Differences in gene expression reveal independent effects of mating and cold temperature exposure on diapause induction in bumble bee queens (B. impatiens)

Differences in patterns of gene expression can reveal changes in physiological pathways that underly responses to mating and temperature cues that may trigger entry into diapause. We altered temperature conditions for workers and mated and unmated queens from the same colony and measured shifts in nutritional profiles (relative amounts of lipids and sugars) and gene expression patterns (RNAseq).