科学家使工蜂生产加强型蜂王浆

时间：2012-07-19 05:20:27

（单词翻译:单击）

Scientists have discovered a way to make worker bees produce an enhanced version of royal jelly（蜂王浆） (RJ) -- the super-nutritious substance that dictates1 whether larvae2（幼虫） become workers or queens, and that is also renowned3 as a health supplement for people. Their study, which found that the super RJ that makes queen bee larvae grow 2-3 times larger than normal, appears in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

 
Chia-Nan Chen and colleagues explain that royal jelly is a thick liquid made up of proteins, sugars and fats that is secreted4（分泌） by glands5 in the throats and jaws6 of worker bees and fed to larvae. Workers feed all bee larvae RJ for the first three days of their lives, but only the queen gets it throughout life, growing larger and living up to 15 times longer than other bees. The scientists treated worker bees with drugs called histone（组蛋白） deacetylase（脱乙酰酶） inhibitors (HDACis) to see whether they could enhance the larvae's growth.
 
They found that worker bees given HDACis produced a fortified7 royal jelly that made the queen bee larvae grow to be 2-3 times larger than larvae fed standard royal jelly. A couple HDACis have already been approved for treating certain forms of cancer. The scientists noted8 that this is the first study showing that the composition of RJ can be modified in a way that changes the body size of queen bees during development.

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1 dictates d2524bb575c815758f62583cd796af09     
n.命令，规定，要求( dictate的名词复数 )v.大声讲或读( dictate的第三人称单数 )；口授；支配；摆布
参考例句：
  • Convention dictates that a minister should resign in such a situation. 依照常规部长在这种情况下应该辞职。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He always follows the dictates of common sense. 他总是按常识行事。 来自《简明英汉词典》
2 larvae w2CxP     
n.幼虫
参考例句：
  • Larvae are parasitic on sheep.幼虫寄生在绵羊的身上。
  • The larvae prey upon small aphids.这种幼虫以小蚜虫为食。
3 renowned okSzVe     
adj.著名的，有名望的，声誉鹊起的
参考例句：
  • He is one of the world's renowned writers.他是世界上知名的作家之一。
  • She is renowned for her advocacy of human rights.她以提倡人权而闻名。
4 secreted a4714b3ddc8420a17efed0cdc6ce32bb     
v.（尤指动物或植物器官）分泌( secrete的过去式和过去分词 )；隐匿，隐藏
参考例句：
  • Insulin is secreted by the pancreas. 胰岛素是胰腺分泌的。
  • He secreted his winnings in a drawer. 他把赢来的钱藏在抽届里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
5 glands 82573e247a54d4ca7619fbc1a5141d80     
n.腺( gland的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • a snake's poison glands 蛇的毒腺
  • the sebaceous glands in the skin 皮脂腺
6 jaws cq9zZq     
n.口部；嘴
参考例句：
  • The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。
  • The scored jaws of a vise help it bite the work. 台钳上有刻痕的虎钳牙帮助它紧咬住工件。
7 fortified fortified     
adj. 加强的
参考例句：
  • He fortified himself against the cold with a hot drink. 他喝了一杯热饮御寒。
  • The enemy drew back into a few fortified points. 敌人收缩到几个据点里。
8 noted 5n4zXc     
adj.著名的，知名的
参考例句：
  • The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
  • Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

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