Science updates: Heat stress and honey bees

 

Science updates:

Heat stress and honey bees

 

This study investigates the regulatory roles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in adult worker bees under short-term heat stress. Through deep sequencing and bioinformatic analysis, 7,842 lncRNAs and 115 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs) were identified. The study reveals that lncRNAs are involved in various biological processes, including metabolism, protein folding, response to stress, and signal transduction pathways. RNA interference experiments targeting the most highly expressed lncRNA, MSTRG.9645.5, showed a significant impact on the expression of heat shock protein (HSP) genes, providing insights into the regulatory mechanisms of lncRNAs in honeybees under heat stress.

 

The study utilized deep sequencing and bioinformatic analysis to identify lncRNAs in honeybees exposed to short-term heat stress. RNA interference was performed using siRNA targeting the most highly expressed lncRNA, MSTRG.9645.5. The silencing effect and the relative expression levels of seven HSP genes were examined. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to validate the sequencing data and the siRNA experiment results. The analysis identified 7,842 lncRNAs, with 115 DELs showing significant changes in expression following heat stress exposure. Structural analysis indicated that lncRNAs have lower expression abundance, shorter transcript lengths, fewer exons, and shorter open reading frames compared to mRNAs. Functional annotation revealed that target genes of DELs are mainly involved in metabolism, protein folding, response to stress, and signal transduction pathways. The siRNA experiment demonstrated a silencing efficiency of 77.51% for lncRNA MSTRG.9645.5, with significant changes in the expression of three HSP genes.

 

In conclusion, the study provides new insights into the regulatory mechanisms of lncRNAs in adult worker bees under short-term heat stress. The identification of DELs and their target genes, along with the successful silencing of lncRNA MSTRG.9645.5, offers a foundation for further investigation into the biological functions of lncRNAs in insects and their roles in the heat stress response.

 

Reference:

Zhang, B., Zhang, C., Zhang, J., Lu, S., Zhao, H., Jiang, Y., & Ma, W. (2024). Regulatory roles of long non-coding RNAs in short-term heat stress in adult worker bees. BMC Genomics, 25(1), 506.

 

 

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