Transcriptomic analysis of Apis mellifera hypopharyngeal glands in varied temperatures

The European honeybee, Apis mellifera, exhibits valuable pollination services in a variety of environments acting as a generalist pollinator. The species has been used to support agriculture in a variety of climatic regions and additionally has been a model for phenotypic flexibility most notably exemplified through age polyethism. The hypopharyngeal glands of Apis mellifera are of particular interest as they are responsible for secretion of royal jelly that is fed to larvae and queens, supporting bee and colony health. The objective of this research was to identify differential gene expression in the hypopharyngeal glands of Apis mellifera at varying temperatures. We used publicly available read data to compare transcriptome wide gene expression across 3 temperatures. The results of this study may have implications for crop health and future honeybee management in cross regional pollination services, as well as, honeybee health in the face of a changing climate.