Telomerase is an enzyme that adds repeats of DNA
sequences to the ends of chromosomes, thereby preventing
their shortening. Telomerase activity is associated with proliferative
status of cells, organismal development, and aging. 

We report an analysis of telomerase activity and telomere length in
the honeybee, Apis mellifera. Telomerase activity was found
to be regulated in a development and caste-specific manner.

Compared to workers and
drones, queens displayed higher levels of telomerase activity.
In the third larval instar of queens, telomerase activity reached
the embryo level, and an enormous increase was observed in
adult brains of queens, showing a 70-fold increase compared
to a brain of an adult worker.

Because telomerase
activity is a component of organismal aging by preventing
premature telomere shortening, as demonstrated by mutations
in telomerase component in mice and several human diseases, 
it leads to the question,
do telomeric length and telomerase activity contribute to the
physiological mechanisms underlying the longevity of reproducing
individuals of eusocial insects?

Activity of telomerase and telomeric length in Apis mellifera
Michala Korandová & Radmila Čapková Frydrychová
Chromosoma (2016) 125:405–411

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