FoxP in bees: A comparative study on the developmental and adult expression pattern in three bee species considering isoforms and circuitry. Issue 9 (6th April 2018) - Schatton, Adriana
Abstract: Mutations in the transcription factors FOXP1, FOXP2, and FOXP4 affect human cognition, including language. The FoxP gene locus is evolutionarily ancient and highly conserved in its DNA‐binding domain. In Drosophila melanogaster FoxP has been implicated in courtship behavior, decision making, and specific types of motor‐learning. Because honeybees ( Apis mellifera, Am ) excel at navigation and symbolic dance communication, they are a particularly suitable insect species to investigate a potential link between neural FoxP expression and cognition. We characterized two AmFoxP isoforms and mapped their expression in the brain during development and in adult foragers. Using a custom‐made antiserum and in situ hybridization, we describe 11 AmFoxP expressing neuron populations. FoxP was expressed in equivalent patterns in two other representatives of Apidae; a closely related dwarf bee and a bumblebee species. Neural tracing revealed that the largest FoxP expressing neuron cluster in honeybees projects into a posterior tract that connects the optic lobe to the posterior lateral protocerebrum, predicting a function in visual processing. Our data provide an entry point for future experiments assessing the function of FoxP in eusocial Hymenoptera. Abstract : We describe 11 neuron populations expressing the transcription factor FoxP in the developing and adult honeybee brain. Some of them show differential isoform expression. Distinct neural projection patterns were revealed by anatomical tracing of the largest, bi‐partite cluster. Adult bumblebees and dwarf bees exhibited comparable expression patterns. The findings are discussed in the light of deep homology.