The mechanisms and function of bumblebee electroreception

熊蜂电感受机制和功能

• 批准号: 1642938
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Bristol
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2015 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-1642938
• 关键词: mechanisms; function; bumblebee; electroreception

Our research has shown that bumblebees can detect the weak electrostatic fields around flowers. Such electric fields constitute new floral cues, and enhance a bee's capacity to learn the difference between two floral colours. Electric fields thus appear to play a role in plant-pollinator interactions. Several fundamental questions arise from these findings. What is the structure and ultimate relevance of these flower- and bee-generated electric fields? Central to this project is the question of how bees measure floral and environmental electric fields. What is the sensory mechanism for electroreception? Can bees measure their own field? This studentship aims at investigating the sensory basis of bee electroreception, with regard to characterising for the first time the type and range of electrical information the bee's sensory system evolved to detect.The project aims at establishing the bee's sensitivity to weak electrical fields in both laboratory and field experiments. In the lab, hypotheses will be tested as to how fine hairs covering the bee's body detect e-fields. Preliminary mechanical and electrophysiological evidence (Sutton, Clarke, Robert lab) indicates that cranial hairs can sense electric fields. Alternative hypotheses will address the putative role of antennae, wings and other hairs in electroreception.Electroreception will be behaviourally tested with training (Whitney lab) and psychophysical tests using the proboscis extension reflex (Sutton, Robert). Measuring electrics in natural flowers and then simulate them in artificial e-flowers (Robert, Whitney labs) will allow determining the structure, shape and magnitude of the electric fields bees can detect. Mathematical modelling (Multiphysics Finite Element Analysis) will be used to investigate the structure and diversity of weak electric fields around bees, flowers and from the atmospheric environment (Robert, Shallcross) to inform sensory experiments above. The large scale foraging trips of bees in the open environment will be monitored using radar techniques (Reynolds, Chapman, Haughton, Osborne), in conjunction with measurements of atmospheric potential gradients and weather conditions. Electric fields may affect, perhaps even facilitate chemical signalling between herbivores and plants (Birkett). Pollinator and/or parasitoid behavior may in turn initiate floral electric fields, which may alter plant semiochemistry and therefore relationship to insects.This project will provide initial interdisciplinary training. Two rotations are planned; one in the Robert, Sutton, Shallcross and Whitney labs already collaborating in Bristol, to learn mechanical, electrophysiological, modelling, atmospheric physics and behavioural techniques. The other rotation will be at Rothamsted Research (radar team) and used to become familiar with radar techniques and their application to tracking bees and measuring atmospheric electric fields. Initial training in study of plant signalling and insect olfaction will be provided (biological chemistry Birkett group). The integration of the required skill sets during the rotations will be monitored by regular meetings with PI, Co-Is, student, and associated postdocs. The student will be fully integrated in the SWBIO course programme and those offered by the School of biological sciences. In support of this studentship, a BBSRC grant application (Robert, Whitney, Shallcross) in its final stage of evaluation, will provide support, including two postdocs, to this studentship. Additional support is from Dr. G. Sutton, recently awarded a Royal Society University Research Fellowship at Bristol.

我们的研究表明，熊蜂可以探测到花朵周围的微弱静电场。这种电场构成了新的花卉线索，并增强了蜜蜂学习两种花卉颜色之间差异的能力。因此，电场似乎在植物传粉者的相互作用中发挥作用。从这些发现中产生了几个基本问题。这些花朵和蜜蜂产生的电场的结构和最终的相关性是什么？这个项目的核心是蜜蜂如何测量花卉和环境电场的问题。电感受的感觉机制是什么？蜜蜂能测量自己的田地吗？本研究项目旨在研究蜜蜂电感受的感觉基础，首次描述蜜蜂感觉系统进化来检测的电信息的类型和范围。该项目旨在通过实验室和现场实验确定蜜蜂对弱电场的敏感性。在实验室中，将测试覆盖在蜜蜂身体上的细毛如何检测电场的假设。初步的机械和电生理证据（萨顿，克拉克，罗伯特实验室）表明，颅毛可以感觉电场。替代假设将解决假定的作用，触角，翅膀和其他毛发在电感受。电感受将进行行为测试与培训（惠特尼实验室）和心理物理测试使用长鼻延伸反射（萨顿，罗伯特）。测量天然花朵中的电流，然后在人造电子花中模拟它们（罗伯特，惠特尼实验室）将允许确定蜜蜂可以检测到的电场的结构，形状和大小。数学建模（多物理场有限元分析）将用于研究蜜蜂，花朵周围和大气环境（Robert，Shallcross）弱电场的结构和多样性，以告知上述感官实验。将使用雷达技术（Reynolds、Chapman、豪顿、Osborne），结合大气势梯度和天气条件的测量，监测蜜蜂在开放环境中的大规模觅食旅行。电场可能会影响，甚至可能促进食草动物和植物之间的化学信号（伯基特）。传粉者和/或寄生蜂的行为可能反过来启动花电场，这可能会改变植物的化学信息，从而与昆虫的关系。计划进行两次轮调;一个在罗伯特，萨顿，肖尔克罗斯和惠特尼实验室已经在布里斯托合作，学习机械，电生理，建模，大气物理和行为技术。另一个轮换将在Rothamsted Research（雷达团队）进行，用于熟悉雷达技术及其在跟踪蜜蜂和测量大气电场方面的应用。将提供研究植物信号和昆虫嗅觉的初步培训（生物化学Birkett小组）。在轮换过程中所需技能的整合将通过与PI，Co-Is，学生和相关博士后的定期会议进行监测。学生将完全融入SWBIO课程计划和生物科学学院提供的课程。为了支持这个奖学金，BBSRC资助申请（罗伯特，惠特尼，Shallcross）在其评估的最后阶段，将提供支持，包括两个博士后，这个奖学金。其他支持来自Dr. G。萨顿最近在布里斯托获得了皇家学会大学研究奖学金。