1. Honey Bee Allatostatins Target Galanin/Somatostatin-Like Receptors and Modulate Learning: A Conserved Function?
- Author
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Urlacher E, Soustelle L, Parmentier ML, Verlinden H, Gherardi MJ, Fourmy D, Mercer AR, Devaud JM, and Massou I
- Subjects
- Amino Acid Sequence, Animals, Appetitive Behavior physiology, Bees classification, Brain anatomy & histology, Brain physiology, Conserved Sequence, Galanin metabolism, Gene Expression Regulation, Insect Proteins metabolism, Juvenile Hormones genetics, Juvenile Hormones metabolism, Learning physiology, Molecular Sequence Data, Neuropeptides metabolism, Olfactory Perception physiology, Phylogeny, Receptors, Galanin metabolism, Receptors, Somatostatin metabolism, Sequence Alignment, Sequence Homology, Amino Acid, Signal Transduction, Somatostatin metabolism, Bees physiology, Galanin genetics, Insect Proteins genetics, Neuropeptides genetics, Receptors, Galanin genetics, Receptors, Somatostatin genetics, Somatostatin genetics
- Abstract
Sequencing of the honeybee genome revealed many neuropeptides and putative neuropeptide receptors, yet functional characterization of these peptidic systems is scarce. In this study, we focus on allatostatins, which were first identified as inhibitors of juvenile hormone synthesis, but whose role in the adult honey bee (Apis mellifera) brain remains to be determined. We characterize the bee allatostatin system, represented by two families: allatostatin A (Apime-ASTA) and its receptor (Apime-ASTA-R); and C-type allatostatins (Apime-ASTC and Apime-ASTCC) and their common receptor (Apime-ASTC-R). Apime-ASTA-R and Apime-ASTC-R are the receptors in bees most closely related to vertebrate galanin and somatostatin receptors, respectively. We examine the functional properties of the two honeybee receptors and show that they are transcriptionally expressed in the adult brain, including in brain centers known to be important for learning and memory processes. Thus we investigated the effects of exogenously applied allatostatins on appetitive olfactory learning in the bee. Our results show that allatostatins modulate learning in this insect, and provide important insights into the evolution of somatostatin/allatostatin signaling.
- Published
- 2016
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