The Role of the Prpk Gene in the Body Development of Apis cerana

Apis cerana is an important native honey bee species in China, and its body size is closely related to its production performance and environmental adaptability. Prpk (TP53-regulating kinase) has been confirmed to regulate cell growth and proliferation, thereby influencing body size development. However, its function in honey bees remains unclear. In this study, the protein structure and function of PRPK were analyzed, and the expression characteristics were examined at different developmental stages and tissues in Hainan Chinese honey bee and Aba Chinese honey bee. The molecular weight of this protein was 30.3 kDa, and the predicted isoelectric point was 9.13, and it had a conserved PKc_like superfamily domain. The sequence of PRPK was highly conserved from insects to mammals and fungi. The results of RT-qPCR showed that Prpk expression significantly increased during honey bee pupation, and its expression level was significantly higher in the larvae and early-stage pupae of the larger-bodied Aba Chinese honey bee. Additionally, Prpk exhibited the highest expression in the thoraces, suggesting its potential involvement in appendage development. This study indicated that Prpk may play a potential regulatory role in body size development in honey bees, providing a theoretical basis and candidate gene for elucidating the molecular mechanisms of body size formation and genetic improvement in honey bees.