Myosins and DYNLL1/LC8 in the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) brain.

Honey bees have brain structures with specialized and developed systems of communication that account for memory, learning capacity and behavioral organization with a set of genes homologous to vertebrate genes. Many microtubule- and actin-based molecular motors are involved in axonal/dendritic transport. Myosin-Va is present in the honey bee Apis mellifera nervous system of the larvae and adult castes and subcastes.

A metallic impregnation technique adapted to study the honeybee Apis mellifera L. brain.

In order to visualize the distribution pattern of the neuronal bodies and neurofibrils in the honeybee brain, we adapted a metallic impregnation technique first described for vertebrate nervous system by Ramón y Cajal. The honeybee brain constitution plays a key role in the development of learning and memory capacities. The general characteristics observed in the honeybee brain, stained by metallic impregnation, revealed its anatomical and morphological constitution in agreement with studies of other insect brains using different techniques.