| Genome sequencing has provided us with the parts list (i.e., the genes) that allow organisms to exist and to function but cannot tell us when, where and how those parts work together to support life. To understand better how all the tissues of a complex organism utilize the underlying genome, we quantified the proteomes of 29 different tissue types among the three honey bee castes: queen , drone, and worker. This is the first comprehensive proteome of a multicellular organism, giving a holistic viewpoint that highlights how each tissue of each caste has unique molecular functions that reflect their specialized roles. Workers are exposed to the highest levels of toxins while foraging and are best equipped molecularly to deal with this, whereas queens seem to both produce the most pheromones and be able to detect the widest array of pheromones. In true altruistic style, workers seem to not only sacrifice their own reproductive capacity but also their immune potential in favor of their queen. |
