Dopamine Signaling in the Bee

Dopamine (DA) is a signaling molecule derived from the amino acid tyrosine. It is an important neuromodulator, neurotransmitter and neurohormone in invertebrates as well as in vertebrates and numerous studies suggest roles for this amine in motor function, learning and memory, aggression, arousal and sleep, and in a number of other behaviors. A growing body of evidence suggests that DA plays a diversity of roles also in Apis mellifera. Three honey bee DA receptor genes have been cloned and characterized. In this chapter we focus on their likely involvement in the regulation of locomotor activity, ovary development, and olfactory learning and memory.