CYP9Q1 Modulates Dopamine to Increase Sugar Responsiveness in Honeybees (Apis mellifera)

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 25; no. 24; p. 13550
• Main Authors: Xu, Xue-Ling, Geng, Long, Zeng, Zhao-Yang, Wu, Zun, Li, Lin-Feng, Tang, Shao-Han, Wang, Zi-Jing, Shi, Han-Hui, Li, Zhi-Guo, Nie, Hong-Yi, Su, Song-Kun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01.12.2024
• Subjects: Animals; Annotations; Bees; Bees - genetics; Bees - metabolism; Brain; Brain - metabolism; Brain research; Cytochrome; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System - genetics; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System - metabolism; Dopamine; Dopamine - metabolism; Enzymes; Food; Foraging behavior; Genes; Genetic engineering; Honeybee; Hunger; Insect Proteins - genetics; Insect Proteins - metabolism; Insulin; Metabolism; Phenols; RNA; RNA sequencing; Signal transduction; Sucrose; Sucrose - metabolism; Sugar; United States; honeybees; food wanting; RNA-seq; dopamine; Cytochrome P450
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms252413550

The appetite of honeybees for food is crucial to their survival and reproduction, as they sustain their entire colony by collecting pollen and nectar for nutrients. Dopamine, an important neurotransmitter, regulates appetite and satiety. However, how dopamine regulates honeybee foraging behavior remains unexplored. In this study, we investigated dopamine expression in 23-day-old Apis mellifera under different food-wanting conditions and identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the brains of honeybees using RNA sequencing technology. We showed that dopamine levels in honeybees starved for 2 h were higher than those sated after 2 h of starvation. RNA-seq results revealed there were differences in the expression of cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenase (CYP9Q1) in honeybees, which regulated the sucrose sensitivity of honeybees under different intake states. Furthermore, CYP9Q1 targeted the expression of the insulin receptor substrate (IRS) to promote dopamine synthesis. Our findings emphasize the relationship between dopamine and honeybees’ desire for food at the molecular level, providing a reference for further exploring the mechanism of food wanting.