Kevin W. Wanner, Kimberly K.O. Walden, and Hugh M. Robertson. Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 505 South Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL 61801
To locate virgin queen bees on mating flights, the antennae of male drone honey bees (Apis mellifera) have evolved a greater number and density of sex pheromone-sensitive poreplate sensilla compared to female worker bees. Odorant receptors (Ors) on the dendrites of sensory neurons housed in sensilla are primarily responsible for the detection of olfactory stimuli, including pheromones. As members of the G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) superfamily, insect Ors form large and divergent gene families. We have annotated 170 Or genes from the honey bee genome and demonstrated their enriched expression in antennae. To identity candidate sex pheromone receptors, we used an olfactory-specific microarray to screen for sexually dimorphic expression. Many Or genes are expressed equally between drone and worker bee antennae, while several are higher in worker antennae. Three candidate pheromone receptors were identified based on their male-biased expression which was later confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR. While the main component of the honey bee queen pheromone blend, 9-ODA, accounts for most (but not all) of the attractive behavior of drones, the total number of sex pheromones involved in mating and courtship is not known. Drone bee antennal lobes have four macroglomeruli, suggesting the existence of at least four sex pheromones. We continue to profile Or gene expression patterns between drone, worker and queen bee antennae to identify Or genes that may have caste pronounced-functions. Candidate pheromone receptors will be cloned and expressed in cell culture to characterize pheromone ligand binding.
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