Just One Gene Determines the Queen Bee

From science blogs:

“A research team led by Wayne State University, in collaboration with Michigan State University, has identified a single gene in honeybees that separates the queens from the workers. The scientists unraveled the gene’s inner workings and published the results in the current issue of Biology Letters. The gene, which is responsible for leg and wing development, plays a crucial role in the evolution of bees’ ability to carry pollen. “The gene – Ultrabithorax, or Ubx – is responsible for making hind legs different from fore legs so they can carry pollen” said Aleksandar Popadic, associate professor of biological sciences in Wayne State University’s College of Liberal Arts and Science and principal investigator of the study. “In some groups, like crickets, Ubx is responsible for creating a ‘jumping’ hind leg. In others, such as bees, it makes a pollen basket – a ‘naked,’ bristle-free leg region that creates a space for packing pollen.””

Full post http://www.mdconnects.com/articles/305/20140131/research-led-wayne-state-discovers-single-gene-bees-separating-queens.htm


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