Expression of two microRNAs, ame-mir-276 and -1000, in the adult honeybee (Apis mellifera) brain

Sayaka Hori , Kumi Kaneko , Takeshi Saito , Hideaki Takeuchi , Takeo Kubo

To identify candidate microRNAs involved in post-transcriptional regulation of brain (region)-selective gene expression in the adult honeybee brain, we isolated eight microRNAs: seven known microRNAs, ame-mir-2-1, −8, 13a, −34, −276, −317, −1000, and one novel one, named mir-hbd, that has significant sequence similarity with the Drosophila dme-mir-11. Among them, ame-mir-1000 and −276 were expressed in a brain-selective and -preferential manner, respectively, in workers and drones. In particular, ame-mir-276-expression was enriched in the optic lobes and in the small type-Kenyon cells of the mushroom bodies in the nurse bee, forager, queen, and drone brains. Almost all predicted targets of amemir-1000 and −276 encode neural function related genes, suggesting the involvement in neural function of both microRNAs.

Mots clés: brain; microRNA; Apis mellifera; honey bee; gene expression

Domaines: Zoologie des invertébrés; Biodiversité; Ecologie, Environnement; Science des productions animales

Sayaka Hori, Kumi Kaneko, Takeshi Saito, Hideaki Takeuchi, Takeo Kubo. Expression of two microRNAs, ame-mir-276 and -1000, in the adult honeybee (Apis mellifera) brain. Apidologie, 2011, 42 (1), pp.89-102. ⟨10.1051/apido/2010032⟩. ⟨hal-01003564⟩