Vitellogenin
Lexikon
Vitellogenin is a protein that serves as a yolk precursor in many animals.
Vitellogenin is a protein that serves as a yolk precursor in many animals. In the honey bee it also has a special significance beyond this. It is formed in the fat body and stored in fat body tissue in the abdomen and head, where it acts as a food reserve.
In addition, vitellogenin acts as an antioxidant and thereby extends lifespan. Levels are high in queens and in the long-lived winter bees, and low in old foraging bees. The vitellogenin level in the first days after emergence also influences when a bee switches to foraging duty and whether she tends to bring in nectar or pollen. Vitellogenin and juvenile hormone suppress each other and thereby control the transition from in-hive duty to foraging duty.
For the beekeeper, the connection with the varroa mite is decisive. Pupae that mites have fed on emerge with markedly reduced protein and fat reserves and a low vitellogenin content. Such bees are not suited to be winter bees. This is the biological reason why the late-summer treatment must be carried out in good time.