More on the power of RNAi to drastically alter gene expression: Knocking out the critical exon in a series of RNAi experiments resulted in rapid worker ovary activation -- one of the traits characteristic of the social parasites. This genetic switch may be controlled by a short intronic splice enhancer motif of nine nucleotides attached to the alternative splice site. The lack of this motif in parasitic Cape honeybee clones suggests that the removal of nine nucleotides from the altruistic worker genome may be sufficient to turn a honeybee from an altruistic worker into a parasite. Alternative splicing of a single transcription factor drives selfish reproductive behavior in honeybee workers (Apis mellifera) Antje Jarosch, et al PNAS | September 13, 2011 | vol. 108 | no. 37 *********************************************** The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html Guidelines for posting to BEE-L can be found at: http://honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/guidelines.htm