Appetitive behavior of the honey bee Apis mellifera in response to phenolic compounds naturally found in nectars.

Autor:	Hernández IG; Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Estación Experimental Agropecuaria La Consulta, La Consulta, M5567 Mendoza, Argentina.; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, M5502 JMA Mendoza, Argentina.; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina., Palottini F; Laboratorio de Insectos Sociales, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biologıá Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, FH55+63 Buenos Aires, Argentina.; Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, FH56+2C Buenos Aires, Argentina., Macri I; Laboratorio de Insectos Sociales, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biologıá Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, FH55+63 Buenos Aires, Argentina.; Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, FH56+2C Buenos Aires, Argentina.; Instituto de Ingeniería Rural, Centro de Investigación de Agroindustria (CIA), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Castelar, 98WW+CR Buenos Aires, Argentina., Galmarini CR; Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Estación Experimental Agropecuaria La Consulta, La Consulta, M5567 Mendoza, Argentina.; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.; Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, M5502 JMA Mendoza, Argentina., Farina WM; Laboratorio de Insectos Sociales, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biologıá Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, FH55+63 Buenos Aires, Argentina walter@fbmc.fcen.uba.ar.; Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, FH56+2C Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	The Journal of experimental biology [J Exp Biol] 2019 Jan 28; Vol. 222 (Pt 2). Date of Electronic Publication: 2019 Jan 28.
DOI:	10.1242/jeb.189910
Abstrakt:	The honey bee is the most frequently used species in pollination services for diverse crops. In onion crops ( Allium cepa ), however, bees avoid visiting certain varieties, being attracted differently to male sterile (MS) and fertile (OP) lines. These differences might be based on the phenolic profiles of the cultivars' nectars. To understand the relationship between nectar composition and pollinator attraction to different onion lines, we tested sensory and cognitive abilities and palatability in honey bees exposed to MS and OP onion nectars and sugar solutions mimicking them. We evaluated the proboscis extension response (PER) after antennal contact (unconditioned response) to MS or OP onion nectars, finding no statistical differences, which indicates similar gustatory perception for the two nectars. We also performed food uptake assays to test palatability of different artificial nectars, considering their flavonoids and potassium content. The presence of potassium decreased the palatability of the artificial nectars. Finally, we evaluated the bees' cognitive abilities when the reward (unconditioned stimulus) offered during conditioning PER assays presents differences in composition. We found that potassium by itself impaired learning; however, such impairment was even higher when naringenin and quercetin were added in the unconditioned stimulus (MS nectar mimic). Interestingly, potassium together with luteolin (OP nectar mimic) improved learning. Our study demonstrates that the differences in the nectars' flavonoid profiles combined with their high potassium content could explain the previously reported differences in attractiveness between onion lines, suggesting an important role of nectar compounds other than sugars for the attractiveness of flowers to pollinators. Competing Interests: Competing interestsThe authors declare no competing or financial interests. (© 2019. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.)
Databáze:	MEDLINE
Externí odkaz:	Zobrazit plný text záznamu