The mandibular gland in worker bees synthesizes and secretes the organic acids present in royal jelly, and its development directly affects yield and quality. Therefore, we aimed to analyze the differences in morphology and gene expression in the mandibular glands of Apis mellifera carnica worker bees of different ages (3, 6, 9, 12, and 16 d). We dissected their mandibular glands and performed morphological and transcriptomic analyses to investigate the development of the mandibular gland and the molecular regulatory mechanisms involved in royal jelly secretion. Microscopy revealed that mandibular gland development is likely completed in the early stages. There were no significant differences in the structural morphology or organelles involved in the secretion of royal jelly at different ages. Transcriptomics revealed a total of 1554 differentially expressed genes, which were mainly involved in fat metabolism, lipid transport, and energy metabolism. The extracellular matrix-receptor interaction pathway was significantly enriched and contributed to the royal jelly secretion process. These results elucidate the genetic basis of the role of the mandibular gland in royal jelly secretion in A. mellifera and provide a reference for the genetic improvement of bees with high royal jelly production in the future.
Keywords: Apis mellifera carnica; mandibular gland; royal jelly; single-male insemination; transcriptome.