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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Baton Rouge, Louisiana » Honey Bee Lab » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #419472
Research Project: Using Genetics to Improve the Breeding and Health of Honey Bees

Location: Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics, and Physiology Research

Title: Shared and divergent mechanisms of sociability

Author
item TRANIELLO, IAN - University Of Illinois
item Avalos, Arian
item GERNAT, TIM - University Of Illinois
item CHEN, ZHENQING - University Of Illinois
item CASH-AHMEDAMY, C - University Of Illinois
item HAMILTON, ADAM - University Of Illinois
item COOK, JENNIFER - University Of Birmingham
item ROBINSON, GENE - University Of Illinois

Submitted to: PLoS Biology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/15/2025
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: The study examines the genetic architecture of honey bee social cohesion. Specifically what genes are mediating how "sociable" individuals are with respect to their nest mates. We particularly targeted trophallaxis (food-sharing) behavior, tracked incidences of it for over 500 individually marked bees, and derived a sociability score based on the frequency of these interactions. From this sample set, 357 individuals were selected for DNA extraction and sequencing, then using a genome-wide analysis identified 17 distinct markers associated with variation in the behavior. Results show that some of this genomic variation is in genes previously identified in other species including human studies of genetic variation related to autism.

Technical Abstract: Individual variation in sociability is a central feature of every society. Even in bee colonies, some individuals are well-connected and sociable, whereas others exist at the periphery. However, the genetic and molecular basis of sociability is poorly understood. Trophallaxis – a behavior involving sharing liquid with nutritional and signaling properties - comprises a social interaction and a proxy for sociability in honey bee colonies: more sociable bees engage in more trophallaxis. Here we identify genetic and molecular mechanisms of trophallaxis-based sociability by combining genome sequencing, brain transcriptomics, and automated behavioral tracking. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) identified 17 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with variation in sociability. Several SNPs were localized to genes previously associated with sociability in other species, including people with autism, suggesting shared molecular mechanisms of sociability. Individual variation in honey bee sociability was influenced by gene-environment interactions, but only in more highly social contexts. It also was linked to differential expression of genes in the brain, particularly genes associated with neural signaling and development. We also detected evidence for divergent mechanisms underpinning sociability across species. Sociability in humans is sometimes related to reward sensitivity and motor function: people who enjoy social interaction and can propel themselves into social situations tend to be more sociable. In contrast, comparative genomic and transcriptomic analyses in honey bees revealed a clear distinction between the genomic correlates of sociability and those relating to reward sensitivity and movements that affect encounter probability. These results highlight both potential evolutionary conservation of the molecular roots of sociability and points of divergence.