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Bagheri M, Dehghan S, Zahmatkesh A. Strategies for diagnosing Nosema bombycis (Microsporidia: Nosematidae); the agent of pebrine disease. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2024; 260:111645. [PMID: 38908801 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2024.111645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/24/2024]
Abstract
Pebrine disease, caused by Nosema bombycis (N. bombycis), is the most important pathogen known to the silk industry. Historical evidence from several countries shows that the outbreaks of pebrine disease have largely caused the decline of the sericulture industry. Prevention is the first line to combat pebrine as a deadly disease in silkworm; however, no effective treatment has yet been presented to treat the disease. Many different methods have been used for detection of pebrine disease agent. This review focuses on the explanation and comparison of these methods, and describes their advantages and/or disadvantages. Also, it highlights the ongoing advances in diagnostic methods for N. bombycis that could enable efforts to halt this microsporidia infection. The detection methods are categorized as microscopic, immunological and nucleic acid-based approaches, each with priorities over the other methods; however, the suitability of each method depends on the available equipment in the laboratory, the mass of infection, and the speed and sensitivity of detection. The accessibility and economic efficiency are compared as well as the speed and the sensitivity for each method. Although, the light microscopy is the most common method for detection of N. bombycis, qPCR is the most preferred method for large data based on speed and sensitivity as well as early detection ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masoumeh Bagheri
- Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute (RVSRI), Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran.
| | - Shirin Dehghan
- Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute (RVSRI), Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran; Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Azadeh Zahmatkesh
- Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute (RVSRI), Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
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Sevim A, Akpınar R, Öztürk SH, Yılmaz F, Kayaboynu Ü, Sevim E, Ese H, Karataş Ü, Buldağ M, Umur Ş. PCR-Based Screening of Pathogens in Bombus terrestris Populations of Turkey. Acta Parasitol 2024; 69:275-282. [PMID: 38041724 DOI: 10.1007/s11686-023-00743-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Bumblebees are an important group of insects in the pollination of various vegetables, fruits, oilseeds, legumes, and the fodder crops. Compared to honeybees, they have a wider choice of hosts and a longer flight period. These bees are used especially for the pollination of plants in greenhouses and are commercially produced for this purpose. Recently, serious decreases have been occurring in bumblebee populations due to various reasons such as pathogens, and some of species are even threatened with extinction. Due to the worldwide decline in pollinator insects, determining the distribution and prevalence of bumblebee pathogens is of great importance. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the incidence and prevalence of pathogens in Turkish bumblebee populations and how much of each pathogen was in bumblebee samples. METHODS A total of 172 Bombus terrestris (Linnaeus,1758) samples (21 samples from commercial enterprises, 79 samples from greenhouses and 72 samples from nature) were randomly collected from 3 provinces (Antalya, Mersin and İzmir) where greenhouse cultivation is intensively carried out in Turkey. Eighty-nine of these samples were collected in the spring and eighty-three in the autumn. The presence of four pathogens (Nosema bombi, Crithidia bombi, Apicystis bombi, and Locustacarus buchneri) was investigated by PCR using universal primers. RESULTS The overall prevalence of Nosema bombi, Crithidia bombi, Apicystis bombi, and Locustacarus buchneri was determined as 7.55%, 9.3%, 11.62%, and 4.65%, respectively. Co-infections (5.81%) were only detected in wild-caught (nature) samples. C. bombi and A. bombi infections were detected at higher rates in the spring samples than in the autumn samples (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the spring and autumn samples with respect to the presence of N. bombi and L. buchneri (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION The results obtained could be important in determining the prevalence and spread rates of the bumblebee diseases in Turkey and to determine appropriate protection measures. The information gathered should increase our knowledge about the presence of these pathogens in Turkey and could contribute to improve apiarist's practice. More studies are needed to determine the transmission pathways of these pathogens between the populations. Also, complex pathogen interactions in bumblebee populations should be considered in the future to improve bumblebee health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Sevim
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Kırşehir Ahi Evran University, Kırşehir, 40100, Turkey.
| | - Rahşan Akpınar
- Honeybee Diseases Laboratory, T.C Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Samsun Veterinary Control Institute, Samsun, Turkey
| | - Seyit Hasan Öztürk
- T.C Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ordu Apiculture Research Institute, Ordu, Turkey
| | - Fatih Yılmaz
- T.C Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ordu Apiculture Research Institute, Ordu, Turkey
| | - Ümit Kayaboynu
- T.C Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ordu Apiculture Research Institute, Ordu, Turkey
| | - Elif Sevim
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Kırşehir Ahi Evran University, Kırşehir, 40100, Turkey
| | - Hasan Ese
- T.C Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ordu Apiculture Research Institute, Ordu, Turkey
| | - Ümit Karataş
- T.C Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ordu Apiculture Research Institute, Ordu, Turkey
| | - Mücahit Buldağ
- T.C Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ordu Apiculture Research Institute, Ordu, Turkey
| | - Şinasi Umur
- Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun, Turkey
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Babin A, Schurr F, Rivière MP, Chauzat MP, Dubois E. Specific detection and quantification of three microsporidia infecting bees, Nosema apis, Nosema ceranae, and Nosema bombi, using probe-based real-time PCR. Eur J Protistol 2022; 86:125935. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejop.2022.125935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Molecular Detection and Differentiation of Arthropod, Fungal, Protozoan, Bacterial and Viral Pathogens of Honeybees. Vet Sci 2022; 9:vetsci9050221. [PMID: 35622749 PMCID: PMC9145064 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci9050221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The honeybee Apis mellifera is highly appreciated worldwide because of its products, but also as it is a pollinator of crops and wild plants. The beehive is vulnerable to infections due to arthropods, fungi, protozoa, bacteria and/or viruses that manage to by-pass the individual and social immune mechanisms of bees. Due to the close proximity of bees in the beehive and their foraging habits, infections easily spread within and between beehives. Moreover, international trade of bees has caused the global spread of infections, several of which result in significant losses for apiculture. Only in a few cases can infections be diagnosed with the naked eye, by direct observation of the pathogen in the case of some arthropods, or by pathogen-associated distinctive traits. Development of molecular methods based on the amplification and analysis of one or more genes or genomic segments has brought significant progress to the study of bee pathogens, allowing for: (i) the precise and sensitive identification of the infectious agent; (ii) the analysis of co-infections; (iii) the description of novel species; (iv) associations between geno- and pheno-types and (v) population structure studies. Sequencing of bee pathogen genomes has allowed for the identification of new molecular targets and the development of specific genotypification strategies.
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Polymorphism of 16s rRNA Gene: Any Effect on the Biomolecular Quantitation of the Honey Bee (Apis mellifera L., 1758) Pathogen Nosema ceranae? APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/app12010422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The microsporidian Nosema ceranae is a severe threat to the western honey bee Apis mellifera, as it is responsible for nosemosis type C, which leads the colonies to dwindle and collapse. Infection quantification is essential to clinical and research aims. Assessment is made often with molecular assays based on rRNA genes, which are present in the N. ceranae genome as multiple and polymorphic copies. This study aims to compare two different methods of Real-Time PCR (qPCR), respectively relying on the 16S rRNA and Hsp70 genes, the first of which is described as a multiple and polymorphic gene. Young worker bees, hatched in the laboratory and artificially inoculated with N. ceranae spores, were incubated at 33 °C and subject to different treatment regimens. Samples were taken post-infection and analyzed with both qPCR methods. Compared to Hsp70, the 16S rRNA method systematically detected higher abundance. Straightforward conversion between the two methods is made impossible by erratic 16s rRNA/Hsp70 ratios. The 16s rRNA polymorphism showed an increase around the inoculated dose, where a higher prevalence of ungerminated spores was expected due to the treatment effects. The possible genetic background of that irregular distribution is discussed in detail. The polymorphic nature of 16S rRNA showed to be a limit in the infection quantification. More reliably, the N. ceranae abundance can be assessed in honey bee samples with methods based on the single-copy gene Hsp70.
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Truong AT, Sevin S, Kim S, Yoo MS, Cho YS, Yoon B. Rapidly quantitative detection of Nosema ceranae in honeybees using ultra-rapid real-time quantitative PCR. J Vet Sci 2021; 22:e40. [PMID: 34056881 PMCID: PMC8170219 DOI: 10.4142/jvs.2021.22.e40] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The microsporidian parasite Nosema ceranae is a global problem in honeybee populations and is known to cause winter mortality. A sensitive and rapid tool for stable quantitative detection is necessary to establish further research related to the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of this pathogen. OBJECTIVES The present study aimed to develop a quantitative method that incorporates ultra-rapid real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (UR-qPCR) for the rapid enumeration of N. ceranae in infected bees. METHODS A procedure for UR-qPCR detection of N. ceranae was developed, and the advantages of molecular detection were evaluated in comparison with microscopic enumeration. RESULTS UR-qPCR was more sensitive than microscopic enumeration for detecting two copies of N. ceranae DNA and 24 spores per bee. Meanwhile, the limit of detection by microscopy was 2.40 × 10⁴ spores/bee, and the stable detection level was ≥ 2.40 × 10⁵ spores/bee. The results of N. ceranae calculations from the infected honeybees and purified spores by UR-qPCR showed that the DNA copy number was approximately 8-fold higher than the spore count. Additionally, honeybees infected with N. ceranae with 2.74 × 10⁴ copies of N. ceranae DNA were incapable of detection by microscopy. The results of quantitative analysis using UR-qPCR were accomplished within 20 min. CONCLUSIONS UR-qPCR is expected to be the most rapid molecular method for Nosema detection and has been developed for diagnosing nosemosis at low levels of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Tai Truong
- Department of Life Science, College of Fusion Science, Kyonggi University, Suwon 16227, Korea.,Faculty of Biotechnology, Thai Nguyen University of Sciences, Thai Nguyen 250000, Vietnam.,Parasitic and Honeybee Disease Laboratory, Bacterial Disease Division, Department of Animal & Plant Health Research, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon 39660, Korea
| | - Sedat Sevin
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara 06560, Turkey
| | - Seonmi Kim
- Department of Life Science, College of Fusion Science, Kyonggi University, Suwon 16227, Korea
| | - Mi Sun Yoo
- Parasitic and Honeybee Disease Laboratory, Bacterial Disease Division, Department of Animal & Plant Health Research, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon 39660, Korea
| | - Yun Sang Cho
- Parasitic and Honeybee Disease Laboratory, Bacterial Disease Division, Department of Animal & Plant Health Research, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon 39660, Korea.
| | - Byoungsu Yoon
- Department of Life Science, College of Fusion Science, Kyonggi University, Suwon 16227, Korea.
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Galajda R, Valenčáková A, Sučik M, Kandráčová P. Nosema Disease of European Honey Bees. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7090714. [PMID: 34575752 PMCID: PMC8468538 DOI: 10.3390/jof7090714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Nosematosis is currently a frequently discussed honey bee disease caused by two types of Microsporidia: Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae. Nosematosis as an intestinal disease caused by these species is one of the main factors associated with the weakening and loss of hives, with none of the stressors acting in isolation and all having an important synergistic or additive effect on the occurrence of parasitic infection. The most important factors are exposure to pesticides and nutritional stress, both worsening the immune response. Honey bees Apis mellifera become more susceptible to parasites and subsequently the disease manifests itself. Choosing the right laboratory diagnostics is important to determine the prevalence of both species. Our review summarizes the most commonly used methodologies, especially polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which is a reliable method for detecting nosematosis, as well as for distinguishing between the two species causing the disease.
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Lannutti L, Mira A, Basualdo M, Rodriguez G, Erler S, Silva V, Gisder S, Genersch E, Florin-Christensen M, Schnittger L. Development of a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and a direct LAMP for the specific detection of Nosema ceranae, a parasite of honey bees. Parasitol Res 2020; 119:3947-3956. [DOI: 10.1007/s00436-020-06915-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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9
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Folly AJ, Stevenson PC, Brown MJF. Age-related pharmacodynamics in a bumblebee-microsporidian system mirror similar patterns in vertebrates. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 223:jeb.217828. [PMID: 32107305 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.217828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 02/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Immune systems provide a key defence against diseases. However, they are not a panacea and so both vertebrates and invertebrates co-opt naturally occurring bioactive compounds to treat themselves against parasites and pathogens. In vertebrates, this co-option is complex, with pharmacodynamics leading to differential effects of treatment at different life stages, which may reflect age-linked differences in the immune system. However, our understanding of pharmacodynamics in invertebrates is almost non-existent. Critically, this knowledge may elucidate broad parallels across animals in regard to the requirement for the co-option of bioactive compounds to ameliorate disease. Here, we used biochanin A, an isoflavone found in the pollen of red clover (Trifolium pratense), to therapeutically treat Nosema bombi (Microsporidia) infection in bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) larvae and adults, and thus examine age-linked pharmacodynamics in an invertebrate. Therapeutic treatment of larvae with biochanin A did not reduce the infection intensity of N. bombi in adults. In contrast, therapeutic treatment of adults did reduce the infection intensity of N. bombi This transition in parasite resistance to bioactive compounds mirrors the age-linked pharmacodynamics of vertebrates. Understanding how different life-history stages respond to therapeutic compounds will provide novel insights into the evolution of foraging and self-medication behaviour in natural systems more broadly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arran J Folly
- Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EY, UK .,Animal and Plant Health Agency, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK
| | - Philip C Stevenson
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, London TW9 3AE, UK.,Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham Maritime, Kent ME4 4TB, UK
| | - Mark J F Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EY, UK
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10
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Snow JW, Ceylan Koydemir H, Karinca DK, Liang K, Tseng D, Ozcan A. Rapid imaging, detection, and quantification of Nosema ceranae spores in honey bees using mobile phone-based fluorescence microscopy. LAB ON A CHIP 2019; 19:789-797. [PMID: 30719512 DOI: 10.1039/c8lc01342j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Recent declines in honey bee colonies in the United States have put increased strain on agricultural pollination. Nosema ceranae and Nosema apis, are microsporidian parasites that are highly pathogenic to honey bees and have been implicated as a factor in honey bee losses. While traditional methods for quantifying Nosema infection have high sensitivity and specificity, there is no field-portable device for field measurements by beekeepers. Here we present a field-portable and cost-effective smartphone-based platform for detection and quantification of chitin-positive Nosema spores in honey bees. The handheld platform, weighing only 374 g, consists of a smartphone-based fluorescence microscope, a custom-developed smartphone application, and an easy to perform sample preparation protocol. We tested the performance of the platform using samples at different parasite concentrations and compared the method with manual microscopic counts and qPCR quantification. We demonstrated that this device provides results that are comparable with other methods, having a limit of detection of 0.5 × 106 spores per bee. Thus, the assay can easily identify infected colonies and provide accurate quantification of infection levels requiring treatment of infection, suggesting that this method is potentially adaptable for diagnosis of Nosema infection in the field by beekeepers. Coupled with treatment recommendations, this protocol and smartphone-based optical platform could improve the diagnosis and treatment of nosemosis in bees and provide a powerful proof-of-principle for the use of such mobile diagnostics as useful analytical tools for beekeepers in resource-limited settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan W Snow
- Department of Biology, Barnard College, New York, NY 10027, USA.
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Syromyatnikov MY, Savinkova OV, Panevina AV, Solodskikh SA, Lopatin AV, Popov VN. Quality Control of Bee-Collected Pollen Using Bumblebee Microcolonies and Molecular Approaches Reveals No Correlation Between Pollen Quality and Pathogen Presence. JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2019; 112:49-59. [PMID: 30395245 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toy345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Bee-collected pollen is an essential protein source for honey bee and bumblebee colonies. Its quality directly affects bee health. We estimated the quality of pollen samples using bumblebee microcolonies and high-throughput sequencing for the presence of microorganisms. The tested samples of bee-collected pollen were of different quality, as estimated from their effect on the development of bumblebee microcolonies. Based on the pollen quality, we selected a subset of high-quality and low-quality pollen samples to further analyze them for the presence of microorganisms and pathogens. High-throughput sequencing revealed that the most common microorganisms in the bee-collected pollen were Acinetobacter spp. and bacteria of the genera Lactobacillus and Lactococcus. No pathogenic bacteria infectious for honey bees (e.g., those causing American and European foulbrood) or bumblebees have been identified in the analyzed pollen samples. Among potentially harmful microorganisms, there were bacteria from the Enterobacteriaceae family. The fungal pathogens Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae were detected in four samples; Ascosphaera sp. was found in six samples. Several viruses were found in the pollen samples, such as chronic bee paralysis virus, Israeli acute paralysis virus, deformed wing virus, sacbrood virus, and Kashmir bee virus. No correlation between the presence of these microorganisms or viruses and the impact of low-quality pollen samples on the bumblebee development was found. It is possible that factors affecting pollen quality are the absence of certain biologically active compounds or the presence of pesticides.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Y Syromyatnikov
- Department of Genetics, Cytology and Bioengineering, Voronezh State University, Voronezh, Russia
| | - O V Savinkova
- Department of Genetics, Cytology and Bioengineering, Voronezh State University, Voronezh, Russia
| | - A V Panevina
- Department of Genetics, Cytology and Bioengineering, Voronezh State University, Voronezh, Russia
| | - S A Solodskikh
- Department of Genetics, Cytology and Bioengineering, Voronezh State University, Voronezh, Russia
| | - A V Lopatin
- Department of Ecology and Systematics of Invertebrates, Voronezh State University, Voronezh, Russia
| | - V N Popov
- Department of Genetics, Cytology and Bioengineering, Voronezh State University, Voronezh, Russia
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Development and evaluation of loop-mediated isothermal amplification for rapid detection of Nosema ceranae in honeybee. ASIAN PACIFIC JOURNAL OF TROPICAL DISEASE 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/s2222-1808(16)61163-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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13
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A fluorescent method for visualization of Nosema infection in whole-mount honey bee tissues. J Invertebr Pathol 2016; 135:10-4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2016.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2015] [Revised: 01/13/2016] [Accepted: 01/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Fu Z, He X, Cai S, Liu H, He X, Li M, Lu X. Quantitative PCR for detection of Nosema bombycis in single silkworm eggs and newly hatched larvae. J Microbiol Methods 2015; 120:72-8. [PMID: 26658327 DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2015.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2015] [Revised: 11/25/2015] [Accepted: 12/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Pebrine disease is the only mandatory quarantine item in sericultural production due to its destructive consequences. So far, the mother moth microscopic examination method established by Pasteur (1870) remains the only detection method for screening for the causative agent Nosema bombycis (N. bombycis). Because pebrine is a horizontal and vertical transmission disease, it is better to inspect silkworm eggs and newly hatched larvae to investigate the infection rate, vertical transmission rate and spore load of the progenies. There is a rising demand for a more direct, effective and accurate detection approach in the sericultural industry. Here, we developed a molecular detection approach based on real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) for pebrine inspection in single silkworm eggs and newly hatched larvae. Targeting the small-subunit rRNA gene of N. bombycis, this assay showed high sensitivity and reproducibility. Ten spores in a whole sample or 0.1 spore DNA (1 spore DNA represents the DNA content of one N. bombycis spore) in a reaction system was estimated as the detection limit of the isolation and real-time qPCR procedure. Silkworm egg tissues impact the detection sensitivity but are not significant in single silkworm egg detection. Of 400 samples produced by infected moths, 167 and 195 were scored positive by light microscopy and real-time qPCR analysis, respectively. With higher accuracy and the potential capability of high-throughput screening, this method is anticipated to be adaptable for pebrine inspection and surveillance in the sericultural industry. In addition, this method can be applied to ecology studies of N. bombycis-silkworm interactions due to its quantitative function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhangwuke Fu
- Laboratory of Invertebrate Pathology, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xiangkang He
- Laboratory of Invertebrate Pathology, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Shunfeng Cai
- Laboratory of Invertebrate Pathology, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Han Liu
- Laboratory of Invertebrate Pathology, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xinyi He
- Laboratory of Invertebrate Pathology, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Mingqian Li
- Laboratory of Invertebrate Pathology, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xingmeng Lu
- Laboratory of Invertebrate Pathology, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
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Blaker EA, Strange JP, James RR, Monroy FP, Cobb NS. PCR reveals high prevalence of non/low sporulating Nosema bombi (microsporidia) infections in bumble bees (Bombus) in Northern Arizona. J Invertebr Pathol 2014; 123:25-33. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2014.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2013] [Revised: 08/26/2014] [Accepted: 09/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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16
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Variation in gut microbial communities and its association with pathogen infection in wild bumble bees (Bombus). ISME JOURNAL 2014; 8:2369-79. [PMID: 24763369 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2014.68] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2013] [Revised: 03/15/2014] [Accepted: 03/20/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial gut symbiont communities are critical for the health of many insect species. However, little is known about how microbial communities vary among host species or how they respond to anthropogenic disturbances. Bacterial communities that differ in richness or composition may vary in their ability to provide nutrients or defenses. We used deep sequencing to investigate gut microbiota of three species in the genus Bombus (bumble bees). Bombus are among the most economically and ecologically important non-managed pollinators. Some species have experienced dramatic declines, probably due to pathogens and land-use change. We examined variation within and across bee species and between semi-natural and conventional agricultural habitats. We categorized as 'core bacteria' any operational taxonomic units (OTUs) with closest hits to sequences previously found exclusively or primarily in the guts of honey bees and bumble bees (genera Apis and Bombus). Microbial community composition differed among bee species. Richness, defined as number of bacterial OTUs, was highest for B. bimaculatus and B. impatiens. For B. bimaculatus, this was due to high richness of non-core bacteria. We found little effect of habitat on microbial communities. Richness of non-core bacteria was negatively associated with bacterial abundance in individual bees, possibly due to deeper sampling of non-core bacteria in bees with low populations of core bacteria. Infection by the gut parasite Crithidia was negatively associated with abundance of the core bacterium Gilliamella and positively associated with richness of non-core bacteria. Our results indicate that Bombus species have distinctive gut communities, and community-level variation is associated with pathogen infection.
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Improving molecular discrimination of Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae. J Invertebr Pathol 2013; 113:52-5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2013.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2012] [Revised: 01/07/2013] [Accepted: 01/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Gisder S, Genersch E. Molecular differentiation of Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae based on species-specific sequence differences in a protein coding gene. J Invertebr Pathol 2013; 113:1-6. [PMID: 23352902 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2013.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2012] [Revised: 12/04/2012] [Accepted: 01/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae are two microsporidian pathogens of the European honey bee, Apis mellifera. There is evidence that N. ceranae is more virulent than N. apis subject to environmental factors like climate. This makes N. ceranae one of the suspects in the increasing colony losses recently observed in many regions of the world. Correct differentiation between N. apis and N. ceranae is important and best accomplished by molecular methods. So far only protocols based on species-specific sequence differences in the 16S rRNA gene are available. However, recent studies indicated that these methods may lead to confusing results due to polymorphisms in and recombination between the multi-copy 16S rRNA genes. To solve this problem and to provide a reliable molecular tool for the differentiation between the two bee pathogenic microsporidia we here present and evaluate a duplex-PCR protocol based on species-specific sequence differences in the highly conserved gene coding for the DNA-dependent RNA polymerase II largest subunit. A total of 102 honey bee samples were analyzed by the novel PCR protocol and the results were compared with the results of the originally published PCR-RFLP analysis and two recently published differentiation protocols, based on 16S rRNA sequence differences. Although the novel PCR protocol proved to be as reliable as the 16S rRNA gene based PCR-RFLP it was superior to simple 16S rRNA based PCR protocols which tended to overestimate the rate of N. ceranae infections. Therefore, we propose that species-specific sequence differences of highly conserved protein coding genes should become the preferred molecular tool for differentiation of Nosema spp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Gisder
- Institute for Bee Research, Friedrich-Engels-Str. 32, D-16540 Hohen Neuendorf, Germany
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Liu H, Pan G, Dang X, Li T, Zhou Z. Characterization of active ribosomal RNA harboring MITEs insertion in microsporidian Nosema bombycis genome. Parasitol Res 2012; 112:1011-20. [PMID: 23254587 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-012-3223-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2012] [Accepted: 11/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Microsporidia are a group of obligate intracellular parasites of medical and agricultural importance, which can infect almost all animals, including human beings. Using the genome data of Nosema bombycis, four families of miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements (MITEs) in ribosomal DNA (rDNA) were characterized in the microsporidian N. bombycis and were named LSUME1, ITSME1, SSUME1, and SSUME2, respectively. The genome-wide investigation of these MITEs shows that these MITEs families distribute randomly in N. bombycis genome. All insertion sequences have conserved characteristics of MITEs, the direct repeat sequence and terminal inverted-repeat sequence at both ends of each MITEs sequence. Additionally, using the CLC RNA Workbench Software, secondary structures of rRNA containing MITEs sequence have been predicted and were located in variable region or expansion segment. Furthermore, using two different probes, one is prepared by MITE sequence only (short probe) and the other is prepared by MITE sequence flanking partial rDNA sequence (long probe); northern blotting and dot blotting have been performed to detect the transcriptional and functional activity of the rDNA containing MITEs insertion. Fortunately, we found that the rDNA, which harbors the MITE, not only can be transcripted but also can form a complete ribosome. This is an interesting thing that one gene can keep active even when it has been inserted with another sequence. But the biological and structural significance of this observation is not readily apparent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Handeng Liu
- Experimental Teaching Center, Chongqing Medical University, No.1, Medical College Road, Chongqing, 400016, People's Republic of China.
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