Protein profiling of Apis species (Hymenoptera: Apidae) adult worker honey bees from North-western region of India

Abstract

In Apis, biodiversity studies at genetic and molecular level were done to identify the proteins responsible for polymorphism in different species of Apis viz. Apis florea F., Apis dorsata F., Apis cerana F. and Apis mellifera L. from north-west region of India using SDS-Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). Some species specific protein bands were obtained by SDS-PAGE technique followed by Commassie BB staining and silver staining. The present results revealed that the total content of proteins was highest in A. dorsata with highest number of protein bands unique to species followed by A. mellifera, A. florea and A. cerana. Most prominent were at 38.7 kDa and 35.3 kDa in A. dorsata; 46.4 kDa and 29.0 kDa in A. florea; 83.9 kDa and 40.4 kDa in A. mellifera and 61.0 kDa and 27.9 kDa in A. cerana respectively. Some species specific protein bands with silver staining were as 33.6 and 59.2 kDa in Apis florea; 57.2 kDa in A. dorsata; 49.6 and 63.6 kDa in A. mellifera and 36.1 and 38.8 kDa in A. cerana. Based on identification of these unique bands, it is concluded that the species with wide geographic distribution have large number of protein bands as compared to species with least distribution area.