Prediction of Social Structure and Genetic Relatedness in Colonies of the Facultative Polygynous Stingless Bee Melipona Bicolor (Hymenoptera, Apidae)
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Genetics and Molecular Biology, 34, 2, 338-344 (2011) Copyright © 2011, Sociedade Brasileira de Genética. Printed in Brazil www.sbg.org.br Research Article Prediction of social structure and genetic relatedness in colonies of the facultative polygynous stingless bee Melipona bicolor (Hymenoptera, Apidae) Evelyze Pinheiro dos Reis, Lucio Antonio de Oliveira Campos and Mara Garcia Tavares Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, Brazil. Abstract Stingless bee colonies typically consist of one single-mated mother queen and her worker offspring. The stingless bee Melipona bicolor (Hymenoptera: Apidae) shows facultative polygyny, which makes this species particularly suit- able for testing theoretical expectations concerning social behavior. In this study, we investigated the social structure and genetic relatedness among workers from eight natural and six manipulated colonies of M. bicolor over a period of one year. The populations of M. bicolor contained monogynous and polygynous colonies. The estimated genetic re- latedness among workers from monogynous and polygynous colonies was 0.75 ± 0.12 and 0.53 ± 0.16 (mean ± SEM), respectively. Although the parental genotypes had significant effects on genetic relatedness in monogynous and polygynous colonies, polygyny markedly decreased the relatedness among nestmate workers. Our findings also demonstrate that polygyny in M. bicolor may arise from the adoption of related or unrelated queens. Key words: Melipona, microsatellites, polygyny, queen number, social structure. Received: August 6, 2010; Accepted: December 21, 2010. Introduction 2000). Consequently, the average genetic relatedness Highly eusocial bees vary greatly in their social struc- among nestmates in polygynous species can remain rela- ture, with some species typically consisting of one sin- tively close to the value of 0.75 expected with a single gle-mated mother queen and her worker offspring (Peters et once-mated queen (Queller et al., 1988; Strassmann et al., al., 1999; Strassmann, 2001). In this case, the queen lays 1991; Herbers, 1993; Rosengren et al., 1993; Crozier and most of the eggs and the sterile workers increase their over- Pamilo, 1996; Bourke et al., 1997; Fournier et al., 2002). all fitness by helping to rear the queens offspring (Hamil- Stingless bee colonies typically consist of one sin- ton, 1964, 1972). This social organization results in a high gle-mated mother queen and her worker offspring (Ca- degree of relatedness among nestmates. In contrast, other margo, 1972; Peters et al., 1999; Strassmann, 2001; Palmer species form colonies with multiple laying queens or multi- et al., 2002; Tóth et al., 2003). These two castes are mor- ple mated queens. Polygyny and/or polyandry affect ge- phologically distinct and the workers are unable to mate, al- netic diversity within the colony, decrease the average though in many species they can produce haploid eggs progeny relatedness, promote interactions among individu- (Sakagami et al., 1963). However, the process of worker als with different levels of relatedness and generate egg laying is very diverse among different species and the within-colony genetic conflicts (Bourke and Franks, 1995; frequency of males that are sons of workers varies from Keller and Chapuisat, 1999). Supersedure of the queen and species to species (Sommeijer and van Buren, 1992; Koe- the transitional stages of colonies (one or multiple queens dam et al., 1996; Sommeijer et al., 1999; Cruz-Landim, in different periods of the year, depending on the colony) 2000; Drumond et al., 2000; Tóth et al., 2004). For exam- can also change the social structure of colonies to a more ple, Frieseomelitta silvestri workers are physiologically in- complex one (Herbers and Stuart, 1996; Hastings et al., capable of laying eggs (Boleli et al., 2000) while in 1998). Melipona scutellaris and M. favosa, 22.88% and 94.5%, re- Several studies have demonstrated that queens in spectively, of the males are sons of workers (Sommeijer et polygynous colonies may be completely unrelated or full al., 1999; Chinh et al., 2003; Alves et al., 2009). sisters (Seppa, 1996; Banschbach and Herbers, 1996; Satoh In some stingless bees, transitory periods of polygyny et al., 1997; Goodisman and Ross, 1998; Hastings et al., have been described and are generally associated with 1998; Pedersen and Boomsma, 1999; Heinze and Keller, queen replacement. Witter and Wittmann (1997) described Send correspondence to Mara Garcia Tavares. Departamento de a polygynic colony in Plebeia wittmanni in which a new Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36570-000 Viço- queen started oviposition while the older one was still alive sa, MG, Brazil. E-mail: [email protected]. and laying eggs. Carvalho-Zilse and Kerr (2004) reported a Reis et al. 339 similar case for M. scutellaris, and recently Alves et al. Gerais, MG) and six manipulated colonies of M. bicolor (2010) reported on a polygynic colony of M. quadrifasciata (maintained in artificial hives at the Central Apiary of the in which eight egg-laying queens coexisted in a colony for Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG) were sam- ca. four months. pled monthly from March 2007 to January 2008. Natural Melipona bicolor (Hymenoptera: Apidae) is a colonies were maintained in their original shelter and the stingless bee species that naturally displays facultative and workers were sampled directly from the colony entrance, long-lasting polygyny, with the number of queens varying without opening the colony. In contrast, manipulated colo- among populations and even among colonies of the same nies were opened to collect the workers. In these cases, ma- population. Some colonies are headed by a single queen, nipulation was minimized to avoid alteration in the organi- whereas others have more than one queen living together zation of the colony. The social structure of the colonies for considerable periods of time (Cepeda, 2006; Velthuis et was monitored over a one year period by analyzing ten al., 2006). Velthuis et al. (2001) observed up to five physo- workers/colony that were collected in March, May, June, gastric queens laying eggs in a colony of M. bicolor and September and November 2007 and January 2008 (total of noted that workers did not show preference or aggressive- 60 workers/colony). Males were not analyzed because they ness to foreign queens. generally represent worker offspring. In M. bicolor polygynous colonies, queens do not DNA extraction and microsatellite analysis show antagonism, territoriality, aggressiveness or competi- tion (Bego, 1989) and workers do not distinguish among DNA was extracted according to the protocol recom- the physogastric queens, to which they have different de- mended by Waldschmidt et al. (1997), using adult workers. grees of relatedness (Alonso et al., 1998). Additionally, Four microsatellite loci (Mbi11, 201, 233 and 278) were more than one queen is frequently seen inspecting the analyzed using the amplification conditions described by provisioning process (Velthuis et al., 2001). During this Peters et al. (1998). The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) process, the workers construct and mass provision the cells amplifications were done in reaction volumes of 10 mL con- with a mixture of regurgitated nectar and pollen. Thereaf- taining 12.5 ng of genomic DNA, 1X Taq PCR buffer, 1 U ter, one of the queens lay her eggs on top of this liquid and, Taq DNA polymerase (Promega), 0.5 mM of each forward finally, the workers seal the cells (Sakagami, 1982). Within and reverse primer, 0.1 mM dNTP and 1.5 mM MgCl2. The each cell, the offspring develops with no further interfer- conditions for the PCR were the following: 3 min at 94 °C ence from its kin. Polygynous colonies are not larger or followed by 40 cycles of 30 s at 92 °C, 1 min at the specific more productive than monogynous ones (Velthuis et al., primer pairing temperature and 30 s at 72 °C, with a final 2006). Like other stingless bees, M. bicolor colonies are extension of 5 min at 72 °C. The PCR products were sepa- long lived, persisting perhaps for decades, while queens rated on 8% denaturing polyacrylamide gels and visualized may live for 1-3 years (Velthuis et al., 2006). by staining with 0.2% silver nitrate. The variation in social structure of M. bicolor affects the genetic diversity within the colony, the relatedness Genetic data analysis among nestmates, and the architecture of potential kin- Since the aim of this study was to analyze the dynam- conflicts and kin cooperation (Bourke and Franks, 1995; ics of queen numbers and variation in the social structure Crozier and Pamilo, 1996). Hence, understanding the dy- over time, the queens were not collected or genotyped. In- namics of variation in queen number is fundamental for a stead, assuming that queens mated with a single male (Pe- better understanding of the social evolution in this species. ters et al., 1999; Strassmann, 2001), queen and fathering Data on the dynamics of queen number and on variation in male genotypes, as well as the social structure (polygyny or social structure over time are also needed to obtain a clearer monogyny) of each colony, were determined indirectly picture of how complex social structures appear and are from worker genotypes. This allowed us to infer the mini- maintained. mum number of queens in each colony. When all workers Since the number of queens and their genetic related- were heterozygous (A/B, for example) for a determined lo- ness, as well as their relative reproductive