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Knoll A, Langová L, Přidal A, Urban T. Haplotype Diversity in mtDNA of Honeybee in the Czech Republic Confirms Complete Replacement of Autochthonous Population with the C Lineage. INSECTS 2024; 15:495. [PMID: 39057228 PMCID: PMC11276638 DOI: 10.3390/insects15070495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2024] [Revised: 06/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
The study aimed to analyze the genetic diversity in the Czech population of Apis mellifera using mitochondrial DNA markers, tRNAleu-cox2 intergenic region and cox1 gene. A total of 308 samples of bees were collected from the entire Czech Republic (from colonies and flowers in 13 different regions). Following sequencing, several polymorphisms and haplotypes were identified. Analysis of tRNAleu-cox2 sequences revealed three DraI haplotypes (C, A1, and A4). The tRNAleu-cox2 region yielded 10 C lineage haplotypes, one of which is a newly described variant. Three A lineage haplotypes were identified, two of which were novel. A similar analysis of cox1 sequences yielded 16 distinct haplotypes (7 new) within the population. The most prevalent tRNAleu-cox2 haplotype identified was C1a, followed by C2a, C2c, C2l, and C2d. For the cox1 locus, the most frequent haplotypes were HpB02, HpB01, HpB03, and HpB04. The haplotype and nucleotide diversity indices were high in both loci, in tRNAleu-cox2 with values of 0.682 and 0.00172, respectively, and in cox1 0.789 and 0.00203, respectively. The Tajima's D values were negative and lower in tRNAleu-cox2 than in cox1. The most frequent haplotypes were uniformly distributed across all regions of the Czech Republic. No haplotype of the indigenous M lineage was identified. High diversity and the occurrence of rare haplotypes indicate population expansion and continuous import of tribal material of the C lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleš Knoll
- Department of Animal Morphology, Physiology and Genetics, Faculty of AgriSciences, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Lucie Langová
- Department of Animal Morphology, Physiology and Genetics, Faculty of AgriSciences, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Antonín Přidal
- Department of Zoology, Fishery, Hydrobiology and Apidology, Faculty of AgriSciences, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Urban
- Department of Animal Morphology, Physiology and Genetics, Faculty of AgriSciences, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic
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Astuti PK, Hegedűs B, Oleksa A, Bagi Z, Kusza S. Buzzing with Intelligence: Current Issues in Apiculture and the Role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Tackle It. INSECTS 2024; 15:418. [PMID: 38921133 PMCID: PMC11203513 DOI: 10.3390/insects15060418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2024] [Revised: 06/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) are important for agriculture and ecosystems; however, they are threatened by the changing climate. In order to adapt and respond to emerging difficulties, beekeepers require the ability to continuously monitor their beehives. To carry out this, the utilization of advanced machine learning techniques proves to be an exceptional tool. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the available research on the different applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in beekeeping that are relevant to climate change. Presented studies have shown that AI can be used in various scientific aspects of beekeeping and can work with several data types (e.g., sound, sensor readings, images) to investigate, model, predict, and help make decisions in apiaries. Research articles related to various aspects of apiculture, e.g., managing hives, maintaining their health, detecting pests and diseases, and climate and habitat management, were analyzed. It was found that several environmental, behavioral, and physical attributes needed to be monitored in real-time to be able to understand and fully predict the state of the hives. Finally, it could be concluded that even if there is not yet a full-scale monitoring method for apiculture, the already available approaches (even with their identified shortcomings) can help maintain sustainability in the changing apiculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Putri Kusuma Astuti
- Centre for Agricultural Genomics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (P.K.A.); (B.H.); (Z.B.)
- Doctoral School of Animal Science, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
- Department of Animal Breeding and Reproduction, Faculty of Animal Science, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia
| | - Bettina Hegedűs
- Centre for Agricultural Genomics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (P.K.A.); (B.H.); (Z.B.)
- Doctoral School of Animal Science, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Andrzej Oleksa
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Kazimierz Wielki University, 85-090 Bydgoszcz, Poland;
| | - Zoltán Bagi
- Centre for Agricultural Genomics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (P.K.A.); (B.H.); (Z.B.)
| | - Szilvia Kusza
- Centre for Agricultural Genomics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (P.K.A.); (B.H.); (Z.B.)
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Kaur H, Nedić N, Tofilski A. Influence of honey bee ( Apis mellifera) breeding on wing venation in Serbia and neighbouring countries. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17247. [PMID: 38685938 PMCID: PMC11057427 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
In order to improve the productivity of honey bees (Apis mellifera), some of their traits are selected by breeding. On one hand, breeding is mainly based on the natural geographical variation of this species; on the other hand, mass production and distribution of artificially selected queens can significantly affect the natural geographic variation of honey bees. In this study, we have compared honey bee wings originating from breeding and non-breeding populations in Serbia. In the comparison, we have also used data from a large area of south-eastern Europe. The wings were measured using the 19 landmarks indicated on the wing images. The coordinates were analysed using the methodology of geometric morphometrics. We found that honey bees obtained from honey bee queen breeder differed in wing venation from surrounding populations, which are under natural selection. Therefore, we argue against including populations under artificial selection in the analysis of the natural geographical variation of honey bees. In our analysis of non-breeding samples, we found that in south-eastern Europe there is continuous variation in wing venation and no clear boundaries between A. m. carnica, A. m. cecropia, and A. m. macedonica.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hardeep Kaur
- Department of Zoology and Animal Welfare, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Krakow, Poland
| | - Nebojša Nedić
- Institute for Zootechnics, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Adam Tofilski
- Department of Zoology and Animal Welfare, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Krakow, Poland
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Temirbayeva K, Torekhanov A, Nuralieva U, Sheralieva Z, Tofilski A. In Search of Apis mellifera pomonella in Kazakhstan. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1860. [PMID: 37763264 PMCID: PMC10532534 DOI: 10.3390/life13091860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Apis mellifera pomonella is one of two subspecies that represent the eastern limits of honey bee (Apis mellifera) distribution, and it is important to understand its biogeography and evolution. Despite this, A. m. pomonella was not investigated after its discovery 20 years ago. In particular, it is not known if it was hybridized or not with exotic subspecies introduced by beekeepers. In this study, we analysed the variation in honey bee forewing shape in Kazakhstan. Bees were collected from apiaries, where the origin of the queens was not controlled by beekeepers; they formed a group called "local bees", and apiaries where queens declared as either A. m. carnica or A. m. mellifera were obtained from queen breeders. The two later groups were called "exotic bees". We showed that local bees are still distinct from exotic ones. However, some samples showed signs of introgression with exotic subspecies from lineage C. In terms of wing shape, the local bees were most similar to lineage O. We concluded that the local bees most likely represented A. m. pomonella. We provided wing images and identification data, which can help to identify A. m. pomonella and protect it in the future. It is interesting that the nearby honey bee population sourced from China, which is not separated by any clear barrier to gene flow, belonged to lineage M.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamshat Temirbayeva
- Kazakh Research Institute of Livestock and Fodder Production, 51 Zhandosov Str., Almaty 050035, Kazakhstan; (A.T.); (U.N.); (Z.S.)
- Faculty of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, 71 Al-Farabi Ave., Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan
| | - Aibyn Torekhanov
- Kazakh Research Institute of Livestock and Fodder Production, 51 Zhandosov Str., Almaty 050035, Kazakhstan; (A.T.); (U.N.); (Z.S.)
| | - Ulzhan Nuralieva
- Kazakh Research Institute of Livestock and Fodder Production, 51 Zhandosov Str., Almaty 050035, Kazakhstan; (A.T.); (U.N.); (Z.S.)
| | - Zhanar Sheralieva
- Kazakh Research Institute of Livestock and Fodder Production, 51 Zhandosov Str., Almaty 050035, Kazakhstan; (A.T.); (U.N.); (Z.S.)
| | - Adam Tofilski
- Department of Zoology and Animal Welfare, University of Agriculture in Krakow, 29 Listopada 56, 31-425 Krakow, Poland
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Kaskinova MD, Gaifullina LR, Saltykova ES. Haplotypes of the tRNAleu-COII mtDNA Region in Russian Apis mellifera Populations. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2394. [PMID: 37508171 PMCID: PMC10376158 DOI: 10.3390/ani13142394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Analysis of the mtDNA tRNAleu-COII locus is a widely used tool to establish belonging to a particular evolutionary lineage of Apis mellifera L. (lineages A, M, C, O, and Y). In Russia, most of the area was once inhabited by Apis mellifera mellifera from the M evolutionary lineage, but the introduction of bee subspecies from the southern regions of Russia (A. m. caucasica, A. m. carnica) and from abroad (A. m. carnica, A. m. ligustica) led to fragmentation of their native range. In this study, the results of assessing the haplotype number for the tRNAleu-COII locus of mtDNA in Russian Apis mellifera populations were presented. We analyzed 269 colonies from 19 regions of Russia. As a result, two evolutionary lineages were identified: the East European lineage C (26.4%) and the Northwestern European lineage M (73.6%). A total of 29 haplotypes were identified, 8 of them were already reported, and 21 were found to be novel. From the C lineage, haplotypes C1, C2, C2c, C2j, and C3 were predominant. All M lineage samples from Russia belong to the M17 and M4' haplogroups but have only minor variations in the form of nucleotide substitutions. An analysis of publications devoted to the tRNAleu-COII locus haplotypes, as well as an analysis of the available tRNAleu-COII sequences in GenBank, showed that there is still a problem with the haplotype nomenclature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milyausha D Kaskinova
- Institute of Biochemistry and Genetics, Ufa Federal Research Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospekt Oktyabrya 71, 450054 Ufa, Russia
| | - Luisa R Gaifullina
- Institute of Biochemistry and Genetics, Ufa Federal Research Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospekt Oktyabrya 71, 450054 Ufa, Russia
| | - Elena S Saltykova
- Institute of Biochemistry and Genetics, Ufa Federal Research Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospekt Oktyabrya 71, 450054 Ufa, Russia
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Oleksa A, Căuia E, Siceanu A, Puškadija Z, Kovačić M, Pinto MA, Rodrigues PJ, Hatjina F, Charistos L, Bouga M, Prešern J, Kandemir İ, Rašić S, Kusza S, Tofilski A. Honey bee (Apis mellifera) wing images: a tool for identification and conservation. Gigascience 2023; 12:giad019. [PMID: 36971293 PMCID: PMC10041535 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giad019] [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: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The honey bee (Apis mellifera) is an ecologically and economically important species that provides pollination services to natural and agricultural systems. The biodiversity of the honey bee in parts of its native range is endangered by migratory beekeeping and commercial breeding. In consequence, some honey bee populations that are well adapted to the local environment are threatened with extinction. A crucial step for the protection of honey bee biodiversity is reliable differentiation between native and nonnative bees. One of the methods that can be used for this is the geometric morphometrics of wings. This method is fast, is low cost, and does not require expensive equipment. Therefore, it can be easily used by both scientists and beekeepers. However, wing geometric morphometrics is challenging due to the lack of reference data that can be reliably used for comparisons between different geographic regions. FINDINGS Here, we provide an unprecedented collection of 26,481 honey bee wing images representing 1,725 samples from 13 European countries. The wing images are accompanied by the coordinates of 19 landmarks and the geographic coordinates of the sampling locations. We present an R script that describes the workflow for analyzing the data and identifying an unknown sample. We compared the data with available reference samples for lineage and found general agreement with them. CONCLUSIONS The extensive collection of wing images available on the Zenodo website can be used to identify the geographic origin of unknown samples and therefore assist in the monitoring and conservation of honey bee biodiversity in Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrzej Oleksa
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Kazimierz Wielki University, Bydgoszcz 85-090, Poland
| | - Eliza Căuia
- Honeybee Genetics and Breeding Laboratory, Institute for Beekeeping Research and Development, Bucharest 013975, Romania
| | - Adrian Siceanu
- Honeybee Genetics and Breeding Laboratory, Institute for Beekeeping Research and Development, Bucharest 013975, Romania
| | - Zlatko Puškadija
- Faculty of Agrobiotechnical Sciences, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek 31000, Croatia
| | - Marin Kovačić
- Faculty of Agrobiotechnical Sciences, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek 31000, Croatia
| | - M Alice Pinto
- Centro de Investigação de Montanha, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, Bragança 5300-253, Portugal
- Laboratório Associado para a Sustentabilidade e Tecnologia em Regiões de Montanha (SusTEC), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, Bragança 5300-253, Portugal
| | - Pedro João Rodrigues
- Centre in Digitalization and Intelligent Robotics, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, Bragança 5300-253, Portugal
- Laboratório Associado para a Sustentabilidade e Tecnologia em Regiões de Montanha (SusTEC), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, Bragança 5300-253, Portugal
| | - Fani Hatjina
- Department of Apiculture, Institute of Animal Science–Ellinikos Georgikos Organismos ‘DIMITRA’, Nea Moudania 63200, Greece
| | - Leonidas Charistos
- Department of Apiculture, Institute of Animal Science–Ellinikos Georgikos Organismos ‘DIMITRA’, Nea Moudania 63200, Greece
| | - Maria Bouga
- Lab of Agricultural Zoology and Entomology, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens 11855, Greece
| | - Janez Prešern
- Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, Ljubljana SI-1000, Slovenia
| | - İrfan Kandemir
- Ankara University, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ankara University, Beşevler-Ankara 06100, Turkey
| | - Slađan Rašić
- Faculty of Ecological Agriculture, EDUCONS University, Sremska Kamenica 21208, Serbia
| | - Szilvia Kusza
- Centre for Agricultural Genomics and Biotechnology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen 4032, Hungary
| | - Adam Tofilski
- Department of Zoology and Animal Welfare, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Krakow 31-425, Poland
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García CAY, Rodrigues PJ, Tofilski A, Elen D, McCormak GP, Oleksa A, Henriques D, Ilyasov R, Kartashev A, Bargain C, Fried B, Pinto MA. Using the Software DeepWings© to Classify Honey Bees across Europe through Wing Geometric Morphometrics. INSECTS 2022; 13:1132. [PMID: 36555043 PMCID: PMC9784756 DOI: 10.3390/insects13121132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
DeepWings© is a software that uses machine learning to automatically classify honey bee subspecies by wing geometric morphometrics. Here, we tested the five subspecies classifier (A. m. carnica, Apis mellifera caucasia, A. m. iberiensis, Apis mellifera ligustica, and A. m. mellifera) of DeepWings© on 14,816 wing images with variable quality and acquired by different beekeepers and researchers. These images represented 2601 colonies from the native ranges of the M-lineage A. m. iberiensis and A. m. mellifera, and the C-lineage A. m. carnica. In the A. m. iberiensis range, 92.6% of the colonies matched this subspecies, with a high median probability (0.919). In the Azores, where the Iberian subspecies was historically introduced, a lower proportion (85.7%) and probability (0.842) were observed. In the A. m mellifera range, only 41.1 % of the colonies matched this subspecies, which is compatible with a history of C-derived introgression. Yet, these colonies were classified with the highest probability (0.994) of the three subspecies. In the A. m. carnica range, 88.3% of the colonies matched this subspecies, with a probability of 0.984. The association between wing and molecular markers, assessed for 1214 colonies from the M-lineage range, was highly significant but not strong (r = 0.31, p < 0.0001). The agreement between the markers was influenced by C-derived introgression, with the best results obtained for colonies with high genetic integrity. This study indicates the good performance of DeepWings© on a realistic wing image dataset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Ariel Yadró García
- Centro de Investigação de Montanha, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
- Laboratório Associado para a Sustentabilidade e Tecnologia em Regiões de Montanha (SusTEC), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
| | - Pedro João Rodrigues
- Laboratório Associado para a Sustentabilidade e Tecnologia em Regiões de Montanha (SusTEC), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
- Research Center in Digitalization and Intelligent Robotics (CeDRI), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
| | - Adam Tofilski
- Department of Zoology and Animal Welfare, University of Agriculture in Krakow, 31-425 Krakow, Poland
| | - Dylan Elen
- Department of Molecular Ecology & Evolution, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2DG, UK
- Taskforce Research, ZwarteBij.org VZW, 9890 Gavere, Belgium
| | - Grace P. McCormak
- Zoology, Earth and Life Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Galway, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland
| | - Andrzej Oleksa
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Kazimierz Wielki University, Powstańców Wielkopolskich, 85-090 Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Dora Henriques
- Centro de Investigação de Montanha, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
- Laboratório Associado para a Sustentabilidade e Tecnologia em Regiões de Montanha (SusTEC), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
| | - Rustem Ilyasov
- Transplantology and Genotyping, Department of the Progressive Technologies, Bashkir State Agrarian University, 450001 Ufa, Russia
| | | | - Christian Bargain
- Association pour la Sauvegarde de l’Abeillee Noire, 56069 Ile de Groix, France
| | - Balser Fried
- Swiss Association of Mellifera Bee Friends, mellifera.ch, Ahornstrasse 7, 9533 Kirchberg, Switzerland
| | - Maria Alice Pinto
- Centro de Investigação de Montanha, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
- Laboratório Associado para a Sustentabilidade e Tecnologia em Regiões de Montanha (SusTEC), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
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Utzeri VJ, Ribani A, Taurisano V, Fontanesi L. Entomological authentication of honey based on a DNA method that distinguishes Apis mellifera mitochondrial C mitotypes: Application to honey produced by A. m. ligustica and A. m. carnica. Food Control 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2021.108713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Tanasković M, Erić P, Patenković A, Erić K, Mihajlović M, Tanasić V, Kusza S, Oleksa A, Stanisavljević L, Davidović S. Further Evidence of Population Admixture in the Serbian Honey Bee Population. INSECTS 2022; 13:insects13020180. [PMID: 35206752 PMCID: PMC8879341 DOI: 10.3390/insects13020180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Simple Summary The western honey bee is one of the most ecologically and economically important pollinator species. Due to human interference, it faces serious challenges, not only in number decline and habitat loss, but also in natural subspecies diversity and distribution. The conservation of genetic diversity and perseverance of locally adapted populations and subspecies becomes a crucial task in the face of rapid environmental changes. In order to further assess present genetic variability in Serbian honey bee populations, we analyzed 14 microsatellite loci and then compared nine of them with previously published data. Our results suggest that Serbia now harbors a distinct, relatively homogenous honey bee population, although some local differences are still preserved. Abstract Socioeconomic interests and beekeeper preferences have often taken precedence over the conservation of locally native honey bee subspecies, leading to the predominance of admixture populations in human-dominated areas. To assess the genetic diversity of contemporary managed Serbian honey bee colonies, we used 14 microsatellite loci and analyzed 237 worker bees from 46 apiaries in eight localities of northern and southern Serbia. Furthermore, we compared data for nine microsatellite loci with 338 individuals from Italy, Hungary, Poland, and Spain. The standard parameters of genetic diversity in Serbian honey bee populations were in line with other analyses, although somewhat smaller. STRUCTURE analysis showed the existence of two equally distributed genetic clusters and Analysis of molecular variances could not confirm the presence of a geographically discrete population but showed local differences. Discriminant analysis of principal components showed overlapping of worker bees from different parts of Serbia. Clear genetic differentiation can be observed when comparing all populations between geographical regions and their corresponding subspecies. The absence of the A. m. macedonica subspecies from its historical distribution range in southern Serbia as well as the lack of distinctive geographical groups suggest that selective breeding, queen import, and migratory beekeeping practices strongly influence the genetic structure and diversity of honey bees, leading to the genetic uniformization and creation of the admixture population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marija Tanasković
- Department of Genetics of Populations and Ecogenotoxicology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia; (P.E.); (A.P.); (K.E.); (S.D.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Pavle Erić
- Department of Genetics of Populations and Ecogenotoxicology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia; (P.E.); (A.P.); (K.E.); (S.D.)
| | - Aleksandra Patenković
- Department of Genetics of Populations and Ecogenotoxicology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia; (P.E.); (A.P.); (K.E.); (S.D.)
| | - Katarina Erić
- Department of Genetics of Populations and Ecogenotoxicology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia; (P.E.); (A.P.); (K.E.); (S.D.)
| | - Milica Mihajlović
- Center for Forensic and Applied Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (M.M.); (V.T.)
| | - Vanja Tanasić
- Center for Forensic and Applied Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (M.M.); (V.T.)
| | - Szilvia Kusza
- Centre for Agricultural Genomics and Biotechnology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1., 4032 Debrecen, Hungary;
| | - Andrzej Oleksa
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Kazimierz Wielki University, Powstanców Wielkopolskich 10, 85-090 Bydgoszcz, Poland;
| | | | - Slobodan Davidović
- Department of Genetics of Populations and Ecogenotoxicology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia; (P.E.); (A.P.); (K.E.); (S.D.)
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Tanasković M, Erić P, Patenković A, Erić K, Mihajlović M, Tanasić V, Stanisavljević L, Davidović S. MtDNA Analysis Indicates Human-Induced Temporal Changes of Serbian Honey Bees Diversity. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12090767. [PMID: 34564207 PMCID: PMC8472511 DOI: 10.3390/insects12090767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary The western honey bee is one of the most economically and ecologically important species currently facing serious challenges in its whole area of distribution. The honey bee is a highly diverse species with about 30 subspecies that are adapted to regional climate factors, vegetation, pests and pathogens. The local populations of honey bees are rapidly changing and their diversity is constantly manipulated by beekeepers through the import of foreign queens, selection and migratory beekeeping. This manipulation may lead to such changes that honey bees lose their ability to thrive in the areas that were previously suitable for their wellbeing. To see how this human interference changed the genetic variability of native honey bee populations from Serbia, we sequenced part of the mitochondrial genome and compared them with published sequences. Our results suggest that human influence significantly changes the natural composition of honey bees in Serbia and that the presence of some previously reported subspecies could not be confirmed. Abstract Local populations of Apis mellifera are rapidly changing by modern beekeeping through the introduction of nonnative queens, selection and migratory beekeeping. To assess the genetic diversity of contemporary managed honey bees in Serbia, we sequenced mitochondrial tRNAleu-cox2 intergenic region of 241 worker bees from 46 apiaries at eight localities. Nine haplotypes were observed in our samples, with C2d being the most common and widespread. To evaluate genetic diversity patterns, we compared our data with 1696 sequences from the NCBI GenBank from neighbouring countries and Serbia. All 32 detected haplotypes belonged to the Southeast Europe lineage C, with two newly described haplotypes from our sample. The most frequent haplotype was C2d, followed by C2c and C1a. To distinguish A. m. carnica from A. m. macedonica, both previously reported in Serbia, PCR-RFLP analysis on the COI gene segment of mtDNA was used, and the result showed only the presence of A.m. carnica subspecies. An MDS plot constructed on pairwise FST values showed significant geographical stratification. Our samples are grouped together, but distant from the Serbian dataset from the GenBank. This, with the absence of A. m. macedonica subspecies from its historic range of distribution in southern Serbia, indicates that honey bee populations are changing rapidly due to the anthropogenic influence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marija Tanasković
- Department of Genetics of Populations and Ecogenotoxicology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia; (P.E.); (A.P.); (K.E.); (S.D.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Pavle Erić
- Department of Genetics of Populations and Ecogenotoxicology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia; (P.E.); (A.P.); (K.E.); (S.D.)
| | - Aleksandra Patenković
- Department of Genetics of Populations and Ecogenotoxicology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia; (P.E.); (A.P.); (K.E.); (S.D.)
| | - Katarina Erić
- Department of Genetics of Populations and Ecogenotoxicology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia; (P.E.); (A.P.); (K.E.); (S.D.)
| | - Milica Mihajlović
- Center for Forensic and Applied Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (M.M.); (V.T.)
| | - Vanja Tanasić
- Center for Forensic and Applied Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (M.M.); (V.T.)
| | - Ljubiša Stanisavljević
- Center for Bee Research, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia;
| | - Slobodan Davidović
- Department of Genetics of Populations and Ecogenotoxicology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia; (P.E.); (A.P.); (K.E.); (S.D.)
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Utzeri VJ, Ribani A, Taurisano V, Banqué CHI, Fontanesi L. Distribution of the Main Apis mellifera Mitochondrial DNA Lineages in Italy Assessed Using an Environmental DNA Approach. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12070620. [PMID: 34357280 PMCID: PMC8304627 DOI: 10.3390/insects12070620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Growing interest has been emerging on the need to monitor the genetic integrity of the European Apis mellifera subspecies that could be threatened by the human-mediated dispersion of non-native populations and lines. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) lineages can provide useful information for this purpose. In this study, we took advantage of the environmental DNA (eDNA) contained in the honey, which can be analyzed to detect the main groups of mitotypes of the honey bees that produced it. In this study, we applied this eDNA to produce a distribution map all over the Italian peninsula and the two major islands (Sicily and Sardinia) of the following three honey bee mtDNA lineages: A, C and M. A total of 607 georeferenced honey samples, produced in all Italian regions, was analyzed to detect these lineages. The A lineage was widespread in Sicily, as expected, considering that A. m. siciliana carries the African lineage. Surprisingly, this lineage was also reported in about 14% of all other samples produced in almost all continental regions, and in Sardinia. The applied method obtained an updated distribution map of honey bee mtDNA lineages that could be useful to design policies for the conservation of Italian honey bee genetic resources.
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Tofilski A, Căuia E, Siceanu A, Vișan GO, Căuia D. Historical Changes in Honey Bee Wing Venation in Romania. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12060542. [PMID: 34200932 PMCID: PMC8230453 DOI: 10.3390/insects12060542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Simple Summary Honey bees, in addition to producing honey, are important pollinators of wild and cultivated plants. Unfortunately, in some places, the population of honey bees is declining. One of the factors that affect their survival is adaptation to the local environment. Bees native to a particular area survive better than those imported. Despite this fact, some beekeepers import non-native bees and use them in their apiaries. Imported bees produce hybrids with bees from surrounding colonies because beekeepers do not control their mating. In consequence, the whole population can change. In this study, we verified how the population of Romanian bees has changed over the last four decades. We found significant temporal changes in wing venation. Despite these changes, the two major subpopulations of bees separated by mountains remain distinct. We provide a tool for the easy identification of native bees from Romania, which can help to protect them. Abstract The honey bee (Apis mellifera) is an ecologically and economically important species that provides pollination services to natural and agricultural systems. The biodiversity of the honey bee is being endangered by the mass import of non-native queens. In many locations, it is not clear how the local populations have been affected by hybridisation between native and non-native bees. There is especially little information about temporal changes in hybridisation. In Romania, A. m. carpatica naturally occurs, and earlier studies show that there are two subpopulations separated by the Carpathian Mountains. In this study, we investigated how the arrangement of veins in bees’ wings (venation) has changed in Romanian honey bees in the last four decades. We found that in the contemporary population of Romanian bees, there are still clear differences between the intra- and extra-Carpathian subpopulations, which indicates that natural variation among honey bees is still being preserved. We also found significant differences between bees collected before and after 2000. The observed temporal changes in wing venation are most likely caused by hybridisation between native bees and non-native bees sporadically introduced by beekeepers. In order to facilitate conservation and the monitoring of native Romanian bees, we developed a method facilitating their identification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Tofilski
- Department of Zoology and Animal Welfare, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Al. 29 Listopada 54, 31-425 Krakow, Poland
- Correspondence:
| | - Eliza Căuia
- Honeybee Genetics and Breeding Laboratory, Institute for Beekeeping Research and Development, Blv Ficusului, No. 42, Sector 1, 013975 Bucharest, Romania; (E.C.); (A.S.); (G.O.V.); (D.C.)
| | - Adrian Siceanu
- Honeybee Genetics and Breeding Laboratory, Institute for Beekeeping Research and Development, Blv Ficusului, No. 42, Sector 1, 013975 Bucharest, Romania; (E.C.); (A.S.); (G.O.V.); (D.C.)
| | - Gabriela Oana Vișan
- Honeybee Genetics and Breeding Laboratory, Institute for Beekeeping Research and Development, Blv Ficusului, No. 42, Sector 1, 013975 Bucharest, Romania; (E.C.); (A.S.); (G.O.V.); (D.C.)
| | - Dumitru Căuia
- Honeybee Genetics and Breeding Laboratory, Institute for Beekeeping Research and Development, Blv Ficusului, No. 42, Sector 1, 013975 Bucharest, Romania; (E.C.); (A.S.); (G.O.V.); (D.C.)
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