Summary
The electrophoretical protein patterns of hypopharyngeal glands, larval food ofMelipona, and royal jelly ofApis were compared.
Since protein patterns of hypopharyngeal glands from newly emerged workers, brood cell provisioners and foragers are similar to freshly deposited larval food, the identical protein bands probably represent actual gland secretion. This suggests that, as inApis, the glands secrete proteins to the larval food, and maintain this ability throughout life, although at slightly different intensities, according to the activity of the bees.
The similarity on the electrophoretic profiles of the major larval food protein inApis andMelipona is an interesting finding because of its probable evolutionary significance.
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Silva de Moraes, R.L.M., Brochetto-Braga, M.R. & Azevedo, A. Electrophoretical studies of proteins of the hypopharyngeal glands and of the larval food ofMelipona quadrifasciata anthidioides Lep. (Hymenoptera, Meliponinae). Ins. Soc 43, 183–188 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01242569
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01242569