SGER: Manipulation of gene expression in honey bees with RNAi

随着人类基因组计划所催生的技术的出现，行为科学有望取得革命性的进展。 然而，目前阻止行为社区接受基因组学的一个问题是，操纵基因表达的技术只适用于少数物种。 双链RNA（ds RNA）是一种非常有效的干扰C. elegans和D.黑腹菌 “RNAi”效应是高度特异性的，并且比反义寡核苷酸治疗更强和更一致。 罗宾逊博士试图将RNAi的应用扩展到蜜蜂身上，蜜蜂是社会生物学中的一种模式生物，缺乏生殖系转化技术。 罗宾逊博士将测试来自周期（per）基因的dsRNA抑制per mRNA并导致两个行为过程的变化的假设：实验室中的运动行为昼夜节律和劳动分工，即，从蜂巢工作到野外觅食的转变。 蜜蜂per系统是一个理想的测试案例，因为与我实验室中可用的分子和行为分析以及从果蝇中观察到的per不是致命基因有关的实验原因。 基于两个科学原因，测试RNAi对蜜蜂每个系统的影响也是令人信服的。 首先，它将提供洞察蜜蜂大脑中与劳动分工相关的每mRNA水平的惊人和以前无法想象的变化。 其次，它将有力地证明RNAi技术的可行性。 如果RNAi不能抑制蜜蜂中的每一种mRNA，这个结果也将产生很大的影响，因为它将在文献中提供第一个警示，即RNAi可能不是我们都希望的灵丹妙药。

With the advent of technologies spawned by the Human Genome Project, the behavioral sciences are poised to make revolutionary advances. However, one problem that currently prevents the behavioral community from embracing genomics is that techniques of manipulating gene expression are only possible for a few species. Treatment with double-stranded (ds) RNA is providing to be a very effective techinique for interfering with gene expression in C. elegans and D. melanogaster. The 'RNAi' effect is highly specific and is strongerand more consistent than treatment with antisense oligonucelotides. Dr. Robinson seeks to extend the use of RNAi to the honey bee, a model organism in sociobiology that lacks technology for germ-line transformation. Dr. Robinson will test the hypothese that dsRNA from the period (per) gene suppreses per mRNA and causes changes in two behavioral processes: locomotor behavior circadiean rhythms in the laboratory, and division of labor, i.e., the transition from working in the hive to foraging, in the field. The bee per system is an ideal test case for progmatic reasons related to the molecular and behavioral assays available in my laboratory and the observation from Drosophila that per is not a lethal gene. Testing the effect of RNAi on the bee per system also is compelling for two scientific reasons. First, it will provide insight into the striking and previously unimagined changes in per mRNA levels in the bee brain that occur in association with division of labor. Second, it will provide a powerful demonstration of the versatiality of the RNAi technique. If RNAi does not suppress per mRNA in bees, this result also will be of high impact, because it will provide the first cautionary note in the literature that RNAi may not be the panacea that we all hope it will be.