Meeting Abstract

P1.109  Monday, Jan. 4  A Comparison of Several Forkhead Protein DNA Binding Domains in Two Species of Leafcutting Bee TROUTMAN, AR*; HRANITZ, JM; BRUBAKER, KD; Bloomsburg Univ., PA; Bloomsburg Univ., PA; Bloomsburg Univ., PA kbrubake@bloomu.edu

Members of the solitary, cavity nesting bee community in Central California partition their nesting niches among three principal habitats (riparian zone, marsh, grassland) and occupy nesting sites with conditions ranging from cool and moist to hot and dry. Native bee species display stenothermal nesting niches compared to two introduced species. Studies show that variation in offspring thermotolerance, HSP70 expression, and survival corresponds to adult female nesting habitat preferences and, in part, attribute the spread of these bees in the western U.S. to their tolerance of hot, dry habitats. Transcription factors possessing the forkhead domain contribute to developmental and heat shock response pathways, potentially coordinating both development and thermotolerance. The goal of this study was to survey forkhead domains of transcription factors in solitary bees that differ in HSP70 expression and thermotolerance, Megachile rotundata and M. apicalis. We used primers for a highly conserved DNA binding domain to amplify, clone, and sequence the cDNA of this domain of four forkhead proteins (DAF-16 (FOXO1), FOX A1, FOX C2, and FOX D3) in heat shocked larvae. Amplified cDNA sequences were 165 bp (Daf-16) and 156 bp (Fox a1, Fox c2, and Fox d3). Three indels differ between Daf-16 in the heat shock pathway and transcription factors in developmental pathways. Translated protein sequences revealed DAF-16 to have 52-57% similarity with developmental transcription factor forkhead domains, which were 67-73% similar to one another. These results indicate several amino acid residues may distinguish the DNA binding function of the forkhead domain proteins that regulate heat shock response versus developmental pathways.