Unique spatially and temporary-regulated/sex-specific expression of a long ncRNA, Nb-1, suggesting its pleiotropic functions associated with honey bee lifecycle

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 14; no. 1; p. 8701
• Main Authors: Tadano, Hiroto, Kohno, Hiroki, Takeuchi, Hideaki, Kubo, Takeo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 15.04.2024; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/337/384/2568; 631/601/1466; Animals; Apidae; Apis mellifera; Bees; Bees - genetics; Brain; Brain - physiology; Embryogenesis; Embryonic growth stage; Female; Head; Honey; Humanities and Social Sciences; Insects; Localization; Male; multidisciplinary; Mushroom bodies; Neurons - physiology; Neurosecretory cells; Niobium; Non-coding RNA; Octopamine; Oogenesis; Physiology; Pupa; RNA, Long Noncoding - genetics; RNA, Long Noncoding - metabolism; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Workers (insect caste)
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-59494-6

Honey bees are social insects, and each colony member has unique morphological and physiological traits associated with their social tasks. Previously, we identified a long non-coding RNA from honey bees, termed Nb-1 , whose expression in the brain decreases associated with the age-polyethism of workers and is detected in some neurosecretory cells and octopaminergic neurons, suggesting its role in the regulation of worker labor transition. Herein, we investigated its spatially and temporary-regulated/sex-specific expression. Nb-1 was expressed as an abundant maternal RNA during oogenesis and embryogenesis in both sexes. In addition, Nb-1 was expressed preferentially in the proliferating neuroblasts of the mushroom bodies (a higher-order center of the insect brain) in the pupal brains, suggesting its role in embryogenesis and mushroom body development. On the contrary, Nb-1 was expressed in a drone-specific manner in the pupal and adult retina, suggesting its role in the drone visual development and/or sense. Subcellular localization of Nb-1 in the brain during development differed depending on the cell type. Considering that Nb-1 is conserved only in Apidae, our findings suggest that Nb-1 potentially has pleiotropic functions in the expression of multiple developmental, behavioral, and physiological traits, which are closely associated with the honey bee lifecycle.