Illumina HiSeq 2000 sequencing; GSM2286446: C_120m_cR02_p01_21_TCCGGAGA-CCTATCCT_L00M_R1_001; Apis mellifera; RNA-Seq

C_120m_cR02_p01_21_TCCGGAGA-CCTATCCT_L00M_R1_001

We studied behavioral, brain transcriptomic and epigenetic responses of honey bees to social challenge. Bees were exposed to two intruders at different intervals. The initial exposure caused two behavioral effects at the individual level: an increase in the intensity of aggression toward a second intruder at 30 and 60 minutes, and an increased probability of responding aggressively toward a second intruder that persisted for two hours. The shorter-lived response was associated with one pattern of gene expression in the mushroom bodies, highlighted by genes related to cytoskeleton remodeling. The longer-lived response was associated with a different pattern; highlighted by genes related to hormones, stress response and transcription factors. Histone profiling revealed few changes in chromatin accessibility in response to social challenge; most differentially expressed genes were “ready” to be activated. These results demonstrate how biological embedding of a social challenge involves changes in the neurogenomic state to influence future behavior. Overall design: There are a total of 180 samples equally balanced between 3 factors: 90 challenge (X) and 90 control (C); 60 30m, 60 60m, and 60 120m; 60 colony R02, 60 colony R03, and 60 colony R21. The control and experimental samples are paired. We excluded a total of 26 samples with a proportion of reads mapping to the Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) genome of = 0.005.

Transcriptomic and epigenetic responses to social challenge and their association with future behavior in honey bees (RNA-Seq)

Submitted by Gene Expression Omnibus on 31-MAR-2017

Bee heads were separated from bodies on dry ice and placed in a dissection dish with pure ethanol and dry ice to prevent RNA degradation during dissection. The cuticle of the head capsule was removed and each head was placed in RNAlaterICE (Life Technologies) at -20ºC for 14 to 18 h. The heads were then opened, the hypopharyngeal glands removed, and the whole brain removed. Using a fine scalpel, the optic lobes were removed and a horizontal incision was made across the midbrain through the posterior protocerebral lobe. The lower part of the midbrain containing the antennal lobes and the subesophageal ganglion were removed. The upper part of the midbrain containing mostly the mushroom bodies (MB) and the central brain was used for gene expression analysis. The MBs were placed in a new 1.5ml tube and kept frozen (-80°C) until RNA extraction. RNA extraction was performed with a PicoPure RNA Isolation Kit (Applied Biosystems; Lot #: 1210063) and the standard protocol, including DNase treatment (QIAGEN) to remove genomic DNA contamination. 500 ng RNA from each sample (except for 5 samples that yielded 350- 500 ng) were used for whole mRNA expression analysis. RNA-Seq libraries were constructed with the TruSeq® Stranded mRNA HT (high throughput kit, Illumina cat #: RS-122-2103) using an ePMotion 5075 robot (Eppendorf) The libraries were pooled in equimolar concentration as per instructions and each pool was quantitated by qPCR. Single-end sequencing (read length = 100nt) was performed on an Illumina HiSeq2000 using a TruSeq SBS sequencing kit version 3.

Transcriptomic and epigenetic responses to social challenge and their association with future behavior in honey bees (RNA-Seq)

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