Expression of 15-PGDH Regulates Body Weight and Body Size by Targeting JH in Honeybees (Apis mellifera)

Honeybees (<i>Apis mellifera</i>) are pollinators for most crops in nature and a core species for the production of bee products. Body size and body weight are crucial breeding traits, as colonies possessing individuals with large body weight tend to be healthier and exhibit high productivity. In this study, small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting <i>15-Hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase</i> (<i>15-PGDH</i>) was incorporated into the feed for feeding worker bee larvae, thereby achieving the silencing of this gene's expression. The research further analyzed the impact of the RNA expression level of the <i>15-PGDH</i> gene on the juvenile hormone (JH) titer and its subsequent effects on the body weight and size of worker bees. The results show that inhibiting the expression of <i>15-PGDH</i> in larvae could significantly increase JH titer, which in turn led to an increase in the body weight of worker bees (1.13-fold higher than that of the control group reared under normal conditions (CK group); <i>p</i> < 0.01; SE: 7.85) and a significant extension in femur (1.08-fold longer than that of the CK group; <i>p</i> < 0.01; SE: 0.18). This study confirms that <i>15-PGDH</i> can serve as a molecular marker related to body weight and size in honey bees, providing an important basis for molecular marker-assisted selection in honey bee breeding.