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Becchimanzi A, Cacace A, Parziale M, De Leva G, Iacopino S, Jesu G, Di Lelio I, Stillittano V, Caprio E, Pennacchio F. The salivary gland transcriptome of Varroa destructor reveals suitable targets for RNAi-based mite control. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 39039817 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
The mite Varroa destructor Anderson and Trueman (Mesostigmata: Varroidae) has a dramatic impact on beekeeping and is one of the main causes of honey bee colony losses. This ectoparasite feeds on honey bees' liquid tissues, through a wound created on the host integument, determining weight loss and a reduction of lifespan, as well as the transmission of viral pathogens. However, despite its importance, the mite feeding strategy and the host regulation role by the salivary secretions have been poorly explored. Here, we contribute to fill this gap by identifying the salivary components of V. destructor, to study their functional importance for mite feeding and survival. The differential expression analysis identified 30 salivary gland genes encoding putatively secreted proteins, among which only 15 were found to be functionally annotated. These latter include proteins with putative anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, cytolytic, digestive and immunosuppressive function. The three most highly transcribed genes, coding for a chitin-binding domain protein, a Kazal domain serine protease inhibitor and a papain-like cysteine protease were selected to study their functional importance by reverse genetics. Knockdown (90%-99%) by RNA interference (RNAi) of the transcript of a chitin-binding domain protein, likely interfering with the immune reaction to facilitate mite feeding, was associated with a 40%-50% decrease of mite survival. This work expands our knowledge of the host regulation and nutritional exploitation strategies adopted by ectoparasites of arthropods and allows the identification of potential targets for RNAi, paving the way towards the development of new strategies for Varroa mite control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Becchimanzi
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples 'Federico II', Naples, Italy
- BAT Center-Interuniversity Center for Studies on Bioinspired Agro-Environmental Technology, University of Naples 'Federico II', Naples, Italy
| | - Alfonso Cacace
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples 'Federico II', Naples, Italy
| | - Martina Parziale
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples 'Federico II', Naples, Italy
- Arterra Bioscience, Naples, Italy
| | - Giovanna De Leva
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples 'Federico II', Naples, Italy
| | | | - Giovanni Jesu
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples 'Federico II', Naples, Italy
| | - Ilaria Di Lelio
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples 'Federico II', Naples, Italy
- BAT Center-Interuniversity Center for Studies on Bioinspired Agro-Environmental Technology, University of Naples 'Federico II', Naples, Italy
| | - Virgilio Stillittano
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana, Rome, Italy
- School of Specialization in Food Science, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Emilio Caprio
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples 'Federico II', Naples, Italy
| | - Francesco Pennacchio
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples 'Federico II', Naples, Italy
- BAT Center-Interuniversity Center for Studies on Bioinspired Agro-Environmental Technology, University of Naples 'Federico II', Naples, Italy
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Becchimanzi A, Tatè R, Campbell EM, Gigliotti S, Bowman AS, Pennacchio F. A salivary chitinase of Varroa destructor influences host immunity and mite's survival. PLoS Pathog 2020; 16:e1009075. [PMID: 33275645 PMCID: PMC7744053 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Varroa destructor is an ectoparasite of honey bees and an active disease vector, which represents one of the most severe threats for the beekeeping industry. This parasitic mite feeds on the host’s body fluids through a wound in the cuticle, which allows food uptake by the mother mite and its progeny, offering a potential route of entrance for infecting microorganisms. Mite feeding is associated with saliva injection, whose role is still largely unknown. Here we try to fill this gap by identifying putative host regulation factors present in the saliva of V. destructor and performing a functional analysis for one of them, a chitinase (Vd-CHIsal) phylogenetically related to chitinases present in parasitic and predatory arthropods, which shows a specific and very high level of expression in the mite’s salivary glands. Vd-CHIsal is essential for effective mite feeding and survival, since it is apparently involved both in maintaining the feeding wound open and in preventing host infection by opportunistic pathogens. Our results show the important role in the modulation of mite-honey bee interactions exerted by a host regulation factor shared by different evolutionary lineages of parasitic arthropods. We predict that the functional characterization of Varroa sialome will provide new background knowledge on parasitism evolution in arthropods and the opportunity to develop new bioinspired strategies for mite control based on the disruption of their complex interactions with a living food source. Varroa destructor is a parasitic mite of honey bees and a major driver of honey bee colony losses. The feeding mites inject a salivary blend of poorly known molecules, which regulate host physiology. Here, we have identified in silico putative host regulation factors occurring in Varroa saliva and characterized the functional role of a highly expressed chitinase, which is conserved across different evolutionary lineages of parasitic arthropods. This enzyme influences host immune response and mite’s survival. An in-depth functional analysis of Varroa saliva will shed light on parasitism evolution in arthropods and will pave the way towards the development of new bioinspired strategies for mite control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Becchimanzi
- Laboratorio di Entomologia “E. Tremblay”, Dipartimento di Agraria, University of Napoli “Federico II”, Portici (NA), Italy
| | - Rosarita Tatè
- Istituto di Genetica e Biofisica “Adriano Buzzati Traverso”, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Napoli, Italy
| | - Ewan M. Campbell
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Silvia Gigliotti
- Istituto di Bioscienze e Biorisorse, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Napoli, Italy
| | - Alan S. Bowman
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Francesco Pennacchio
- Laboratorio di Entomologia “E. Tremblay”, Dipartimento di Agraria, University of Napoli “Federico II”, Portici (NA), Italy
- Interuniversity Center for Studies on Bioinspired Agro-Environmental Technology (BAT Center), University of Napoli “Federico II”, Portici (NA), Italy
- * E-mail:
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Wu Y, Liu Q, Weiss B, Kaltenpoth M, Kadowaki T. Honey Bee Suppresses the Parasitic Mite Vitellogenin by Antimicrobial Peptide. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1037. [PMID: 32523577 PMCID: PMC7261897 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The negative effects of honey bee parasitic mites and deformed wing virus (DWV) on honey bee and colony health have been well characterized. However, the relationship between DWV and mites, particularly viral replication inside the mites, remains unclear. Furthermore, the physiological outcomes of honey bee immune responses stimulated by DWV and the mite to the host (honey bee) and perhaps the pathogen/parasite (DWV/mite) are not yet understood. To answer these questions, we studied the tripartite interactions between the honey bee, Tropilaelaps mercedesae, and DWV as the model. T. mercedesae functioned as a vector for DWV without supporting active viral replication. Thus, DWV negligibly affected mite fitness. Mite infestation induced mRNA expression of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), Defensin-1 and Hymenoptaecin, which correlated with DWV copy number in honey bee pupae and mite feeding, respectively. Feeding T. mercedesae with fruit fly S2 cells heterologously expressing honey bee Hymenoptaecin significantly downregulated mite Vitellogenin expression, indicating that the honey bee AMP manipulates mite reproduction upon feeding on bee. Our results provide insights into the mechanism of DWV transmission by the honey bee parasitic mite to the host, and the novel role of AMP in defending against mite infestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunfei Wu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
| | - Qiushi Liu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
| | - Benjamin Weiss
- Department for Evolutionary Ecology, Institute for Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Martin Kaltenpoth
- Department for Evolutionary Ecology, Institute for Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Tatsuhiko Kadowaki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
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