So if you feed Apis mellifera with royal jelly from Apis ceranae, will you get mutant

[AmericasBeekeeper]

Epigenetic Modification of Gene Expression in Honey Bees by Heterospecific Gland Secretions
So if you feed Apis mellifera with royal jelly from Apis ceranae, will you get mutant Godzilla bees?
Royal jelly (RJ) contains a range of proteins, amino acids, vitamins and nucleic acids. MicroRNA (miRNA) has been found to play an important role in regulating the expression of protein-coding genes and cell biology. Heterospecific royal jelly can modify gene expression in honey bees through an epigenetic mechanism.
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%...l.pone.0043727

[dfortune]

I seriously doubt it but if what you said was true i would think the royal jelly for that genus would already be the perfect mixture for queen health and vitality.

[AmericasBeekeeper]

Thank you for noticing. I would not want to play around with nature that far to the extreme. I think that would be a few leaps above bringing scutellata to Brazil. We know how that adventure goes.

[danmcm]

The article said that melli mirna was eight fold more active and if I read correctly only the mirna that effects the ability to smell was more active in cera.... That said they had found the protein in royal jelly that when increased allowed them to create a queen two and a half times larger but that article didn't come out and say if she was viable... Think comb size and worker rejection would kick in and it would have to be a man made queen cell.... I am one of those that would love to see it for the pure science.

[libhart]

I am one of those that would love to see it for the pure science.

Right there with you. I wouldn't be able to resist from sheer curiosity.

[Radar]

This is all way above my head, but does this mean that workers in a starter hive could influence the genetic makeup of queens, ie docility of the queen etc.

[AmericasBeekeeper]

It could be if the workers are as divergent as Apis dorsata, or Apis florea, or Apis ceranae are to Apis mellifera the royal jelly fed will alter the proteins in the brood.

[danmcm]

This is all way above my head, but does this mean that workers in a starter hive could influence the genetic makeup of queens, ie docility of the queen etc.

Genes are set codes from mommy and daddy... However we are learning that epigenetics are more and more imporatant. All genes are turned on and off (or up or down regulated)by other genes Or environmental conditions stress, food, chemicals or some other form of promoter. But some areas of genes can be changed (DNA methylation) by environmental conditions and remain chaged (methylated) for the life of the individual or in some studies chaged the off spring or several generations or off spring. The studies I have read in particular are done with insects and this DNA methylation from chemical exposure can last up to three generations. When I was in school this stuff wasn't discovered so my information is self study and probably spotty but really cool new area of genetics.

[seyc]

I have a degree in Genetics. I will try to, "translate this down to stupid" (as one of my students calls it).

All genes are turned on and off (or up or down regulated)by other genes

Who needs the gene for green eyes expressed in your big toe?

Or environmental conditions stress, food, chemicals or some other form of promoter.

Promoters are a different thing, stimuli would be a better word. For example, when I am out in the sun, the genes for freckles get expressed in my skin.

But some areas of genes can be changed (DNA methylation) by environmental conditions

For example, radiation

and remain changed (methylated) for the life of the individual or in some studies changed the off spring or several generations or off spring.

If the change is "compatible with life" (for example, a change in the heart muscle development gene would do nothing to an adult, but no offspring would survive)

The studies I have read in particular are done with insects

Faster generation time than plants or mammals and bigger and easier to control breeding than bacteria

and this DNA methylation from chemical exposure can last up to three generations.

There are things that go around and "clean up" DNA. They can only handle so much though, like people that continuously bake in the sun eventually get skin cancer.

When I was in school this stuff wasn't discovered so my information is self study and probably spotty but really cool new area of genetics.

Yea, it was weird, my first class where the professor was saying, "And we think that this does that. . . "

[seyc]

This is all way above my head, but does this mean that workers in a starter hive could influence the genetic makeup of queens, ie docility of the queen etc.

It does not mean they can change the genetic makeup of the queen. It means they can influence what genes are expressed.

Think of it like fertilizer for plants. Some fertilizer will make the plants grow big green leaves, other fertilizer will make the plants have big flowers.