Altruism is the act of promoting the well-being of others, even at personal risk or cost. Although humans are inherently self-interested, altruism is still prevalent. Meanwhile, in nature, altruism is identified when an individual's actions benefit others, even at potential personal cost.
Honey bees are an example of this rare trait, as Penn State researchers discovered, and the genetics governing it may involve an evolutionary struggle to determine the parent from whom it's inherited.
Genes From Mothers Affect Altruistic Behavior of Honey Bees
The study, recently published in the journal Molecular Ecology, focused on understanding the genetic basis of "retinue" behavior in female worker honey bees. This behavior entails female worker bees, upon exposure to the queen bee's pheromone, deactivating their ovaries, aiding in the pheromone's dissemination to fellow workers, and caring for the queen and her eggs.
This altruistic behavior, benefitting the queen's reproductive success while rendering the worker bee sterile, is a distinctive trait in honey bee colonies where the queen is typically the mother of most, if not all, the hive's inhabitants.
The researchers' investigation revealed that the genes responsible for worker bees' heightened receptivity to the pheromone, increasing the likelihood of displaying retinue behavior, can be inherited from either parent. However, these genes lead to altruistic behavior exclusively when passed down from the mother bee.
Sean Bresnahan, the corresponding author and a doctoral candidate in the Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Biosciences, as well as a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, emphasized that the study not only provides insights into honey bee behavior but also uncovers the impact of the gene's parental origin on gene expression.
This aspect, often challenging to study in insects, highlights that behavior is influenced not solely by gene sequences or the environment but also by the parent from whom the gene is inherited, suggesting that the same gene inherited from a different parent may lead to distinct behavior in the organism.
Honey Bee Study Supports Kinship Theory of Genetic Altruism
The study provides support for the Kinship Theory of Intragenomic Conflict, which posits that genes inherited from mothers and fathers are in contention regarding the behaviors they promote or deter.
Previous research suggested that genes from males could favor selfish behavior in various species, including honey bees, but this study is groundbreaking in demonstrating that genes from females can transmit altruistic behaviors to their offspring.
Honey bees, known for their altruistic behaviors, are one of the few animal species where individuals sacrifice their own reproduction to support others.
This study reveals an intricate form of genetic control, showing that genes from the mother, typically the queen bee, play a role in encouraging altruistic behavior in her offspring. In contrast, the genes from fathers promote selfish behavior in worker bees, leading them to prioritize their own reproduction over supporting their queen mother.
The queen bee mates with multiple males, leading to worker bees sharing the same mother but having different fathers. This scenario aligns with the Kinship Theory of Intragenomic Conflict, as worker bees stand to benefit more from helping their queen mother than competing with her and their sisters.
This study overcame the challenge of crossbreeding six different honey bee lineages and revealed gene regulatory networks linked to intragenomic conflict, offering insights into the genetic basis of altruistic and selfish behaviors in honey bees. The findings may inspire similar research into intragenomic conflict across various species and its role in shaping different traits.
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