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Molecular dynamics and social regulation of context-dependent plasticity in the circadian clockwork of the honey bee.
- Source :
-
The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience [J Neurosci] 2010 Sep 15; Vol. 30 (37), pp. 12517-25. - Publication Year :
- 2010
-
Abstract
- The social environment influences the circadian clock of diverse animals, but little is known about the functional significance, the specifics of the social signals, or the dynamics of socially mediated changes in the clock. Honey bees switch between activities with and without circadian rhythms according to their social task. Forager bees have strong circadian rhythms, whereas "nurse" bees typically care for the brood around-the-clock with no circadian rhythms in behavior or clock gene expression. Here we show that nurse-age bees that were restricted to a broodless comb inside or outside the hive showed robust behavioral and molecular circadian rhythms. By contrast, young nurses tended brood with no circadian rhythms in behavior or clock gene expression, even under a light-dark illumination regime or when placed with brood--but no queen--in a small cage outside the hive. This behavior is context-dependent because nurses showed circadian rhythms in locomotor activity shortly after removal from the hive, and in clock gene expression after ∼16 h. These findings suggest that direct interaction with the brood modulates the circadian system of honey bees. The dynamics of rhythm development best fit models positing that at least some pacemakers continue to oscillate and be entrained by the environment in nurses that are active around the clock. These cells set the phase to the clock network when the nurse is removed from the hive. These findings suggest that despite its robustness, the circadian system exhibits profound plasticity, enabling adjustment to rapid changes in the social environment.
- Subjects :
- Animals
Bees genetics
Biological Clocks genetics
Brain cytology
Brain physiology
CLOCK Proteins genetics
Female
Gene Expression Regulation genetics
Hierarchy, Social
Male
Maternal Behavior physiology
Models, Neurological
Nerve Net cytology
Nerve Net physiology
Neuronal Plasticity genetics
Species Specificity
Bees physiology
CLOCK Proteins physiology
Circadian Rhythm genetics
Neuronal Plasticity physiology
Social Behavior
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1529-2401
- Volume :
- 30
- Issue :
- 37
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 20844146
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1490-10.2010