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Lima YS, de Castro Lippi IC, da Luz Scheffer J, Lunardi JS, Alvarez MVN, Kadri SM, de Oliveira Orsi R. Food contamination with fipronil alters gene expression associated with foraging in Africanized honey bees. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024:10.1007/s11356-024-34695-8. [PMID: 39145909 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-34695-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 08/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/16/2024]
Abstract
Taking into consideration that bees can be contaminated by pesticides through the ingestion of contaminated floral resources, we can utilize genetic techniques to assess effects that are scarcely observed in behavioral studies. This study aimed to investigate the genetic effects of ingesting lethal and sublethal doses of the insecticide fipronil in foraging honey bees during two periods of acute exposure. Bees were exposed to fipronil through contaminated honey syrup at two dosages (LD50 = 0.19 µg/bee; LD50/100 = 0.0019 µg/bee) and for two durations (1 and 4 h). Following exposure, we measured syrup consumption per bee, analyzed the transcriptome of bee brain tissue, and identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs), categorizing them functionally based on gene ontology (GO). The results revealed a significant genetic response in honey bees after exposure to fipronil, regardless of the dosage used. Fipronil affected various metabolic, transport, and cellular regulation pathways, as well as detoxification processes and xenobiotic substance detection. Additionally, the downregulation of several DEGs belonging to the olfactory-binding protein (OBP) family was observed, suggesting potential physiological alterations in bees that may lead to disoriented behaviors and reduced foraging efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Souza Lima
- Center of Education, Science and Technology in Rational Beekeeping (NECTAR), College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Isabella Cristina de Castro Lippi
- Center of Education, Science and Technology in Rational Beekeeping (NECTAR), College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jaine da Luz Scheffer
- Center of Education, Science and Technology in Rational Beekeeping (NECTAR), College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Juliana Sartori Lunardi
- Center of Education, Science and Technology in Rational Beekeeping (NECTAR), College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Samir Moura Kadri
- Center of Education, Science and Technology in Rational Beekeeping (NECTAR), College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ricardo de Oliveira Orsi
- Center of Education, Science and Technology in Rational Beekeeping (NECTAR), College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil.
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2
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Yusuf AA, Pirk CWW, Buttstedt A. Expression of honey bee (Apis mellifera) sterol homeostasis genes in food jelly producing glands of workers. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 341:627-641. [PMID: 38567629 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2813] [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: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Adult workers of Western honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) acquire sterols from their pollen diet. These food sterols are transported by the hemolymph to peripheral tissues such as the mandibular and the hypopharyngeal glands in the worker bees' heads that secrete food jelly which is fed to developing larvae. As sterols are obligatory components of biological membranes and essential precursors for molting hormone synthesis in insects, they are indispensable to normal larval development. Thus, the study of sterol delivery to larvae is important for a full understanding of honey bee larval nutrition and development. Whereas hypopharyngeal glands only require sterols for their membrane integrity, mandibular glands add sterols, primarily 24-methylenecholesterol, to its secretion. For this, sterols must be transported through the glandular epithelial cells. We have analyzed for the first time in A. mellifera the expression of genes which are involved in intracellular movement of sterols. Mandibular and hypopharyngeal glands were dissected from newly emerged bees, 6-day-old nurse bees that feed larvae and 26-day-old forager bees. The expression of seven genes involved in intracellular sterol metabolism was measured with quantitative real-time PCR. Relative transcript abundance of sterol metabolism genes was significantly influenced by the age of workers and specific genes but not by gland type. Newly emerged bees had significantly more transcripts for six out of seven genes than older bees indicating that the bulk of the proteins needed for sterol metabolism are produced directly after emergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdullahi A Yusuf
- Social Insects Research Group, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Christian W W Pirk
- Social Insects Research Group, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Anja Buttstedt
- Social Insects Research Group, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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3
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Castaños CE, Boyce MC, Bates T, Millar AH, Flematti G, Lawler NG, Grassl J. Lipidomic features of honey bee and colony health during limited supplementary feeding. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 32:658-675. [PMID: 37477164 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12864] [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: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Honey bee nutritional health depends on nectar and pollen, which provide the main source of carbohydrates, proteins and lipids to individual bees. During malnutrition, insect metabolism accesses fat body reserves. However, this process in bees and its repercussions at the colony level are poorly understood. Using untargeted lipidomics and gene expression analysis, we examined the effects of different feeding treatments (starvation, sugar feeding and sugar + pollen feeding) on bees and correlated them with colony health indicators. We found that nutritional stress led to an increase in unsaturated triacylglycerols and diacylglycerols, as well as a decrease in free fatty acids in the bee fat body. Here, we hypothesise that stored lipids are made available through a process where unsaturations change lipid's structure. Increased gene expression of three lipid desaturases in response to malnutrition supports this hypothesis, as these desaturases may be involved in releasing fatty acyl chains for lipolysis. Although nutritional stress was evident in starving and sugar-fed bees at the colony and physiological level, only starved colonies presented long-term effects in honey production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara E Castaños
- Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Honey Bee Products, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Honey Bee Health Research Group, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Mary C Boyce
- School of Science, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Tiffane Bates
- Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Honey Bee Products, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Honey Bee Health Research Group, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - A Harvey Millar
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Gavin Flematti
- School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Nathan G Lawler
- School of Science, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Julia Grassl
- Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Honey Bee Products, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Honey Bee Health Research Group, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
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4
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Corona M, Branchiccela B, Alburaki M, Palmer-Young EC, Madella S, Chen Y, Evans JD. Decoupling the effects of nutrition, age, and behavioral caste on honey bee physiology, immunity, and colony health. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1149840. [PMID: 36994419 PMCID: PMC10040860 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1149840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Nutritional stress, especially a dearth of pollen, has been linked to honey bee colony losses. Colony-level experiments are critical for understanding the mechanisms by which nutritional stress affects individual honey bee physiology and pushes honey bee colonies to collapse. In this study, we investigated the impact of pollen restriction on key markers of honey bee physiology, main elements of the immune system, and predominant honey bee viruses. To achieve this objective, we uncoupled the effects of behavior, age, and nutritional conditions using a new colony establishment technique designed to control size, demography, and genetic background. Our results showed that the expression of storage proteins, including vitellogenin (vg) and royal jelly major protein 1 (mrjp1), were significantly associated with nursing, pollen ingestion, and older age. On the other hand, genes involved in hormonal regulation including insulin-like peptides (ilp1 and ilp2) and methyl farnesoate epoxidase (mfe), exhibited higher expression levels in young foragers from colonies not experiencing pollen restriction. In contrast, pollen restriction induced higher levels of insulin-like peptides in old nurses. On the other hand, we found a strong effect of behavior on the expression of all immune genes, with higher expression levels in foragers. In contrast, the effects of nutrition and age were significant only the expression of the regulatory gene dorsal. We also found multiple interactions of the experimental variables on viral titers, including higher Deformed wing virus (DWV) titers associated with foraging and age-related decline. In addition, nutrition significantly affected DWV titers in young nurses, with higher titers induced by pollen ingestion. In contrast, higher levels of Black queen cell virus (BQCV) were associated with pollen restriction. Finally, correlation, PCA, and NMDS analyses proved that behavior had had the strongest effect on gene expression and viral titers, followed by age and nutrition. These analyses also support multiple interactions among genes and virus analyzed, including negative correlations between the expression of genes encoding storage proteins associated with pollen ingestion and nursing (vg and mrjp1) with the expression of immune genes and DWV titers. Our results provide new insights into the proximal mechanisms by which nutritional stress is associated with changes in honey bee physiology, immunity, and viral titers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Corona
- Bee Research Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD, United States
- *Correspondence: Miguel Corona,
| | - Belen Branchiccela
- Sección Apicultura, Programa de Producción Familiar, Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (INIA) Colonia, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Mohamed Alburaki
- Bee Research Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD, United States
| | - Evan C. Palmer-Young
- Bee Research Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD, United States
| | - Shayne Madella
- Bee Research Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD, United States
| | - Yanping Chen
- Bee Research Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD, United States
| | - Jay D. Evans
- Bee Research Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD, United States
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Corby-Harris V, Snyder L, Meador C, Watkins-DeJong E, Obernesser BT, Brown N, Carroll MJ. Diet and pheromones interact to shape honey bee (Apis mellifera) worker physiology. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 143:104442. [PMID: 36195173 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2022.104442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Honey bee colony health is a function of the individuals, their interactions, and the environment. A major goal of honey bee research is to understand how colonies respond to stress. Individual-level studies of the bee stress response are tractable, but their results do not always translate to the colony level. Nutritional stress is an important factor in colony declines. Nutrition studies are typically conducted on individual nurse workers (nurses), who are primarily responsible for converting pollen into brood. Nurse physiology is sensitive to both pollen and pheromones, which communicate signals among colony members. Here, we asked whether pheromones influence nurse nutrient pathways involved in brood care, and whether diet influences colony communication. We exposed caged, nurse-aged workers to different combinations of pheromones and pollen, and measured traits related to brood care. We found that pheromones enhanced pollen-dependent processes such as hypopharyngeal gland growth and mrjp1 expression, and buffered the negative effects of starvation. Pollen also enhanced how nurse phenotypes respond to pheromones. Therefore, diet and pheromones interact to influence nurse nutritional physiology and aspects of brood care. These findings have implications for studying colony function and health in an increasingly stressful climate.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lucy Snyder
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA-ARS, Tucson, AZ 85719, United States
| | - Charlotte Meador
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA-ARS, Tucson, AZ 85719, United States
| | | | | | - Nicholas Brown
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA-ARS, Tucson, AZ 85719, United States
| | - Mark J Carroll
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA-ARS, Tucson, AZ 85719, United States
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6
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Ricigliano VA, Cank KB, Todd DA, Knowles SL, Oberlies NH. Metabolomics-Guided Comparison of Pollen and Microalgae-Based Artificial Diets in Honey Bees. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2022; 70:9790-9801. [PMID: 35881882 PMCID: PMC9372997 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c02583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Managed honey bee colonies used for crop pollination are fed artificial diets to offset nutritional deficiencies related to land-use intensification and climate change. In this study, we formulated novel microalgae diets using Chlorella vulgaris and Arthrospira platensis (spirulina) biomass and fed them to young adult honey bee workers. Diet-induced changes in bee metabolite profiles were studied relative to a natural pollen diet using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) metabolomics. Untargeted analyses of pollen- and microalgae-fed bees revealed significant overlap, with 248 shared features determined by LC-MS and 87 shared features determined by GC-MS. Further metabolomic commonalities were evident upon subtraction of unique diet features. Twenty-five identified metabolites were influenced by diet, which included complex lipids, essential fatty acids, vitamins, and phytochemicals. The metabolomics results are useful to understand mechanisms underlying favorable growth performance as well as increased antioxidant and heat shock protein gene expression in bees fed the microalgae diets. We conclude that the tested microalgae have potential as sustainable feed additives and as a source of bee health-modulating natural products. Metabolomics-guided diet development could eventually help tailor feed interventions to achieve precision nutrition in honey bees and other livestock animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent A. Ricigliano
- Vincent
A. Ricigliano—Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Research, USDA-ARS, Baton
Rouge, Louisiana 70820, United States
| | - Kristof B. Cank
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina 27402-6170, United States
| | - Daniel A. Todd
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina 27402-6170, United States
| | - Sonja L. Knowles
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina 27402-6170, United States
| | - Nicholas H. Oberlies
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina 27402-6170, United States
- .
Fax: (336) 334-5402
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7
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Harwood GP, Prayugo V, Dolezal AG. Butenolide Insecticide Flupyradifurone Affects Honey Bee Worker Antiviral Immunity and Survival. FRONTIERS IN INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 2:907555. [PMID: 38468795 PMCID: PMC10926552 DOI: 10.3389/finsc.2022.907555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Honey bees face many environmental stressors, including exposure to pesticides and pathogens. A novel butenolide pesticide, flupyradifurone, was recently introduced to the US and shown to have a bee-friendly toxicity profile. Like the much-scrutinized neonicotinoids that preceded it, flupyradifurone targets the insect nervous system. Some neonicotinoids have been shown to interfere with antiviral immunity, which raised the concern that similar effects may be observed with flupyradifurone. In this study, we investigated how flupyradifurone and a neonicotinoid, clothianidin, affect the ability of honey bee workers to combat an infection of Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV). We exposed workers to field-realistic doses of the pesticides either with or without co-exposure with the virus, and then tracked survival and changes in viral titers. We repeated the experiment in the spring and fall to look for any seasonal effects. We found that flupyradifurone caused elevated mortality in the fall, but it did not lead to increased virus-induced mortality. Flupyradifurone also appeared to affect virus clearance, as bees co-exposed to the pesticide and virus tended to have higher viral titers after 48 hours than those exposed to the virus alone. Clothianidin had no effect on viral titers, and it actually appeared to increase resistance to viral infection in spring bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gyan P. Harwood
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
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8
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Martelli F, Falcon T, Pinheiro DG, Simões ZLP, Nunes FMF. Worker bees (Apis mellifera) deprived of pollen in the first week of adulthood exhibit signs of premature aging. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 146:103774. [PMID: 35470035 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2022.103774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Pollinator populations, including bees, are in rapid decline in many parts of the world, raising concerns over the future of ecosystems and food production. Among the factors involved in these declines, poor nutrition deserves attention. The diet consumed by adult worker honeybees (Apis mellifera) is crucial for their behavioral maturation, i.e., the progressive division of labor they perform, such as nurse bees initially and later in life as foragers. Poor pollen nutrition is known to reduce the workers' lifespan, but the underlying physiological and genetic mechanisms are not fully understood. Here we investigate how the lack of pollen in the diet of workers during their first week of adult life can affect age-related phenotypes. During the first seven days of adult life, newly emerged workers were fed either a pollen-deprived (PD) diet mimicking that of an older bee, or a control pollen-rich (PR) diet, as typically consumed by young bees. The PD-fed bees showed alterations in their fat body transcriptome, such as a switch from a protein-lipid based metabolism to a carbohydrate-based metabolism, and a reduced expression of genes involved with immune response. The absence of pollen in the diet also led to an accumulation of oxidative stress markers in fat body tissue and alterations in the cuticular hydrocarbon profiles, which became similar to those of chronologically older bees. Together, our data indicate that the absence of pollen during first week of adulthood triggers the premature onset of an aging-related worker phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Martelli
- Departamento de Genética, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes 3900, 14049-900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Tiago Falcon
- Departamento de Genética, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes 3900, 14049-900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Daniel G Pinheiro
- Departamento de Genética, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes 3900, 14049-900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Zilá L P Simões
- Departamento de Genética, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes 3900, 14049-900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil; Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes 3900, 14049-900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Francis M F Nunes
- Departamento de Genética, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes 3900, 14049-900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil; Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Rod. Washington Luís - km 235, 13565-905, São Carlos, SP, Brazil.
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9
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Li Z, Ma R, Wang L, Wang Y, Qin Q, Chen L, Dang X, Zhou Z. Starvation stress affects iron metabolism in honeybee Apis mellifera. Biologia (Bratisl) 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11756-022-01098-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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10
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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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11
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Ricigliano VA, Williams ST, Oliver R. Effects of different artificial diets on commercial honey bee colony performance, health biomarkers, and gut microbiota. BMC Vet Res 2022; 18:52. [PMID: 35062935 PMCID: PMC8780706 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-022-03151-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Honey bee colonies managed for agricultural pollination are highly dependent on human inputs, especially for disease control and supplemental nutrition. Hives are routinely fed artificial “pollen substitute” diets to compensate for insufficient nutritional forage in the environment. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different artificial diets in a northern California, US commercial beekeeping operation from August through February. This time period represents an extended forage dearth when supplemental nutrition is used to stimulate late winter colony growth prior to almond pollination in the early spring. A total of 144 honey bee colonies were divided into 8 feeding groups that were replicated at three apiary sites. Feeding groups received commercial diets (Global, Ultra Bee, Bulk Soft, MegaBee, AP23, Healthy Bees), a beekeeper-formulated diet (Homebrew), or a sugar negative control. Diets were analyzed for macronutrient and amino acid content then evaluated with respect to honey bee colony population size, average bee weight, nutrition-related gene expression, gut microbiota abundance, and pathogen levels. Results Replicated at three apiary sites, two pollen-containing diets (Global and Homebrew) produced the largest colonies and the heaviest bees per colony. Two diets (Bulk Soft and AP23) that did not contain pollen led to significantly larger colonies than a sugar negative control diet. Diet macronutrient content was not correlated with colony size or health biomarkers. The sum of dietary essential amino acid deficiencies relative to leucine content were correlated with average bee weight in November and colony size used for almond pollination in February. Nutrition-related gene expression, gut microbiota, and pathogen levels were influenced by apiary site, which overrode some diet effects. Regarding microbiota, diet had a significant impact on the abundance of Bifidobacterium and Gilliamella and trended towards effects on other prominent bee gut taxa. Conclusions Multiple colony and individual bee measures are necessary to test diet efficacy since honey bee nutritional responses are complex to evaluate. Balancing essential amino acid content relative to leucine instead of tryptophan may improve diet protein efficiency ratios. Optimization of bee diets could improve feed sustainability and agricultural pollination efficiency by supporting larger, healthier honey bee colonies. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12917-022-03151-5.
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12
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Tlak Gajger I, Smodiš Škerl MI, Šoštarić P, Šuran J, Sikirić P, Vlainić J. Physiological and Immunological Status of Adult Honeybees ( Apis mellifera) Fed Sugar Syrup Supplemented with Pentadecapeptide BPC 157. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:891. [PMID: 34571768 PMCID: PMC8467873 DOI: 10.3390/biology10090891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Various factors contribute to a decline in diversity and number of bees. Here, an integrated approach in experimental BPC 157 therapy was implemented, combining laboratory-controlled and field study results. The aim of a study was to assess the effects of BPC 157 additional feeding of newly emerged worker honeybees on few biochemical and immunological parameters in hemolymph (glucose, trehalose, lipids, proteins, vitellogenin, glucose-oxidase (GOX)), and hypopharyngeal gland (HPG), in laboratory-controlled conditions. Additionally, to examine the physiological status of protein digestion, the enzymatic activity of leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) in the mid-guts of worker honeybees was analyzed. It was found that individual honeybees, in hoarding cages, following BPC 157 administration through carbohydrate food, showed positive physiological changes when compared to the control groups. Those results were complemented by strong and visible LAP activity, particularly noticeable in the apical parts of the epithelial cells in the mid-guts of young worker honeybees originated from treated hives, suggesting a link between alternative oral therapy with BPC 157 and honeybees' immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Tlak Gajger
- Department for Biology and Pathology of Fish and Bees, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | | | - Petra Šoštarić
- Department for Pharmacology, Medical Faculty, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (P.Š.); (P.S.)
| | - Jelena Šuran
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Heinzelova 55, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia;
| | - Predrag Sikirić
- Department for Pharmacology, Medical Faculty, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (P.Š.); (P.S.)
| | - Josipa Vlainić
- Laboratory for Advanced Genomics, Division of Molecular Medicine, Institute Ruđer Bošković, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
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13
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Tsvetkov N, MacPhail VJ, Colla SR, Zayed A. Conservation genomics reveals pesticide and pathogen exposure in the declining bumble bee Bombus terricola. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:4220-4230. [PMID: 34181797 PMCID: PMC8457087 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, many pollinators have experienced large population declines, which threaten food security and the stability of natural ecosystems. Bumble bees are particularly important because their ability to “buzz” pollinate and tolerate cooler conditions make them critical pollinators for certain plants and regions. Here, we apply a conservation genomics approach to study the vulnerable Bombus terricola. We sequenced RNA from 30 worker abdomens, 18 of which were collected from agricultural sites and 12 of which were collected from nonagricultural sites. We found transcriptional signatures associated with exposure to insecticides, with gene expression patterns suggesting that bumble bees were exposed to neonicotinoids and/or fipronil—two compounds known to negatively impact bees. We also found transcriptional signatures associated with pathogen infections. In addition to the transcriptomic analysis, we carried out a metatranscriptomic analysis and detected five pathogens in the abdomens of workers, three of which are common in managed honey bee and bumble bee colonies. Our conservation genomics study provides functional support for the role of pesticides and pathogen spillover in the decline of B. terricola. We demonstrate that conservation genomics is an invaluable tool which allows researchers to quantify the effects of multiple stressors that impact pollinator populations in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Victoria J MacPhail
- Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sheila R Colla
- Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Amro Zayed
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
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14
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Evaluating the Impact of Post-Emergence Weed Control in Honeybee Colonies Located in Different Agricultural Surroundings. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12020163. [PMID: 33672824 PMCID: PMC7918372 DOI: 10.3390/insects12020163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The honeybee Apis mellifera is exposed to agricultural intensification, which leads to an improved reliance upon pesticide use and the reduction of floral diversity. In the present study, we assess the changes in the colony activity and the expression profile of genes involved in xenobiotic detoxification in larvae and adult honeybees from three apiaries located in agricultural environments that differ in their proportion of the crop/wild flora. We evaluated these variables before and after the administration of a mixture of three herbicides during the summer season. The expression of several cytochrome P450 monooxygenases decreased significantly in larvae after post-emergence weed control and showed significant differences between apiaries in the case of honeybee workers. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that colonies located in the plot near to a wetland area exhibited a different relative gene expression profile after herbicide application compared with the other plots. Moreover, we found significant positive correlations between pollen collection and the pesticide detoxification genes that discriminated between plots in the PCA. Our results suggest that nutrition may modify herbicide impact on honeybees and that larvae are more harmed than adults in agroecosystems, a factor that will alter the colonies' population growth at the end of the blooming period.
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15
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Abstract
Although nectar is consumed, primarily as a supplemental food, by a broad range of insects spanning at least five orders, it is processed and stored by only a small number of species, most of which are bees and wasps in the superfamily Apoidea. Within this group, Apis mellifera has evolved remarkable adaptations facilitating nectar processing and storage; in doing so, this species utilizes the end product, honey, for diverse functions with few if any equivalents in other phytophagous insects. Honey and its phytochemical constituents, some of which likely derive from propolis, have functional significance in protecting honey bees against microbial pathogens, toxins, and cold stress, as well as in regulating development and adult longevity. The distinctive properties of A. mellifera honey appear to have arisen in multiple ways, including genome modification; partnerships with microbial symbionts; and evolution of specialized behaviors, including foraging for substances other than nectar. That honey making by A. mellifera involves incorporation of exogenous material other than nectar, as well as endogenous products such as antimicrobial peptides and royal jelly, suggests that regarding honey as little more than a source of carbohydrates for bees is a concept in need of revision.
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Affiliation(s)
- May R Berenbaum
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA;
| | - Bernarda Calla
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA;
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16
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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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17
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Castelli L, Branchiccela B, Garrido M, Invernizzi C, Porrini M, Romero H, Santos E, Zunino P, Antúnez K. Impact of Nutritional Stress on Honeybee Gut Microbiota, Immunity, and Nosema ceranae Infection. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2020; 80:908-919. [PMID: 32666305 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-020-01538-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Honeybees are important pollinators, having an essential role in the ecology of natural and agricultural environments. Honeybee colony losses episodes reported worldwide and have been associated with different pests and pathogens, pesticide exposure, and nutritional stress. This nutritional stress is related to the increase in monoculture areas which leads to a reduction of pollen availability and diversity. In this study, we examined whether nutritional stress affects honeybee gut microbiota, bee immunity, and infection by Nosema ceranae, under laboratory conditions. Consumption of Eucalyptus grandis pollen was used as a nutritionally poor-quality diet to study nutritional stress, in contraposition to the consumption of polyfloral pollen. Honeybees feed with Eucalyptus grandis pollen showed a lower abundance of Lactobacillus mellifer and Lactobacillus apis (Firm-4 and Firm-5, respectively) and Bifidobacterium spp. and a higher abundance of Bartonella apis, than honeybees fed with polyfloral pollen. Besides the impact of nutritional stress on honeybee microbiota, it also decreased the expression levels of vitellogenin and genes associated to immunity (glucose oxidase, hymenoptaecin and lysozyme). Finally, Eucalyptus grandis pollen favored the multiplication of Nosema ceranae. These results show that nutritional stress impacts the honeybee gut microbiota, having consequences on honeybee immunity and pathogen development. Those results may be useful to understand the influence of modern agriculture on honeybee health.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Castelli
- Departamento de Microbiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Avda. Italia 3318, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - B Branchiccela
- Departamento de Microbiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Avda. Italia 3318, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - M Garrido
- Centro de Investigación en Abejas Sociales (CIAS). Instituto de Investigaciones en Producción Sanidad y Ambiente (IIPROSAM-CONICET-CIC). Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - C Invernizzi
- Sección Etología, Facultad de Ciencias, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - M Porrini
- Centro de Investigación en Abejas Sociales (CIAS). Instituto de Investigaciones en Producción Sanidad y Ambiente (IIPROSAM-CONICET-CIC). Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - H Romero
- Departamento de Ecología y Evolución, Laboratorio de Organización y Evolución del Genoma. Facultad de Ciencias, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - E Santos
- Sección Etología, Facultad de Ciencias, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - P Zunino
- Departamento de Microbiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Avda. Italia 3318, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - K Antúnez
- Departamento de Microbiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Avda. Italia 3318, Montevideo, Uruguay.
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18
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Barraud A, Vanderplanck M, Nadarajah S, Michez D. The impact of pollen quality on the sensitivity of bumblebees to pesticides. ACTA OECOLOGICA 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2020.103552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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19
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Corby-Harris V, Deeter ME, Snyder L, Meador C, Welchert AC, Hoffman A, Obernesser BT. Octopamine mobilizes lipids from honey bee ( Apis mellifera) hypopharyngeal glands. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb216135. [PMID: 32139471 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.216135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Recent widespread honey bee (Apis mellifera) colony loss is attributed to a variety of stressors, including parasites, pathogens, pesticides and poor nutrition. In principle, we can reduce stress-induced declines in colony health by either removing the stressor or increasing the bees' tolerance to the stressor. This latter option requires a better understanding than we currently have of how honey bees respond to stress. Here, we investigated how octopamine, a stress-induced hormone that mediates invertebrate physiology and behavior, influences the health of young nurse-aged bees. Specifically, we asked whether octopamine induces abdominal lipid and hypopharyngeal gland (HG) degradation, two physiological traits of stressed nurse bees. Nurse-aged workers were treated topically with octopamine and their abdominal lipid content, HG size and HG autophagic gene expression were measured. Hemolymph lipid titer was measured to determine whether tissue degradation was associated with the release of nutrients from these tissues into the hemolymph. The HGs of octopamine-treated bees were smaller than control bees and had higher levels of HG autophagy gene expression. Octopamine-treated bees also had higher levels of hemolymph lipid compared with control bees. Abdominal lipids did not change in response to octopamine. Our findings support the hypothesis that the HGs are a rich source of stored energy that can be mobilized during periods of stress.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Megan E Deeter
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA-ARS, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
| | - Lucy Snyder
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA-ARS, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
| | - Charlotte Meador
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA-ARS, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
| | - Ashley C Welchert
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
| | - Amelia Hoffman
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA-ARS, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
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20
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Gage SL, Calle S, Jacobson N, Carroll M, DeGrandi-Hoffman G. Pollen Alters Amino Acid Levels in the Honey Bee Brain and This Relationship Changes With Age and Parasitic Stress. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:231. [PMID: 32265638 PMCID: PMC7105889 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pollen nutrition is necessary for proper growth and development of adult honey bees. Yet, it is unclear how pollen affects the honey bee brain and behavior. We investigated whether pollen affects amino acids in the brains of caged, nurse-aged bees, and what the behavioral consequences might be. We also tested whether parasitic stress altered this relationship by analyzing bees infected with prevalent stressor, Nosema ceranae. Levels of 18 amino acids in individual honey bee brains were measured using Gas Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry at two different ages (Day 7 and Day 11). We then employed the proboscis extension reflex to test odor learning and memory. We found that the honey bee brain was highly responsive to pollen. Many amino acids in the brain were elevated and were present at higher concentration with age. The majority of these amino acids were non-essential. Without pollen, levels of amino acids remained consistent, or declined. Nosema-infected bees showed a different profile. Infection altered amino acid levels in a pollen-dependent manner. The majority of amino acids were lower when pollen was given, but higher when pollen was deprived. Odor learning and memory was not affected by feeding pollen to uninfected bees; but pollen did improve performance in Nosema-infected bees. These results suggest that pollen in early adulthood continues to shape amino acid levels in the brain with age, which may affect neural circuitry and behavior over time. Parasitic stress by N. ceranae modifies this relationship revealing an interaction between infection, pollen nutrition, and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie L Gage
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Samantha Calle
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Natalia Jacobson
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Mark Carroll
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Gloria DeGrandi-Hoffman
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Tucson, AZ, United States
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21
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Grozinger CM, Zayed A. Improving bee health through genomics. Nat Rev Genet 2020; 21:277-291. [DOI: 10.1038/s41576-020-0216-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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22
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Corby-Harris V, Snyder L, Meador C. Fat body lipolysis connects poor nutrition to hypopharyngeal gland degradation in Apis mellifera. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 116:1-9. [PMID: 30953617 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2019.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2018] [Revised: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The hypopharyngeal glands (HGs) of honey bee nurse workers secrete the major protein fraction of jelly, a protein and lipid rich substance fed to developing larvae, other worker bees, and queens. A hallmark of poorly nourished nurses is their small HGs, which actively degrade due to hormone-induced autophagy. To better connect nutritional stress with HG degradation, we looked to honey bees and other insect systems, where nutrient stress is often accompanied by fat body degradation. The fat body contains stored lipids that are likely a substrate for ecdysteroid synthesis, so we tested whether starvation caused increased fat body lipolysis. Ecdysteroid signaling and response pathways and IIS/TOR are tied to nutrient-dependent autophagy in honey bees and other insects, and so we also tested whether and where genes in these pathways were differentially regulated in the head and fat body. Last, we injected nurse-aged bees with the honey bee ecdysteroid makisterone A to determine whether this hormone influenced HG size and autophagy. We find that starved nurse aged bees exhibited increased fat body lipolysis and increased expression of ecdysteroid production and response genes in the head. Genes in the IIS/TOR pathway were not impacted by starvation in either the head or fat body. Additionally, bees injected with makisterone A had smaller HGs and increased expression of autophagy genes. These data support the hypothesis that nutritional stress induces fat body lipolysis, which may liberate the sterols important for ecdysteroid production, and that increased ecdysteroid levels induce autophagic HG degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lucy Snyder
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA-ARS, Tucson, AZ 85718, USA
| | - Charlotte Meador
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA-ARS, Tucson, AZ 85718, USA
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23
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Corby-Harris V, Bowsher JH, Carr-Markell M, Carroll MJ, Centrella M, Cook SC, Couvillon M, DeGrandi-Hoffman G, Dolezal A, Jones JC, Mogren CL, Otto CRV, Lau P, Rangel J, Schürch R, St. Clair A. Emerging Themes from the ESA Symposium Entitled “Pollinator Nutrition: Lessons from Bees at Individual to Landscape Levels”. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/0005772x.2018.1535951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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24
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Corby-Harris V, Snyder LA. Measuring Hypopharyngeal Gland Acinus Size in Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Workers. J Vis Exp 2018. [PMID: 30272666 DOI: 10.3791/58261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The nurse hypopharyngeal glands produce the protein fraction of the worker and royal jelly that is fed to developing larvae and queens. These paired glands that are located in the head of the bee are highly sensitive to the quantity and quality of pollen and pollen substitutes that the nurse bee consumes. The glands get smaller when nurses are fed deficient diets and are large when they are fed complete diets. Because nurse hypopharyngeal gland size is a robust indicator of nurse nutrition, it is essential that those studying honey bee nutrition know how to measure these glands. Here, we provide detailed methods for dissecting, staining, imaging, and measuring nurse bee hypopharyngeal glands. We present comparisons of unstained and stained tissue and data that were used to study the impact of pollen on gland size. This method has been used to test how diet impacts hypopharyngeal gland size but has further use for understanding the role of these glands in hive health.
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25
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DeGrandi-Hoffman G, Gage SL, Corby-Harris V, Carroll M, Chambers M, Graham H, Watkins deJong E, Hidalgo G, Calle S, Azzouz-Olden F, Meador C, Snyder L, Ziolkowski N. Connecting the nutrient composition of seasonal pollens with changing nutritional needs of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 109:114-124. [PMID: 29990468 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2018.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2018] [Revised: 06/16/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2018] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Free-ranging herbivores have yearly life cycles that generate dynamic resource needs. Honey bee colonies also have a yearly life cycle that might generate nutritional requirements that differ between times of brood rearing and colony expansion in the spring and population contraction and preparation for overwintering in the fall. To test this, we analyzed polyfloral mixes of spring and fall pollens to determine if the nutrient composition differed with season. Next, we fed both types of seasonal pollens to bees reared in spring and fall. We compared the development of brood food glands (i.e., hypopharyngeal glands - HPG), and the expression of genes in the fat body between bees fed pollen from the same (in-season) or different season (out-of-season) when they were reared. Because pathogen challenges often heighten the effects of nutritional stress, we infected a subset of bees with Nosema to determine if bees responded differently to the infection depending on the seasonal pollen they consumed. We found that spring and fall pollens were similar in total protein and lipid concentrations, but spring pollens had higher concentrations of amino and fatty acids that support HPG growth and brood production. Bees responded differently when fed in vs. out of season pollen. The HPG of both uninfected and Nosema-infected spring bees were larger when they were fed spring (in-season) compared to fall pollen. Spring bees differentially regulated more than 200 genes when fed in- vs. out-of-season pollen. When infected with Nosema, approximately 400 genes showed different infection-induced expression patterns in spring bees depending on pollen type. In contrast, HPG size in fall bees was not affected by pollen type, though HPG were smaller in those infected with Nosema. Very few genes were differentially expressed with pollen type in uninfected (4 genes) and infected fall bees (5 genes). Pollen type did not affect patterns of infection-induced expression in fall bees. Our data suggest that physiological responses to seasonal pollens differ between bees reared in the spring and fall with spring bees being significantly more sensitive to pollen type especially when infected with Nosema. This study provides evidence that seasonal pollens may provide levels of nutrients that align with the activities of honey bees during their yearly colony cycle. The findings are important for the planning and establishment of forage plantings to sustain honey bees, and in the development of seasonal nutritional supplements fed to colonies when pollen is unavailable.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Mark Carroll
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA-ARS, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Mona Chambers
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA-ARS, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Henry Graham
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA-ARS, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | | | | | - Samantha Calle
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA-ARS, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Farida Azzouz-Olden
- College of Agriculture, Communities, and the Environment, Kentucky State University, Frankfort, KY, USA
| | | | - Lucy Snyder
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA-ARS, Tucson, AZ, USA
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26
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Does the Pollen Diet Influence the Production and Expression of Antimicrobial Peptides in Individual Honey Bees? INSECTS 2018; 9:insects9030079. [PMID: 29973559 PMCID: PMC6164669 DOI: 10.3390/insects9030079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2018] [Revised: 06/27/2018] [Accepted: 07/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the importance of protein nutrition for honey bee immunity. Different protein diets (monofloral pollen of Helianthus spp., Sinapis spp., Asparagus spp., Castanea spp., a mixture of the four different pollen and the pollen substitute FeedbeeTM) were fed to honey bees in cages ad libitum. After 18 days of feeding, apidaecin 1 isoforms concentration in the thorax were measured using nanoflow liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Expression levels of genes, coding for apidaecins and abaecin in the abdomen were determined using quantitative PCR. The results indicate that protein-containing nutrition in adult worker honey bees can trigger certain metabolic responses. Bees without dietary protein showed lower apidaecin 1 isoforms concentrations. The significantly lowest concentration of apidaecin 1 isoforms was found in the group that was fed no pollen diet when compared to Asparagus, Castanea, Helianthus, and Sinapis pollen or the pollen supplement FeedBeeTM. Expression levels of the respective genes were also affected by the protein diets and different expression levels of these two antimicrobial peptides were found. Positive correlation between concentration and gene expression of apidaecins was found. The significance of feeding bees with different protein diets, as well as the importance of pollen nutrition for honey bee immunity is demonstrated.
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27
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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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28
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Corby-Harris V, Snyder L, Meador C, Ayotte T. Honey bee (Apis mellifera) nurses do not consume pollens based on their nutritional quality. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0191050. [PMID: 29324841 PMCID: PMC5764376 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0191050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 12/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Honey bee workers (Apis mellifera) consume a variety of pollens to meet the majority of their requirements for protein and lipids. Recent work indicates that honey bees prefer diets that reflect the proper ratio of nutrients necessary for optimal survival and homeostasis. This idea relies on the precept that honey bees evaluate the nutritional composition of the foods provided to them. While this has been shown in bumble bees, the data for honey bees are mixed. Further, there is controversy as to whether foragers can evaluate the nutritional value of pollens, especially if they do not consume it. Here, we focused on nurse workers, who eat most of the pollen coming into the hive. We tested the hypothesis that nurses prefer diets with higher nutritional value. We first determined the nutritional profile, number of plant taxa (richness), and degree of hypopharyngeal gland (HG) growth conferred by three honey bee collected pollens. We then presented nurses with these same three pollens in paired choice assays and measured consumption. To further test whether nutrition influenced preference, we also presented bees with natural pollens supplemented with protein or lipids and liquid diets with protein and lipid ratios equal to the natural pollens. Different pollens conferred different degrees of HG growth, but despite these differences, nurse bees did not always prefer the most nutritious pollens. Adding protein and/or lipids to less desirable pollens minimally increased pollen attractiveness, and nurses did not exhibit a strong preference for any of the three liquid diets. We conclude that different pollens provide different nutritional benefits, but that nurses either cannot or do not assess pollen nutritional value. This implies that the nurses may not be able to communicate information about pollen quality to the foragers, who regulate the pollens coming into the hive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Corby-Harris
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA-ARS, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Lucy Snyder
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA-ARS, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Charlotte Meador
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA-ARS, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Trace Ayotte
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA-ARS, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
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Carroll MJ, Brown N, Goodall C, Downs AM, Sheenan TH, Anderson KE. Honey bees preferentially consume freshly-stored pollen. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0175933. [PMID: 28430801 PMCID: PMC5400263 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0175933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2016] [Accepted: 04/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Honey bees (Apis mellifera) collect and store both honey and pollen in preserved forms. Pollen storage involves the addition of honey or nectar and oral secretions to pollen granules. It is controversial whether the duration of pollen storage alters the palatability or nutritive value of the pollen storage medium. We examined how bees utilize different-aged stored pollen during an extended pollen flow. The deposition of pollen into wax cells and subsequent consumption were monitored daily on 18 brood frames from 6 colonies over an 8d observation period. Despite a greater abundance of older stored pollen cells on brood frames, bees showed a marked preference for the consumption of freshly-stored pollen. Two to four day-old pollen cell contents were significantly more likely to be consumed, while pollen cell contents more than seven days old were eaten at much lower rates. Similar experiments that controlled for cell abundance and spatial effects using cage assays yielded the same result. One day-old stored pollen was consumed approximately three times more often than 10d-old stored pollen, and two times more often than 5d-old stored pollen. These consumption preferences for freshly-stored pollen occurred despite a lack of clear developmental advantages. Young adult workers reared for 7 days on 1d-, 5d-, or 10d-old stored pollen showed no difference in body mass, stored pollen consumption, hindgut fecal material accumulation, or hypopharyngeal gland (HPG) protein titers, suggesting that different-aged pollen stores did not vary in their nutritional value to adult bees. These findings are inconsistent with the hypothesis promoting a period of microbially-mediated, “beebread maturation” that results in greater palatability or nutritive value for aged pollen stores. Rather, stored pollen that is not eaten in the first few days accumulates as excess stores preserved in a less preferred, but nutritionally-similar state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark J. Carroll
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center USDA-ARS, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Nicholas Brown
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center USDA-ARS, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Craig Goodall
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center USDA-ARS, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Alexandra M. Downs
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Timothy H. Sheenan
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center USDA-ARS, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Kirk E. Anderson
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center USDA-ARS, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
- Center for Insect Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
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30
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Emery O, Schmidt K, Engel P. Immune system stimulation by the gut symbiont Frischella perrara in the honey bee (Apis mellifera). Mol Ecol 2017; 26:2576-2590. [PMID: 28207182 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2016] [Revised: 02/01/2017] [Accepted: 02/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Gut bacteria engage in various symbiotic interactions with their host and impact gut immunity and homeostasis in different ways. In honey bees, the gut microbiota is composed of a relatively simple, but highly specialized bacterial community. One of its members, the gammaproteobacterium Frischella perrara induces the so-called scab phenotype, a dark-coloured band that develops on the epithelial surface of the pylorus. To understand the underlying host response, we analysed transcriptome changes in the pylorus in response to bacterial colonization. We find that, in contrast to the gut bacterium Snodgrassella alvi, F. perrara causes strong activation of the host immune system. Besides pattern recognition receptors, antimicrobial peptides and transporter genes, the melanization cascade was upregulated by F. perrara, suggesting that the scab phenotype corresponds to a melanization response of the host. In addition, transcriptome analysis of hive bees with and without the scab phenotype showed that F. perrara also stimulates the immune system under in-hive conditions in the presence of other gut bacterial species. Collectively, our study demonstrates that the presence of F. perrara influences gut immunity and homeostasis in the pylorus. This may have implications for bee health, because F. perrara prevalence differs between colonies and increased abundance of this bacterium has been shown to correlate with dietary alteration and impaired host development. Our transcriptome analysis sets the groundwork for investigating the interplay of bee gut symbionts with the host immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Emery
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Konstantin Schmidt
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Philipp Engel
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Corby-Harris V, Meador CAD, Snyder LA, Schwan MR, Maes P, Jones BM, Walton A, Anderson KE. Transcriptional, translational, and physiological signatures of undernourished honey bees (Apis mellifera) suggest a role for hormonal factors in hypopharyngeal gland degradation. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2016; 85:65-75. [PMID: 26658137 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2015.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2015] [Revised: 11/25/2015] [Accepted: 11/30/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Honey bee colonies function as a superorganism, where facultatively sterile female workers perform various tasks that support the hive. Nurse workers undergo numerous anatomical and physiological changes in preparation for brood rearing, including the growth of hypopharyngeal glands (HGs). These glands produce the major protein fraction of a protein- and lipid-rich jelly used to sustain developing larvae. Pollen intake is positively correlated with HG growth, but growth in the first three days is similar regardless of diet, suggesting that initial growth is a pre-determined process while later HG development depends on nutrient availability during a critical window in early adulthood (>3 d). It is unclear whether the resultant size differences in nurse HG are simply due to growth arrest or active degradation of the tissue. To determine what processes cause such differences in HG size, we catalogued the differential expression of both gene transcripts and proteins in the HGs of 8 d old bees that were fed diets containing pollen or no pollen. 3438 genes and 367 proteins were differentially regulated due to nutrition. Of the genes and proteins differentially expressed, undernourished bees exhibited more gene and protein up-regulation compared to well-nourished bees, with the affected processes including salivary gland apoptosis, oogenesis, and hormone signaling. Protein secretion was virtually the only process up-regulated in well-nourished bees. Further assays demonstrated that inhibition of ultraspiracle, one component of the ecdysteroid receptor, in the fat body caused larger HGs. Undernourished bees also had higher acid phosphatase activity, a physiological marker of cell death, compared to well-nourished bees. These results support a connection between poor nutrition, hormonal signaling, and HG degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Corby-Harris
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Tucson, AZ 85719, United States; Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 United States.
| | - Charlotte A D Meador
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Tucson, AZ 85719, United States
| | - Lucy A Snyder
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Tucson, AZ 85719, United States
| | - Melissa R Schwan
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Tucson, AZ 85719, United States
| | - Patrick Maes
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Tucson, AZ 85719, United States
| | - Beryl M Jones
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Tucson, AZ 85719, United States
| | - Alexander Walton
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Tucson, AZ 85719, United States
| | - Kirk E Anderson
- Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Tucson, AZ 85719, United States; Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 United States
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Antúnez K, Anido M, Branchiccela B, Harriet J, Campa J, Invernizzi C, Santos E, Higes M, Martín-Hernández R, Zunino P. Seasonal Variation of Honeybee Pathogens and its Association with Pollen Diversity in Uruguay. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2015; 70:522-533. [PMID: 25794593 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-015-0594-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2014] [Accepted: 03/04/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Honeybees are susceptible to a wide range of pathogens, which have been related to the occurrence of colony loss episodes reported mainly in north hemisphere countries. Their ability to resist those infections is compromised if they are malnourished or exposed to pesticides. The aim of the present study was to carry out an epidemiological study in Uruguay, South America, in order to evaluate the dynamics and interaction of honeybee pathogens and evaluate their association with the presence of external stress factors such as restricted pollen diversity and presence of agrochemicals. We monitored 40 colonies in two apiaries over 24 months, regularly quantifying colony strength, parasite and pathogen status, and pollen diversity. Chlorinated pesticides, phosphorus, pyrethroid, fipronil, or sulfas were not found in stored pollen in any colony or season. Varroa destructor was widespread in March (end of summer-beginning of autumn), decreasing after acaricide treatments. Viruses ABPV, DWV, and SBV presented a similar trend, while IAPV and KBV were not detected. Nosema ceranae was detected along the year while Nosema apis was detected only in one sample. Fifteen percent of the colonies died, being associated to high V. destructor mite load in March and high N. ceranae spore loads in September. Although similar results have been reported in north hemisphere countries, this is the first study of these characteristics in Uruguay, highlighting the regional importance. On the other side, colonies with pollen of diverse botanical origins showed reduced viral infection levels, suggesting that an adequate nutrition is important for the development of healthy colonies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina Antúnez
- Departamento de Microbiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Avda. Italia 3318, Montevideo, Uruguay,
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