scholarly journals Nectar non-protein amino acids (NPAAs) do not change nectar palatability but enhance learning and memory in honey bees

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniele Carlesso ◽  
Stefania Smargiassi ◽  
Elisa Pasquini ◽  
Giacomo Bertelli ◽  
David Baracchi
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Learning And Memory ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Feeding Preference ◽  
Memory Retention ◽  
Floral Nectar ◽  
Olfactory Conditioning ◽  
Specific Memory ◽  
Protein Amino Acids ◽  
Valuable Compounds

AbstractFloral nectar is a pivotal element of the intimate relationship between plants and pollinators. Nectars are composed of a plethora of nutritionally valuable compounds but also hundreds of secondary metabolites (SMs) whose function remains elusive. Here we performed a set of behavioural experiments to study whether five ubiquitous nectar non-protein amino acids (NPAAs: β-alanine, GABA, citrulline, ornithine and taurine) interact with gustation, feeding preference, and learning and memory in Apis mellifera. We showed that foragers were unable to discriminate NPAAs from water when only accessing antennal chemo-tactile information and that freely moving bees did not exhibit innate feeding preferences for NPAAs. Also, NPAAs did not alter food consumption or longevity in caged bees over 10 days. Taken together our data suggest that natural concentrations of NPAAs did not alter nectar palatability to bees. Olfactory conditioning assays showed that honey bees were more likely to learn a scent when it signalled a sucrose reward containing either β-alanine or GABA, and that GABA enhanced specific memory retention. Conversely, when ingested two hours prior to conditioning, GABA, β-alanine, and taurine weakened bees’ acquisition performances but not specific memory retention, which was enhanced in the case of β-alanine and taurine. Neither citrulline nor ornithine affected learning and memory. NPAAs in nectars may represent a cooperative strategy adopted by plants to attract beneficial pollinators.

scholarly journals Nectar non-protein amino acids (NPAAs) do not change nectar palatability but enhance learning and memory in honey bees

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniele Carlesso ◽  
Stefania Smargiassi ◽  
Elisa Pasquini ◽  
Giacomo Bertelli ◽  
David Baracchi
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Learning And Memory ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Feeding Preference ◽  
Memory Retention ◽  
Floral Nectar ◽  
Olfactory Conditioning ◽  
Specific Memory ◽  
Protein Amino Acids ◽  
Valuable Compounds

AbstractFloral nectar is a pivotal element of the intimate relationship between plants and pollinators and its chemical composition is likely to have been shaped by strong selective pressures. Nectars are composed of a plethora of nutritionally valuable compounds but also hundreds of secondary metabolites (SMs) whose ecological role is still not completely understood. Here we performed a set of behavioural experiments to study whether five ubiquitous nectar non-protein amino acids (NPAAs: β-alanine, GABA, citrulline, ornithine and taurine) interact with gustation, feeding preference, and learning and memory in the pollinator Apis mellifera. We showed that harnessed foragers were unable to discriminate NPAAs from water when only accessing antennal chemo-tactile information and that freely moving bees did not exhibit innate feeding preferences for NPAA-laced sucrose solutions. Also, dietary consumption of NPAAs did not alter food consumption or longevity in caged bees over 10 days. Taken together our data suggest that ecologically relevant concentrations of NPAAs did not alter nectar palatability to bees. Olfactory conditioning assays showed that honey bees were more likely to learn a scent when it signalled a sucrose reward containing either β-alanine or GABA, and that GABA also enhanced specific memory retention. Conversely, when ingested two hours prior to conditioning, GABA, β-alanine, and taurine weakened bees’ acquisition performances but not specific memory retention, which was enhanced in the case of β-alanine and taurine. Neither citrulline nor ornithine affected learning and memory. Our study suggests that NPAAs in nectars may represent a cooperative strategy adopted by plants to attract beneficial pollinators, while simultaneously enhancing pollen transfer among conspecific flowers. Future work should validate these results in more ecological scenarios and extend the study to as many nectar SMs as possible, alone and in combination, as well as to other species of pollinators.

scholarly journals Effects of Nosema ceranae (Dissociodihaplophasida: Nosematidae) and Flupyradifurone on Olfactory Learning in Honey Bees, Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Christine Bell ◽  
Corina N Montgomery ◽  
Jaime E Benavides ◽  
James C Nieh
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Learning And Memory ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Food Reward ◽  
Nosema Ceranae ◽  
Olfactory Conditioning ◽  
Agricultural Use ◽  
High Doses ◽  
Neonicotinoid Pesticides ◽  
Term Field

Abstract The health of insect pollinators, particularly the honey bee, Apis mellifera (Linnaeus, 1758), is a major concern for agriculture and ecosystem health. In response to mounting evidence supporting the detrimental effects of neonicotinoid pesticides on pollinators, a novel ‘bee safe’ butenolide compound, flupyradifurone (FPF) has been registered for use in agricultural use. Although FPF is not a neonicotinoid, like neonicotinoids, it is an excitotoxic nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist. In addition, A. mellifera faces threats from pathogens, such as the microsporidian endoparasite, Nosema ceranae (Fries et al. 1996). We therefore sought 1) to increase our understanding of the potential effects of FPF on honey bees by focusing on a crucial behavior, the ability to learn and remember an odor associated with a food reward, and 2) to test for a potential synergistic effect on such learning by exposure to FPF and infection with N. ceranae. We found little evidence that FPF significantly alters learning and memory at short-term field-realistic doses. However, at high doses and at chronic, field-realistic exposure, FPF did reduce learning and memory in an olfactory conditioning task. Infection with N. ceranae also reduced learning, but there was no synergy (no significant interaction) between N. ceranae and exposure to FPF. These results suggest the importance of continued studies on the chronic effects of FPF.

scholarly journals Diversity of nectar amino acids in the Fritillaria (Liliaceae) genus: ecological and evolutionary implications

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Roguz ◽  
Andrzej Bajguz ◽  
Magdalena Chmur ◽  
Agnieszka Gołębiewska ◽  
Agata Roguz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Food Reward ◽  
Passerine Bird ◽  
Ecological Research ◽  
Ecological Context ◽  
Floral Nectar ◽  
Pollen Vectors ◽  
Protein Amino Acids ◽  
First Time ◽  
Nectar Amino Acids

Abstract Nectar is considered to be a primary food reward for most pollinators. It mostly contains sugars, but also has amino acids. The significance of the concentration and composition of amino acids in nectar is often less understood than that of its volume, sugar concentration and composition. However, there is a trend towards a broader approach in ecological research, which helps to understand nectar properties in an ecological context. The genus Fritillaria, exhibiting great diversity in flower morphology, nectar composition, and dominant pollinators, allows for the possibility to study some of the above. We studied the concentration and composition of amino acids in the nectar of 38 Fritillaria species attracting different groups of pollen vectors (bees, flies, passerines, and hummingbirds). The flowers of fritillaries produced nectar with a varying composition and concentration of amino acids. These differences were mostly associated with the pollinator type. The nectar of passerine bird-pollinated species was rich in amino acids, whereas humming bird-pollinated produced low amino acid nectar. Contrary to previous reports nectar of the insect-pollinated species did not contain a higher amount of proline. Two non-protein amino acids, sarcosine and norvaline, were detected in the floral nectar for the first time.

scholarly journals BIOCHEMISTRY AND MICROBIOLOGY OF POLLEN COLLECTED BY HONEY BEES (APIS MELLIFERA L.) FROM ALMOND, PRUNUS DULCIS. II. PROTEIN, AMINO ACIDS AND ENZYMES

Apidologie ◽  
1980 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. N. STANDIFER ◽  
W. F. McCAUGHEY ◽  
S. E. DIXON ◽  
Martha GILLIAM ◽  
G. M. LOPER
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Prunus Dulcis ◽  
Protein Amino Acids

scholarly journals Pheromone components affect motivation and induce persistent modulation of associative learning and memory in honey bees

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Baracchi ◽  
Amélie Cabirol ◽  
Jean-Marc Devaud ◽  
Albrecht Haase ◽  
Patrizia d’Ettorre ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Associative Learning ◽  
Learning And Memory ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Animal Communication ◽  
Animal Cognition ◽  
Olfactory Learning ◽  
Olfactory Conditioning ◽  
Appetitive Motivation ◽  
Pheromone Components ◽  
Chemical Messengers

AbstractSince their discovery in insects, pheromones are considered as ubiquitous and stereotyped chemical messengers acting in intraspecific animal communication. Here we studied the effect of pheromones in a different context as we investigated their capacity to induce persistent modulations of associative learning and memory. We used honey bees, Apis mellifera, and combined olfactory conditioning and pheromone preexposure with disruption of neural activity and two-photon imaging of olfactory brain circuits, to characterize the effect of pheromones on olfactory learning and memory. Geraniol, an attractive pheromone component, and 2-heptanone, an aversive pheromone, improved and impaired, respectively, olfactory learning and memory via a durable modulation of appetitive motivation, which left odor processing unaffected. Consistently, interfering with aminergic circuits mediating appetitive motivation rescued or diminished the cognitive effects induced by pheromone components. We thus show that these chemical messengers act as important modulators of motivational processes and influence thereby animal cognition.

scholarly journals Metabolomic Profiling of Nicotiana Spp. Nectars Indicate That Pollinator Feeding Preference Is a Stronger Determinant Than Plant Phylogenetics in Shaping Nectar Diversity

Metabolites ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fredy A. Silva ◽  
Elizabeth C. Chatt ◽  
Siti-Nabilla Mahalim ◽  
Adel Guirgis ◽  
Xingche Guo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Complex Mixture ◽  
Feeding Preference ◽  
Floral Nectar ◽  
Nicotiana Species ◽  
Plant Phylogeny ◽  
Metabolomic Profiling ◽  
Inorganic Acids ◽  
Nectar Composition ◽  
Plant Phylogenetics

Floral nectar is a rich secretion produced by the nectary gland and is offered as reward to attract pollinators leading to improved seed set. Nectars are composed of a complex mixture of sugars, amino acids, proteins, vitamins, lipids, organic and inorganic acids. This composition is influenced by several factors, including floral morphology, mechanism of nectar secretion, time of flowering, and visitation by pollinators. The objective of this study was to determine the contributions of flowering time, plant phylogeny, and pollinator selection on nectar composition in Nicotiana. The main classes of nectar metabolites (sugars and amino acids) were quantified using gas chromatography/mass spectrometric analytical platforms to identify differences among fifteen Nicotiana species representing day- and night-flowering plants from ten sections of the genus that are visited by five different primary pollinators. The nectar metabolomes of different Nicotiana species can predict the feeding preferences of the target pollinator(s) of each species, and the nectar sugars (i.e., glucose, fructose, and sucrose) are a distinguishing feature of Nicotiana species phylogeny. Moreover, comparative statistical analysis indicate that pollinators are a stronger determinant of nectar composition than plant phylogeny.

Protection of Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum L.) seedlings from salinity stress following seed priming with L-methionine and casein hydrolysate

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Keum-Ah Lee ◽  
Youngnam Kim ◽  
Hossein Alizadeh ◽  
David W.M. Leung
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Amino Acids ◽  
Salinity Stress ◽  
Lolium Multiflorum ◽  
Casein Hydrolysate ◽  
Seed Priming ◽  
Germination Percentage ◽  
Italian Ryegrass ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Protein Amino Acids

Abstract Seed priming with water (hydropriming or HP) has been shown to be beneficial for seed germination and plant growth. However, there is little information on the effects of seed priming with amino acids and casein hydrolysate (CH) compared with HP, particularly in relation to early post-germinative seedling growth under salinity stress. In this study, Italian ryegrass seeds (Lolium multiflorum L.) were primed with 1 mM of each of the 20 protein amino acids and CH (200 mg l−1) before they were germinated in 0, 60 and 90 mM NaCl in Petri dishes for 4 d in darkness. Germination percentage (GP), radicle length (RL) and peroxidase (POD) activity in the root of 4-d-old Italian ryegrass seedlings were investigated. Generally, when the seeds were germinated in 0, 60 and 90 mM NaCl, there was no significant difference in GP of seeds among various priming treatments, except that a higher GP was observed in seeds of HP treatment compared with the non-primed seeds when incubated in 60 mM NaCl. When incubated in 60 and 90 mM NaCl, seedlings from seeds primed with L-methionine or CH exhibited greater RL (greater protection against salinity stress) and higher root POD activity than those from non-primed and hydro-primed seeds. Under salinity stress, there were higher levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the root of 4-d-old Italian ryegrass seedlings, a marker of oxidative stress, but seed priming with CH was effective in reducing the salinity-triggered increase in MDA content. These results suggest that priming with L-methionine or CH would be better than HP for the protection of seedling root growth under salinity stress and might be associated with enhanced antioxidative defence against salinity-induced oxidative stress.

scholarly journals The key amino acids of E protein involved in early flavivirus infection: viral entry

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Hu ◽  
Zhen Wu ◽  
Shaoxiong Wu ◽  
Shun Chen ◽  
Anchun Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Viral Entry ◽  
Envelope Protein ◽  
Cell Attachment ◽  
Envelope Proteins ◽  
Infection Process ◽  
Early Infection ◽  
Protein Amino Acids ◽  
Α Helix

AbstractFlaviviruses are enveloped viruses that infect multiple hosts. Envelope proteins are the outermost proteins in the structure of flaviviruses and mediate viral infection. Studies indicate that flaviviruses mainly use envelope proteins to bind to cell attachment receptors and endocytic receptors for the entry step. Here, we present current findings regarding key envelope protein amino acids that participate in the flavivirus early infection process. Among these sites, most are located in special positions of the protein structure, such as the α-helix in the stem region and the hinge region between domains I and II, motifs that potentially affect the interaction between different domains. Some of these sites are located in positions involved in conformational changes in envelope proteins. In summary, we summarize and discuss the key envelope protein residues that affect the entry process of flaviviruses, including the process of their discovery and the mechanisms that affect early infection.

Ileal digestibility of protein and amino acids of feed peas with different trypsin inhibitor activity in pigs

2000 ◽  
Vol 80 (4) ◽  
pp. 643-652 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Grosjean ◽  
C. Jondreville ◽  
I. Williatte-Hazouard ◽  
F. Skiba ◽  
B. Carrouée ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Trypsin Inhibitor ◽  
Crude Protein ◽  
Trypsin Inhibitor Activity ◽  
Rectal Anastomosis ◽  
Inhibitor Activity ◽  
Ileal Digestibility ◽  
Physical Chemical ◽  
Protein Amino Acids ◽  
Weight Proportion

Ileal digestibility of protein and amino acids was measured in pigs fed 13 round, tannin-free peas samples and related to the following physical, chemical and biological characteristics of these samples: thousand-seed weight, proportion of hulls, starch, fibre, crude protein, ether extract and ash contents, trypsin inhibitor activity and trypsin inhibitor activity per unit of crude protein (TIAP). Each pea sample was included in a diet containing starch, sucrose, minerals and vitamins and fed to four barrows (50 to 100 kg) fitted with an end-to-end ileo-rectal anastomosis. Standardised ileal protein and amino acid digestibilities, except for alanine of peas decreased linearly with increasing TIAP (P < 0.01) and was not affected by fiber content. For example standardized ileal digestibilities values (%) decreased by −0.1975, −0.1617, −0.2171, −0.2630, −0.2029 and −0.3536 per unit of TIAP (expressed in unit of trypsin inhibited per milligram crude protein), respectively, for crude protein and lysine, threonine, methionine, cystine and tryptophan. Key words: Peas, trypsin inhibitor activity, standardised ileal digestibilities, protein, amino acids, pig

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