據(jù)3月13日《科學》（Science）雜志在線報道說，新的研究可能對為什么蜜蜂的幼蟲在進食了蜂王漿之后會成長為蜂王而不是工蜂做出解釋,。盡管存在于蜂王漿中的特別成分大體上依然是一個謎,，但Robert Kucharksi及其同僚現(xiàn)在報道說，進食蜂王漿好像可以通過抑制一種被稱為甲基化的過程來影響多種蜜蜂基因的表達,。這種對某個基因DNA的化學修飾會降低該基因的表達，而這一過程部分是由酶Dnmt3所驅動的。
當研究人員將蜜蜂幼蟲體內的Dnmt3活性破壞了以后,，這一改變會出現(xiàn)擬似蜂王漿的效果，使得發(fā)育中的蜜蜂幼蟲更像蜂王而不像工蜂,。人們需要從事更多的研究來查明所有與該“核外遺傳”網(wǎng)絡有關的基因,，但是，總的來說,，這些發(fā)現(xiàn)表明,，抑制Dnmt3基因及喂食蜂王漿皆可使基因表達更大程度地使蜜蜂幼蟲向發(fā)育成為蜂王的方向轉移。（來源：EurekAlert!中文版）
生物谷推薦原始出處：
（Science）,，DOI: 10.1126/science.1153069,，R. Kucharski，R. Maleszka
Nutritional Control of Reproductive Status in Honeybees via DNA Methylation
R. Kucharski 1, J. Maleszka 1, S. Foret 1, R. Maleszka 1*
1 Molecular Genetics and Evolution, ARC Centre for the Molecular Genetics of Development, Research School of Biological Sciences, the Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
R. Maleszka , E-mail: [email protected]
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Fertile queens and sterile workers are alternative forms of the adult female honey bee that develop from genetically identical larvae following differential feeding with royal jelly. We now show that silencing the expression of DNA methyltransferase Dnmt3, a key driver of epigenetic global reprogramming, in newly hatched larvae, leads to a stunning royal jelly-like effect on the larval developmental trajectory; the majority of Dnmt3 siRNA-treated individuals now emerge as queens with fully developed ovaries. Our results suggest that; DNA methylation in Apis is utilized for storing epigenetic information; that the utilization of that information can be differentially altered by nutritional input, and that the flexibility of epigenetic modifications underpin profound shifts in developmental fates with massive implications for reproductive and behavioural status.
