Fig. 1

Schematic diagram for the role of miR162a in honeybee caste differentiation. Larvae fed on bee food consisting pollen will develop into worker bees or nurse bees. This is because miR162a in pollen will silence amTOR expression and prevent ovary development of honeybee. On the contrary, larvae fed on royal jelly, a kind of grandular secretion by nurse bees, will develop into queens. This is because royal jelly has little miR162a ingredient