Submission Type
Oral Presentation
Abstract
Scientists have long attempted to understand the mechanisms by which senescence occurs. Leading theories suggest that aging is an emergent property of natural selection’s prioritization of reproductive ability. Social insects, such as the honeybee (Apis mellifera) challenge this idea, separating colonies into reproductive and non-reproductive castes. Worker honeybees do not reproduce, suggesting that selection prioritizes tasks other than reproduction. Forager honeybees, for example, display improved cognitive and immune function compared to other behavioral phenotypes of bees, likely to support their ability to perform tasks such as navigating complex environments or making context-dependent decisions while foraging. Foragers are normally older honeybees, demonstrating a uniquely positive correlation between age and cognition. Tau protein, a protein found in the brain of many animals, is suspected to be responsible for some aspects of cognitive ability. Tau is also highly implicated in the senescence process, sometimes aggregating to form “neurofibrillary tangles”. In humans, tangles occur in neurodegenerative diseases and post-traumatic brain injury in addition to senescence, implying that they are either causal of or a result of some common underlying mechanism. The exact cause of tangles is unknown, largely due to uncertainty surrounding the function of tau. Given the properties described above, honeybees demonstrate a unique model for tau research. This study compares worker honeybees of different age-groups to determine if senescence plays a role in tau expression as it does in other models. Such a metric could lead to an improved understanding of tau protein evolution and function, especially in the context of senescence.
Novel Model for Tau Protein Expression and Function: The Honeybee Brain
Scientists have long attempted to understand the mechanisms by which senescence occurs. Leading theories suggest that aging is an emergent property of natural selection’s prioritization of reproductive ability. Social insects, such as the honeybee (Apis mellifera) challenge this idea, separating colonies into reproductive and non-reproductive castes. Worker honeybees do not reproduce, suggesting that selection prioritizes tasks other than reproduction. Forager honeybees, for example, display improved cognitive and immune function compared to other behavioral phenotypes of bees, likely to support their ability to perform tasks such as navigating complex environments or making context-dependent decisions while foraging. Foragers are normally older honeybees, demonstrating a uniquely positive correlation between age and cognition. Tau protein, a protein found in the brain of many animals, is suspected to be responsible for some aspects of cognitive ability. Tau is also highly implicated in the senescence process, sometimes aggregating to form “neurofibrillary tangles”. In humans, tangles occur in neurodegenerative diseases and post-traumatic brain injury in addition to senescence, implying that they are either causal of or a result of some common underlying mechanism. The exact cause of tangles is unknown, largely due to uncertainty surrounding the function of tau. Given the properties described above, honeybees demonstrate a unique model for tau research. This study compares worker honeybees of different age-groups to determine if senescence plays a role in tau expression as it does in other models. Such a metric could lead to an improved understanding of tau protein evolution and function, especially in the context of senescence.
Comments
University of Kentucky, Department of Entomology, Rittschof Lab:
Anastasia Weger
Rebecca Westwick
James Harrison
Clare Rittschof