Glucose utilization during flight of honeybee (Apis mellifera) workers, drones and queens

Gmeinbauer, R.

doi:10.1016/0022-1910(93)90005-c

Cited by 85 publications

(63 citation statements)

References 30 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Low glycogen phosphorylase activities in the flight muscles (15) rule out the use of glycogen as a significant oxidative fuel. Honeybee hemolymph contains trehalose, glucose, and fructose (33), and there is convincing evidence of direct utilization of dietary sugars for flight (34). High activities of trehalase (35) (29).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Energy metabolism, enzymatic flux capacities, and metabolic flux rates in flying honeybees.

Suarez

Lighton

Joos

et al. 1996

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

123

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Honeybees rely primarily on the oxidation of hexose sugars to provide the energy required for flight. Measurement of VCO2 (equal to V02, because VCO2/VO2 = 1.0 during carbohydrate oxidation) during flight allowed estimation of steady-state flux rates through pathways of flight muscle energy metabolism. Comparison of Vm. values for flight muscle hexokinase, phosphofructokinase, citrate synthase, and cytochrome c oxidase with rates of carbon and 02 flux during flight reveal that these enzymes operate closer to Vm.. in the flight muscles of flying honeybees than in other muscles previously studied. Possible mechanistic and evolutionary implications of these findings are discussed.In recent years, there has been considerable discussion and debate concerning the rules that govern the evolutionary design of functional capacities (1-7). A question seldom asked is how closely biochemical pathways are matched in their capacities for metabolic flux to the maximum physiological flux rates achieved in vivo. Muscles, biological machines designed for converting chemical energy into mechanical work (8), are ideal models for the examination of such relationships. The maximum rates at which muscles perform mechanical work determine the maximum rates at which ATP is hydrolyzed and, therefore, the maximum steady-state rates at which ATP synthesizing pathways must operate. Insects in flight achieve some of the highest known mass-specific metabolic rates among animals (9). Insect flight muscles generally consist of a single fiber type and account for >90% of organismal 02 consumption under these circumstances (9-11). Hymenoptera, in particular, rely mainly on carbohydrate as their oxidative fuel (10, 11). Thus, organismal 02 consumption rates can be used to estimate rates of flux through the relevant enzyme-catalyzed steps in carbohydrate catabolism in the flight muscles (11). In the present study, we have combined the use of flow-through respirometry with biochemical techniques to examine the relationships between enzymatic flux capacities and flux rates during flight in honeybees (Apis mellifera).MATERIALS AND METHODS Animals and Chemicals. Unladen honeybee (A. mellifera) workers were caught with perforated plastic bags immediately as they flew from their hives (Arizona State University) to forage. Biochemical reagents and enzymes were purchased from Sigma. Other chemicals were from various commercial sources and were of reagent grade.Wingbeat Frequencies and Respirometry. Wingbeat frequencies were measured using an optical tachometer (12). Rates of CO2 production (VCO2) were determined as described (13) using a Sable Systems (Las Vegas) flow-through respirometry system. Briefly, honeybees were induced to fly in a 500 ml Plexiglas chamber through which dry, C02-free air was drawn at a rate of 2-4 liters/min. Ambient temperature was maintained at 22 ± 2°C by housing the chamber in a large temperature cabinet. Honeybees were flown in the chamber for about 5 min while expired CO2 and H20 were monitored downstream using a L...

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Energy metabolism, enzymatic flux capacities, and metabolic flux rates in flying honeybees.

Suarez

Lighton

Joos

et al. 1996

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

123

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…That exogenous sugars are oxidized as the main energy source by exercising muscles in these animals is indicated by respiratory quotients (RQ ϭ VCO 2 ͞VO 2 ) equal to 1.0 in both animals (23,25) under the conditions of these measurements and high capacities for hexose sugar utilization by flight muscles (23,24). In honeybees, capacities for glycogenolysis (26) and fatty acid oxidation (27) are too low to support flight, whereas utilization of hexose sugars derived directly from dietary sucrose has been demonstrated (28). In hummingbirds, foraging flights (involving ingestion of sucrose) after a period of fasting occur with a rapid shift from fatty acid to carbohydrate oxidation (23).…”

Section: Sources and Analysis Of Datamentioning

confidence: 96%

Relationships between enzymatic flux capacities and metabolic flux rates: Nonequilibrium reactions in muscle glycolysis

Suarez

Staples²,

Lighton³

et al. 1997

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The rules that govern the relationships between enzymatic f lux capacities (V max ) and maximum physiological f lux rates (v) at enzyme-catalyzed steps in pathways are poorly understood. We relate in vitro V max values with in vivo f lux rates for glycogen phosphorylase, hexokinase, and phosphofructokinase, enzymes catalyzing nonequilibrium reactions, from a variety of muscle types in fishes, insects, birds, and mammals. Flux capacities are in large excess over physiological f lux rates in low-f lux muscles, resulting in low fractional velocities (%V max ‫؍‬ v͞V max ؋ 100) in vivo. In high-f lux muscles, close matches between f lux capacities and f lux rates (resulting in fractional velocities approaching 100% in vivo) are observed. These empirical observations are reconciled with current concepts concerning enzyme function and regulation. We suggest that in high-f lux muscles, close matches between enzymatic f lux capacities and metabolic f lux rates (i.e., the lack of excess capacities) may result from space constraints in the sarcoplasm.Studies of structural and functional design in animals have led to valuable insights into the relationships between functional capacities and maximum physiological requirements or loads (1-3). At the biochemical level, biological design has been studied in terms of relationships between protein structure and function (4), pathway stoichiometry (5, 6), and mechanisms of regulation (5, 7). However, the synthesis and turnover of the thousands of metabolic enzymes possessed by each cell type is a costly enterprise (8), and the various compartments in cells appear to be highly crowded (9, 10). Current evidence suggests that there are probably upper limits to the design of biochemical capacities (11,12). Despite this, the rules that govern the design of functional capacities at the biochemical level are poorly understood. What are the relationships between enzymatic capacities for flux and maximum physiological flux rates through pathways? How much enzyme, in Diamond's words (13), is ''enough but not too much?'' Locomotory and cardiac muscles are ideally suited for the examination of capacity͞load relationships at the biochemical level because the maximum rate at which they do mechanical work defines the maximum rate at which ATP is hydrolyzed and, therefore, the maximum rate at which ATP resynthesizing pathways must operate. Herein, we present patterns of relationships, thus far unrecognized, between enzymatic flux capacities at nonequilibrium reactions in glycolysis and rates of glycolytic flux in muscles during exercise. Sources and Analysis of DataData concerning flux rates (v) and flux capacities (enzyme V max values) at three nonequilibrium steps in the glycolytic pathway, the hexokinase, glycogen phosphorylase, and phosphofructokinase reactions, are considered. These are taken from our own studies and published work from other laboratories. Most of the reactions in glycolysis lie close to equilibrium in vivo and are catalyzed by enzymes whose V max values may exceed p...

show abstract

“…According to the construction of the flight mill, bees fed with 10 µl of a 1 M glucose solution fly for about 15 minutes (Brodschneider et al, 2009 (Gmeinbauer and Crailsheim, 1993). A good verification of the method is to demonstrate that feeding bees with 2 M glucose solutions increases their maximum flight speed compared to that of bees fed with 1 M glucose solution (Gmeinbauer and Crailsheim, 1993;Brodschneider et al, 2009).…”

Section: Preparation and Treatment Of Beesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A good verification of the method is to demonstrate that feeding bees with 2 M glucose solutions increases their maximum flight speed compared to that of bees fed with 1 M glucose solution (Gmeinbauer and Crailsheim, 1993;Brodschneider et al, 2009). …”

Section: Preparation and Treatment Of Beesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Testing the flight performance of honey bees has been applied to compare sexes, castes, the value of energetic substrates and to identify physiological deficiencies such as poor larval nutrition (Jungmann et al, 1989;Gmeinbauer and Crailsheim, 1993;Hrassnig et al, 2005;Brodschneider et al, 2009). Studying the effect of physiological deficiencies on flight performance requires the comparison of treated versus untreated groups in defined conditions as described above.…”

Section: Preparation and Treatment Of Beesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Standard methods for behavioural studies ofApis mellifera

Scheiner

Abramson

Brodschneider

et al. 2013

Journal of Apicultural Research

Self Cite

146

131

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

SummaryIn this BEEBOOK paper we present a set of established methods for quantifying honey bee behaviour. We start with general methods for preparing bees for behavioural assays. Then we introduce assays for quantifying sensory responsiveness to gustatory, visual and olfactory stimuli. Presentation of more complex behaviours like appetitive and aversive learning under controlled laboratory conditions and learning paradigms under free-flying conditions will allow the reader to investigate a large range of cognitive skills in honey bees. Honey bees are very sensitive to changing temperatures. We therefore present experiments which aim at analysing honey bee locomotion in temperature gradients. The complex flight behaviour of honey bees can be investigated under controlled conditions in the laboratory or with sophisticated technologies like harmonic radar or RFID in the field. These methods will be explained in detail in different sections. Honey bees are model organisms in behavioural biology for their complex yet plastic division of labour. To observe the daily behaviour of individual bees in a colony, classical observation hives are very useful. The setting up and use of typical observation hives will be the focus of another section. The honey bee dance language has important characteristics of a real language and has been the focus of numerous studies. We here discuss the background of the honey bee dance language and describe how it can be studied. Finally, the mating of a honey bee queen with drones is

show abstract

Glucose utilization during flight of honeybee (Apis mellifera) workers, drones and queens

Cited by 85 publications

References 30 publications

Energy metabolism, enzymatic flux capacities, and metabolic flux rates in flying honeybees.

Energy metabolism, enzymatic flux capacities, and metabolic flux rates in flying honeybees.

Relationships between enzymatic flux capacities and metabolic flux rates: Nonequilibrium reactions in muscle glycolysis

Standard methods for behavioural studies ofApis mellifera

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About