Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35379185›Full record

ArticleBMC genomics2022

Abundant small RNAs in the reproductive tissues and eggs of the honey bee, Apis mellifera.

Owen T Watson, Gabriele Buchmann, Paul Young, Kitty Lo, Emily J Remnant, Boris Yagound, Mitch Shambrook, Andrew F Hill, Benjamin P Oldroyd, Alyson Ashe

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC genomics, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
3.0field-weighted citation impact, top 9% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 18 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Epigenetic Mechanisms inCurrent issues in molecular biology · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Owen T WatsonSchool of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
Gabriele BuchmannBEE Laboratory, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
Paul YoungMolecular Cardiology and Biophysics Division, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute NSW 2010, Darlinghurst, Australia.
Kitty LoSchool of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
Emily J RemnantBEE Laboratory, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
Boris YagoundBEE Laboratory, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
Mitch ShambrookDepartment of Biochemistry and Chemistry, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3086, Australia.
Andrew F HillDepartment of Biochemistry and Chemistry, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3086, Australia.
Benjamin P OldroydBEE Laboratory, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia. Benjamin.oldroyd@sydney.edu.au.
Alyson AsheSchool of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia. alyson.ashe@sydney.edu.au.
University of Sydney · AULa Trobe University · AUInstitute for Advanced Study · DEVictor Chang Cardiac Research Institute · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPolyandrous social insects such as the honey bee are prime candidates for parental manipulation of gene expression in offspring. Although there is good evidence for parent-of-origin effects in honey bees the epigenetic mechanisms that underlie these effects remain a mystery. Small RNA molecules such as miRNAs, piRNAs and siRNAs play important roles in transgenerational epigenetic inheritance and in the regulation of gene expression during development.

resultsHere we present the first characterisation of small RNAs present in honey bee reproductive tissues: ovaries, spermatheca, semen, fertilised and unfertilised eggs, and testes. We show that semen contains fewer piRNAs relative to eggs and ovaries, and that piRNAs and miRNAs which map antisense to genes involved in DNA regulation and developmental processes are differentially expressed between tissues. tRNA fragments are highly abundant in semen and have a similar profile to those seen in the semen of other animals. Intriguingly we also find abundant piRNAs that target the sex determination locus, suggesting that piRNAs may play a role in honey bee sex determination.

conclusionsWe conclude that small RNAs may play a fundamental role in honey bee gametogenesis and reproduction and provide a plausible mechanism for parent-of-origin effects on gene expression and reproductive physiology.

Indexed as

MicroRNAsAnimalsBeesEpigenesis, GeneticReproductionMicroRNAs

Identifiers

PMID35379185
PMCPMC8978429
OpenAlexW4225688883

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.