Molecular profiling of behavioural development: Differential expression of mRNAs for inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate 3-kinase isoforms in naive and experienced honeybees (Apis mellifera)

In seeking genetic factors that may control the extended behavioural maturation of adult honeybees we found that inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP₃) 3-kinase, a key enzyme in the IP₃-mediated signalling cascade, is differentially expressed in brains of naive, newly emerged bees and experienced foragers. DNA sequencing yielded a contig of 21.5 kb spanning the honeybee IP₃K locus and a 3′ flanking gene similar to a transcription factor NFR-κ-B. The IP₃K locus gives rise to three differentially expressed major transcripts produced by alternative splicing that encode proteins with identical, highly conserved C-termini and distinct, non-conserved N-terminal domains. The type A transcript is dominant in the adult brain and its level of expression increases threefold during the first 4 days of adult development. The type B message is expressed in brains of naive bees, but is also found in the thorax and abdomen, whereas transcript C is expressed largely in non-neural tissues and in the antenna. In contrast to type A message, the brain levels of transcript B decrease during the first 4 days of adult life. Our data are evaluated in the context of the contrasting behavioural phenotypes of immature and experienced worker honeybees.