Allocation and metabolism of naturally occurring dietary amino acids in the Oriental hornet

Bodner, Levona; Bouchebti, Sofia; Levin, Eran

doi:10.1016/j.ibmb.2021.103675

Cited by 9 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…Interestingly, the amount of amino acids in larval secretions is up to 50 times greater than that of nectar from flowers pollinated by wasps [ 74 ]. The amino acid composition among different vespid larvae is relatively consistent, dominated by proline [ 8 , 11 , 74 ], which serves as a primary metabolic fuel during flight [ 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 ]. Thus, larval secretions appear to be much more nutritious than nectar for the highly active vespid workers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nutrient Utilization during Male Maturation and Protein Digestion in the Oriental Hornet

Bodner

Bouchebti

Watted³

et al. 2022

Biology

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Males of social Hymenoptera spend the first days following eclosion inside the nest before dispersing to find a young queen to mate with. During this period, they must acquire enough nutrients to enable their sexual maturation and store energy to sustain them through their nuptial journey. It was previously argued that adult hornets are unable to process dietary proteins and rely on the larvae to supply them with free amino acids and carbohydrates that they secrete via trophallaxis. Using isotopically enriched diets, we examined nutrient allocation and protein turnover in newly-emerged males of the Oriental hornet during their maturation period and tested the protein digestion capability in the presence and absence of larvae in both males and worker hornets. The results indicated that protein turnover in males occurs during the first days following eclosion, while carbohydrates are incorporated into body tissues at higher rates towards the end of the maturation period. Additionally, we found that males cannot digest protein and depend on larval secretions as a source of nutrition, while workers, in contrast to previous reports, can metabolize protein independently. Our findings demonstrate the contribution of adult male nutrition and larval secretions to colony fitness.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nutrient Utilization during Male Maturation and Protein Digestion in the Oriental Hornet

Bodner

Bouchebti

Watted³

et al. 2022

Biology

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“…It was previously found that worker hornets use nectar-derived nutrients to fuel their metabolism 21,37 . Here we have shown that the nectar-derived leucine was incorporated into all the examined adult body tissues (brain, fat body, and muscles) as well as into the eggs laid by the workers (in the absence of a queen, workers develop ovaries and lay unfertilized eggs 38 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For egg analyses, in order to reach the 1 mg minimum of dry mass, we pooled several (five to 11) eggs from each replicate. The δ 13 C (‰) values in the samples were measured and calculated using a Picarro G2121-i Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy δ 13 C stable isotope analyzer with an A0502 ambient CO 2 interface, an A0201 Combustion Module, and an A0301 gas interface (CM-CRDS) 21 . To confirm the analyzer's calibration, we ran a secondary standard of verified δ 13 C value (sucrose) every ten samples.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This nectar consumption, however, has often been characterized simply as an opportunistic behavior, as flowervisiting can also be associated with prey hunting 19 . Adult workers are strong flyers with an extremely high metabolic rate 20 , and fuel their metabolism with a high carbohydrate and free amino acids diet found in nectar and larval secretions 15,21 . Such carbohydraterich diets might also protect their flight muscles from oxidative stress derived from their high aerobic performance 22 .…”

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Continuous exchange of nectar nutrients in an Oriental hornet colony

2022

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Nutritional exchanges play a fundamental role in the evolution of animal societies. In higher animal societies, while adult individuals can be both food donors and receivers, the offspring usually only receive food from the adults. Hornets and wasps are fierce insect hunters that feed their larvae with prey. However, although the adults also consume floral nectar, the role of nectar in vespid nutrition has remained largely unknown. We provided experimental colonies of the Oriental hornet with artificial nectar enriched with a 13C-labeled amino acid, and found that a continuous cycle of nutrition took place, in which nectar nutrients were used and exchanged back and forth between adults and larvae. We posit that this continuous cycle of nutrients constitutes a mechanism contributing to social cohesion. In an additional experiment, we found that nectar consumption was essential for adult and larval survival, suggesting the importance of wasps and hornets as pollinators in natural ecosystems.

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Differential fatty acids utilization across life stages in a Vespa species

Bouchebti,

Levin

2024

J Comp Physiol B

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Dietary fatty acids (FAs) are essential macronutrients affecting animal fitness, growth, and development. While the degree of saturation of FAs usually determines the level of absorption and allocation within the body, the utilization of dietary FAs across the life stages of individuals remains unknown. We used three different 13 C labeled FAs, with a different saturation level (linoleic acid (18:2), oleic acid (18:1), and palmitic acid (16:0)), to investigate the absorption and allocation of dietary FAs across the life stages of the Oriental hornet. Our results show that only larvae utilized all tested FAs as metabolic fuel, with palmitic acid being oxidized at the highest rate. Oleic and palmitic acids were predominantly incorporated into larval tissues, while oleic acid dominated pupal tissues. In contrast, linoleic and oleic acids were predominantly incorporated into adult tissues. These findings highlight a life stage-dependent shift in certain FAs utilization, with palmitic acid mostly utilized in early stages and linoleic acid in adulthood, while oleic acid remained consistently utilized across all life stages. This study emphasizes the importance of considering FA saturation and life stage dynamics in understanding FA utilization patterns.

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Allocation and metabolism of naturally occurring dietary amino acids in the Oriental hornet

Cited by 9 publications

References 35 publications

Nutrient Utilization during Male Maturation and Protein Digestion in the Oriental Hornet

Nutrient Utilization during Male Maturation and Protein Digestion in the Oriental Hornet

Continuous exchange of nectar nutrients in an Oriental hornet colony

Differential fatty acids utilization across life stages in a Vespa species

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