Meeting Abstract

16.3  Thursday, Jan. 3  Flight induced oxidative stress and reduced mitochondrial function in the aging honey bee, Apis mellifera WILLIAMS, J.B.*; ROBERTS, S.P.; ELEKONICH, M.M.; Univ. of Nevada, Las Vegas jason.williams@unlv.edu

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) can have profound biological impacts in virtually every tissue and are the basis for the �oxidative stress� theory of aging and senescence. Flying honey bees produce the highest mass-specific metabolic rate measured suggesting their flight muscles may experience high levels of oxidative stress during normal daily activities. We measured parameters of oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity in highly metabolic flight muscle of age-matched nurse bees, that rarely fly, and forager bees that fly up to 8 km a day. Naturally occurring foraging flight elicited minor increases in flight muscle Hsp70 content in both young (9-10 day-old) and old (30-32 day-old) foragers; however catalase and total antioxidant capacity increased only in young foragers� flight muscle. Surprisingly, young nurse bees also showed a daily increase in catalase levels and antioxidant capacity which was likely due to collecting the young nurses soon after their single daily orientation flights. There were no differences in flight muscle carbonyl content (proteins damaged from ROS) over the course of daily activity regardless of age or behavioral group. However, mitochondria of aged foragers had reduced levels of aconitase activity and produced higher levels of hydrogen peroxide compared to mitochondria of young foragers, young nurses and even age-matched old nurses indicating a decrease in mitochondrial function. In summary, naturally occurring honey bee flight likely produces high levels of reactive oxygen species in flight muscle that may cause reduced antioxidant activity and mitochondrial function, behavioral senescence and aging.