The Genetic Architecture of Honey Bee Sucrose Response Thresholds

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The genetic architecture of honey bee sucrose response thresholdsRobert E. Page, Jr. The long term objective of this project is to better understand variation in behavior. Behavior is a consequence of the genetic makeup, development, and environment of an individual. Observed differences in behavior between individuals can be a consequence of any of these factors, or the interactive combination of any or all of them. There is relatively little known about the underlying causes of variation in behavior for any organism. Honey bees afford a unique opportunity to study behavioral variation because their behavior is stereotypic and well known, they live in social groups, they undergo age related changes in behavior, they have very high rates of genetic recombination that facilitate the genetic mapping of their genes, and many genetic studies of their behavior have been performed. For this proposal, a detailed genetic map will be constructed in order to map major genes associated with a sensory trait, the perception of sugar and water. It has been clearly demonstrated that this trait correlates with important behavioral "decisions" of worker honey bees with respect to foraging. A detailed map will provide a test of the hypothesis that the same genes previously mapped for pollen hoarding behavior (the storing of surplus pollen in the nest) also effect sensory perception. It will also identify new genes associated with sensory perception and will lead to a better understanding of how genes interact and affect behavior. Finally, sets of genetic markers will be developed that are close to the mapped genes that can be used in future studies of gene and environment interactions that affect the behavior, and for use in population studies of this naturally varying behavioral trait.