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Honeybees do the gene shuffle again
THEY have a complex social life, highly sophisticated ways of communicating and a remarkable memory. No mean feat when you consider that a honeybee’s brain is 100,000 times as small as ours. They even operate a caste system with division of labour. A better understanding of how the honeybee does all this should come with the sequencing of its genome – all 1.8 billion base pairs of it. The honeybee (Apis mellifera) is the third insect, after the fruit fly and mosquito, to get its genome sequenced, and a comparison with those insects has already thrown up surprises (Nature, vol 443, p 931). For a start, the honeybee genome
has evolved more slowly compared to mosquitoes and fruit flies. But the rate of genetic recombination – the shuffling of maternal and paternal genes into new combinations – is nearly 10 times that so far discovered in any animal, including humans (Genome Research, vol 16, p 1339). Since the queen reproduces for the entire hive, she generates relatively low levels of genetic diversity compared to solitary insects. The boosted rates of genetic shuffling may compensate for this. However, “we don’t know whether the honeybee genome is evolving relatively slowly or the fruit fly genome is evolving relatively rapidly”, says Gene Robinson, an entomologist at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, who was one of the leaders of the honeybee genome project. The honeybee has 170 genes for odour receptors, far more than the fruit fly’s 62 or the mosquito’s 79.
DAVID M DENNIS/PHOTOLIBRARY.COM
Honeybees do the gene shuffle again
–Networking, honeybee style– The difference reflects honeybees’ sophisticated chemical signalling within the hive. “Each hive smells a little bit different,” says Greg Hunt, a behavioural geneticist at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. Guard bees will repel bees with unfamiliar odours, preventing them from robbing the hive. In contrast, honeybees have just 10 taste receptors compared with about 70 in the other insects, perhaps because pollen and nectar are less likely to contain toxins.
The bee genome has relatively few genes governing its immune response. This is unexpected because densely packed honeybee colonies should be ideal breeding grounds for diseases. The bees may instead rely on behavioural methods to keep diseases down, says Robinson. For example, sick bees usually leave the hive to die alone, and workers smell out and remove infected larvae from their brood cells – another function for the rich repertoire of odour receptors. Bob Holmes ●
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has evolved more slowly compared to mosquitoes and fruit flies. But the rate of genetic recombination – the shuffling of maternal and paternal genes into new combinations – is nearly 10 times that so far discovered in any animal, including humans (Genome Research, vol 16, p 1339). Since the queen reproduces for the entire hive, she generates relatively low levels of genetic diversity compared to solitary insects. The boosted rates of genetic shuffling may compensate for this. However, “we don’t know whether the honeybee genome is evolving relatively slowly or the fruit fly genome is evolving relatively rapidly”, says Gene Robinson, an entomologist at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, who was one of the leaders of the honeybee genome project. The honeybee has 170 genes for odour receptors, far more than the fruit fly’s 62 or the mosquito’s 79.
DAVID M DENNIS/PHOTOLIBRARY.COM
Honeybees do the gene shuffle again
–Networking, honeybee style– The difference reflects honeybees’ sophisticated chemical signalling within the hive. “Each hive smells a little bit different,” says Greg Hunt, a behavioural geneticist at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. Guard bees will repel bees with unfamiliar odours, preventing them from robbing the hive. In contrast, honeybees have just 10 taste receptors compared with about 70 in the other insects, perhaps because pollen and nectar are less likely to contain toxins.
The bee genome has relatively few genes governing its immune response. This is unexpected because densely packed honeybee colonies should be ideal breeding grounds for diseases. The bees may instead rely on behavioural methods to keep diseases down, says Robinson. For example, sick bees usually leave the hive to die alone, and workers smell out and remove infected larvae from their brood cells – another function for the rich repertoire of odour receptors. Bob Holmes ●
Award-winning software successfully used by NASA, European Union, United Nations and millions of people worldwide.
The fastest way to learn a language. Guaranteed.™
Step-by-step immersion instruction in all key language skills: Listening - Rosetta Stone uses native speakers and everyday language to develop your understanding of the spoken language naturally and easily.
Finally, a different approach that has millions of people talking. Using the award-winning Dynamic Immersion™™ method, our interactive software teaches without translation, memorisation or grammar drills. Combining thousands of real-life images and the voices of native speakers in a step-by-step immersion process, our programmes successfully replicate the experience of learning your first language. Guaranteed to teach faster and easier than any other language product or your money back. No questions asked.
Reading - Text exercises develop your reading skills by linking written language to real-life objects, actions and ideas. Speaking - Speech-recognition feature records, diagrams and compares your voice to the native speaker’s, grading your pronunciation. Writing - Dictation exercises evaluate your spelling, syntax and punctuation.
“The best language course ever. Feels like playing a game rather than studying and so time passed effortlessly.” William Ross
Choose from 30 different languages from around the world! French Chinese English
Italian Vietnamese Spanish
(UK or US)
(Latin America or Spain)
German Russian Hindi
Japanese Indonesian Portuguese
Thai Korean Farsi
(Brazil)
(Persian)
Arabic Hebrew
Turkish Danish
Polish Welsh
Greek
Swahili
Dutch
Each fully interactive course includes: • CD-ROM curriculum with 20 activities in each of 92 lessons • Previews, comprehensive exercises and testing for each lesson • Automated tutorials that “learn” where you need extra help • Curriculum Text and 45-page User's Guide Level 1 CD-ROM Course ........................................................Price £139 Level 2 CD-ROM Course ........................................................Price £159
Swedish Pashto Latin Tagalog
“Rosetta Stone is the best and easiest way to learn a new language I have ever experienced. It’s simple, thorough and enjoyable. A great investment.” Toni Carter
Try before you buy with our FREE on-line demonstration NOW! www.rosettastone.co.uk/nis106
FREE P&P!
Order online or call now
0800 310 1829
Use promotional code NIS106 when ordering.
FREE POSTAGE & PACKAGING ON ALL ORDERS! Level 1&2 CD-ROM Course ..................................................Price £229 Prices are inclusive of UK VAT and postage and packaging.
www.newscientist.com
061028_N_p12_13.indd 13
Online language learning solutions for organisations also available.
28 October 2006 | NewScientist | 13
24/10/06 5:15:38 pm