Abstract

ARECHAVALETA-VELASCO, Miguel E.; HUNT, Greg J.; SPIVAK, Marla  and  CAMACHO-REA, Carmen. Binary trait loci that influence the expression of honey bee hygienic behavior. Rev. mex. de cienc. pecuarias [online]. 2011, vol.2, n.3, pp.238-298. ISSN 2448-6698.

This study was conducted to detect binary trait loci (BTLs) that influence the expression of hygienic behavior of individual honey bee workers and to locate genetic markers that are associated to these BTLs on a genetic map derived from bees that perform hygienic behavior of a backcross colony. Samples of workers that perform hygienic behavior and workers that not perform hygienic behavior that were used as controls were collected from the colony. Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers were produced from DNA samples of bees that perform hygienic behavior. A genetic map was generated, and a goodness-of-fit test was performed for each marker in the map to look for deviations from the 1:1 expected segregation pattern of the marker genotypes. For those markers that significantly deviated from the 1:1 ratio in the bees that perform hygienic behavior, AFLPs were generated from samples of control bees. Those markers that showed a skewed segregation pattern in the bees that perform hygienic behavior, but not in the controls were analyzed with a 2X2 chi-square to test for associations between the markers and the expression of the trait. Twelve markers were deviated from the expected segregation pattern in the bees that perform hygienic behavior (P<0.05), but not in the control bees (P>0.05) and nine of these markers were associated with the expression of hygienic behavior (P<0.05). The nine markers represented seven putative BTLs that influence honey bee hygienic behavior.

Keywords : Honey bee; Hygienic behavior; Binary trait loci; Apis mellifera L.; BTL.