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Frizzera D, Zanni V, Seffin E, de Miranda JR, Marroni F, Annoscia D, Nazzi F. Assessing lethal and sublethal effects of pesticides on honey bees in a multifactorial context. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 948:174892. [PMID: 39034005 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 07/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
The registration of novel pesticides that are subsequently banned because of their unexpected negative effects on non-target species can have a huge environmental impact. Therefore, the pre-emptive evaluation of the potential effects of new compounds is essential. To this aim both lethal and sublethal effects should be assessed in a realistic scenario including the other stressors that can interact with pesticides. However, laboratory studies addressing such interactive effects are rare, while standardized laboratory-based protocols focus on lethal effects and not on sub-lethal effects. We propose to assess both lethal and sublethal effects in a multifactorial context including the other stressors affecting the non-target species. We tested this approach by studying the impact on honey bees of the insecticide sulfoxaflor in combination with a common parasite, a sub-optimal temperature and food deprivation. We studied the survival and the transcriptome of honey bees, to assess both the lethal and the potential sublethal effects of the insecticide, respectively. With this method we show that a field realistic concentration of sulfoxaflor in food does not affect the survival of honey bees; however, the significant impact on some key genes indicates that sublethal effects are possible in a realistically complex scenario. Moreover, our results demonstrate the feasibility and reliability of a novel approach to hazard assessment considering the interactive effects of pesticides. We anticipate our approach to be a starting point for a paradigm shift in toxicology: from an unifactorial, mortality-centered assessment to a multifactorial, comprehensive approach. This is something of the utmost importance to preserve pollination, thus contributing to the sustainability of our food production system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Frizzera
- Dipartimento di Scienze AgroAlimentari, Ambientali e Animali, Università degli Studi di Udine, Udine, via delle Scienze 206, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Virginia Zanni
- Dipartimento di Scienze AgroAlimentari, Ambientali e Animali, Università degli Studi di Udine, Udine, via delle Scienze 206, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Elisa Seffin
- Dipartimento di Scienze AgroAlimentari, Ambientali e Animali, Università degli Studi di Udine, Udine, via delle Scienze 206, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | | | - Fabio Marroni
- Dipartimento di Scienze AgroAlimentari, Ambientali e Animali, Università degli Studi di Udine, Udine, via delle Scienze 206, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Desiderato Annoscia
- Dipartimento di Scienze AgroAlimentari, Ambientali e Animali, Università degli Studi di Udine, Udine, via delle Scienze 206, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Francesco Nazzi
- Dipartimento di Scienze AgroAlimentari, Ambientali e Animali, Università degli Studi di Udine, Udine, via delle Scienze 206, 33100 Udine, Italy.
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Kratz M, Manning R, Dods K, Baer B, Blache D. Nurse bees regulate the larval nutrition of developing workers (Apis mellifera) when feeding on various pollen types. JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2024; 117:683-695. [PMID: 38606526 PMCID: PMC11163459 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toae045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Nutrition has been identified as a key driver of colony health and productivity. Yet, in honey bees, relatively little is known about how the vast variety of natural pollen sources impact larval development. The impact of the nutritional quality of 4 naturally occurring pollen sources, of importance to the Western Australian beekeeping industry, was tested on honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) development. Bee packages consisting of 800 g of bees and a mated sister queen were assigned to 40 nucleus hives and randomly allocated to one of the 4 feed treatments (10 colonies each) of marri (Corymbia calophylla Lindl.), jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata Sm.), clover (Trifolium repens L.), and canola (Brassica napus L.) pollen. Emerging bees were collected once the first bees started hatching on the assigned feed sources. Newly emerging bees were weighed individually, and body composition was measured in batches according to the feed treatment groups. Food consumption was recorded for the duration of the experiment. Nurse bees successfully raised young adult workers from the larval stage until emergence when fed with one of 4 pollen patties with different nutritional qualities. There was no difference in the body composition or weight of emerging bees fed on the different pollen types. However, the body weight of bees increased over time, most likely related to colony size and structure. With the type of pollen patties having little impact on larval development, the availability of pollen may be more important than its composition, providing bees have access to all essential nutrients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madlen Kratz
- School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Bayliss Building (M316), Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- School of Agriculture and Environment (M087), University of Western Australia Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, 815 Tocal Road, Paterson, NSW 2421, Australia
| | - Robert Manning
- Formerly, Plant Biosecurity, Western Australian Department of Agriculture and Food, South Perth, WA 6151, Australia
- RMO Consultancy, 301 Forrest Road, Bibra lake, WA, Australia
| | - Kenneth Dods
- Formerly, ChemCentre, Resources and Chemistry Precinct, Bentley, WA, Australia
- SAGE Consultancy, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Boris Baer
- Center for Integrative Bee Research (CIBER), Department of Entomology, The University of California, Riverside, CA 92506, USA
| | - Dominique Blache
- School of Agriculture and Environment (M087), University of Western Australia Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
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Schmarsow R, Moliné MDLP, Damiani N, Domínguez E, Medici SK, Churio MS, Gende LB. Toxicity and sublethal effects of lead (Pb) intake on honey bees (Apis mellifera). CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 344:140345. [PMID: 37793549 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
Heavy metal pollution is becoming a worldwide problem affecting pollinators. The massive use of lead (Pb), the most harmful metal for the biosphere, in industries has increased the risk for honey bees. Pb exerts toxicity on living organisms inducing mainly oxidative stress. We assessed the toxicity and sublethal effects of Pb ingestion on protein content, catalase (CAT) activity, fat content and fatty acid (FA) profile of honey bee workers (Apis mellifera L.) under different nutritional conditions during chronic exposure tests. The LD50 was 15.13 ± 6.11 μg Pb2+/bee, similar to other reports. A single oral sublethal dose of 15 μg of Pb2+ affected the survival of bees fed with sugary food for ten days after Pb ingestion while supplementing the diet with bee bread improved Pb tolerance. The highest protein content was found in bees fed with the sugar paste and bee bread diet without Pb. CAT activity tended to decrease in bees of Pb groups independently of diet. Fat content was not affected by the diet type received by bees or Pb ingestion, but the FAs profile varied according to the nutritional quality of the diet. The results highlight that a single sublethal dose of Pb negatively affected the body proteins of bees despite the nutritional condition but did not disturb the FAs profile of workers. Nutrition plays an important role in preventing Pb-induced toxicity in honey bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Schmarsow
- Centro de Investigación en Abejas Sociales (CIAS), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (FCEyN), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (UNMDP), Funes 3350, 7600, Mar del Plata, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), CCT Mar del Plata, Moreno 3527 Piso 3, 7600, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - María de la Paz Moliné
- Centro de Investigación en Abejas Sociales (CIAS), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (FCEyN), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (UNMDP), Funes 3350, 7600, Mar del Plata, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), CCT Mar del Plata, Moreno 3527 Piso 3, 7600, Mar del Plata, Argentina; Instituto de Investigaciones en Producción, Sanidad y Ambiente (IIPROSAM). CONICET-UNMDP. Centro de Asociación Simple Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la provincia de Buenos Aires (CIC PBA), Funes 3350, 7600, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Natalia Damiani
- Centro de Investigación en Abejas Sociales (CIAS), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (FCEyN), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (UNMDP), Funes 3350, 7600, Mar del Plata, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), CCT Mar del Plata, Moreno 3527 Piso 3, 7600, Mar del Plata, Argentina; Instituto de Investigaciones en Producción, Sanidad y Ambiente (IIPROSAM). CONICET-UNMDP. Centro de Asociación Simple Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la provincia de Buenos Aires (CIC PBA), Funes 3350, 7600, Mar del Plata, Argentina.
| | - Enzo Domínguez
- Centro de Investigación en Abejas Sociales (CIAS), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (FCEyN), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (UNMDP), Funes 3350, 7600, Mar del Plata, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), CCT Mar del Plata, Moreno 3527 Piso 3, 7600, Mar del Plata, Argentina; Instituto de Investigaciones en Producción, Sanidad y Ambiente (IIPROSAM). CONICET-UNMDP. Centro de Asociación Simple Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la provincia de Buenos Aires (CIC PBA), Funes 3350, 7600, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Sandra Karina Medici
- Centro de Investigación en Abejas Sociales (CIAS), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (FCEyN), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (UNMDP), Funes 3350, 7600, Mar del Plata, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), CCT Mar del Plata, Moreno 3527 Piso 3, 7600, Mar del Plata, Argentina; Instituto de Investigaciones en Producción, Sanidad y Ambiente (IIPROSAM). CONICET-UNMDP. Centro de Asociación Simple Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la provincia de Buenos Aires (CIC PBA), Funes 3350, 7600, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - María Sandra Churio
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), CCT Mar del Plata, Moreno 3527 Piso 3, 7600, Mar del Plata, Argentina; Instituto de Investigaciones Físicas de Mar del Plata (IFIMAR). CONICET-UNMDP, Funes 3350, 7600, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Liesel Brenda Gende
- Centro de Investigación en Abejas Sociales (CIAS), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (FCEyN), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (UNMDP), Funes 3350, 7600, Mar del Plata, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), CCT Mar del Plata, Moreno 3527 Piso 3, 7600, Mar del Plata, Argentina; Instituto de Investigaciones en Producción, Sanidad y Ambiente (IIPROSAM). CONICET-UNMDP. Centro de Asociación Simple Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la provincia de Buenos Aires (CIC PBA), Funes 3350, 7600, Mar del Plata, Argentina
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Willcox BK, Potts SG, Brown MJF, Alix A, Al Naggar Y, Chauzat MP, Costa C, Gekière A, Hartfield C, Hatjina F, Knapp JL, Martínez-López V, Maus C, Metodiev T, Nazzi F, Osterman J, Raimets R, Strobl V, Van Oystaeyen A, Wintermantel D, Yovcheva N, Senapathi D. Emerging threats and opportunities to managed bee species in European agricultural systems: a horizon scan. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18099. [PMID: 37872212 PMCID: PMC10593766 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45279-w] [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: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Managed bee species provide essential pollination services that contribute to food security worldwide. However, managed bees face a diverse array of threats and anticipating these, and potential opportunities to reduce risks, is essential for the sustainable management of pollination services. We conducted a horizon scanning exercise with 20 experts from across Europe to identify emerging threats and opportunities for managed bees in European agricultural systems. An initial 63 issues were identified, and this was shortlisted to 21 issues through the horizon scanning process. These ranged from local landscape-level management to geopolitical issues on a continental and global scale across seven broad themes-Pesticides & pollutants, Technology, Management practices, Predators & parasites, Environmental stressors, Crop modification, and Political & trade influences. While we conducted this horizon scan within a European context, the opportunities and threats identified will likely be relevant to other regions. A renewed research and policy focus, especially on the highest-ranking issues, is required to maximise the value of these opportunities and mitigate threats to maintain sustainable and healthy managed bee pollinators within agricultural systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryony K Willcox
- Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AR, UK.
| | - Simon G Potts
- Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AR, UK
| | - Mark J F Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK
| | - Anne Alix
- Corteva Agriscience, Regulatory and Stewardship Europe, Middle East and Africa, Abingdon, UK
| | - Yahya Al Naggar
- General Zoology, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta, 31527, Egypt
- Unit of Bee Research and Honey Production, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, 61413, Abha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Marie-Pierre Chauzat
- ANSES, Sophia Antipolis Laboratory, Unit of Honey Bee Pathology, 06902, Sophia Antipolis, France
| | - Cecilia Costa
- CREA Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment, 40128, Bologna, Italy
| | - Antoine Gekière
- Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute for Biosciences, University of Mons, Mons, Belgium
| | - Chris Hartfield
- National Farmers' Union, Agriculture House, Stoneleigh Park, Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, CV8 2TZ, UK
| | - Fani Hatjina
- Department of Apiculture, Institute of Animal Science, ELGO 'DIMITRA', 63200, Nea Moudania, Greece
| | - Jessica L Knapp
- Department of Botany, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Vicente Martínez-López
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Murcia, 30100, Murcia, Spain
| | | | | | - Francesco Nazzi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agroalimentari, Ambientali e Animali, Università degli Studi di Udine, Udine, Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
| | - Julia Osterman
- Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Str. 4, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
- Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Risto Raimets
- Department of Plant Protection, Estonian University of Life Sciences, 51014, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Verena Strobl
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Dimitry Wintermantel
- Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Str. 4, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Deepa Senapathi
- Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AR, UK
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Sasidharan R, Junker RR, Eilers EJ, Müller C. Floral volatiles evoke partially similar responses in both florivores and pollinators and are correlated with non-volatile reward chemicals. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2023; 132:1-14. [PMID: 37220889 PMCID: PMC10550281 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcad064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plants often use floral displays to attract mutualists and prevent antagonist attacks. Chemical displays detectable from a distance include attractive or repellent floral volatile organic compounds (FVOCs). Locally, visitors perceive contact chemicals including nutrients but also deterrent or toxic constituents of pollen and nectar. The FVOC and pollen chemical composition can vary intra- and interspecifically. For certain pollinator and florivore species, responses to these compounds are studied in specific plant systems, yet we lack a synthesis of general patterns comparing these two groups and insights into potential correlations between FVOC and pollen chemodiversity. SCOPE We reviewed how FVOCs and non-volatile floral chemical displays, i.e. pollen nutrients and toxins, vary in composition and affect the detection by and behaviour of insect visitors. Moreover, we used meta-analyses to evaluate the detection of and responses to FVOCs by pollinators vs. florivores within the same plant genera. We also tested whether the chemodiversity of FVOCs, pollen nutrients and toxins is correlated, hence mutually informative. KEY RESULTS According to available data, florivores could detect more FVOCs than pollinators. Frequently tested FVOCs were often reported as pollinator-attractive and florivore-repellent. Among FVOCs tested on both visitor groups, there was a higher number of attractive than repellent compounds. FVOC and pollen toxin richness were negatively correlated, indicating trade-offs, whereas a marginal positive correlation between the amount of pollen protein and toxin richness was observed. CONCLUSIONS Plants face critical trade-offs, because floral chemicals mediate similar information to both mutualists and antagonists, particularly through attractive FVOCs, with fewer repellent FVOCs. Furthermore, florivores might detect more FVOCs, whose richness is correlated with the chemical richness of rewards. Chemodiversity of FVOCs is potentially informative of reward traits. To gain a better understanding of the ecological processes shaping floral chemical displays, more research is needed on floral antagonists of diverse plant species and on the role of floral chemodiversity in visitor responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohit Sasidharan
- Department of Chemical Ecology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Robert R Junker
- Department of Biology, Evolutionary Ecology of Plants, University of Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Straße 8, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- Department of Environment and Biodiversity, University of Salzburg, Kapitalgasse 4-6, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Elisabeth J Eilers
- Department of Chemical Ecology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
- CTL GmbH Bielefeld, Krackser Straße 12, 33659 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Caroline Müller
- Department of Chemical Ecology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
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Palmer-Young EC, Malfi R, Zhou Y, Joyce B, Whitehead H, Van Wyk JI, Baylis K, Grubbs K, Boncristiani DL, Evans JD, Irwin RE, Adler LS. Sunflower-Associated Reductions in Varroa Mite Infestation of Honey Bee Colonies. JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 116:68-77. [PMID: 36573405 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toac196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Landscapes can affect parasite epidemiology in wild and agricultural animals. Honey bees are threatened by loss of floral resources and by parasites, principally the mite Varroa destructor and the viruses it vectors. Existing mite control relies heavily on chemical treatments that can adversely affect bees. Alternative, pesticide-free control methods are needed to mitigate infestation with these ectoparasites. Many flowering plants provide nectar and pollen that confer resistance to parasites. Enrichment of landscapes with antiparasitic floral resources could therefore provide a sustainable means of parasite control in pollinators. Floral rewards of Asteraceae plants can reduce parasitic infection in diverse bee species, including honey and bumble bees. Here, we tested the effects of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) cropland and pollen supplementation on honey bee resistance to macro- and microparasites. Although sunflower had nonsignificant effects on microparasites, We found that increased sunflower pollen availability correlated with reduced Varroa mite infestation in landscapes and pollen-supplemented colonies. At the landscape level, each doubling of sunflower crop area was associated with a 28% reduction in mite infestation. In field trials, late-summer supplementation of colonies with sunflower pollen reduced mite infestation by 2.75-fold relative to artificial pollen. United States sunflower crop acreage has declined by 2% per year since 1980, however, suggesting reduced availability of this floral resource. Although further research is needed to determine whether the observed effects represent direct inhibition of mite fecundity or mite-limiting reductions in honey bee brood-rearing, our findings suggest the potential for sunflower plantings or pollen supplements to counteract a major driver of honey bee losses worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rosemary Malfi
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Yujun Zhou
- Department of Agricultural & Consumer Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana and Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Bryanna Joyce
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Hannah Whitehead
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Jennifer I Van Wyk
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Kathy Baylis
- Department of Agricultural & Consumer Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana and Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Kyle Grubbs
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, USA
| | | | - Jay D Evans
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, USA
| | - Rebecca E Irwin
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Lynn S Adler
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
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Pascual G, Silva D, Vargas M, Aranda M, Cañumir JA, López MD. Dietary Supplement of Grape Wastes Enhances Honeybee Immune System and Reduces Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) Load. Antioxidants (Basel) 2022; 12:antiox12010054. [PMID: 36670916 PMCID: PMC9855144 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12010054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Ingredients rich in phenolic compounds and antioxidants of winemaking wastes, which play an important role in the prevention of various diseases and the control of viruses, are being explored. Currently, there is a concern about honeybee population loss, with deformed wing virus (DWV) being the most common virus infecting apiaries and one of the main causes of honeybee decline. Hence, the effect of grape pomace powder (GPP) as a dietary supplement to enhance the immune system of honeybees affected by DWV was evaluated. The characteristics of the ingredient GPP, obtained by spray-drying, revealed a high anthocyanin content (1102.45 mg 100 g-1), and it was applied at doses of 0.5, 1, 2.5 and 5% as a dietary supplement for bees infected by DWV. The results showed that the GPP treatments strengthened the immune response of honeybees against DWV. Moreover, the expression of the Relish gene was significantly higher in bees fed with GPP compared to the infected control. This study, which is framed in the search of food waste valorization for environmental sustainability, proves the feasibility of using grape wastes as dietary supplements for pollinators, and provides knowledge of the influence of polyphenols on the expression profiles of immune-related genes in honeybees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Pascual
- Departamento de Producción Vegetal, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Concepción, Vicente Méndez #595, Chillán 3780000, Chile
| | - Diego Silva
- Departamento de Producción Vegetal, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Concepción, Vicente Méndez #595, Chillán 3780000, Chile
| | - Marisol Vargas
- Departamento de Producción Vegetal, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Concepción, Vicente Méndez #595, Chillán 3780000, Chile
| | - Mario Aranda
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Fármacos y Alimentos, Departamento de Farmacia, Facultad de Química y de Farmacia, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Macul, Santiago 7810000, Chile
| | - Juan Antonio Cañumir
- Laboratorio de Bioprocesos, Departamento de Agroindustría, Facultad de Ingenería Agrícola, Universidad de Concepción, Vicente Méndez #595, Chillán 3780000, Chile
| | - María Dolores López
- Departamento de Producción Vegetal, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Concepción, Vicente Méndez #595, Chillán 3780000, Chile
- Correspondence:
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Dostálková S, Kodrík D, Simone-Finstrom M, Petřivalský M, Danihlík J. Fine-scale assessment of Chlorella syrup as a nutritional supplement for honey bee colonies. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.1028037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat loss, climate change, and global agriculture have a non-negligible effect on the reduced abundance and diversity of floral resources. Malnutrition and nutritional stress are consequences of the combination of these factors with considerable impact on honey bee health and colony losses. The solution to inadequate natural sources for beekeeping is the additional feeding of honey bee colonies with food supplements. The algae Chlorella is a natural food source, with a nutrient profile similar to natural pollen, thus it has promising application in beekeeping. We evaluated Chlorella vulgaris syrup as a dietary supplement in the view of the oxidative stress that may be caused by long term administration to the colonies. Consuming Chlorella syrup did not influence the activity of digestive enzymes of summer honey bee workers, however, lipase activity insignificantly increased. After Chlorella application to colonies, we also observed insignificantly higher gene expression of antioxidant enzymes catalase and superoxid dismutase1 in adult workers; however, in larvae the expression of those genes was not affected. Surprisingly, the gene expression did not correspond with enzyme activity in adult bee abdomens. In Chlorella fed colonies, we recorded a higher concentration of vitellogenin, which plays multiple roles in honey bee physiology, i.e., antioxidant, storage protein, or immunity-related functions. Our new findings brought evidence that Chlorella did not negatively affect the digestion or oxidative balance of honey bees, thus its application as a pollen supplement can be fully recommended for maintaining the health of honey bee colonies during periods of dearth.
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9
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Penn HJ, Simone-Finstrom MD, de Guzman LI, Tokarz PG, Dickens R. Viral species differentially influence macronutrient preferences based on honey bee genotype. Biol Open 2022; 11:bio059039. [PMID: 36082847 PMCID: PMC9548382 DOI: 10.1242/bio.059039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Food quantity and macronutrients contribute to honey bee health and colony survival by mediating immune responses. We determined if this held true for bees injected with chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV) and deformed wing virus (DWV), two common honey bee ssRNA viruses. Pollen-substitute diet and syrup consumption rates and macronutrient preferences of two Varroa-resistant stocks (Pol-Line and Russian bees) were compared to Varroa-susceptible Italian bees. Bee stocks varied in consumption, where Italian bees consumed more than Pol-Line and Russian bees. However, the protein: lipid (P:L) ratios of diet consumed by the Italian and Russian bees was greater than that of the Pol-Line bees. Treatment had different effects on consumption based on the virus injected. CBPV was positively correlated with syrup consumption, while DWV was not correlated with consumption. P:L ratios of consumed diet were significantly impacted by the interaction of bee stock and treatment, with the trends differing between CBPV and DWV. Variation in macronutrient preferences based on viral species may indicate differences in energetic costs associated with immune responses to infections impacting different systems. Further, virus species interacted with bee genotype, indicating different mechanisms of viral resistance or tolerance among honey bee genotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah J. Penn
- USDA ARS Sugarcane Research Unit, 5883 Usda Rd., Houma, LA, USA70360-5578
| | - Michael D. Simone-Finstrom
- USDA ARS Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Laboratory, 1157 Ben Hur Rd., Baton Rouge, LA, USA70820-5502
| | - Lilia I. de Guzman
- USDA ARS Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Laboratory, 1157 Ben Hur Rd., Baton Rouge, LA, USA70820-5502
| | - Philip G. Tokarz
- USDA ARS Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Laboratory, 1157 Ben Hur Rd., Baton Rouge, LA, USA70820-5502
| | - Rachel Dickens
- USDA ARS Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Laboratory, 1157 Ben Hur Rd., Baton Rouge, LA, USA70820-5502
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10
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Breda D, Frizzera D, Giordano G, Seffin E, Zanni V, Annoscia D, Topping CJ, Blanchini F, Nazzi F. A deeper understanding of system interactions can explain contradictory field results on pesticide impact on honey bees. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5720. [PMID: 36175425 PMCID: PMC9523045 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33405-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
While there is widespread concern regarding the impact of pesticides on honey bees, well-replicated field experiments, to date, have failed to provide clear insights on pesticide effects. Here, we adopt a systems biology approach to gain insights into the web of interactions amongst the factors influencing honey bee health. We put the focus on the properties of the system that depend upon its architecture and not on the strength, often unknown, of each single interaction. Then we test in vivo, on caged honey bees, the predictions derived from this modelling analysis. We show that the impact of toxic compounds on honey bee health can be shaped by the concurrent stressors affecting bees. We demonstrate that the immune-suppressive capacity of the widespread pathogen of bees, deformed wing virus, can introduce a critical positive feed-back loop in the system causing bistability, i.e., two stable equilibria. Therefore, honey bees under similar initial conditions can experience different consequences when exposed to the same stressor, including prolonged survival or premature death. The latter can generate an increased vulnerability of the hive to dwindling and collapse. Our conclusions reconcile contrasting field-testing outcomes and have important implications for the application of field studies to complex systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitri Breda
- Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche, Informatiche e Fisiche, Università degli Studi di Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Davide Frizzera
- Dipartimento di Scienze AgroAlimentari, Ambientali e Animali, Università degli Studi di Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Giulia Giordano
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale, Università degli Studi di Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Elisa Seffin
- Dipartimento di Scienze AgroAlimentari, Ambientali e Animali, Università degli Studi di Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Virginia Zanni
- Dipartimento di Scienze AgroAlimentari, Ambientali e Animali, Università degli Studi di Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Desiderato Annoscia
- Dipartimento di Scienze AgroAlimentari, Ambientali e Animali, Università degli Studi di Udine, Udine, Italy
| | | | - Franco Blanchini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche, Informatiche e Fisiche, Università degli Studi di Udine, Udine, Italy.
| | - Francesco Nazzi
- Dipartimento di Scienze AgroAlimentari, Ambientali e Animali, Università degli Studi di Udine, Udine, Italy.
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11
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Paxton RJ, Schäfer MO, Nazzi F, Zanni V, Annoscia D, Marroni F, Bigot D, Laws-Quinn ER, Panziera D, Jenkins C, Shafiey H. Epidemiology of a major honey bee pathogen, deformed wing virus: potential worldwide replacement of genotype A by genotype B. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2022; 18:157-171. [PMID: 35592272 PMCID: PMC9112108 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2022.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The western honey bee (Apis mellifera) is of major economic and ecological importance, with elevated rates of colony losses in temperate regions over the last two decades thought to be largely caused by the exotic ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor and deformed wing virus (DWV), which the mite transmits. DWV currently exists as two main genotypes: the formerly widespread DWV-A and the more recently described and rapidly expanding DWV-B. It is an excellent system to understand viral evolution and the replacement of one viral variant by another. Here we synthesise published results on the distribution and prevalence of DWV-A and -B over the period 2008-2021 and present novel data for Germany, Italy and the UK to suggest that (i) DWV-B has rapidly expanded worldwide since its first description in 2004 and (ii) that it is potentially replacing DWV-A. Both genotypes are also found in wild bee species. Based on a simple mathematical model, we suggest that interference between viral genotypes when co-infecting the same host is key to understanding their epidemiology. We finally discuss the consequences of genotype replacement for beekeeping and for wild pollinator species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J. Paxton
- General Zoology, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstrasse 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Marc O. Schäfer
- Institute of Infectology Medicine, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald, Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Francesco Nazzi
- Dipartimento di Scienze AgroAlimentari, Ambientali e Animali, Università degli Studi di Udine, Via delle Scienze 206, 33100, Udine, Italy
| | - Virginia Zanni
- Dipartimento di Scienze AgroAlimentari, Ambientali e Animali, Università degli Studi di Udine, Via delle Scienze 206, 33100, Udine, Italy
| | - Desiderato Annoscia
- Dipartimento di Scienze AgroAlimentari, Ambientali e Animali, Università degli Studi di Udine, Via delle Scienze 206, 33100, Udine, Italy
| | - Fabio Marroni
- Dipartimento di Scienze AgroAlimentari, Ambientali e Animali, Università degli Studi di Udine, Via delle Scienze 206, 33100, Udine, Italy
| | - Diane Bigot
- General Zoology, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Eoin R. Laws-Quinn
- General Zoology, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Delphine Panziera
- General Zoology, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Christina Jenkins
- General Zoology, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Hassan Shafiey
- General Zoology, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstrasse 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
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12
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Penn HJ, Simone-Finstrom MD, de Guzman LI, Tokarz PG, Dickens R. Colony-Level Viral Load Influences Collective Foraging in Honey Bees. FRONTIERS IN INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 2:894482. [PMID: 38468777 PMCID: PMC10926460 DOI: 10.3389/finsc.2022.894482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Nutrition is an important component of social insect colony health especially in the face of stressors such as parasitism and viral infections. Honey bees are known to preferentially select nectar and pollen based on macronutrient and phytochemical contents and in response to pathogen loads. However, given that honey bees live in colonies, collective foraging decisions may be impacted directly by forager infection status but also by colony health. This field experiment was conducted to determine if honey bee viral infections are correlated with pollen and nectar foraging and if these associations are impacted more by colony or forager infection. By comparing regressions with and without forager and colony variables and through structural equation models, we were able to determine the relative contributions of colony and forager virus loads on forager decisions. We found that foragers had higher numbers and levels of BQCV and CBPV but lower levels of DWV viruses than their respective colonies. Overall, individuals appeared to forage based a combination of their own and colony health but with greater weight given to colony metrics. Colony parasitism by Varroa mites, positively correlated with both forager and colony DWV-B levels, was negatively associated with nectar weight. Further, colony DWV-B levels were negatively associated with individually foraged pollen protein: lipid ratios but positively correlated with nectar weight and sugar content. This study shows that both colony and forager health can simultaneously mediate individual foraging decisions and that the importance of viral infections and parasite levels varies with foraging metrics. Overall, this work highlights the continued need to explore the interactions of disease, nutrition, and genetics in social interactions and structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah J. Penn
- USDA ARS, Sugarcane Research Unit, Houma, LA, United States
| | - Michael D. Simone-Finstrom
- USDA ARS, Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Research Laboratory, Baton Rouge, LA, United States
| | - Lilia I. de Guzman
- USDA ARS, Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Research Laboratory, Baton Rouge, LA, United States
| | - Philip G. Tokarz
- USDA ARS, Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Research Laboratory, Baton Rouge, LA, United States
| | - Rachel Dickens
- USDA ARS, Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Research Laboratory, Baton Rouge, LA, United States
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13
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Frizzera D, Ray AM, Seffin E, Zanni V, Annoscia D, Grozinger CM, Nazzi F. The Beneficial Effect of Pollen on Varroa Infested Bees Depends on Its Influence on Behavioral Maturation Genes. FRONTIERS IN INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 2:864238. [PMID: 38468781 PMCID: PMC10926424 DOI: 10.3389/finsc.2022.864238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Honey bees collect nectar and pollen to fulfill their nutritional demands. In particular, pollen can influence longevity, the development of hypopharyngeal glands, and immune-competence of bees. Pollen can also mitigate the deleterious effects caused by the parasitic mite Varroa destructor and related deformed wing virus (DWV) infections. It has been shown that V. destructor accelerates the physiological and behavioral maturation of honey bees by influencing the interaction between two core physiological factors, Vitellogenin and juvenile hormone. In this study, we test the hypothesis that the beneficial effects of pollen on Varroa-infested bees are related to the hormonal control underpinning behavioral maturation. By analyzing the expression of genes associated to behavioral maturation in pollen-fed mite-infested bees, we show that treatment with pollen increases the lifespan of mite-infested bees by reversing the faster maturation induced by the parasite at the gene expression level. As expected, from the different immune-competence of nurse and forager bees, the lifespan extension triggered by pollen is also correlated with a positive influence of antimicrobial peptide gene expression and DWV load, further reinforcing the beneficial effect of pollen. This study lay the groundwork for future analyses of the underlying evolutionary processes and applications to improve bee health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Frizzera
- Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences (DI4A), University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Allyson M. Ray
- Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Biosciences Graduate Program, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Elisa Seffin
- Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences (DI4A), University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Virginia Zanni
- Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences (DI4A), University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Desiderato Annoscia
- Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences (DI4A), University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Christina M. Grozinger
- Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Biosciences Graduate Program, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Francesco Nazzi
- Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences (DI4A), University of Udine, Udine, Italy
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14
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Bennett MM, Welchert AC, Carroll M, Shafir S, Smith B, Corby-Harris V. Unbalanced fatty acid diets impair discrimination ability of honey bee workers to damaged and healthy brood odors. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:274972. [PMID: 35332922 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.244103] [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: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Nutrition supports social insect colonies by regulating both individual performance and colony growth. In honey bee colonies, task-related behaviors such as nursing and foraging are partially mediated by nutrition. Young workers (nurses) consume almost all of the pollen in the hive, while foragers consume mostly nectar. Pollen provides vital proteins and lipids, consumed by nurse bees for approximately one week post eclosion. The role that lipids play in the physiology and behavior of adult bees is gaining significant attention. Recent research suggests that diets with balanced ratios of fatty acids increase olfactory learning in honey bees. Olfaction is crucial for young worker bees to perform brood care and cell cleaning behaviors, which is important for hive health and disease control. Thus, we targeted the early adult, pollen feeding stage to examine how fatty acids affect cognition to hive-relevant odors. We fed young workers (days 0-9) diets balanced or unbalanced in their ratio of essential fatty acids (ω-6:3) sourced from pollen or cooking oils. We then measured their ability to learn healthy and damaged brood odors, as well as their ability to discriminate between the two. Workers fed balanced diets could learn and discriminate between brood odors better than workers fed unbalanced diets. Consumption of both diet types decreased with age, but their cognitive effects remained. These results suggest that diet affects young worker cognitive development, which may affect task-related behaviors and colony hygiene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan M Bennett
- USDA-ARS Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, 2000 East Allen Road, Tucson, Arizona, 85719, USA
| | - Ashley C Welchert
- USDA-ARS Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, 2000 East Allen Road, Tucson, Arizona, 85719, USA
| | - Mark Carroll
- USDA-ARS Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, 2000 East Allen Road, Tucson, Arizona, 85719, USA
| | - Sharoni Shafir
- B. Triwaks Bee Research Center, Department of Entomology, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food & Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Brian Smith
- Arizona State University, School of Life Sciences, Social Insect Research Group, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Vanessa Corby-Harris
- USDA-ARS Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, 2000 East Allen Road, Tucson, Arizona, 85719, USA
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15
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Barascou L, Sene D, Barraud A, Michez D, Lefebvre V, Medrzycki P, Di Prisco G, Strobl V, Yañez O, Neumann P, Le Conte Y, Alaux C. Pollen nutrition fosters honeybee tolerance to pesticides. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:210818. [PMID: 34540259 PMCID: PMC8437229 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/10/2021] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
A reduction in floral resource abundance and diversity is generally observed in agro-ecosystems, along with widespread exposure to pesticides. Therefore, a better understanding on how the availability and quality of pollen diets can modulate honeybee sensitivity to pesticides is required. For that purpose, we evaluated the toxicity of acute exposure and chronic exposures to field realistic and higher concentrations of azoxystrobin (fungicide) and sulfoxaflor (insecticide) in honeybees provided with pollen diets of differing qualities (named S and BQ pollens). We found that pollen intake reduced the toxicity of the acute doses of pesticides. Contrary to azoxystrobin, chronic exposures to sulfoxaflor increased by 1.5- to 12-fold bee mortality, which was reduced by pollen intake. Most importantly, the risk of death upon exposure to a high concentration of sulfoxaflor was significantly lower for the S pollen diet when compared with the BQ pollen diet. This reduced pesticide toxicity was associated with a higher gene expression of vitellogenin, a glycoprotein that promotes bee longevity, a faster sulfoxaflor metabolization and a lower concentration of the phytochemical p-coumaric acid, known to upregulate detoxification enzymes. Thus, our study revealed that pollen quality can influence the ability of bees to metabolize pesticides and withstand their detrimental effects, providing another strong argument for the restoration of suitable foraging habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Deborah Sene
- INRAE, Abeilles et Environnement, Avignon, France
| | - Alexandre Barraud
- Research Institute for Biosciences, Laboratory of Zoology, University of Mons, Place du Parc 20, 7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Denis Michez
- Research Institute for Biosciences, Laboratory of Zoology, University of Mons, Place du Parc 20, 7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Victor Lefebvre
- Research Institute for Biosciences, Laboratory of Zoology, University of Mons, Place du Parc 20, 7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Piotr Medrzycki
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics—Agriculture and Environment Research Centre, Via di Corticella 133, 40128 Bologna, Italy
| | - Gennaro Di Prisco
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics—Agriculture and Environment Research Centre, Via di Corticella 133, 40128 Bologna, Italy
- Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, National Research-Council, Piazzale Enrico Fermi 1, 80055 Portici, Naples, Italy
| | - Verena Strobl
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Orlando Yañez
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Peter Neumann
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Cedric Alaux
- INRAE, Abeilles et Environnement, Avignon, France
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16
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Kabbani N, Olds JL. Nicotinic receptor targeting in physiological and environmental vulnerability: A whole of biosphere perspective. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 780:146642. [PMID: 34001335 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
We propose a biosphere model of convergent interactions between nicotine and neonicotinoids (neonics) within a related framework of nicotinic receptor targeting agents (NrTA) across the globe. We explore how rising global trends in the use nicotine as well as neonics impacts vulnerability, within and across species, and posit that evolutionary conservation at the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) provides an operational strategy map for pathogens and disease. Furthermore, we examine the effects of NrTA exposure on balance within extant and developing ecological niches, food chains, and human societies. We advocate for a global strategy for biomonitoring across agriculture, wildlife, and human centers. Such a strategy would relate emergent pathogenic and infectious diseases, amongst others, along a tractable biological stress pathway. This new framework aims to better prepare society in the face of emergent pandemics through 1. identifying primary chemical drivers that can impact emergent diseases; 2. outlining data-driven strategy options for health and environmental policy decision makers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Kabbani
- School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, USA.
| | - James L Olds
- Schar School for Policy and Government, George Mason University, USA
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17
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Tropilaelaps mercedesae parasitism changes behavior and gene expression in honey bee workers. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009684. [PMID: 34237116 PMCID: PMC8266070 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Tropilaelaps mercedesae is one of the most problematic honey bee parasites and has become more threatening to the beekeeping industry. Tropilaelaps can easily parasitize immature honey bees (larvae and pupae) and have both lethal and sublethal effects on the individual worker bees. Our study for the first time experimentally assessed the effects of T. mercedesae on olfactory learning, flight ability, homing ability as well as transcriptional changes in parasitized adult honey bees. T. mercedesae infestation had negative impacts on olfactory associated function, flight ability, and homing rate. The volume of the mushroom body significantly increased in infested honey bees, which may be correlated to the lower sucrose responsiveness as well as lower learning ability in the infested bees. The gene expression involved in immune systems and carbohydrate transport and metabolism were significantly different between infested bees and non-infested bees. Moreover, genes function in cell adhesion play an essential role in olfactory sensory in honey bees. Our findings provide a comprehensive understanding of European honey bees in response to T. mercedesae infestation, and could be used to further investigate the complex molecular mechanisms in honey bees under parasitic stress. In recent decades, there has been serious concern about the decline of honey bees in the world. One of the most serious factors contributing to bee population declines is mite parasitism. Although Varroa destructor is the most widespread globally, Tropilaelaps mercedesae displays greater threat to bee colonies due to its smaller size, shorter phoretic phase, more rapid locomotion, as well as faster reproductive rate. Tropilaelaps mites, originally parasite of the giant Asian honey bees, now becoming an emerging threat of European honey bees (Apis mellifera) in Asian area. This work aimed to investigate the influence of T. mercedesae infestation on behavior and gene expression in A. mellifera. Our results highlight the T. mercedesae infestation induced negative effects of olfactory learning, flight ability, homing ability of honey bee workers. Moreover, we found that T. mercedesae infestation caused the up-regulation of genes involved in immune systems and carbohydrate mechanism which were correlated to the different olfactory learning performance in infested honeybee. In addition, genes function in cell adhesion play an essential role in olfactory sensory in honey bees. Our results increase the knowledge of proximate mechanisms in honey bee responding to parasitic stress.
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18
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Guo Y, Diao QY, Dai PL, Wang Q, Hou CS, Liu YJ, Zhang L, Luo QH, Wu YY, Gao J. The Effects of Exposure to Flupyradifurone on Survival, Development, and Foraging Activity of Honey Bees ( Apis mellifera L.) under Field Conditions. INSECTS 2021; 12:357. [PMID: 33923512 PMCID: PMC8074100 DOI: 10.3390/insects12040357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Flupyradifurone (FPF) is a novel systemic nAChR agonist that interferes with signal transduction in the central nervous system of sucking pests. Despite claims that FPF is potentially "bee-safe" by risk assessments, laboratory data have suggested that FPF has multiple sub-lethal effects on individual honey bees. Our study aimed to expand the studies to the effects of field-realistic concentration of FPF. We found a statistically significant decrease in the survival rate of honey bees exposed to FPF, whereas there were no significantly negative effects on larvae development durations nor foraging activity. In addition, we found that the exposed foragers showed significantly higher expression of ApidNT, CYP9Q2, CYP9Q3, and AmInR-2 compared to the CK group (control group), but no alteration in the gene expression was observed in larvae. The exposed newly emerged bees showed significantly higher expression of Defensin and ApidNT. These results indicate that the chronic exposure to the field-realistic concentration of FPF has negligible effects, but more important synergistic and behavioral effects that can affect colony fitness should be explored in the future, considering the wide use of FPF on crops pollinated and visited by honey bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Guo
- Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing 100093, China; (Y.G.); (Q.-Y.D.); (P.-L.D.); (Q.W.); (C.-S.H.); (Y.-J.L.); (L.Z.)
| | - Qing-Yun Diao
- Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing 100093, China; (Y.G.); (Q.-Y.D.); (P.-L.D.); (Q.W.); (C.-S.H.); (Y.-J.L.); (L.Z.)
| | - Ping-Li Dai
- Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing 100093, China; (Y.G.); (Q.-Y.D.); (P.-L.D.); (Q.W.); (C.-S.H.); (Y.-J.L.); (L.Z.)
| | - Qiang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing 100093, China; (Y.G.); (Q.-Y.D.); (P.-L.D.); (Q.W.); (C.-S.H.); (Y.-J.L.); (L.Z.)
| | - Chun-Sheng Hou
- Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing 100093, China; (Y.G.); (Q.-Y.D.); (P.-L.D.); (Q.W.); (C.-S.H.); (Y.-J.L.); (L.Z.)
| | - Yong-Jun Liu
- Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing 100093, China; (Y.G.); (Q.-Y.D.); (P.-L.D.); (Q.W.); (C.-S.H.); (Y.-J.L.); (L.Z.)
| | - Li Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing 100093, China; (Y.G.); (Q.-Y.D.); (P.-L.D.); (Q.W.); (C.-S.H.); (Y.-J.L.); (L.Z.)
| | - Qi-Hua Luo
- Bureau of Landscape and Forestry, Miyun District, Beijing 101500, China;
| | - Yan-Yan Wu
- Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing 100093, China; (Y.G.); (Q.-Y.D.); (P.-L.D.); (Q.W.); (C.-S.H.); (Y.-J.L.); (L.Z.)
| | - Jing Gao
- Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing 100093, China; (Y.G.); (Q.-Y.D.); (P.-L.D.); (Q.W.); (C.-S.H.); (Y.-J.L.); (L.Z.)
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19
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Crone MK, Grozinger CM. Pollen protein and lipid content influence resilience to insecticides in honey bees ( Apis mellifera). J Exp Biol 2021; 224:jeb.242040. [PMID: 33758024 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.242040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
In honey bees (Apis mellifera), there is growing evidence that the impacts of multiple stressors can be mitigated by quality nutrition. Pollen, which is the primary source of protein and lipids in bees diets, is particularly critical for generating more resilient phenotypes. Here, we evaluate the relationship between pollen protein-to-lipid ratios (P:Ls) and honey bee insecticide resilience. We hypothesized that pollen diets richer in lipids would lead to increased survival in bees exposed to insecticides, as pollen-derived lipids have previously been shown to improve bee resilience to pathogens and parasites. Furthermore, lipid metabolic processes are altered in bees exposed to insecticides.We fed age-matched bees pollen diets of different P:Ls by altering a base pollen by either adding protein (casein powder) or lipids (canola oil) and simulating chronic insecticide exposure by feeding bees an organophosphate (Chlorpyrifos). We also tested pollen diets of naturally different P:Ls to determine if results are consistent. Linear regression analysis revealed that mean survival time for altered diets was best explained by protein concentration (p =0.04 , adjusted R2 =0.92), and that mean survival time for natural diets was best explained by P:L ratio (p =0.008 , adjusted R2 =0.93). Our results indicate that higher ratios of dietary protein to lipid has a negative effect on bee physiology when combined with insecticide exposure, while lower ratios have a positive effect. These results suggest that protein and lipid intake differentially influence insecticide response in bees, laying the groundwork for future studies of metabolic processes and development of improved diets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makaylee K Crone
- Intercollege Graduate Program in Ecology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, USA
| | - Christina M Grozinger
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, USA
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20
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DeGrandi-Hoffman G, Corby-Harris V, Chen Y, Graham H, Chambers M, Watkins deJong E, Ziolkowski N, Kang Y, Gage S, Deeter M, Simone-Finstrom M, de Guzman L. Can supplementary pollen feeding reduce varroa mite and virus levels and improve honey bee colony survival? EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2020; 82:455-473. [PMID: 33125599 PMCID: PMC7686192 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-020-00562-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Varroa destructor is an ectoparasitic mite of immature and adult honey bees that can transmit several single-stranded RNA viruses to its host. Varroa reproduce in brood cells, and mite populations increase as colonies produce brood in spring and summer. Mite numbers also can sharply rise, particularly in the fall, by the migration of varroa into hives on foragers. Colonies with high levels of varroa and viruses often die over the winter. Feeding colonies pollen might keep virus levels low and improve survival because of the positive effects of pollen on immunity and colony growth. We compared varroa and virus levels and overwinter survival in colonies with (fed) and without (unfed) supplemental pollen. We also measured the frequency of capturing foragers with mites (FWM) at colony entrances to determine its relationship to varroa and virus levels. Colonies fed supplemental pollen were larger than unfed colonies and survived longer. Varroa populations and levels of Deformed wing virus (DWV) rose throughout the season, and were similar between fed and unfed colonies. The growth of varroa populations was correlated with FWM in fed and unfed colonies, and significantly affected DWV levels. Increasing frequencies of FWM and the effects on varroa populations might reduce the positive influence of supplemental pollen on immune function. However, pollen feeding can stimulate colony growth and this can improve colony survival.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Yun Kang
- Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
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21
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Yañez O, Chávez-Galarza J, Tellgren-Roth C, Pinto MA, Neumann P, de Miranda JR. The honeybee (Apis mellifera) developmental state shapes the genetic composition of the deformed wing virus-A quasispecies during serial transmission. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5956. [PMID: 32249797 PMCID: PMC7136270 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-62673-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The main biological threat to the western honeybee (Apis mellifera) is the parasitic mite Varroa destructor, largely because it vectors lethal epidemics of honeybee viruses that, in the absence of this mite, are relatively innocuous. The severe pathology is a direct consequence of excessive virus titres caused by this novel transmission route. However, little is known about how the virus adapts genetically during transmission and whether this influences the pathology. Here, we show that upon injection into honeybee pupae, the deformed wing virus type-A (DWV-A) quasispecies undergoes a rapid, extensive expansion of its sequence space, followed by strong negative selection towards a uniform, common shape by the time the pupae have completed their development, with no difference between symptomatic and asymptomatic adults in either DWV titre or genetic composition. This suggests that the physiological and molecular environment during pupal development has a strong, conservative influence on shaping the DWV-A quasispecies in emerging adults. There was furthermore no evidence of any progressive adaptation of the DWV-A quasispecies to serial intra-abdominal injection, simulating mite transmission, despite the generation of ample variation immediately following each transmission, suggesting that the virus either had already adapted to transmission by injection, or was unaffected by it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orlando Yañez
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, CH-3000, Switzerland
| | - Julio Chávez-Galarza
- Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Sta. Apolónia, 5300-253, Bragança, Portugal
- Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agraria (INIA), Av. La Molina, 1981, Lima, Perú
| | | | - M Alice Pinto
- Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Sta. Apolónia, 5300-253, Bragança, Portugal
| | - Peter Neumann
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, CH-3000, Switzerland
| | - Joachim R de Miranda
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, 750 07, Sweden.
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22
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Ruedenauer FA, Raubenheimer D, Kessner-Beierlein D, Grund-Mueller N, Noack L, Spaethe J, Leonhardt SD. Best be(e) on low fat: linking nutrient perception, regulation and fitness. Ecol Lett 2020; 23:545-554. [PMID: 31943632 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Revised: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Preventing malnutrition through consuming nutritionally appropriate resources represents a challenge for foraging animals. This is due to often high variation in the nutritional quality of available resources. Foragers consequently need to evaluate different food sources. However, even the same food source can provide a plethora of nutritional and non-nutritional cues, which could serve for quality assessment. We show that bumblebees, Bombus terrestris, overcome this challenge by relying on lipids as nutritional cue when selecting pollen. The bees 'prioritised' lipid perception in learning experiments and avoided lipid consumption in feeding experiments, which supported survival and reproduction. In contrast, survival and reproduction were severely reduced by increased lipid contents. Our study highlights the importance of fat regulation for pollen foraging bumblebees. It also reveals that nutrient perception, nutrient regulation and reproductive fitness can be linked, which represents an effective strategy enabling quick foraging decisions that prevent malnutrition and maximise fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian A Ruedenauer
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biozentrum, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany.,Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - David Raubenheimer
- The Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Daniela Kessner-Beierlein
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biozentrum, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Nils Grund-Mueller
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biozentrum, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Lisa Noack
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biozentrum, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Johannes Spaethe
- Department of Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology, Biozentrum, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sara D Leonhardt
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biozentrum, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany.,Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
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23
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Alger SA, Burnham PA, Brody AK. Flowers as viral hot spots: Honey bees (Apis mellifera) unevenly deposit viruses across plant species. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0221800. [PMID: 31532764 PMCID: PMC6750573 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0221800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
RNA viruses, once considered specific to honey bees, are suspected of spilling over from managed bees into wild pollinators; however, transmission routes are largely unknown. A widely accepted yet untested hypothesis states that flowers serve as bridges in the transmission of viruses between bees. Here, using a series of controlled experiments with captive bee colonies, we examined the role of flowers in bee virus transmission. We first examined if honey bees deposit viruses on flowers and whether bumble bees become infected after visiting contaminated flowers. We then examined whether plant species differ in their propensity to harbor viruses and if bee visitation rates increase the likelihood of virus deposition on flowers. Our experiment demonstrated, for the first time, that honey bees deposit viruses on flowers. However, the two viruses we examined, black queen cell virus (BQCV) and deformed wing virus (DWV), were not equally distributed across plant species, suggesting that differences in floral traits, virus ecology and/or foraging behavior may mediate the likelihood of deposition. Bumble bees did not become infected after visiting flowers previously visited by honey bees suggesting that transmission via flowers may be a rare occurrence and contingent on multiplicative factors and probabilities such as infectivity of virus strain across bee species, immunocompetence, virus virulence, virus load, and the probability a bumble bee will contact a virus particle on a flower. Our study is among the first to experimentally examine the role of flowers in bee virus transmission and uncovers promising avenues for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha A. Alger
- Biology Department, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - P. Alexander Burnham
- Biology Department, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
| | - Alison K. Brody
- Biology Department, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
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24
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Barroso-Arévalo S, Fernández-Carrión E, Goyache J, Molero F, Puerta F, Sánchez-Vizcaíno JM. High Load of Deformed Wing Virus and Varroa destructor Infestation Are Related to Weakness of Honey Bee Colonies in Southern Spain. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1331. [PMID: 31258521 PMCID: PMC6587608 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Many factors, including pathogens, contribute to the continuing losses of colonies of the honey bee Apis mellifera, which has led to steady population decline. In particular, colony losses have been linked to deformed wing virus (DWV) and the Varroa destructor mite. To clarify the potential role of these two pathogens in honey bee colony weakening and loss, we sampled colonies in southern Spain during a 21-month period and analyzed the samples for loads of four viruses and varroa. Loads of DWV and black queen cell virus as well as varroa infestation negatively correlated with colony vigor as measured using the subjective colony strength method. Logistic regression identified varroa and DWV as the main factors involved in colony weakening. Our results confirm that varroa and DWV play a key role in triggering colony weakening in southern Spain and provide evidence that experienced beekeepers’ and technicians’ assessments of colony vigor can accurately estimate colony strength.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Barroso-Arévalo
- Animal Health Department, VISAVET Centre, Veterinary School, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Eduardo Fernández-Carrión
- Animal Health Department, VISAVET Centre, Veterinary School, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Joaquín Goyache
- Animal Health Department, VISAVET Centre, Veterinary School, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando Molero
- Apicultural Reference Center in Andalusia (CERA), Andalusia, Spain
| | - Francisco Puerta
- Apicultural Reference Center in Andalusia (CERA), Andalusia, Spain
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25
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de Roode JC, Hunter MD. Self-medication in insects: when altered behaviors of infected insects are a defense instead of a parasite manipulation. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 33:1-6. [PMID: 31358187 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2018.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Revised: 12/05/2018] [Accepted: 12/07/2018] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Studies have demonstrated that medication behaviors by insects are much more common than previously thought. Bees, ants, flies, and butterflies can use a wide range of toxic and nutritional compounds to medicate themselves or their genetic kin. Medication occurs either in response to active infection (therapy) or high infection risk (prophylaxis), and can be used to increase resistance or tolerance to infection. While much progress has been made over the last few years, there are also key areas that require in-depth investigation. These include quantifying the costs of medication, especially at the colony level of social insects, and formulating theoretical models that can predict the role of infection risk in driving micro-evolutionary and macro-evolutionary patterns of animal medication behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacobus C de Roode
- Department of Biology, Emory University, 1510 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States.
| | - Mark D Hunter
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, 1105 N University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
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26
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Rutter L, Carrillo-Tripp J, Bonning BC, Cook D, Toth AL, Dolezal AG. Transcriptomic responses to diet quality and viral infection in Apis mellifera. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:412. [PMID: 31117959 PMCID: PMC6532243 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-5767-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2018] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Parts of Europe and the United States have witnessed dramatic losses in commercially managed honey bees over the past decade to what is considered an unsustainable extent. The large-scale loss of bees has considerable implications for the agricultural economy because bees are one of the leading pollinators of numerous crops. Bee declines have been associated with several interactive factors. Recent studies suggest nutritional and pathogen stress can interactively contribute to bee physiological declines, but the molecular mechanisms underlying interactive effects remain unknown. In this study, we provide insight into this question by using RNA-sequencing to examine how monofloral diets and Israeli acute paralysis virus inoculation influence gene expression patterns in bees. RESULTS We found a considerable nutritional response, with almost 2000 transcripts changing with diet quality. The majority of these genes were over-represented for nutrient signaling (insulin resistance) and immune response (Notch signaling and JaK-STAT pathways). In our experimental conditions, the transcriptomic response to viral infection was fairly limited. We only found 43 transcripts to be differentially expressed, some with known immune functions (argonaute-2), transcriptional regulation, and muscle contraction. We created contrasts to explore whether protective mechanisms of good diet were due to direct effects on immune function (resistance) or indirect effects on energy availability (tolerance). A similar number of resistance and tolerance candidate differentially expressed genes were found, suggesting both processes may play significant roles in dietary buffering from pathogen infection. CONCLUSIONS Through transcriptional contrasts and functional enrichment analysis, we contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms underlying feedbacks between nutrition and disease in bees. We also show that comparing results derived from combined analyses across multiple RNA-seq studies may allow researchers to identify transcriptomic patterns in bees that are concurrently less artificial and less noisy. This work underlines the merits of using data visualization techniques and multiple datasets to interpret RNA-sequencing studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay Rutter
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program, Iowa State University, Ames, 50011, IA, USA
| | - Jimena Carrillo-Tripp
- Department of Microbiology, Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education of Ensenada, Ensenada, 22860, Baja California, Mexico
| | - Bryony C Bonning
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611, FL, USA
| | - Dianne Cook
- Econometrics and Business Statistics, Monash University, Clayton, 3800, VIC, Australia
| | - Amy L Toth
- Department of Entomology, Iowa State University, Ames, 50011, IA, USA.,Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, 50011, IA, USA
| | - Adam G Dolezal
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, 61801, IL, USA.
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27
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The Dynamics of Deformed Wing Virus Concentration and Host Defensive Gene Expression after Varroa Mite Parasitism in Honey Bees, Apis mellifera. INSECTS 2019; 10:insects10010016. [PMID: 30626033 PMCID: PMC6358901 DOI: 10.3390/insects10010016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Revised: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The synergistic interactions between the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor and Deformed wing virus (DWV) lead to the reduction in lifespan of the European honey bee Apis mellifera and often have been implicated in colony losses worldwide. However, to date, the underlying processes and mechanisms that form the multipartite interaction between the bee, mite, and virus have not been fully explained. To gain a better understanding of honey bees’ defense response to Varroa mite infestation and DWV infection, the DWV titers and transcription profiles of genes originating from RNAi, immunity, wound response, and homeostatic signaling pathways were monitored over a period of eight days. With respect to DWV, we observed low viral titers at early timepoints that coincided with high levels of Toll pathway transcription factor Dorsal, and its downstream immune effector molecules Hymenoptaecin, Apidaecin, Abaecin, and Defensin 1. However, we observed a striking increase in viral titers beginning after two days that coincided with a decrease in Dorsal levels and its corresponding immune effector molecules, and the small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) ligase repressor of Dorsal, PIAS3. We observed a similar expression pattern for genes expressing transcripts for the RNA interference (Dicer/Argonaute), wound/homeostatic (Janus Kinase), and tissue growth (Map kinase/Wnt) pathways. Our results demonstrate that on a whole, honey bees are able to mount an immediate, albeit, temporally limited, immune and homeostatic response to Varroa and DWV infections, after which downregulation of these pathways leaves the bee vulnerable to expansive viral replication. The critical insights into the defense response upon Varroa and DWV challenges generated in this study may serve as a solid base for future research on the development of effective and efficient disease management strategies in honey bees.
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28
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Abstract
Bees-including solitary, social, wild, and managed species-are key pollinators of flowering plant species, including nearly three-quarters of global food crops. Their ecological importance, coupled with increased annual losses of managed honey bees and declines in populations of key wild species, has focused attention on the factors that adversely affect bee health, including viral pathogens. Genomic approaches have dramatically expanded understanding of the diversity of viruses that infect bees, the complexity of their transmission routes-including intergenus transmission-and the diversity of strategies bees have evolved to combat virus infections, with RNA-mediated responses playing a prominent role. Moreover, the impacts of viruses on their hosts are exacerbated by the other major stressors bee populations face, including parasites, poor nutrition, and exposure to chemicals. Unraveling the complex relationships between viruses and their bee hosts will lead to improved understanding of viral ecology and management strategies that support better bee health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina M Grozinger
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, and Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA;
| | - Michelle L Flenniken
- Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology and Pollinator Health Center, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717, USA;
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29
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Calatayud-Vernich P, Calatayud F, Simó E, Picó Y. Pesticide residues in honey bees, pollen and beeswax: Assessing beehive exposure. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2018; 241:106-114. [PMID: 29803024 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.05.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Revised: 05/01/2018] [Accepted: 05/18/2018] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
In order to study the distribution of pesticide residues in beekeeping matrices, samples of live in-hive worker honey bees (Apis mellifera), fresh stored pollen and beeswax were collected during 2016-2017 from 45 apiaries located in different landscape contexts in Spain. A total of 133 samples were screened for 63 pesticides or their degradation products to estimate the pesticide exposure to honey bee health through the calculation of the hazard quotient (HQ). The influence of the surrounding environment on the content of pesticides in pollen was assessed by comparing the concentrations of pesticide residues found in apiaries from intensive farming landscapes to those found in apiaries located in mountainous, grassland and urban contexts. Beeswax revealed high levels of miticides used in beekeeping such as coumaphos, chlorfenvinphos, fluvalinate and acrinathrin, which were detected in more than 75% of samples. Pollen was predominantly contaminated by miticides but also by insecticides used in agriculture such as chlorpyrifos and acetamiprid, which showed concentrations significantly higher in apiaries located in intensive farming contexts. Pesticides residues were less frequent and at lower concentrations in live honey bees. Beeswax showed the highest average hazard scores (HQ > 5000) to honey bees. Pollen samples contained the largest number of pesticide residues and relevant hazard (HQ > 50) to bees. Acrinathrin was the most important contributor to the hazard quotient scores in wax and pollen samples. The contributions of the pesticides dimethoate and chlorpyrifos to HQ were considered relevant in samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pau Calatayud-Vernich
- Environmental and Food Safety Research Group (SAMA-UV), Research Center on Desertification (CIDE, UV-CSIC-GV), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Av. Vicent Andrés Estellés s/n, 46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain.
| | - Fernando Calatayud
- Agrupación de Defensa Sanitaria Apícola (apiADS), Ctra. Montroi-Turís, 46193 Montroi, Valencia, Spain
| | - Enrique Simó
- Agrupación de Defensa Sanitaria Apícola (apiADS), Ctra. Montroi-Turís, 46193 Montroi, Valencia, Spain
| | - Yolanda Picó
- Environmental and Food Safety Research Group (SAMA-UV), Research Center on Desertification (CIDE, UV-CSIC-GV), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Av. Vicent Andrés Estellés s/n, 46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain; CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Av. Monforte de Lemos, 3-5. Pabellón 11, 28029 Madrid, Spain
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30
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Rapid parallel evolution overcomes global honey bee parasite. Sci Rep 2018; 8:7704. [PMID: 29769608 PMCID: PMC5955925 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-26001-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In eusocial insect colonies nestmates cooperate to combat parasites, a trait called social immunity. However, social immunity failed for Western honey bees (Apis mellifera) when the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor switched hosts from Eastern honey bees (Apis cerana). This mite has since become the most severe threat to A. mellifera world-wide. Despite this, some isolated A. mellifera populations are known to survive infestations by means of natural selection, largely by supressing mite reproduction, but the underlying mechanisms of this are poorly understood. Here, we show that a cost-effective social immunity mechanism has evolved rapidly and independently in four naturally V. destructor-surviving A. mellifera populations. Worker bees of all four ‘surviving’ populations uncapped/recapped worker brood cells more frequently and targeted mite-infested cells more effectively than workers in local susceptible colonies. Direct experiments confirmed the ability of uncapping/recapping to reduce mite reproductive success without sacrificing nestmates. Our results provide striking evidence that honey bees can overcome exotic parasites with simple qualitative and quantitative adaptive shifts in behaviour. Due to rapid, parallel evolution in four host populations this appears to be a key mechanism explaining survival of mite infested colonies.
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31
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Meeus I, Pisman M, Smagghe G, Piot N. Interaction effects of different drivers of wild bee decline and their influence on host-pathogen dynamics. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2018; 26:136-141. [PMID: 29764653 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2018.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Revised: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 02/02/2018] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Wild bee decline is a multi-factorial problem, yet it is crucial to understand the impact of a single driver. Hereto the interaction effects of wild bee decline with multiple natural and anthropogenic stressors need to be clear. This is also true for the driver 'pathogens', as stressor induced disturbances of natural host-pathogen dynamics can unbalance settled virulence equilibria. Invasive species, bee domestication, habitat loss, climate changes and insecticides are recognized drivers of wild bee decline, but all influence host-pathogen dynamics as well. Many wild bee pathogens have multiple hosts, which relaxes the host-density limitation of virulence evolution. In conclusion, disturbances of bee-pathogen dynamics can be compared to a game of Russian roulette.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Meeus
- Department of Crop Protection, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Matti Pisman
- Department of Crop Protection, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Guy Smagghe
- Department of Crop Protection, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Niels Piot
- Department of Crop Protection, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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32
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O'Neal ST, Anderson TD, Wu-Smart JY. Interactions between pesticides and pathogen susceptibility in honey bees. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2018; 26:57-62. [PMID: 29764661 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2018.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2017] [Revised: 01/08/2018] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
There exist a variety of factors that negatively impact the health and survival of managed honey bee colonies, including the spread of parasites and pathogens, loss of habitat, reduced availability or quality of food resources, climate change, poor queen quality, changing cultural and commercial beekeeping practices, as well as exposure to agricultural and apicultural pesticides both in the field and in the hive. These factors are often closely intertwined, and it is unlikely that a single stressor is driving colony losses. There is a growing consensus, however, that increasing prevalence of parasites and pathogens are among the most significant threats to managed bee colonies. Unfortunately, improper management of hives by beekeepers may exacerbate parasite populations and disease transmission. Furthermore, research continues to accumulate that describes the complex and largely harmful interactions that exist between pesticide exposure and bee immunity. This brief review summarizes our progress in understanding the impact of pesticide exposure on bees at the individual, colony, and community level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott T O'Neal
- Department of Entomology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Troy D Anderson
- Department of Entomology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Judy Y Wu-Smart
- Department of Entomology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, USA.
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Honey Bee Antiviral Immune Barriers as Affected by Multiple Stress Factors: A Novel Paradigm to Interpret Colony Health Decline and Collapse. Viruses 2018; 10:v10040159. [PMID: 29601473 PMCID: PMC5923453 DOI: 10.3390/v10040159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2018] [Revised: 03/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Any attempt to outline a logical framework in which to interpret the honey bee health decline and its contribution to elevated colony losses should recognize the importance of the multifactorial nature of the responsible syndrome and provide a functional model as a basis for defining and testing working hypotheses. We propose that covert infections by deformed wing virus (DWV) represent a sword of Damocles permanently threatening the survival of honey bee colonies and suggest that any factor affecting the honey bee’s antiviral defenses can turn this pathogen into a killer. Here we discuss the available experimental evidence in the framework of a model based on honey bee immune competence as affected by multiple stress factors that is proposed as a conceptual tool for analyzing bee mortality and its underlying mechanisms.
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Branstetter MG, Childers AK, Cox-Foster D, Hopper KR, Kapheim KM, Toth AL, Worley KC. Genomes of the Hymenoptera. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2018; 25:65-75. [PMID: 29602364 PMCID: PMC5993429 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2017.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 11/16/2017] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Hymenoptera is the second-most sequenced arthropod order, with 52 publically archived genomes (71 with ants, reviewed elsewhere), however these genomes do not capture the breadth of this very diverse order (Figure 1, Table 1). These sequenced genomes represent only 15 of the 97 extant families. Although at least 55 other genomes are in progress in an additional 11 families (see Table 2), stinging wasps represent 35 (67%) of the available and 42 (76%) of the in progress genomes. A more comprehensive catalog of hymenopteran genomes is needed for research into the evolutionary processes underlying the expansive diversity in terms of ecology, behavior, and physiological traits within this group. Additional sequencing is needed to generate an assembly for even 0.05% of the estimated 1 million hymenopteran species, and we recommend premier level assemblies for at least 0.1% of the >150,000 named species dispersed across the order. Given the haplodiploid sex determination in Hymenoptera, haploid male sequencing will help minimize genome assembly issues to enable higher quality genome assemblies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Branstetter
- Pollinating Insect-biology, Management, Systematics Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Logan, UT 84322, United States
| | - Anna K Childers
- Bee Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD 20705, United States
| | - Diana Cox-Foster
- Pollinating Insect-biology, Management, Systematics Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Logan, UT 84322, United States
| | - Keith R Hopper
- Beneficial Insects Introduction Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Newark, DE 19713, United States
| | - Karen M Kapheim
- Utah State University, Department of Biology, Logan, UT 84322, United States
| | - Amy L Toth
- Iowa State University, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology and Department of Entomology, Ames, IA 50011, United States
| | - Kim C Worley
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, and Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, United States
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