Presentation Details
| Using social behavior in bees to explore how early-life experience impacts neural system Mallory A.Hagadorn1, Ryan T.Marion1, Erica J.Brus2, Clare C.Rittschof1. 1Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.2Unaffiliated, Lexington, KY, USA |
Abstract
Early-life experiences can have lasting impacts on adult behaviors, presumably by altering nervous system development. Uncovering the mechanisms underlying developmental “critical periods” could explain how and why some experiences have life-long impacts on behavior while other effects are reversible. In eusocial insects, the outcome of individual experiences manifests at the group-level; in turn, the social group shapes individual experience. Yet, how early-life experiences shape neurodevelopment and adult state is understudied, hindering our understanding of the causes of and limits to adult behavioral plasticity in these dynamic groups. Using honey bees, we explored how the timing of early-life social isolation impacts developing sensory systems. Young and old larvae were periodically inhibited from caregiver contact (required for food provisioning). We collected the resulting neural tissue from larvae, prepupae, pupae, and adults. Using qPCR, we assessed brain gene expression across these timepoints, targeting neuroplasticity and stress-related genes. Our results yield novel insight into the plasticity and resiliency of social insect brains and behaviors across life stages.
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No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.
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