Acceso usuarios
To increase productivity and prevent the loss of swarms during periods of low flowering in beekeeping, energy and protein supplements are widely used. We compared the effects of different protein supplements on the chromatin conformation of the hypopharyngeal glands of Apis mellifera L. bees, to evaluate possible genes alterations. The results of two diets with different amounts of crude protein (one formulated and one commercial) at the critical electrolyte concentration (CEC) were evaluated in bees at 7 and 13 days of life. Metachromasia analysis showed that the treatments altered gene expression, compared to the positive control, and this did not change during the two days evaluated. These results suggest that there is a positive relationship between deprivation of pollen supply consumption and changes in the chromatin conformation of the gland, altering the expression of genes linked to royal jelly production. The CEC results suggest that supplementation would not be enough to compensate for the damage caused by nutritional stress, in hives that do not have access to pollen as a source of nutrients.
