TY - JOUR
T1 - Bumblebees are able to perceive amino acids via chemotactile antennal stimulation
AU - Ruedenauer, Fabian A.
AU - Leonhardt, Sara D.
AU - Lunau, Klaus
AU - Spaethe, Johannes
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2019.
PY - 2019/6
Y1 - 2019/6
N2 - Like all animals, bees need to consume essential amino acids to maintain their body’s protein synthesis. Perception and discrimination of amino acids are, however, still poorly understood in bees (and insects in general). We used chemotactile conditioning of the proboscis extension response (PER) to examine (1) whether Bombus terrestris workers are able to perceive amino acids by means of their antennae and (if so) which ones, (2) whether they are able to differentiate between different amino acids, and (3) whether they are able to differentiate between different concentrations of the same amino acid. We found that workers perceived asparagine, cysteine, hydroxyproline, glutamic acid, lysine, phenylalanine, and serine, but not alanine, leucine, proline, or valine by means of their antennae. Surprisingly, they were unable to differentiate between different (perceivable) amino acids, but they distinguished between different concentrations of lysine. Consequently, bumblebees seem to possess amino acid receptors at the tip of their antennae, which enable a general perception of those solute amino acids that have an additional functional group (besides the common amino and carboxylic groups). They may thus have the ability to assess the overall amino acid content of pollen and nectar prior to ingestion.
AB - Like all animals, bees need to consume essential amino acids to maintain their body’s protein synthesis. Perception and discrimination of amino acids are, however, still poorly understood in bees (and insects in general). We used chemotactile conditioning of the proboscis extension response (PER) to examine (1) whether Bombus terrestris workers are able to perceive amino acids by means of their antennae and (if so) which ones, (2) whether they are able to differentiate between different amino acids, and (3) whether they are able to differentiate between different concentrations of the same amino acid. We found that workers perceived asparagine, cysteine, hydroxyproline, glutamic acid, lysine, phenylalanine, and serine, but not alanine, leucine, proline, or valine by means of their antennae. Surprisingly, they were unable to differentiate between different (perceivable) amino acids, but they distinguished between different concentrations of lysine. Consequently, bumblebees seem to possess amino acid receptors at the tip of their antennae, which enable a general perception of those solute amino acids that have an additional functional group (besides the common amino and carboxylic groups). They may thus have the ability to assess the overall amino acid content of pollen and nectar prior to ingestion.
KW - Chemoreception
KW - Foraging
KW - Ionotropic receptor
KW - Nutrition
KW - Protein
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85062985084&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00359-019-01321-9
DO - 10.1007/s00359-019-01321-9
M3 - Article
C2 - 30868227
AN - SCOPUS:85062985084
SN - 0340-7594
VL - 205
SP - 321
EP - 331
JO - Journal of Comparative Physiology A
JF - Journal of Comparative Physiology A
IS - 3
ER -