Adenosine signaling regulates the wingbeat frequency of Apis mellifera upon stress response

Honey bees have historically been important pollinators, but they are currently facing many threats that are reducing their populations. Previous studies indicate that stress can damage the memory and learning ability of honey bees, eventually leading to declines in foraging and homing abilities. In this study, we try to explain the homing ability barrier from the aspect of energy supply. We believe that when worker bees suffer from stress, their energy supply may shift from movement to resistance, causing an imbalance which fails to provide adequate energy to the flight muscles, leading directly to reduction of wingbeat frequency, thereby impairing the flight ability of worker bees. We treated worker bees with deformed wing virus and imidacloprid, used a camera to record their wing beats, and then compared differences between treatments. We also measured glucose, glycogen, trehalose, and ATP content. Genes for energy metabolism and resistance were also analyzed. We subsequently added adenosine to test whether it could improve ATP content and help to recover the wingbeat frequency of worker bees. Preliminary results showed that wingbeat frequency and glucose content in worker bees treated with DWV and imidacloprid were significantly lower than the control group. This result is consistent with our hypothesis and demonstrates that energy supply imbalances can prevent worker bees from returning to their hives. We expect that energy production of worker bees can be increased by adding adenosine, and we assume that this method can promote resistance of honey bees and enhance the apiculture industry.