Testing genomic regions for their effect on honey bee worker lifespan

Across all species, lifespan is determined by a combination of environmental and genetic factors. Many genes have been found to influence aging in model organisms. However, in honey bees (Apis mellifera) little is known about the genetic architecture of lifespan. The age of first foraging and foraging specialization of honey bee workers is known to affect their life expectancy. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping has revealed several loci that affect worker foraging behavior. These regions and several other loci, that were selected based on preliminary evidence, were tested for their effect on the lifespan of honey bee workers. We genotyped microsatellite markers in these regions to compare the allelic distribution between young and old worker bees. There was a significant difference in the allelic distribution between young and old workers at a specific marker for the QTL Aff3 on chromosome four. Thus, our results reveal a genetic component to the known influence of the AFF on the life expectancy of honey bee workers at the phenotypic level.