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Biganski S, Lester T, Obshta O, Jose MS, Thebeau JM, Masood F, Silva MCB, Camilli MP, Raza MF, Zabrodski MW, Kozii I, Koziy R, Moshynskyy I, Simko E, Wood SC. Comparison of individual and pooled sampling methods for estimation of Vairimorpha ( Nosema) spp. levels in experimentally infected honey bee colonies. J Vet Diagn Invest 2023; 35:639-644. [PMID: 37638692 PMCID: PMC10621544 DOI: 10.1177/10406387231194620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The microsporidian pathogens Vairimorpha apis and V. ceranae are known to cause intestinal infection in honey bees and are associated with decreased colony productivity and colony loss. The widely accepted method for determining Vairimorpha colony infection level for risk assessment and antibiotic treatment is based on spore counts of 60 pooled worker bees using light microscopy. Given that honey bee colonies consist of as many as 1,000 times more individuals, the number of bees collected for Vairimorpha detection may significantly impact the estimated colony infection level, especially in the case of uneven distribution of high- and low-infected individuals within a hive. Hence, we compared the frequency and severity of Vairimorpha infection in individual bees to pooled samples of 60, 120, and 180 bees, as well as compared the Vairimorpha spp. prevalence in pooled samples of 60 and 180 bees. Overall, we did not find significant differences in spore counts in pooled samples containing incremental numbers of bees, although we observed that, in less-infected colonies, a low frequency of highly infected individuals influenced the estimated colony infection level. Moreover, Vairimorpha spp. prevalence did not differ significantly among the pooled bee samples tested. Increasing the number of pooled bees from the recommended 60 bees to 180 bees did not yield a more accurate representation of colony infection level for highly infected colonies, but the clinical importance of a low frequency of highly infected individuals in less-infected colonies needs to be addressed in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Biganski
- Departments of Veterinary Pathology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Tessa Lester
- Departments of Veterinary Pathology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Oleksii Obshta
- Departments of Veterinary Pathology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Midhun S. Jose
- Departments of Veterinary Pathology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Jenna M. Thebeau
- Departments of Veterinary Pathology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Fatima Masood
- Veterinary Microbiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Marina C. B. Silva
- Departments of Veterinary Pathology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Marcelo P. Camilli
- Departments of Veterinary Pathology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Muhammad F. Raza
- Departments of Veterinary Pathology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Michael W. Zabrodski
- Western College of Veterinary Medicine, and Prairie Diagnostic Services, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Ivanna Kozii
- Western College of Veterinary Medicine, and Prairie Diagnostic Services, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Roman Koziy
- Western College of Veterinary Medicine, and Prairie Diagnostic Services, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Igor Moshynskyy
- Departments of Veterinary Pathology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Elemir Simko
- Departments of Veterinary Pathology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Sarah C. Wood
- Departments of Veterinary Pathology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
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Ignatieva AN, Timofeev SA, Tokarev YS, Dolgikh VV. Laboratory Cultivation of Vairimorpha (Nosema) ceranae (Microsporidia: Nosematidae) in Artificially Infected Worker Bees. Insects 2022; 13:1092. [PMID: 36555002 PMCID: PMC9784591 DOI: 10.3390/insects13121092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Nosemosis type C is a dangerous and widespread disease of the adult European honey bee Apis mellifera and is caused by the spore-forming intracellular parasite Vairimorpha (Nosema) ceranae. The search for new ways of therapy for this disease is complicated due to the seasonal availability of V. ceranae-infected insects as well as the lack of a developed system for the pathogen's cultivation. By carrying out trials which used different infectious dosages of the parasite, spore storage protocols, host age, and incubation temperatures, we present a simple, safe, and efficient method of V. ceranae propagation in artificially infected worker bees in the laboratory. The method is based on feeding the groups of adult worker bees with microsporidian spores and insect maintenance in plastic bottles at 33 °C. The source of the spores originated from the cadavers of infected insects from the previous round of cultivation, in which the infective spores persist for up to six months. An analysis of five independent cultivation rounds involving more than 2500 bees showed that the proposed protocol exploiting the dosage of one million spores per bee yielded over 60 million V. ceranae spores per bee, and most of the spore samples can be isolated from living insects.
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Chen H, Fan X, Zhang W, Ye Y, Cai Z, Zhang K, Zhang K, Fu Z, Chen D, Guo R. Deciphering the CircRNA-Regulated Response of Western Honey Bee ( Apis mellifera) Workers to Microsporidian Invasion. Biology (Basel) 2022; 11:biology11091285. [PMID: 36138764 PMCID: PMC9495892 DOI: 10.3390/biology11091285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Vairimorpha ceranae is a widespread fungal parasite of adult honey bees that leads to a serious disease called nosemosis. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are newly discovered non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) that regulate biological processes such as immune defense and development. Here, 8199 and 8711 circRNAs were predicted from the midguts of Apis mellifera ligustica workers at 7 d (Am7T) and 10 d (Am10T) after inoculation (dpi) with V. ceranae spores. In combination with transcriptome data from corresponding uninoculated midguts (Am7CK and Am10CK), 4464 circRNAs were found to be shared by these four groups. Additionally, 16 circRNAs were highly conserved among A. m. ligustica, Apis cerana cerana, and Homo sapiens. In the Am7CK vs. Am7T (Am10CK vs. Am10T) comparison group, 168 (306) differentially expressed circRNAs (DEcircRNAs) were identified. RT-qPCR results showed that the expression trend of eight DEcircRNAs was consistent with that in the transcriptome datasets. The source genes of DEcircRNAs in Am7CK vs. Am7T (Am10CK vs. Am10T) were engaged in 27 (35) GO functional terms, including 1 (1) immunity-associated terms. Moreover, the aforementioned source genes were involved in three cellular immune-related pathways. Moreover, 86 (178) DEcircRNAs in workers' midguts at 7 (10) dpi could interact with 75 (103) miRNAs, further targeting 215 (305) mRNAs. These targets were associated with cellular renewal, cellular structure, carbohydrate and energy metabolism, and cellular and humoral immunity. Findings in the present study unraveled the mechanism underlying circRNA-mediated immune responses of western honey bee workers to V. ceranae invasion, but also provided new insights into host-microsporidian interaction during nosemosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huazhi Chen
- College of Bee Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 35002, China
| | - Xiaoxue Fan
- College of Bee Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 35002, China
| | - Wende Zhang
- College of Bee Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 35002, China
| | - Yaping Ye
- College of Bee Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 35002, China
| | - Zongbing Cai
- College of Bee Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 35002, China
| | - Kaiyao Zhang
- College of Bee Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 35002, China
| | - Kuihao Zhang
- College of Bee Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 35002, China
| | - Zhongmin Fu
- College of Bee Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 35002, China
- Apitherapy Research Institute, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 35002, China
| | - Dafu Chen
- College of Bee Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 35002, China
- Apitherapy Research Institute, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 35002, China
| | - Rui Guo
- College of Bee Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 35002, China
- Apitherapy Research Institute, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 35002, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel./Fax: +86-0591-8764-0197
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Imani Baran A, Kalami H, Mazaheri J, Hamidian G. Vairimorpha ceranae was the only detected microsporidian species from Iranian honey bee colonies: a molecular and phylogenetic study. Parasitol Res 2021. [PMID: 34792656 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-021-07381-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Nosemosis caused by Vairimorpha ceranae is one of the most important threats to honeybee colonies worldwide. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and intensity of Vairimorpha infection in different types of colonies and locations in Iran. In October 2017 and May 2018, 376 colonies from 97 apiaries were selected for each month according to a randomly clustered design. By considering 3-5 colonies for each apiary, 20 adult bees as pooled samples were collected from each colony. In microscopic analysis, 46.52% and 46.1% of samples in May and October showed Vairimorpha spores, respectively. The infection intensities in May and October were 5.94 ± 0.19 (× 106) and 5.86 ± 0.23 (× 106) spores/bee in a pooled sample, respectively. The mean infection intensity ranged from 1.8 to 12.5 (× 106) spores/bee. Statistically, there were no significant differences in the prevalence and intensity of V. ceranae infection between May and October samples. No significant differences were found among the prevalence rates of infection in the types of colonies; however, the intensity was significantly higher in migratory and mountainous colonies in May and only in migratory colonies in October. There was a significant correlation between the prevalence and intensity of V. ceranae infection (r2 = 0.695). PCR analysis showed that the samples were only infected with V. ceranae. No intraspecific variation to V. ceranae was found by direct sequencing of the amplified fragment of 16S rRNA. The obtained sequence was mainly 100% similar to those of V. ceranae isolates from European countries.
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Braglia C, Alberoni D, Porrini MP, Garrido PM, Baffoni L, Di Gioia D. Screening of Dietary Ingredients against the Honey Bee Parasite Nosema ceranae. Pathogens 2021; 10:1117. [PMID: 34578150 PMCID: PMC8466614 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10091117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Nosema ceranae is a major pathogen in the beekeeping sector, responsible for nosemosis. This disease is hard to manage since its symptomatology is masked until a strong collapse of the colony population occurs. Conversely, no medicaments are available in the market to counteract nosemosis, and only a few feed additives, with claimed antifungal action, are available. New solutions are strongly required, especially based on natural methods alternative to veterinary drugs that might develop resistance or strongly pollute honey bees and the environment. This study aims at investigating the nosemosis antiparasitic potential of some plant extracts, microbial fermentation products, organic acids, food chain waste products, bacteriocins, and fungi. Honey bees were singularly infected with 5 × 104 freshly prepared N. ceranae spores, reared in cages and fed ad libitum with sugar syrup solution containing the active ingredient. N. ceranae in the gut of honey bees was estimated using qPCR. The results showed that some of the ingredients administered, such as acetic acid at high concentration, p-coumaric acid, and Saccharomyces sp. strain KIA1, were effective in the control of nosemosis. On the other hand, wine acetic acid strongly increased the N. ceranae amount. This study investigates the possibility of using compounds such as organic acids or biological agents including those at the base of the circular economy, i.e., wine waste production, in order to improve honeybee health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Braglia
- Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences (DISTAL), University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 44, 40127 Bologna, Italy; (C.B.); (L.B.); (D.D.G.)
| | - Daniele Alberoni
- Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences (DISTAL), University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 44, 40127 Bologna, Italy; (C.B.); (L.B.); (D.D.G.)
| | - Martin Pablo Porrini
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Producción Sanidad y Ambiente (IIPROSAM), Centro Científico Tecnológico Mar del Plata-CONICET-UNMdP-CIC-PBA, Funes 3350, Mar del Plata Zc 7600, Argentina; (M.P.P.); (P.M.G.)
- Centro de Investigación en Abejas Sociales (CIAS), FCEyN, UNMdP, Funes 3350, Mar del Plata Zc 7600, Argentina
| | - Paula Melisa Garrido
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Producción Sanidad y Ambiente (IIPROSAM), Centro Científico Tecnológico Mar del Plata-CONICET-UNMdP-CIC-PBA, Funes 3350, Mar del Plata Zc 7600, Argentina; (M.P.P.); (P.M.G.)
- Centro de Investigación en Abejas Sociales (CIAS), FCEyN, UNMdP, Funes 3350, Mar del Plata Zc 7600, Argentina
| | - Loredana Baffoni
- Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences (DISTAL), University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 44, 40127 Bologna, Italy; (C.B.); (L.B.); (D.D.G.)
| | - Diana Di Gioia
- Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences (DISTAL), University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 44, 40127 Bologna, Italy; (C.B.); (L.B.); (D.D.G.)
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