Journal Article

Detailed chemical analysis of honey bee (Apis mellifera) worker brood volatile profile from egg to emergence

Beslay, Dominique, Mondet, Fanny, Noël, Amélie, Plantes et systèmes de culture horticoles (PSH) ; Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Génétique Animale et Biologie Intégrative (GABI) ; AgroParisTech-Université Paris-Saclay-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Dumas, Charlène, Rottier, Emilien, Rau, Andrea, Laboratoire de Biotechnologies Végétales appliquées aux Plantes Aromatiques et Médicinales (BVPAM) ; Université Jean Monnet - Saint-Étienne (UJM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Nicolè, Florence, Le Conte, Yves, Sécurité et Qualité des Produits d'Origine Végétale (SQPOV) ; Avignon Université (AU)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Costagliola, Guy, Ginies, Christian, Abeilles et Environnement (AE) ; Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)

2023

Overview

Chemical communication is a widely used mode of communication for social insects and has been demonstrated to be involved in many behaviours and physiological processes such as reproduction, nutrition or the fight against parasites and pathogens. In the honey bee, Apis mellifera , the release of chemical compounds by the brood plays a role in worker behaviour, physiology, and foraging activities and colony health as a whole. Several compounds have already been described as brood pheromones, such as components of the brood ester pheromone and (E)-β-ocimene. Several other compounds originating from diseased or varroa-infested brood cells have been described as triggering the hygienic behaviour of workers. So far, studies of brood emissions have focused on specific stages of development and little is known about the emission of volatile organic compounds by the brood. In this study, we investigate the semiochemical profile of worker honey bee brood during its whole developmental cycle, from egg to emergence, with a specific focus on volatile organic compounds. We describe variation in emissions of thirty-two volatile organic compounds between brood stages. We highlight candidate compounds that are particularly abundant in specific stages and discuss their potential biological significance.

• Publisher: CCSD,Public Library of Science,Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subject: Adults / Analysis / Analytical chemistry / Animals / Apis mellifera / Bees / Behavior, Animal / Biology and Life Sciences / Chemical analysis / Chemical communication / Chemical compounds / Communication / Developmental stages / Diseases / Eggs / Emission analysis / Emissions / Environmental aspects / Foraging behavior / Growth / Health aspects / Honey / Honeybee / Hygiene / Insects / Larva - physiology / Life Sciences / Nutrition / Observations / Ocimene / Organic compounds / Parasites / Pheromones / Physical Sciences / Physiology / Social Sciences / Varroidae - physiology / VOCs / Volatile Organic Compounds / Workers (insect caste)
• ISBN: 0009882869000