TY - JOUR A1 - Thamm, Markus A1 - Scholl, Christina A1 - Reim, Tina A1 - Gruebel, Kornelia A1 - Moeller, Karin A1 - Rossler, Wolfgang A1 - Scheiner, Ricarda T1 - Neuronal distribution of tyramine and the tyramine receptor AmTAR1 in the honeybee brain JF - The journal of comparative neurology N2 - 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. KW - antibody KW - biogenic amines KW - G-protein coupled receptor KW - honeybee KW - tyramine Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.24228 SN - 0021-9967 SN - 1096-9861 VL - 525 SP - 2615 EP - 2631 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Reim, Tina A1 - Scheiner, Ricarda T1 - Division of labour in honey bees: age- and task-related changes in the expression of octopamine receptor genes JF - Insect molecular biology N2 - The honey bee (Apis melliferaL.) has developed into an important ethological model organism for social behaviour and behavioural plasticity. Bees perform a complex age-dependent division of labour with the most pronounced behavioural differences occurring between in-hive bees and foragers. Whereas nurse bees, for example, stay inside the hive and provide the larvae with food, foragers leave the hive to collect pollen and nectar for the entire colony. The biogenic amine octopamine appears to play a major role in division of labour but the molecular mechanisms involved are unknown. We here investigated the role of two characterized octopamine receptors in honey bee division of labour. AmOctR1 codes for a Ca2+-linked octopamine receptor. AmOctR3/4 codes for a cyclic adenosine monophosphate-coupled octopamine receptor. Messenger RNA expression of AmOctR1 in different brain neuropils correlates with social task, whereas expression of AmOctR3/4 changes with age rather than with social role per se. Our results for the first time link the regulatory role of octopamine in division of labour to specific receptors and brain regions. They are an important step forward in our understanding of complex behavioural organization in social groups. KW - Apis mellifera KW - behavioural plasticity KW - G-protein coupled receptor KW - AmOctR1 KW - AmOctR3 KW - 4 Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/imb.12130 SN - 0962-1075 SN - 1365-2583 VL - 23 IS - 6 SP - 833 EP - 841 PB - Wiley-Blackwell CY - Hoboken ER -