New work by Ben Oldroyd and all describes changes in gene expression between mated and unmated queens. 

quoted material for review purposes only:

Gene expression in the brains of mated queens differs strongly from that seen in virgins. Strikingly, genes that are associated with vision were all down-regulated in mated queens compared to virgins. Changes in the expression of these visual perception genes mirrors the transition from photophilic behaviour observed in virgin queens that engage in mating flights, to more photophobic behaviour in mated queens confined within the nest. 

Queens are required to fly during swarming events, and it would be interesting to see if the vision system is reactivated in queens as they prepare to swarm. It would also be interesting to determine whether queens of open nesting honey bee species like Apis florea, in which the queens are able and ready to fly at all times, show the same decline in vision-related genes after mating.

The last important group of genes that differ between mated and virgin queens is the immune genes. With the exception of defensin, all immune genes were up-regulated in mated queens and this is likely to result in higher immunocompetence as more defense molecules, such as antimicrobial peptides, are produced, and cellular responses or wound healing reactions may be more effective. Increased expression of immune genes post mating has been observed repeatedly in honey bees and other organisms 

Manfredini, F., Brown, M. J., Vergoz, V., & Oldroyd, B. P. (2015). RNA-sequencing elucidates the regulation of behavioural transitions associated with the mating process in honey bee queens. BMC Genomics, 16(1), 563.

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