In this master's thesis, we investigated the behavior of the honeybee (pis mellifera) in relation to cell detection and capping, with a particular focus on two behaviors: (1) hygienic behavior, which involves the removal of infected or dead brood from the hive, and (2) cell capping with healthy brood of the appropriate age. To achieve this, a behavioral experiment was conducted in an observation hive, where individual behaviors were recorded. Simultaneously, worker bees performing the observed behaviors were sampled for subsequent RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analyses aimed at identifying differentially expressed genes and conducting gene ontology and pathway enrichment analyses. The results showed that bees exhibiting hygienic behavior had elevated expression of genes associated with immune responses and
energy metabolism, indicating their critical role in disease defense. Bees involved in cell capping exhibited increased expression of genes related to olfactory perception and brood care, highlighting the importance of these behaviors in hive protection. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying different bee behaviors and provide a foundation for further research and the development of new strategies to enhance bee resistance to diseases.
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