A transmissible RNA pathway in honey bees

ABSTRACT One of the characteristics of RNA interference (RNAi) is systemic spread of the silencing signal among cells and tissues throughout the organism. Systemic RNAi, initiated by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) ingestion, has been reported in diverse invertebrates, including honey bees, demonstrating environmental RNA uptake that undermines homologous gene expression. However, the question why any organism would take up RNA from the environment has remained largely unanswered. Here, we report on horizontal RNA flow among honey bees mediated by secretion and ingestion of worker and royal jelly diets. We show that ingested dsRNA spreads through the bee’s hemolymph associated with a protein complex. The systemic dsRNA is secreted with the jelly and delivered to larvae via ingestion. Furthermore, we demonstrate that transmission of jelly-secreted dsRNA to larvae is biologically active and triggers gene knockdown that lasts into adulthood. Finally, RNA extracted from worker and royal jellies harbor differential naturally occurring RNA populations. Some of these RNAs corresponded to honey bee protein coding genes, transposable elements, non-coding RNA as well as bacteria, fungi and viruses. These results reveal an inherent property of honey bees to share RNA among individuals and generations. Thus, our findings suggest a transmissible RNA pathway, playing a role in social immunity and epigenetic signaling between honey bees and potentially among other closely interacting organisms. SIGNIFICANCE Honey bees are eusocial insects, living in a colony that is often described as a superorganism. RNA mobility among cells of an organism has been documented in plants and animals. Here we show that RNA spreads further in honey bees, and is horizontally transferred between individuals and across generations. We found that honey bees share biologically active RNA through secretion and ingestion of worker and royal jellies. Such RNA initiates RNA interference, which is a known defense mechanism against viral infection. Furthermore, we characterized diverse RNA profiles of worker and royal jelly, including fragmented viral RNA. Our findings demonstrate a transmissible RNA pathway with potential roles in social immunity and epigenetic signaling among members of the hive.