Gene that helps honey bees find flowers unravelled - Indian Express

PTI : Washington, Thu May 30 2013, 16:17 hrs Scientists have discovered a new gene which they say helps honey bees to detect nutrients in flowers and find their way back home. Honey bees don't start out knowing how to find flowers or even how to get around outside the hive, researchers said. Before they can forage, they must learn how to navigate a changing landscape and orient themselves in relation to the Sun. In a new study, researchers report that a regulatory gene known to be involved in learning and the detection of novelty in vertebrates also kicks into high gear in the brains of honey bees when they are learning to how to find food and bring it home. Activity of this gene, called Egr, quickly increases in a region of the brain known as the mushroom bodies whenever bees try to find their way around an unfamiliar environment, the researchers said. This gene is the insect equivalent of a transcription factor found in mammals. Transcription factors regulate the activity of other genes. The researchers found that the increased Egr activity did not occur as a result of exercise, the physical demands of learning to fly or the task of memorising visual cues. It increased only in response to the bees' exposure to an unfamiliar environment. Even seasoned foragers had an uptick in Egr activity when they had to learn how to navigate in a new environment. "This discovery gives us an important lead in figuring out how honey bees are able to navigate so well, with such a tiny brain," said Gene Robinson, a professor of entomology and neuro science and director of the Institute for Genomic Biology at the University of Illinois. "And finding that it's Egr, with all that this gene is known to do in vertebrates, provides another demonstration that some of the molecular mechanisms underlying behavioral plasticity are deeply conserved in evolution," said Robinson. ALSO READ New chicken-like flying dinosaur discovered in China Samsung unveils Galaxy S4 mini phone to target mid-tier market Wearable technology emerging as major technology cycle: Mary Meeker Apple vs Samsung: Panel to review split ruling in patent fight Please read our terms of use before posting comments TERMS OF USE: The views, opinions and comments posted are your, and are not endorsed by this website. You shall be solely responsible for the comment posted here. The website reserves the right to delete, reject, or otherwise remove any views, opinions and comments posted or part thereof. You shall ensure that the comment is not inflammatory, abusive, derogatory, defamatory &/or obscene, or contain pornographic matter and/or does not constitute hate mail, or violate privacy of any person (s) or breach confidentiality or otherwise is illegal, immoral or contrary to public policy. Nor should it contain anything infringing copyright &/or intellectual property rights of any person(s). via Science - Google News http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNF3MnxVLWX8Dnc5MCwPQXSAqoUDJA&url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/gene-that-helps-honey-bees-find-flowers-unravelled/1122786/

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