Influence of Queen Pheromones on Worker Ovarian PCD in Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Abstract

Queen honey bee imposes her reproductive dominance through the secretion of volatile chemicals, especially from the mandibular gland, tergal and defour glands. Further, queen pheromones and different larval diets; aggregately control the differential expression of specific genetic elements. The altered transcriptomic activity resulted in Programmed Cell Death (PCD) in the ovaries of worker honey bees. Furthermore, after the hatching of workers, the specific degenerative process remains continuous for a brief period, destroying numerous ovarioles. As a result, few facultative functional ovarioles remain active in worker honey bees' ovaries. Available literature also witnesses the formation of pseudo-queens or egg-laying workers.

This chapter provides insight into responsible queen pheromones for induction of programmed cell death in worker honey bees' ovaries. The next chapter focuses on the genetic elements for queen pheromones's-induced ovarian PCD in workers.

Cite as