Discover the secret that turns honey bees into queen bees

Not born with it, whether a honey bee becomes a worker bee or a queen bee depends on... its food.

​The saying "You are what you eat" is especially true in the case of honey bees, because whether they become bees or not depends on their diet - Photo: Photo: Heid

In a recent article onPLOS GeneticsScientists have found that molecules in the food mixture of honey bee larvae influence changes in their physiological characteristics.

This will determine whether they will become "queens" with long lifespans responsible for reproduction or "workers" responsible for protecting larvae and finding food.

"You are what you eat"

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

Larvae fed royal jelly - a substance secreted by worker bees - develop into queen bees, while those fed only a mixture of pollen and honey - called honey cake - become worker bees.

Previous research has focused largely on royal jelly, which is rich in sugars and proteins during sexual development, but the new study found a new mechanism: small molecules in plants called microRNAs (miRNAs).

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

Introduced into the bee's body through 'honey cake', miRNA can influence genes in a way that prevents physiological development and contributes to making the bee sterile.

“Both are equally important,” says Chen-Yu Zhang, a professor of biochemistry and co-author of the study. “Both royal jelly and miRNAs influence the sexual architecture of bees,” he adds.

Scientists raised bees in the lab to study the effects of miRNA. They found that larvae raised on a diet containing miRNA had smaller bodies and smaller ovaries than those raised on a normal diet.

Subsequent experiments further reinforced this view.

Interaction with plants

This information may provide a new look at the mysterious phenomenon of bee deaths that has been increasing over the past 10 years, affecting many agricultural activities.

Xi Chen, a co-author of the study, said miRNAs play an important role. “We can test whether changing miRNAs in a particular plant can cause the disappearance of the bees that normally feed on that plant,” Chen said.

The study also showed a mutual influence between plants and nectar-gathering bees: miRNAs in plants can make flowers larger and more colorful, attracting more bees, which in turn help disperse seeds.

According to Dr. Philip Askenase - professor of medicine at Yale University, USA, further research on the mechanism of miRNA's influence on species of different kingdoms could help find ways to treat cancer or anti-allergy drugs.

“Some important biological questions can be explored from this new natural knowledge,” said Dr Askenase.

According to TTO