Find out the 'secret' to make honey bees into queen bees

Not because of birth, a honey bee turned into a worker bee or queen bee depends on . their food.

In a recent article in PLOS Genetics, scientists found that molecules in the food mixture of honey bee larvae affect their physiological changes.

This will determine whether they will become "queens" with a long lifespan of reproductive tasks or will become "workers" in the role of protecting larvae and seeking food.

"Eat what you eat"

Scientists have long known that this difference is not due to birth, but from diet .

The larvae fed with royal jelly - a substance secreted by worker bees, will develop into queen bees, while those who only eat a mixture of pollen and honey - called honey cakes , become bees worker

The saying "Tell me what you eat, I will answer who you are" (You are what you eat) is especially true in the case of honey bees, because they become bees or honey bees depending on Their diet - (Photo: Heidi and Hans-Juergen Koch / Minden Pictures).

Previous research focused primarily on royal jelly, which is rich in sugar and protein during sexual development, but recent research finds a new mechanism: small molecules in plants called microARN ( miARN).

These small molecules can affect the size and color of plants, and also play an important role in bee development.

Introduced in bees through a "honey cake" , miARNs can affect genes in a way that prevents physiological development and contributes to the sea's inability to change the bee.

"Both substances are equally important , " said biochemistry professor Chen-Yu Zhang, a co-author of the study. "Royal jelly and miARN together affect the sex structure of bees , " he added.

Scientists have kept bees in the laboratory to understand the effects of miRNAs. They found that the larvae fed with a miARN-containing diet had a smaller body and smaller ovaries than those fed normally.

Subsequent experiments contribute to reinforcing this point.

Interaction with plants

This information can provide a new perspective on the increasing phenomenon of mysterious bee deaths over the last 10 years that have affected agricultural activity.

Xi Chen - co-author of the study, says miARN plays an important role."We can test whether changing the miRNA in a plant can cause the disappearance of bees that often suck the bile , " Chen said.

The study also showed the interplay of plants and bees sucking honey: miRNAs in plants can make flowers bigger, more colorful, attract more bees, and exchange bees also helps spread seeds.

According to Dr. Philip Askenase, a professor of medicine at Yale University in the United States, further research on the mechanism of miRNA effects on species of different sexes can help find ways to treat cancer or drugs. anti-allergy.

"Some important biological problems can be discovered from this new natural knowledge, " Dr. Askenase said.