1
|
Yokota SC, Broeckling C, H S Seshadri A. Pollen foraging preferences in honey bees and the nutrient profiles of the pollen. Sci Rep 2024; 14:15028. [PMID: 38951538 PMCID: PMC11217361 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-65569-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Honey bees are important insect pollinators that provide critical pollination services to fruit and nut crops in the US. They face challenges likely due to pressures associated with agricultural intensification related habitat loss. To better understand this, pollen preferences of foraging bees and the nutritional profile of pollen brought into hives by foraging bees in crop fields and nut orchards can provide valuable information. We trained bees to forage on bee-collected pollen from hives placed for pollination services in almond orchards, sunflower fields, or mixed species from inter-row plantings. Using bees trained to a certain kind of hive pollen, we applied a binary scoring system, to test preferences of these preconditioned foragers. We also performed metabolomic analyses of the hive pollen used for training and testing to elucidate their nutritional content. Irrespective of preconditioning, bees collected all the available choice pollen types, predominantly choosing hive-collected mixed species pollen (MSP), followed by almond orchard pollen. The hive-collected MSP was chemically diverse, richest in cholesterol, vitamins, and phytochemicals quercetin, kaempferol, coumarin, and quinine, but was not consistently high for essential amino acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Although diversity in chemical profiles may not directly relate to plant species diversity, our results suggest that foragers collect a variety of pollen types when available reiterating the importance of diverse floral resources.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Seiji C Yokota
- Invasive Species and Pollinator Health Research Unit, USDA-ARS/PWA/WRRC, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Corey Broeckling
- Analytical Resources Core/Data Science Research Institute/Department of Agricultural Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Arathi H S Seshadri
- Pollinator Health in Southern Crops Ecosystems Research Unit, USDA-ARS/SEA, Stoneville, MS, 38776, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Sagona S, Coppola F, Tafi E, Orlando C, D’Onofrio C, Boni CB, Casini L, Palego L, Betti L, Giannaccini G, Felicioli A. Effects of Virgin Coconut Oil-Enriched Diet on Immune and Antioxidant Enzymatic Activity, Fat and Vitellogenin Contents in Newly Emerged and Forager Bees ( Apis mellifera L.) Reared in Cages. INSECTS 2023; 14:856. [PMID: 37999055 PMCID: PMC10671777 DOI: 10.3390/insects14110856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Searching for artificial diets positively affecting the survival, immune and antioxidant systems of honey bees is one of main challenges occurring in beekeeping. Among nutrients, lipids play a significant role in insect nutrition as structural components in cell membranes, energy sources and reserves, and are involved in many physiological processes. In this context, the aim of this work was to investigate the effect of 0.5% and 1% coconut oil-enriched diet administration on newly emerged and forager bees survival rate, feed intake, immune system, antioxidant system and both fat and vitellogenin content. In newly emerged bees, supplementation with 1% coconut oil determined a decrease in feed consumption, an increase in survival rate from the 3rd to 14th day of feeding, a short-term decrease in phenoloxidase activity, an increase in body fat and no differences in vitellogenin content. Conversely, supplementation with 0.5% coconut oil determined an increase in survival rate from the 3rd to 15th day of feeding and an increase in fat content in the long term (i.e., 20 days). Regarding the forager bee diet, enrichment with 0.5% and 1% coconut oil only determined an increase in fat content. Therefore, supplementation with coconut oil in honey bee diets at low percentages (0.5 and 1%) determines fat gain. Further investigations to evaluate the use of such supplement foods to prevent the fat loss of weak families during winter are desirable.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simona Sagona
- Department of Pharmacy, Pisa University, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (C.O.); (L.B.); (G.G.)
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Pisa University, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (F.C.); (C.B.B.); (L.C.); (A.F.)
| | - Francesca Coppola
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Pisa University, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (F.C.); (C.B.B.); (L.C.); (A.F.)
| | - Elena Tafi
- CREA Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment, Via di Corticella 133, 40128 Bologna, Italy;
| | - Caterina Orlando
- Department of Pharmacy, Pisa University, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (C.O.); (L.B.); (G.G.)
| | - Chiara D’Onofrio
- Biosensor Technologies, Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Konrad-Lorenz Straße, 24, 3430 Tulln, Austria;
| | - Chiara Benedetta Boni
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Pisa University, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (F.C.); (C.B.B.); (L.C.); (A.F.)
| | - Lucia Casini
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Pisa University, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (F.C.); (C.B.B.); (L.C.); (A.F.)
| | - Lionella Palego
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Pisa University, Via Savi 10, 56126 Pisa, Italy;
| | - Laura Betti
- Department of Pharmacy, Pisa University, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (C.O.); (L.B.); (G.G.)
| | - Gino Giannaccini
- Department of Pharmacy, Pisa University, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (C.O.); (L.B.); (G.G.)
| | - Antonio Felicioli
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Pisa University, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (F.C.); (C.B.B.); (L.C.); (A.F.)
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Wu H, Xu Y, Zafar J, Mandal SD, Lin L, Lu Y, Jin F, Pang R, Xu X. Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals the Impact of the Biopesticide Metarhizium anisopliae on the Immune System of Major Workers in Solenopsis invicta. INSECTS 2023; 14:701. [PMID: 37623411 PMCID: PMC10455567 DOI: 10.3390/insects14080701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
The red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren, 1972) is a globally significant invasive species, causing extensive agricultural, human health, and biodiversity damage amounting to billions of dollars worldwide. The pathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae (Metchnikoff) Sorokin (1883), widely distributed in natural environments, has been used to control S. invicta populations. However, the interaction between M. anisopliae and the immune system of the social insect S. invicta remains poorly understood. In this study, we employed RNA-seq to investigate the effects of M. anisopliae on the immune systems of S. invicta at different time points (0, 6, 24, and 48 h). A total of 1313 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified and classified into 12 expression profiles using short time-series expression miner (STEM) for analysis. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was employed to partition all genes into 21 gene modules. Upon analyzing the statistically significant WGCNA model and conducting Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis on the modules, we identified key immune pathways, including the Toll and Imd signaling pathways, lysosomes, autophagy, and phagosomes, which may collectively contribute to S. invicta defense against M. anisopliae infection. Subsequently, we conducted a comprehensive scan of all differentially expressed genes and identified 33 immune-related genes, encompassing various aspects such as recognition, signal transduction, and effector gene expression. Furthermore, by integrating the significant gene modules derived from the WGCNA analysis, we constructed illustrative pathway diagrams depicting the Toll and Imd signaling pathways. Overall, our research findings demonstrated that M. anisopliae suppressed the immune response of S. invicta during the early stages while stimulating its immune response at later stages, making it a potential biopesticide for controlling S. invicta populations. These discoveries lay the foundation for further understanding the immune mechanisms of S. invicta and the molecular mechanisms underlying its response to M. anisopliae.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Rui Pang
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, “Belt and Road” Technology Industry and Innovation Institute for Green and Biological Control of Agricultural Pests, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; (H.W.); (Y.X.); (J.Z.); (S.D.M.); (L.L.); (Y.L.); (F.J.)
| | - Xiaoxia Xu
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, “Belt and Road” Technology Industry and Innovation Institute for Green and Biological Control of Agricultural Pests, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; (H.W.); (Y.X.); (J.Z.); (S.D.M.); (L.L.); (Y.L.); (F.J.)
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Carrión PJA, Desai N, Brennan JJ, Fifer JE, Siggers T, Davies SW, Gilmore TD. Starvation decreases immunity and immune regulatory factor NF-κB in the starlet sea anemone Nematostella vectensis. Commun Biol 2023; 6:698. [PMID: 37420095 PMCID: PMC10329013 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05084-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Lack of proper nutrition has important consequences for the physiology of all organisms, and nutritional status can affect immunity, based on many studies in terrestrial animals. Here we show a positive correlation between nutrition and immunity in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis. Gene expression profiling of adult anemones shows downregulation of genes involved in nutrient metabolism, cellular respiration, and immunity in starved animals. Starved adult anemones also have reduced protein levels and activity of immunity transcription factor NF-κB. Starved juvenile anemones have increased sensitivity to bacterial infection and also have lower NF-κB protein levels, as compared to fed controls. Weighted Gene Correlation Network Analysis (WGCNA) is used to identify significantly correlated gene networks that were downregulated with starvation. These experiments demonstrate a correlation between nutrition and immunity in an early diverged marine metazoan, and the results have implications for the survival of marine organisms as they encounter changing environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Niharika Desai
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Joseph J Brennan
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Pfizer, Inc., 1 Portland St, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - James E Fifer
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Trevor Siggers
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Sarah W Davies
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Thomas D Gilmore
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Wrońska AK, Kaczmarek A, Boguś MI, Kuna A. Lipids as a key element of insect defense systems. Front Genet 2023; 14:1183659. [PMID: 37359377 PMCID: PMC10289264 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1183659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The relationship between insect pathogenic fungi and their insect hosts is a classic example of a co-evolutionary arms race between pathogen and target host: parasites evolve towards mechanisms that increase their advantage over the host, and the host increasingly strengthens its defenses. The present review summarizes the literature data describing the direct and indirect role of lipids as an important defense mechanism during fungal infection. Insect defense mechanisms comprise anatomical and physiological barriers, and cellular and humoral response mechanisms. The entomopathogenic fungi have the unique ability to digest the insect cuticle by producing hydrolytic enzymes with chitin-, lipo- and proteolytic activity; besides the oral tract, cuticle pays the way for fungal entry within the host. The key factor in insect resistance to fungal infection is the presence of certain types of lipids (free fatty acids, waxes or hydrocarbons) which can promote or inhibit fungal attachment to cuticle, and might also have antifungal activity. Lipids are considered as an important source of energy, and as triglycerides are stored in the fat body, a structure analogous to the liver and adipose tissue in vertebrates. In addition, the fat body plays a key role in innate humoral immunity by producing a range of bactericidal proteins and polypeptides, one of which is lysozyme. Energy derived from lipid metabolism is used by hemocytes to migrate to the site of fungal infection, and for phagocytosis, nodulation and encapsulation. One polyunsaturated fatty acid, arachidonic acid, is used in the synthesis of eicosanoids, which play several crucial roles in insect physiology and immunology. Apolipoprotein III is important compound with antifungal activity, which can modulate insect cellular response and is considered as important signal molecule.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Katarzyna Wrońska
- Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Science, Warszawa, Poland
- Witold Stefański Institute of Parasitology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Agata Kaczmarek
- Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Science, Warszawa, Poland
- Witold Stefański Institute of Parasitology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Mieczysława Irena Boguś
- Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Science, Warszawa, Poland
- Witold Stefański Institute of Parasitology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anna Kuna
- Independent Researcher, Warsaw, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Brejcha M, Prušáková D, Sábová M, Peska V, Černý J, Kodrík D, Konopová B, Čapková Frydrychová R. Seasonal changes in ultrastructure and gene expression in the fat body of worker honey bees. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 146:104504. [PMID: 36935036 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2023.104504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The anatomical, physiological, and behavioral characteristics of honey bees are affected by the season as well as division of labor. In this study, we examined the structure, ultrastructure, and gene expression of fat body cells in both long-lived winter and short-lived summer worker bees (the youngest stage of hive bees and forager bees). In contrast to hive bees, foragers and winter bees have a higher metabolism due to intensive muscle activity during their flight (foragers) or endothermic heat production (winter bees). These workers differ from hive bees in the biology of their mitochondria, peroxisomes, and lysosomes as well as in the expression of the genes involved in lipid, carbohydrate, amino acid metabolism, insulin, and TGF- β signaling. Additionally, the expression of genes related to phospholipid metabolism was higher in the hive bees. However, we found no differences between workers in the expression of genes controlling cell organelles, such as the Golgi apparatus, endoplasmic reticulum, ribosomes, nucleus, and vacuoles, as well as genes for DNA replication, cell cycle control, and autophagy. Furthermore, lysosomes, autophagic processes and lipofuscin particles were more frequently observed in winter bees using electron microscopy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miloslav Brejcha
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Daniela Prušáková
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Michala Sábová
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Vratislav Peska
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, 612 65 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Černý
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Dalibor Kodrík
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Barbora Konopová
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Radmila Čapková Frydrychová
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Effect of amide protoporphyrin derivatives on immune response in Apis mellifera. Sci Rep 2022; 12:14406. [PMID: 36002552 PMCID: PMC9402574 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18534-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The intracellular microsporidian parasite Nosema ceranae is known to compromise bee health by induction of energetic stress and downregulation of the immune system. Porphyrins are candidate therapeutic agents for controlling Nosema infection without adverse effects on honeybees. In the present work, the impact of two protoporphyrin IX derivatives, i.e. PP[Asp]2 and PP[Lys]2, on Apis mellifera humoral immune response has been investigated in laboratory conditions in non-infected and N. ceranae-infected honeybees. Fluorescence spectroscopy analysis of hemolymph showed for the first time that porphyrin molecules penetrate into the hemocoel of honeybees. Phenoloxidase (PO) activity and the expression of genes encoding antimicrobial peptides (AMPs: abaecin, defensin, and hymenoptaecin) were assessed. Porphyrins significantly increased the phenoloxidase activity in healthy honeybees but did not increase the expression of AMP genes. Compared with the control bees, the hemolymph of non-infected bees treated with porphyrins had an 11.3- and 6.1-fold higher level of PO activity after the 24- and 48-h porphyrin administration, respectively. Notably, there was a significant inverse correlation between the PO activity and the AMP gene expression level (r = - 0.61696, p = 0.0143). The PO activity profile in the infected bees was completely opposite to that in the healthy bees (r = - 0.5118, p = 0.000), which was related to the changing load of N. ceranae spores in the porphyrin treated-bees. On day 12 post-infection, the spore loads in the infected porphyrin-fed individuals significantly decreased by 74%, compared with the control bees. Our findings show involvement of the honeybee immune system in the porphyrin-based control of Nosema infection. This allows the infected bees to improve their lifespan considerably by choosing an optimal PO activity/AMP expression variant to cope with the varying level of N. ceranae infection.
Collapse
|