抄録
The dopamine transporter (DAT) is located on the presynaptic membrane of dopaminergic terminals and recovers the released dopamine from synaptic clefts. Therefore, its expression level is expected to reflect the activity of dopaminergic neurons. We identified the honeybee ortholog of dat (Amdat) and measured its expression levels in honeybee brain by reverse transcription real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Worker honeybees change their tasks from nursing to foraging in an age-dependent manner, and Amdat transcript levels in their brains were found to increase with age. Furthermore, the expression level was significantly higher in precocious foragers than in nurses of the same age, suggesting that Amdat expression is related to task shifts. In queens, Amdat expression levels decreased after a mating flight. Amdat expression in drone honeybees increased with age. Our data suggest that dopamine pathway activity is correlated with the behavioral activity of honeybee.
