@article{ScheinerTotevaReimetal.2014, author = {Scheiner, Ricarda and Toteva, Anna and Reim, Tina and Sovik, Eirik and Barron, Andrew B.}, title = {Differences in the phototaxis of pollen and nectar foraging honey bees are related to their octopamine brain titers}, series = {Frontiers in physiology}, volume = {5}, journal = {Frontiers in physiology}, publisher = {Frontiers Research Foundation}, address = {Lausanne}, issn = {1664-042X}, doi = {10.3389/fphys.2014.00116}, pages = {8}, year = {2014}, abstract = {The biogenic amine octopamine is an important neuromodulator, neurohormone and neurotransmitter in insects. We here investigate the role of octopamine signaling in honey bee phototaxis. Our results show that groups of bees differ naturally in their phototaxis. Pollen forgers display a lower light responsiveness than nectar foragers. The lower phototaxis of pollen foragers coincides with higher octopamine titers in the optic lobes but is independent of octopamine receptor gene expression. Increasing octopamine brain titers reduces responsiveness to light, while tyramine application enhances phototaxis. These findings suggest an involvement of octopamine signaling in honey bee phototaxis and possibly division of labor, which is hypothesized to be based on individual differences in sensory responsiveness.}, language = {en} } @article{ThammSchollReimetal.2017, author = {Thamm, Markus and Scholl, Christina and Reim, Tina and Gruebel, Kornelia and Moeller, Karin and Rossler, Wolfgang and Scheiner, Ricarda}, title = {Neuronal distribution of tyramine and the tyramine receptor AmTAR1 in the honeybee brain}, series = {The journal of comparative neurology}, volume = {525}, journal = {The journal of comparative neurology}, publisher = {Wiley}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {0021-9967}, doi = {10.1002/cne.24228}, pages = {2615 -- 2631}, year = {2017}, abstract = {Tyramine is an important neurotransmitter, neuromodulator, and neurohormone in insects. In honeybees, it is assumed to have functions in modulating sensory responsiveness and controlling motor behavior. Tyramine can bind to two characterized receptors in honeybees, both of which are coupled to intracellular cAMP pathways. How tyramine acts on neuronal, cellular and circuit levels is unclear. We investigated the spatial brain expression of the tyramine receptor AmTAR1 using a specific antibody. This antibody detects a membrane protein of the expected molecular weight in western blot analysis. In honeybee brains, it labels different structures which process sensory information. Labeling along the antennal nerve, in projections of the dorsal lobe and in the gnathal ganglion suggest that tyramine receptors are involved in modulating gustatory and tactile perception. Furthermore, the ellipsoid body of the central complex and giant synapses in the lateral complex show AmTAR1-like immunoreactivity (AmTAR1-IR), suggesting a role of this receptor in modulating sky-compass information and/or higher sensor-motor control. Additionally, intense signals derive from the mushroom bodies, higher-order integration centers for olfactory, visual, gustatory and tactile information. To investigate whether AmTAR1-expressing brain structures are in vicinity to tyramine releasing sites, a specific tyramine antibody was applied. Tyramine-like labeling was observed in AmTAR1-IR positive structures, although it was sometimes weak and we did not always find a direct match of ligand and receptor. Moreover, tyramine-like immunoreactivity was also found in brain regions without AmTAR1-IR (optic lobes, antennal lobes), indicating that other tyramine-specific receptors may be expressed there.}, language = {en} }