Effects of protein feeding on the nutritional and immunological systems of the worker honey bee (Apis mellifera)

In this study, the effects of colony level nutrition on individual worker bees are investigated.  Seven-day-old nurse bees from colonies differentially protein-supplemented were subsequently challenged with an immune elicitor, lipopolysaccharide.  Twenty-four hours later, bees were assessed for hemolymph protein and hemocyte levels, and nutritional and immune gene expression.  Data suggests that better colony-level nutrition translates into a work force that not only possesses greater nutritional stores but also a measurably decreased immune response.