10.6084/m9.figshare.4769527.v1 Leonor Ramirez Leonor Ramirez Pedro Negri Pedro Negri Laura Sturla Laura Sturla Lucrezia Guida Lucrezia Guida Tiziana Vigliarolo Tiziana Vigliarolo Matías Maggi Matías Maggi Martín Eguaras Martín Eguaras Elena Zocchi Elena Zocchi Lorenzo Lamattina Lorenzo Lamattina Electronic Supplementary Material - Ramirez et al.pdf from Abscisic acid enhances cold tolerance in honeybee larvae The Royal Society 2017 Apis mellifera cold tolerance abscisic acid compensatory growth 2017-03-21 10:05:11 Journal contribution https://rs.figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Electronic_Supplementary_Material_-_Ramirez_et_al_pdf_from_Abscisic_acid_enhances_cold_tolerance_in_honeybee_larvae/4769527 The natural composition of nutrients present in food is a key factor determining the immune function and stress responses in honeybee (<i>Apis mellifera</i>). We previously demonstrated that a supplement of abscisic acid (ABA), a natural component of nectar, pollen and honey, increases honeybee colony survival overwinter. Here we further explored the role of ABA in <i>in vitro</i>-reared larvae exposed to low temperatures. Four-days-old larvae (L4) exposed to 25°C for 3 days showed lower survival rates and delayed development compared to individuals growing at a standard temperature (34°C). Cold-stressed larvae maintained higher levels of ABA for longer than do larvae reared at 34°C, suggesting a biological significance for ABA. Larvae fed with ABA-supplemented diet completely prevent the low survival rate due to cold stress and accelerate the adult emergence. ABA modulates the expression of genes involved in metabolic adjustments and stress responses: <i>Hexamerin 70b, Insulin Receptor Substrate, Vitellogenin</i> and <i>Heat Shock Proteins 70.</i> AmLANCL2, the honeybee ABA receptor, is also regulated by cold stress and ABA. These results support a role for ABA increasing the tolerance of honeybee's larvae to low temperatures through priming effects.