Peripheral taste detection in honey bees: What do taste receptors respond to?

• Published in: The European journal of neuroscience 2021-07, Vol.54 (2), p.4417-4444
• Main Authors: Bestea, Louise, Réjaud, Alexandre, Sandoz, Jean‐Christophe, Carcaud, Julie, Giurfa, Martin, de Brito Sanchez, Maria Gabriela, Galizia, Giovanni
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Apis mellifera; Bees; Chemical communication; Economic importance; gustation; gustatory receptors; Gustatory system; honey bee; Life Sciences; Neurons and Cognition; Receptor mechanisms; Taste perception; Taste receptors
• ISSN: 0953-816X; 1460-9568
• DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15265

Understanding the neural principles governing taste perception in species that bear economic importance or serve as research models for other sensory modalities constitutes a strategic goal. Such is the case of the honey bee (Apis mellifera), which is environmentally and socioeconomically important, given its crucial role as pollinator agent in agricultural landscapes and which has served as a traditional model for visual and olfactory neurosciences and for research on communication, navigation, and learning and memory. Here we review the current knowledge on honey bee gustatory receptors to provide an integrative view of peripheral taste detection in this insect, highlighting specificities and commonalities with other insect species. We describe behavioral and electrophysiological responses to several tastant categories and relate these responses, whenever possible, to known molecular receptor mechanisms. Overall, we adopted an evolutionary and comparative perspective to understand the neural principles of honey bee taste and define key questions that should be answered in future gustatory research centered on this insect. Honey bees (Apis mellifera) sense tastants through gustatory organs covered by taste sensilla, which host Gustatory Receptor Neurons (GNRs, in red). These neurons respond to specific substances that bind to different types of gustatory receptors embedded in the cell membrane. Here we provide a comprehensive overview of behavioral, electrophysiological and molecular processes in honey bee taste, and define key questions for future gustatory research centered on this insect.