs of workers with different 10-HDA production. In total, 59 up-regulated protein species representing 45 unique proteins were identified in high 10-HDA-producing workers by 2-DE–MALDI–TOF/TOF MS. These proteins were involved in carbohydrate/energy metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, protein metabolism and folding, antioxidation, cytoskeleton, development and cell signaling. Proteins related to fatty acid metabolism, including fatty acid synthase and β-oxidation enzymes, are potentially crucial proteins involved in 10-HDA biosynthesis pathway. And RNA interference (RNAi) results demonstrated that knockdown of electron transfer flavoprotein subunit beta (ETF-β), one of the protein related to fatty acid metabolism, decreased 10-HDA production of worker bees, suggesting that ETF-β was necessary for 10-HDA biosynthesis. This study reveals the characteristics of MGs of worker bees at different developmental stages and proteins associated with 10-HDA biosynthesis, which provides the first insight into the molecular mechanism of 10-HDA biosynthesis.