Pollinators such as honeybees produce special enzymes that detoxify defence chemicals produced by plants, new research shows.
Pollinators such as honeybees produce special enzymes that detoxify defence chemicals produced by plants, new research shows.
Many plants produce alkaloids as protection against herbivores, and these toxins are also found in their nectar and pollen.
The new study, by the University of Exeter and Bayer AG, examined the genes of several species in a group called Hymenoptera – insects including bees, wasps, ants and sawflies that share a common ancestor about 280 million years ago.
Remarkably, all the species tested produce the same group of enzymes (the CYP336 family of cytochrome P450 enzymes) to tackle alkaloid toxins.
Read more at University of Exeter
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