i Y, Li X, Ji T, et al, Gene reuse facilitates rapid radiation and independent adaptation to diverse habitats in the Asian honeybee, Sci Adv, 2020. (IF: 14.3)

Abstract: This article explores how the Asian honeybee (Apis cerana) adapts to different ecological environments by analyzing 343 genomes. The study found that multiple peripheral subspecies radiated from a central ancestral population and independently adapted to diverse habitats. The research particularly highlights the importance of gene reuse in adapting to multiple different habitats, with strong evidence of repeated selection found in the Leucokinin receptor (Lkr) gene. The Lkr gene was repeatedly selected in almost all peripheral subspecies, and its role in influencing foraging labor division was revealed through differential expression and RNA interference knockdown experiments. This suggests that Lkr facilitates the collective tendency of bees to collect pollen/nectar, adapting to floral changes. The honeybees may adapt to the diverse floral shifts during rapid radiation by fine-tuning individual foraging tendencies, a seemingly complex process that is actually achieved through gene reuse.

摘要：本文通过分析343个基因组来探讨亚洲蜜蜂（Apis cerana）如何适应不同的生态环境。研究发现，多个边缘亚种从中心祖先群体辐射出来，并独立适应了多样化的栖息地。研究中特别指出了基因重用在适应多个不同栖息地中的重要性，尤其是在Leucokinin受体（Lkr）基因上发现了重复选择的强烈证据。Lkr基因在几乎所有边缘亚种中都被重复选择，通过差异表达和RNA干扰敲低实验揭示了Lkr在影响觅食劳动分工中的作用，表明Lkr有助于蜜蜂集体倾向于采集花粉/花蜜，以此适应花卉变化。蜜蜂可能通过微调个体的觅食倾向来适应快速辐射过程中的多样化花卉变化，这是一个看似复杂的过程，但实际上是通过基因重用来实现的。