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Lin Z, Shen S, Wang K, Ji T. Biotic and abiotic stresses on honeybee health. Integr Zool 2024; 19:442-457. [PMID: 37427560 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12752] [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] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Honeybees are the most critical pollinators providing key ecosystem services that underpin crop production and sustainable agriculture. Amidst a backdrop of rapid global change, this eusocial insect encounters a succession of stressors during nesting, foraging, and pollination. Ectoparasitic mites, together with vectored viruses, have been recognized as central biotic threats to honeybee health, while the spread of invasive giant hornets and small hive beetles also increasingly threatens colonies worldwide. Cocktails of agrochemicals, including acaricides used for mite treatment, and other pollutants of the environment have been widely documented to affect bee health in various ways. Additionally, expanding urbanization, climate change, and agricultural intensification often result in the destruction or fragmentation of flower-rich bee habitats. The anthropogenic pressures exerted by beekeeping management practices affect the natural selection and evolution of honeybees, and colony translocations facilitate alien species invasion and disease transmission. In this review, the multiple biotic and abiotic threats and their interactions that potentially undermine bee colony health are discussed, while taking into consideration the sensitivity, large foraging area, dense network among related nestmates, and social behaviors of honeybees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheguang Lin
- Apicultural Research Institute, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Siyi Shen
- Apicultural Research Institute, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Kang Wang
- Apicultural Research Institute, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Ting Ji
- Apicultural Research Institute, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
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2
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Parrella P, Elikan AB, Snow JW. Pathogen- and host-directed pharmacologic strategies for control of Vairimorpha (Nosema) spp. infection in honey bees. J Eukaryot Microbiol 2024:e13026. [PMID: 38572630 DOI: 10.1111/jeu.13026] [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: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Microsporidia are obligate intracellular parasites of the Fungal Kingdom that cause widespread infections in nature, with important effects on invertebrates involved in food production systems. The two microsporidian species Vairimorpha (Nosema) ceranae (and the less common Vairimorpha (Nosema) apis) can cause individual disease in honey bees and contribute to colony collapse. The efficacy, safety, and availability of fumagillin, the only drug currently approved to treat microsporidia infection in bees, is uncertain. In this review, we will discuss some of the most promising alternative strategies for the mitigation of Vairimorpha spp. with an emphasis on infection by V. ceranae, now the dominant species infecting bees. We will focus on pharmacologic interventions where the mechanism of action is known and examine both pathogen-directed and host-directed approaches. As limiting toxicity to host cells has been especially emphasized in treating bees that are already facing numerous stressors, strategies that disrupt pathogen-specific targets may be especially advantageous. Therefore, efforts to increase the knowledge and tools for facilitating the discovery of such targets and pharmacologic agents directed against them should be prioritized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parker Parrella
- Department of Biology, Barnard College, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Jonathan W Snow
- Department of Biology, Barnard College, New York, New York, USA
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3
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Conradie TA, Lawson K, Allsopp M, Jacobs K. Exploring the impact of fungicide exposure and nutritional stress on the microbiota and immune response of the Cape honey bee (Apis mellifera capensis). Microbiol Res 2024; 280:127587. [PMID: 38142516 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2023.127587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
Honey bees (Apis mellifera) harbour a stable core microbial community within their gut, that is suggested to play a role in metabolic functioning, immune regulation, and host homeostasis. This microbiota presents a unique opportunity to observe the effects of stressors on honey bee health. We examined the effects of two common honey bee stressors: indirect fungicide contamination and nutrient limitation. These effects were observed through changes in their hind- and midgut microbiota using Automated Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Analysis (ARISA), alongside high-throughput amplicon sequencing. Expression of the honey bees' immune response was examined through the expression of three immune-related genes, namely, immune deficiency (imd), proPhenolOxidase (proPO), and spaetzle (spz). Additionally, longevity of the honey bees was monitored through observation of the expression levels of Vitellogenin (Vg). Both treatment groups were compared to a negative control, and a diseased positive control. There was no effect on the hindgut microbiota due to the stressors, while significant changes in the midgut was observed. This was also observed in the expression of the immune-related genes within the treatment groups. The Imd pathway was substantially downregulated, with upregulation in the prophenoloxidase pathway. However, no significant effect was observed in the expression of spz, and only the pollen treatment group showed reduced longevity through a downregulation of Vg. Overall, the effect of these two common stressors indicate a compromise in honey bee immunity, and potential vulnerabilities within the immune defence mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tersia A Conradie
- Department of Microbiology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
| | - Kayla Lawson
- Department of Microbiology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
| | - Mike Allsopp
- Agricultural Research Council - Plant, Health & Protection, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
| | - Karin Jacobs
- Department of Microbiology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa.
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4
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Frunze O, Kim H, Kim BJ, Lee JH, Bilal M, Kwon HW. Monitoring Immune Modulation in Season Population: Identifying Effects and Markers Related to Apis mellifera ligustica Honey Bee Health. Biomolecules 2023; 14:19. [PMID: 38254619 PMCID: PMC10813216 DOI: 10.3390/biom14010019] [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: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Honey bees play a significant role in ecology, producing biologically active substances used to promote human health. However, unlike humans, the molecular markers indicating honey bee health remain unknown. Unfortunately, numerous reports of honey bee collapse have been documented. To identify health markers, we analyzed ten defense system genes in Apis mellifera ligustica honey bees from winter (Owb) and spring (Fb for foragers and Nb for newly emerged) populations sampled in February and late April 2023, respectively. We focused on colonies free from SBV and DWV viruses. Molecular profiling revealed five molecular markers of honey bee health. Of these, two seasonal molecular markers-domeless and spz genes-were significantly downregulated in Owb compared to Nb and Fb honey bees. One task-related marker gene, apid-1, was identified as being downregulated in Owb and Nb compared to Fb honey bees. Two recommended general health markers, SOD and defensin-2, were upregulated in honey bees. These markers require further testing across various honey bee subspecies in different climatic regions. They can diagnose bee health without colony intervention, especially during low-temperature months like winter. Beekeepers can use this information to make timely adjustments to nutrients or heating to prevent seasonal losses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Frunze
- Department of Life Sciences, Incheon National University, 119 Academy-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 22012, Republic of Korea; (O.F.); (H.K.); (B.-j.K.); (J.-H.L.)
- Convergence Research Center for Insect Vectors (CRCIV), Incheon National University, 119 Academy-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 22012, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyunjee Kim
- Department of Life Sciences, Incheon National University, 119 Academy-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 22012, Republic of Korea; (O.F.); (H.K.); (B.-j.K.); (J.-H.L.)
- Convergence Research Center for Insect Vectors (CRCIV), Incheon National University, 119 Academy-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 22012, Republic of Korea
| | - Byung-ju Kim
- Department of Life Sciences, Incheon National University, 119 Academy-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 22012, Republic of Korea; (O.F.); (H.K.); (B.-j.K.); (J.-H.L.)
- Convergence Research Center for Insect Vectors (CRCIV), Incheon National University, 119 Academy-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 22012, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong-Hyeon Lee
- Department of Life Sciences, Incheon National University, 119 Academy-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 22012, Republic of Korea; (O.F.); (H.K.); (B.-j.K.); (J.-H.L.)
- Convergence Research Center for Insect Vectors (CRCIV), Incheon National University, 119 Academy-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 22012, Republic of Korea
| | - Mustafa Bilal
- Department of Life Sciences, Incheon National University, 119 Academy-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 22012, Republic of Korea; (O.F.); (H.K.); (B.-j.K.); (J.-H.L.)
- Convergence Research Center for Insect Vectors (CRCIV), Incheon National University, 119 Academy-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 22012, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyung-Wook Kwon
- Department of Life Sciences, Incheon National University, 119 Academy-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 22012, Republic of Korea; (O.F.); (H.K.); (B.-j.K.); (J.-H.L.)
- Convergence Research Center for Insect Vectors (CRCIV), Incheon National University, 119 Academy-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 22012, Republic of Korea
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5
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Ponton F, Tan YX, Forster CC, Austin AJ, English S, Cotter SC, Wilson K. The complex interactions between nutrition, immunity and infection in insects. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb245714. [PMID: 38095228 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.245714] [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] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
Insects are the most diverse animal group on the planet. Their success is reflected by the diversity of habitats in which they live. However, these habitats have undergone great changes in recent decades; understanding how these changes affect insect health and fitness is an important challenge for insect conservation. In this Review, we focus on the research that links the nutritional environment with infection and immune status in insects. We first discuss the research from the field of nutritional immunology, and we then investigate how factors such as intracellular and extracellular symbionts, sociality and transgenerational effects may interact with the connection between nutrition and immunity. We show that the interactions between nutrition and resistance can be highly specific to insect species and/or infection type - this is almost certainly due to the diversity of insect social interactions and life cycles, and the varied environments in which insects live. Hence, these connections cannot be easily generalised across insects. We finally suggest that other environmental aspects - such as the use of agrochemicals and climatic factors - might also influence the interaction between nutrition and resistance, and highlight how research on these is essential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fleur Ponton
- School of Natural Sciences , Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Yin Xun Tan
- School of Natural Sciences , Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Casey C Forster
- School of Natural Sciences , Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
| | | | - Sinead English
- School of Biological Sciences , University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1QU, UK
| | | | - Kenneth Wilson
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK
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6
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Durand T, Bonjour-Dalmon A, Dubois E. Viral Co-Infections and Antiviral Immunity in Honey Bees. Viruses 2023; 15:v15051217. [PMID: 37243302 DOI: 10.3390/v15051217] [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: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the past few decades, honey bees have been facing an increasing number of stressors. Beyond individual stress factors, the synergies between them have been identified as a key factor in the observed increase in colony mortality. However, these interactions are numerous and complex and call for further research. Here, in line with our need for a systemic understanding of the threats that they pose to bee health, we review the interactions between honey bee viruses. As viruses are obligate parasites, the interactions between them not only depend on the viruses themselves but also on the immune responses of honey bees. Thus, we first summarise our current knowledge of the antiviral immunity of honey bees. We then review the interactions between specific pathogenic viruses and their interactions with their host. Finally, we draw hypotheses from the current literature and suggest directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tristan Durand
- National Research Institute for Agriculture Food and Environement, INRAE, UR 406 Abeilles et Environnement, Site Agroparc, 84914 Avignon, France
- French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety, ANSES, 06902 Sophia Antipolis, France
| | - Anne Bonjour-Dalmon
- National Research Institute for Agriculture Food and Environement, INRAE, UR 406 Abeilles et Environnement, Site Agroparc, 84914 Avignon, France
| | - Eric Dubois
- French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety, ANSES, 06902 Sophia Antipolis, France
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7
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Orlova M, Porter M, Hines HM, Amsalem E. Symptomatic Infection with Vairimorpha spp. Decreases Diapause Survival in a Wild Bumble Bee Species ( Bombus griseocollis). Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13101656. [PMID: 37238086 DOI: 10.3390/ani13101656] [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: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Vairimorpha, a microsporidian parasite (previously classified as Nosema), has been implicated in the decline of wild bumble bee species in North America. Previous studies examining its influence on colony performance have displayed variable results, from extremely detrimental effects to no observable influence, and little is known about the effects it has on individuals during the winter diapause, a bottleneck for survival in many annual pollinators. Here, we examined the effect of Vairimorpha infection, body size, and mass on diapause survival in Bombus griseocollis gynes. We demonstrate that gyne survival length in diapause is negatively affected by symptomatic Vairimorpha infection of the maternal colony but does not correlate with individual pathogen load. Our findings further indicate that increased body mass offers a protective effect against mortality during diapause in infected, but not in healthy, gynes. This suggests that access to adequate nutritional resources prior to diapause might offset the harmful effect of Vairimorpha infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarita Orlova
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, State University of New York Polytechnic Institute, Utica, NY 13502, USA
| | - Monique Porter
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Heather M Hines
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Etya Amsalem
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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8
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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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Almeida EL, Ribiere C, Frei W, Kenny D, Coffey MF, O'Toole PW. Geographical and Seasonal Analysis of the Honeybee Microbiome. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2023; 85:765-778. [PMID: 35284961 PMCID: PMC9957864 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-022-01986-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
We previously showed that colonies of thriving and non-thriving honeybees co-located in a single geographically isolated apiary harboured strikingly different microbiomes when sampled at a single time point in the honey season. Here, we profiled the microbiome in returning forager bees from 10 to 12 hives in each of 6 apiaries across the southern half of Ireland, at early, middle, and late time points in the 2019 honey production season. Despite the wide range of geographical locations and forage available, apiary site was not the strongest determinant of the honeybee microbiome. However, there was clear clustering of the honeybee microbiome by time point across all apiaries, independent of which apiary was sampled. The clustering of microbiome by time was weaker although still significant in three of the apiaries, which may be connected to their geographic location and other external factors. The potential forage effect was strongest at the second timepoint (June-July) when the apiaries also displayed greatest difference in microbiome diversity. We identified bacteria in the forager bee microbiome that correlated with hive health as measured by counts of larvae, bees, and honey production. These findings support the hypothesis that the global honeybee microbiome and its constituent species support thriving hives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo L Almeida
- School of Microbiology and APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, T12 K8AF, Ireland
| | - Celine Ribiere
- School of Microbiology and APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, T12 K8AF, Ireland
| | - Werner Frei
- School of Microbiology and APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, T12 K8AF, Ireland
| | - Denis Kenny
- Keeling's Farm, Food Central, St. Margaret's, Co. Dublin, K67 YC83, Ireland
| | - Mary F Coffey
- Department of Agriculture Food & the Marine, Backweston Campus, Celbridge, Co. Kildare, W23 X3PH, Ireland
| | - Paul W O'Toole
- School of Microbiology and APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, T12 K8AF, Ireland.
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Pascual G, Silva D, Vargas M, Aranda M, Cañumir JA, López MD. Dietary Supplement of Grape Wastes Enhances Honeybee Immune System and Reduces Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) Load. Antioxidants (Basel) 2022; 12:antiox12010054. [PMID: 36670916 PMCID: PMC9855144 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12010054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Ingredients rich in phenolic compounds and antioxidants of winemaking wastes, which play an important role in the prevention of various diseases and the control of viruses, are being explored. Currently, there is a concern about honeybee population loss, with deformed wing virus (DWV) being the most common virus infecting apiaries and one of the main causes of honeybee decline. Hence, the effect of grape pomace powder (GPP) as a dietary supplement to enhance the immune system of honeybees affected by DWV was evaluated. The characteristics of the ingredient GPP, obtained by spray-drying, revealed a high anthocyanin content (1102.45 mg 100 g-1), and it was applied at doses of 0.5, 1, 2.5 and 5% as a dietary supplement for bees infected by DWV. The results showed that the GPP treatments strengthened the immune response of honeybees against DWV. Moreover, the expression of the Relish gene was significantly higher in bees fed with GPP compared to the infected control. This study, which is framed in the search of food waste valorization for environmental sustainability, proves the feasibility of using grape wastes as dietary supplements for pollinators, and provides knowledge of the influence of polyphenols on the expression profiles of immune-related genes in honeybees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Pascual
- Departamento de Producción Vegetal, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Concepción, Vicente Méndez #595, Chillán 3780000, Chile
| | - Diego Silva
- Departamento de Producción Vegetal, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Concepción, Vicente Méndez #595, Chillán 3780000, Chile
| | - Marisol Vargas
- Departamento de Producción Vegetal, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Concepción, Vicente Méndez #595, Chillán 3780000, Chile
| | - Mario Aranda
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Fármacos y Alimentos, Departamento de Farmacia, Facultad de Química y de Farmacia, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Macul, Santiago 7810000, Chile
| | - Juan Antonio Cañumir
- Laboratorio de Bioprocesos, Departamento de Agroindustría, Facultad de Ingenería Agrícola, Universidad de Concepción, Vicente Méndez #595, Chillán 3780000, Chile
| | - María Dolores López
- Departamento de Producción Vegetal, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Concepción, Vicente Méndez #595, Chillán 3780000, Chile
- Correspondence:
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11
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Paxton RJ, Schäfer MO, Nazzi F, Zanni V, Annoscia D, Marroni F, Bigot D, Laws-Quinn ER, Panziera D, Jenkins C, Shafiey H. Epidemiology of a major honey bee pathogen, deformed wing virus: potential worldwide replacement of genotype A by genotype B. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2022; 18:157-171. [PMID: 35592272 PMCID: PMC9112108 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2022.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The western honey bee (Apis mellifera) is of major economic and ecological importance, with elevated rates of colony losses in temperate regions over the last two decades thought to be largely caused by the exotic ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor and deformed wing virus (DWV), which the mite transmits. DWV currently exists as two main genotypes: the formerly widespread DWV-A and the more recently described and rapidly expanding DWV-B. It is an excellent system to understand viral evolution and the replacement of one viral variant by another. Here we synthesise published results on the distribution and prevalence of DWV-A and -B over the period 2008-2021 and present novel data for Germany, Italy and the UK to suggest that (i) DWV-B has rapidly expanded worldwide since its first description in 2004 and (ii) that it is potentially replacing DWV-A. Both genotypes are also found in wild bee species. Based on a simple mathematical model, we suggest that interference between viral genotypes when co-infecting the same host is key to understanding their epidemiology. We finally discuss the consequences of genotype replacement for beekeeping and for wild pollinator species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J. Paxton
- General Zoology, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstrasse 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Marc O. Schäfer
- Institute of Infectology Medicine, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald, Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Francesco Nazzi
- Dipartimento di Scienze AgroAlimentari, Ambientali e Animali, Università degli Studi di Udine, Via delle Scienze 206, 33100, Udine, Italy
| | - Virginia Zanni
- Dipartimento di Scienze AgroAlimentari, Ambientali e Animali, Università degli Studi di Udine, Via delle Scienze 206, 33100, Udine, Italy
| | - Desiderato Annoscia
- Dipartimento di Scienze AgroAlimentari, Ambientali e Animali, Università degli Studi di Udine, Via delle Scienze 206, 33100, Udine, Italy
| | - Fabio Marroni
- Dipartimento di Scienze AgroAlimentari, Ambientali e Animali, Università degli Studi di Udine, Via delle Scienze 206, 33100, Udine, Italy
| | - Diane Bigot
- General Zoology, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Eoin R. Laws-Quinn
- General Zoology, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Delphine Panziera
- General Zoology, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Christina Jenkins
- General Zoology, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Hassan Shafiey
- General Zoology, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstrasse 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
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Brown AF, Rodriguez V, Brzoska C, Pfister J, Neumann P, Retschnig G. Dream Team for Honey Bee Health: Pollen and Unmanipulated Gut Microbiota Promote Worker Longevity and Body Weight. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.864741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gut microbiota are known to foster pollen digestion in honey bee workers, Apis mellifera, thereby enhancing longevity and body weight gain. However, it is currently not known how longevity and body weight gain are effected when gut microbiota are reduced in bees with or without access to pollen. Here, using a hoarding cage set-up with freshly emerged summer workers, we manipulated the gut microbiota of half the bees with the antibiotic tetracycline (ABX), and left the other half untreated on a sucrose solution diet. Afterwards, all bees were assigned to either sucrose diets or sucrose plus ad libitum access to pollen (N = 4 treatments, N = 26 bees/treatment, N = 10 replicates/treatment, N = 1,040 total workers). The data confirm that pollen has a positive effect on longevity and body weight in workers with an unmanipulated gut microbiota. Surprisingly, the antibiotics alone also improved the longevity and body weight of the workers fed a strictly sucrose diet, potentially explained by the reduction of harmful bacteria. However, this positive effect was reversed from an observed antagonistic interaction between pollen and antibiotics, underscoring the innate value of natural microbiota on pollen digestion. In conclusion, a combination of adequate pollen supply and an unmanipulated gut microbiota appears crucial to honey bee worker health, calling for respective efforts to ensure both in managed colonies.
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Crone MK, Biddinger DJ, Grozinger CM. Wild Bee Nutritional Ecology: Integrative Strategies to Assess Foraging Preferences and Nutritional Requirements. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.847003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Bees depend on flowering plants for their nutrition, and reduced availability of floral resources is a major driver of declines in both managed and wild bee populations. Understanding the nutritional needs of different bee species, and how these needs are met by the varying nutritional resources provided by different flowering plant taxa, can greatly inform land management recommendations to support bee populations and their associated ecosystem services. However, most bee nutrition research has focused on the three most commonly managed and commercially reared bee taxa—honey bees, bumble bees, and mason bees—with fewer studies focused on wild bees and other managed species, such as leafcutting bees, stingless bees, and alkali bees. Thus, we have limited information about the nutritional requirements and foraging preferences of the vast majority of bee species. Here, we discuss the approaches traditionally used to understand bee nutritional ecology: identification of floral visitors of selected focal plant species, evaluation of the foraging preferences of adults in selected focal bee species, evaluation of the nutritional requirements of focal bee species (larvae or adults) in controlled settings, and examine how these methods may be adapted to study a wider range of bee species. We also highlight emerging technologies that have the potential to greatly facilitate studies of the nutritional ecology of wild bee species, as well as evaluate bee nutritional ecology at significantly larger spatio-temporal scales than were previously feasible. While the focus of this review is on bee species, many of these techniques can be applied to other pollinator taxa as well.
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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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Snow JW. Nosema apis and N. ceranae Infection in Honey bees: A Model for Host-Pathogen Interactions in Insects. EXPERIENTIA SUPPLEMENTUM (2012) 2022; 114:153-177. [PMID: 35544003 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-93306-7_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
There has been increased focus on the role of microbial attack as a potential cause of recent declines in the health of the western honey bee, Apis mellifera. The Nosema species, N. apis and N. ceranae, are microsporidian parasites that are pathogenic to honey bees, and infection by these species has been implicated as a key factor in honey bee losses. Honey bees infected with both Nosema spp. display significant changes in their biology at the cellular, tissue, and organismal levels impacting host metabolism, immune function, physiology, and behavior. Infected individuals lead to colony dysfunction and can contribute to colony disease in some circumstances. The means through which parasite growth and tissue pathology in the midgut lead to the dramatic physiological and behavioral changes at the organismal level are only partially understood. In addition, we possess only a limited appreciation of the elements of the host environment that impact pathogen growth and development. Critical for answering these questions is a mechanistic understanding of the host and pathogen machinery responsible for host-pathogen interactions. A number of approaches are already being used to elucidate these mechanisms, and promising new tools may allow for gain- and loss-of-function experiments to accelerate future progress.
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Silva D, Ceballos R, Arismendi N, Dalmon A, Vargas M. Variant A of the Deformed Wings Virus Alters the Olfactory Sensitivity and the Expression of Odorant Binding Proteins on Antennas of Apis mellifera. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12100895. [PMID: 34680665 PMCID: PMC8541218 DOI: 10.3390/insects12100895] [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: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Simple Summary Honey bees, Apis melllifera, are the most commonly managed bee in the world for pollination services. However, worldwide continuous colony losses have been reported for almost a decade. One factor of these losses is associated to pathogens being the virus one of the most important problems in honey bee health. One of the known viruses that affect the honey bee population is deformed wing virus (DWV). DWV causes physical malformation and behavioral disturbances, but also, this virus can be found in the antenna affecting the anatomical integrity of infected areas, which could compromise normal antennal functioning associated to aroma perception. Thus, we evaluate olfactory sensitivity and the expression of antenna-specific odorant-binding proteins (OBP) genes in honey bees inoculated with variant A of the DWV. We performed olfactory sensitivity analysis using the essential oils Eucalyptus globulus and Mentha piperita, but also, and molecular analysis of gene expression of nine OBPs. We found that the high level of replication of DWV-A in the antennae decreased the olfactory sensitivity and led to a down-regulation of some OBPs in middle- and forager-age worker bees. Thus, DWV-A infection in adults of honey bees could compromise volatile compound recognition inside the hive and outside the hive. Abstract Insects have a highly sensitive sense of smell, allowing them to perform complex behaviors, such as foraging and peer recognition. Their sense of smell is based on the recognition of ligands and is mainly coordinated by odorant-binding proteins (OBPs). In Apis mellifera, behavior can be affected by different pathogens, including deformed wing virus (DWV) and its variants. In particular, it has been shown that variant A of DWV (DWV-A) is capable of altering the ultra-cellular structure associated with olfactory activity. In this study was evaluated olfactory sensitivity and the expression of OBP genes in honey bees inoculated with DWV-A. Electroantennographic analyses (EAG) were carried out to determine the olfactory sensitivity to the essential oils Eucalyptus globulus and Mentha piperita. The expression of nine antenna-specific OBP genes and DWV-A load in inoculated bees was also quantified by qPCR. We observed an inverse relationship between viral load and olfactory sensitivity and the expression of some OBP proteins. Thus, high viral loads reduced olfactory sensitivity to essential oils and the gene expression of the OBP2, OBP5, OBP11, and OBP12 proteins on the antennas of middle- and forager-age bees. These results suggest that DWV-A could have negative effects on the processes of aroma perception by worker bees, affecting their performance in tasks carried out in and outside the colony.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Silva
- Laboratorios de Virología y Patologías en Abejas, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Concepción, Av. Vicente Méndez 595, Chillán 3780000, Chile;
| | - Ricardo Ceballos
- Laboratorio de Ecología Química, Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias, INIA Quilamapu, Av. Vicente Méndez 515, Chillán 3780000, Chile;
| | - Nolberto Arismendi
- Centro de Investigación Austral Biotech, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Santo Tomás, Av. Picarte 1130–1160, Valdivia 5090000, Chile;
| | - Anne Dalmon
- Unité de Recherche Abeilles et Environnement, INRAE, F-84000 Avignon, France;
| | - Marisol Vargas
- Laboratorios de Virología y Patologías en Abejas, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Concepción, Av. Vicente Méndez 595, Chillán 3780000, Chile;
- Correspondence:
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Crone MK, Grozinger CM. Pollen protein and lipid content influence resilience to insecticides in honey bees ( Apis mellifera). J Exp Biol 2021; 224:jeb.242040. [PMID: 33758024 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.242040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
In honey bees (Apis mellifera), there is growing evidence that the impacts of multiple stressors can be mitigated by quality nutrition. Pollen, which is the primary source of protein and lipids in bees diets, is particularly critical for generating more resilient phenotypes. Here, we evaluate the relationship between pollen protein-to-lipid ratios (P:Ls) and honey bee insecticide resilience. We hypothesized that pollen diets richer in lipids would lead to increased survival in bees exposed to insecticides, as pollen-derived lipids have previously been shown to improve bee resilience to pathogens and parasites. Furthermore, lipid metabolic processes are altered in bees exposed to insecticides.We fed age-matched bees pollen diets of different P:Ls by altering a base pollen by either adding protein (casein powder) or lipids (canola oil) and simulating chronic insecticide exposure by feeding bees an organophosphate (Chlorpyrifos). We also tested pollen diets of naturally different P:Ls to determine if results are consistent. Linear regression analysis revealed that mean survival time for altered diets was best explained by protein concentration (p =0.04 , adjusted R2 =0.92), and that mean survival time for natural diets was best explained by P:L ratio (p =0.008 , adjusted R2 =0.93). Our results indicate that higher ratios of dietary protein to lipid has a negative effect on bee physiology when combined with insecticide exposure, while lower ratios have a positive effect. These results suggest that protein and lipid intake differentially influence insecticide response in bees, laying the groundwork for future studies of metabolic processes and development of improved diets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makaylee K Crone
- Intercollege Graduate Program in Ecology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, USA
| | - Christina M Grozinger
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, USA
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Houdelet C, Bocquet M, Bulet P. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry biotyping, an approach for deciphering and assessing the identity of the honeybee pathogen Nosema. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2021; 35:e8980. [PMID: 33063365 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.8980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE The microsporidia are obligate intracellular pathogenic fungi that parasitize a wide range of invertebrate and vertebrate hosts and have important impacts on health, food security and the economy. In this paper, we focus on Nosema ceranae and N. apis, which chronically infect the digestive tract of honeybees, altering their physiology and lifespan. METHODS We applied matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) for rapid molecular profiling of extracts of Nosema spores in order to identify the species and the geographical origin, and assess the viability status of Nosema microsporidia in conjunction with a flow cytometric approach. Pure solutions of spores were prepared for flow cytometric analysis and MALDI-MS profiling. A mechanical extraction of viable or heat-killed Nosema spores was conducted to obtain mass fingerprints of peptides/proteins for samples of microsporidia from different geographical origins (MBO.NC01, MBO.NC02 and MBO.NA01). RESULTS A distinction in the peptide/protein profiles between two isolates with different geographical origins was observed. Mass fingerprints of viable and experimentally killed spores were also clearly distinguishable, regardless of Nosema species. Finally, using our computational models on the different Nosema species, we were able to classify five independent isolates of Nosema microsporidia. CONCLUSIONS We have shown that MALDI-MS is a rapid, cost-effective and simple method for identifying Nosema species. We demonstrated that MALDI Biotyping could represent a valuable surveillance tool of nosemosis in apiaries for sanitary services and beekeepers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Houdelet
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CR Inserm U1209, CNRSUMR 5309, University of Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France
- Platform BioPark Archamps, Archamps, France
| | | | - Philippe Bulet
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CR Inserm U1209, CNRSUMR 5309, University of Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France
- Platform BioPark Archamps, Archamps, France
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Gómez-Moracho T, Durand T, Pasquaretta C, Heeb P, Lihoreau M. Artificial Diets Modulate Infection Rates by Nosema ceranae in Bumblebees. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9010158. [PMID: 33445614 PMCID: PMC7827189 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9010158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasites alter the physiology and behaviour of their hosts. In domestic honey bees, the microsporidia Nosema ceranae induces energetic stress that impairs the behaviour of foragers, potentially leading to colony collapse. Whether this parasite similarly affects wild pollinators is little understood because of the low success rates of experimental infection protocols. Here, we present a new approach for infecting bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) with controlled amounts of N. ceranae by briefly exposing individual bumblebees to parasite spores before feeding them with artificial diets. We validated our protocol by testing the effect of two spore dosages and two diets varying in their protein to carbohydrate ratio on the prevalence of the parasite (proportion of PCR-positive bumblebees), the intensity of parasites (spore count in the gut and the faeces), and the survival of bumblebees. Overall, insects fed a low-protein, high-carbohydrate diet showed the highest parasite prevalence (up to 70%) but lived the longest, suggesting that immunity and survival are maximised at different protein to carbohydrate ratios. Spore dosage did not affect parasite infection rate and host survival. The identification of experimental conditions for successfully infecting bumblebees with N. ceranae in the lab will facilitate future investigations of the sub-lethal effects of this parasite on the behaviour and cognition of wild pollinators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Gómez-Moracho
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI), CNRS, University Paul Sabatier, 31062 Toulouse, France; (T.D.); (C.P.); (M.L.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Tristan Durand
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI), CNRS, University Paul Sabatier, 31062 Toulouse, France; (T.D.); (C.P.); (M.L.)
| | - Cristian Pasquaretta
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI), CNRS, University Paul Sabatier, 31062 Toulouse, France; (T.D.); (C.P.); (M.L.)
| | - Philipp Heeb
- Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique, UMR 5174 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paul Sabatier, ENSFEA, 31062 Toulouse, France;
| | - Mathieu Lihoreau
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI), CNRS, University Paul Sabatier, 31062 Toulouse, France; (T.D.); (C.P.); (M.L.)
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20
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DeGrandi-Hoffman G, Corby-Harris V, Chen Y, Graham H, Chambers M, Watkins deJong E, Ziolkowski N, Kang Y, Gage S, Deeter M, Simone-Finstrom M, de Guzman L. Can supplementary pollen feeding reduce varroa mite and virus levels and improve honey bee colony survival? EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2020; 82:455-473. [PMID: 33125599 PMCID: PMC7686192 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-020-00562-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Varroa destructor is an ectoparasitic mite of immature and adult honey bees that can transmit several single-stranded RNA viruses to its host. Varroa reproduce in brood cells, and mite populations increase as colonies produce brood in spring and summer. Mite numbers also can sharply rise, particularly in the fall, by the migration of varroa into hives on foragers. Colonies with high levels of varroa and viruses often die over the winter. Feeding colonies pollen might keep virus levels low and improve survival because of the positive effects of pollen on immunity and colony growth. We compared varroa and virus levels and overwinter survival in colonies with (fed) and without (unfed) supplemental pollen. We also measured the frequency of capturing foragers with mites (FWM) at colony entrances to determine its relationship to varroa and virus levels. Colonies fed supplemental pollen were larger than unfed colonies and survived longer. Varroa populations and levels of Deformed wing virus (DWV) rose throughout the season, and were similar between fed and unfed colonies. The growth of varroa populations was correlated with FWM in fed and unfed colonies, and significantly affected DWV levels. Increasing frequencies of FWM and the effects on varroa populations might reduce the positive influence of supplemental pollen on immune function. However, pollen feeding can stimulate colony growth and this can improve colony survival.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Yun Kang
- Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
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21
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Straub L, Minnameyer A, Strobl V, Kolari E, Friedli A, Kalbermatten I, Merkelbach AJWM, Victor Yañez O, Neumann P. From antagonism to synergism: Extreme differences in stressor interactions in one species. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4667. [PMID: 32170145 PMCID: PMC7069998 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61371-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Interactions between stressors are involved in the decline of wild species and losses of managed ones. Those interactions are often assumed to be synergistic, and per se of the same nature, even though susceptibility can vary within a single species. However, empirical measures of interaction effects across levels of susceptibility remain scarce. Here, we show clear evidence for extreme differences in stressor interactions ranging from antagonism to synergism within honeybees, Apis mellifera. While female honeybee workers exposed to both malnutrition and the pathogen Nosema ceranae showed synergistic interactions and increased stress, male drones showed antagonistic interactions and decreased stress. Most likely sex and division of labour in the social insects underlie these findings. It appears inevitable to empirically test the actual nature of stressor interactions across a range of susceptibility factors within a single species, before drawing general conclusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Straub
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
- Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Centre, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Angela Minnameyer
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Verena Strobl
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Eleonora Kolari
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Friedli
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Orlando Victor Yañez
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Peter Neumann
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Centre, Bern, Switzerland
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22
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Dufour C, Fournier V, Giovenazzo P. The impact of lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.) and cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) pollination on honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colony health status. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0227970. [PMID: 31978125 PMCID: PMC6980599 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 01/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Commercial lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.) and cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) crops benefit from the presence of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) for pollination. Unfortunately, beekeepers are observing negative impacts of pollination services on honey bee colonies. In this study, we investigated three beekeeping management strategies (MS) and measured their impact on honey bee colony health and development. Experimental groups (five colonies/MS) were: A) Control farmland honey producing MS (control MS); B) Blueberry pollination MS (blueberry MS); C) Cranberry pollination MS (cranberry MS) and D) Double pollination MS, blueberry followed by cranberry (double MS). Our goals were to 1) compare floral abundance and attractiveness of foraging areas to honey bees between apiaries using a Geographic Information System, and 2) compare honey bee colony health status and population development between MS during a complete beekeeping season. Our results show significantly lower floral abundance and honey bee attractiveness of foraging areas during cranberry pollination compared to the other environments. The blueberry pollination site seemed to significantly reduce brood population in the colonies who provided those services (blueberry MS and double MS). The cranberry pollination site seemed to significantly reduce colony weight gain (cranberry MS and double MS) and induce a significantly higher winter mortality rate (cranberry MS). We also measured significantly higher levels of Black queen cell virus and Sacbrood virus in the MS providing cranberry pollination (cranberry MS and double MS).
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Affiliation(s)
- Claude Dufour
- Département de biologie, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Valérie Fournier
- Centre de recherche et innovation sur les végétaux, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Pierre Giovenazzo
- Département de biologie, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
- * E-mail:
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Ponton F, Morimoto J, Robinson K, Kumar SS, Cotter SC, Wilson K, Simpson SJ. Macronutrients modulate survival to infection and immunity in Drosophila. J Anim Ecol 2019; 89:460-470. [PMID: 31658371 PMCID: PMC7027473 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Immunity and nutrition are two essential modulators of individual fitness. However, while the implications of immune function and nutrition on an individual's lifespan and reproduction are well established, the interplay between feeding behaviour, infection and immune function remains poorly understood. Asking how ecological and physiological factors affect immune responses and resistance to infections is a central theme of eco‐immunology. In this study, we used the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, to investigate how infection through septic injury modulates nutritional intake and how macronutrient balance affects survival to infection by the pathogenic Gram‐positive bacterium Micrococcus luteus. Our results show that infected flies maintain carbohydrate intake, but reduce protein intake, thereby shifting from a protein‐to‐carbohydrate (P:C) ratio of ~1:4 to ~1:10 relative to non‐infected and sham‐infected flies. Strikingly, the proportion of flies dying after M. luteus infection was significantly lower when flies were fed a low‐P high‐C diet, revealing that flies shift their macronutrient intake as means of nutritional self‐medication against bacterial infection. These results are likely due to the effects of the macronutrient balance on the regulation of the constitutive expression of innate immune genes, as a low‐P high‐C diet was linked to an upregulation in the expression of key antimicrobial peptides. Together, our results reveal the intricate relationship between macronutrient intake and resistance to infection and integrate the molecular cross‐talk between metabolic and immune pathways into the framework of nutritional immunology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fleur Ponton
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Juliano Morimoto
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Katie Robinson
- Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Sheemal S Kumar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Kenneth Wilson
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - Stephen J Simpson
- Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Schläppi D, Lattrell P, Yañez O, Chejanovsky N, Neumann P. Foodborne Transmission of Deformed Wing Virus to Ants ( Myrmica rubra). INSECTS 2019; 10:E394. [PMID: 31703426 PMCID: PMC6920936 DOI: 10.3390/insects10110394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Revised: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Virus host shifts occur frequently, but the whole range of host species and the actual transmission pathways are often poorly understood. Deformed wing virus (DWV), an RNA virus described from honeybees (Apis mellifera), has been shown to have a broad host range. Since ants are often scavenging on dead honeybees, foodborne transmission of these viruses may occur. However, the role of the ant Myrmica rubra as an alternative host is not known and foodborne transmission to ants has not been experimentally addressed yet. Here, we show with a 16-week feeding experiment that foodborne transmission enables DWV type-A and -B to infect M. rubra and that these ants may serve as a virus reservoir. However, the titers of both plus- and minus-sense viral RNA strands decreased over time. Since the ants were fed with highly virus-saturated honeybee pupae, this probably resulted in initial viral peaks, then approaching lower equilibrium titers in infected individuals later. Since DWV infections were also found in untreated field-collected M. rubra colonies, our results support the wide host range of DWV and further suggest foodborne transmission as a so far underestimated spread mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Schläppi
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3097 Bern, Switzerland; (P.L.); (O.Y.); (N.C.); (P.N.)
| | - Patrick Lattrell
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3097 Bern, Switzerland; (P.L.); (O.Y.); (N.C.); (P.N.)
| | - Orlando Yañez
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3097 Bern, Switzerland; (P.L.); (O.Y.); (N.C.); (P.N.)
| | - Nor Chejanovsky
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3097 Bern, Switzerland; (P.L.); (O.Y.); (N.C.); (P.N.)
- Department of Entomology, Agricultural Research Organization, the Volcani Center, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel
| | - Peter Neumann
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3097 Bern, Switzerland; (P.L.); (O.Y.); (N.C.); (P.N.)
- Swiss Bee Research Centre, Agroscope, 3097 Bern, Switzerland
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25
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Caesar L, Cibulski SP, Canal CW, Blochtein B, Sattler A, Haag KL. The virome of an endangered stingless bee suffering from annual mortality in southern Brazil. J Gen Virol 2019; 100:1153-1164. [PMID: 31169486 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.001273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Meliponiculture - the management of stingless bee colonies - is an expanding activity in Brazil with economic, social and environmental potential. However, unlike in apiculture, the pathogens that impact on meliponiculture remain largely unknown. In southern Brazil, every year at the end of the summer, managed colonies of the stingless bee Melipona quadrifasciata manifest a syndrome that eventually leads to collapse. Here we characterize the M. quadrifasciata virome using high-throughput sequencing, with the aim of identifying potentially pathogenic viruses, and test whether they are related to the syndrome outbreaks. Two paired viromes are explored, one from healthy bees and another from unhealthy ones. Each virome is built from metagenomes assembled from sequencing reads derived either from RNA or DNA. A total of 40 621 reads map to viral contigs of the unhealthy bees' metagenomes, whereas only 11 reads map to contigs identified as viruses of healthy bees. The viruses showing the largest copy numbers in the virome of unhealthy bees belong to the family Dicistroviridae - common pathogenic honeybee viruses - as well as Parvoviridae and Circoviridae, which have never been reported as being pathogenic in insects. Our analyses indicate that they represent seven novel viruses associated with stingless bees. PCR-based detection of these viruses in individual bees (healthy or unhealthy) from three different localities revealed a statistically significant association between viral infection and symptom manifestation in one meliponary. We conclude that although viral infections may contribute to colony collapses in the annual syndrome in some meliponaries, viruses spread opportunistically during the outbreak, perhaps due to colony weakness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lílian Caesar
- 1 Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves 9500, CEP 91501-970, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Samuel Paulo Cibulski
- 2 Laboratório de Virologia, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves 9090, CEP 91540-000, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Cláudio Wageck Canal
- 2 Laboratório de Virologia, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves 9090, CEP 91540-000, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Betina Blochtein
- 3 Escola de Ciências, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Ipiranga 6681, CEP 90619-900, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Aroni Sattler
- 4 Laboratório de Apicultura, Departamento de Fitossanidade, Faculdade de Agronomia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves 7712, CEP 91540-000, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Karen Luisa Haag
- 1 Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves 9500, CEP 91501-970, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- 5 Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves 9500, CEP 91501-970, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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de Roode JC, Hunter MD. Self-medication in insects: when altered behaviors of infected insects are a defense instead of a parasite manipulation. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 33:1-6. [PMID: 31358187 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2018.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Revised: 12/05/2018] [Accepted: 12/07/2018] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Studies have demonstrated that medication behaviors by insects are much more common than previously thought. Bees, ants, flies, and butterflies can use a wide range of toxic and nutritional compounds to medicate themselves or their genetic kin. Medication occurs either in response to active infection (therapy) or high infection risk (prophylaxis), and can be used to increase resistance or tolerance to infection. While much progress has been made over the last few years, there are also key areas that require in-depth investigation. These include quantifying the costs of medication, especially at the colony level of social insects, and formulating theoretical models that can predict the role of infection risk in driving micro-evolutionary and macro-evolutionary patterns of animal medication behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacobus C de Roode
- Department of Biology, Emory University, 1510 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States.
| | - Mark D Hunter
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, 1105 N University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
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27
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Strobl V, Yañez O, Straub L, Albrecht M, Neumann P. Trypanosomatid parasites infecting managed honeybees and wild solitary bees. Int J Parasitol 2019; 49:605-613. [PMID: 31163178 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2019.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Revised: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The parasite Crithidia mellificae (Kinetoplastea: Trypanosomatidae) infects honeybees, Apis mellifera. No pathogenic effects have been found in individual hosts, despite positive correlations between infections and colony mortalities. The solitary bee Osmia cornuta might constitute a host, but controlled infections are lacking to date. Here, we challenged male and female O. cornuta and honeybee workers in laboratory cages with C. mellificae. No parasite cells were found in any control. Parasite numbers increased 6.6 fold in honeybees between days 6 and 19 p.i. and significantly reduced survival. In O. cornuta, C. mellificae numbers increased 2-3.6 fold within cages and significantly reduced survival of males, but not females. The proportion of infected hosts increased in O. cornuta cages with faeces, but not in honeybee cages without faeces, suggesting faecal - oral transmission. The data show that O. cornuta is a host of C. mellificae and suggest that males are more susceptible. The higher mortality of infected honeybees proposes a mechanism for correlations between C. mellificae infections and colony mortalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verena Strobl
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Agroecology and Environment, Agroscope, Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Orlando Yañez
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Lars Straub
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Peter Neumann
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Swiss Bee Research Centre, Agroscope, Bern, Switzerland
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28
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Fouks B, Wagoner KM. Pollinator parasites and the evolution of floral traits. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:6722-6737. [PMID: 31236255 PMCID: PMC6580263 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Revised: 12/16/2018] [Accepted: 01/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The main selective force driving floral evolution and diversity is plant-pollinator interactions. Pollinators use floral signals and indirect cues to assess flower reward, and the ensuing flower choice has major implications for plant fitness. While many pollinator behaviors have been described, the impact of parasites on pollinator foraging decisions and plant-pollinator interactions have been largely overlooked. Growing evidence of the transmission of parasites through the shared-use of flowers by pollinators demonstrate the importance of behavioral immunity (altered behaviors that enhance parasite resistance) to pollinator health. During foraging bouts, pollinators can protect themselves against parasites through self-medication, disease avoidance, and grooming. Recent studies have documented immune behaviors in foraging pollinators, as well as the impacts of such behaviors on flower visitation. Because pollinator parasites can affect flower choice and pollen dispersal, they may ultimately impact flower fitness. Here, we discuss how pollinator immune behaviors and floral traits may affect the presence and transmission of pollinator parasites, as well as how pollinator parasites, through these immune behaviors, can impact plant-pollinator interactions. We further discuss how pollinator immune behaviors can impact plant fitness, and how floral traits may adapt to optimize plant fitness in response to pollinator parasites. We propose future research directions to assess the role of pollinator parasites in plant-pollinator interactions and evolution, and we propose better integration of the role of pollinator parasites into research related to pollinator optimal foraging theory, floral diversity and agricultural practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bertrand Fouks
- Department of BiologyUniversity of North Carolina at GreensboroGreensboroNorth Carolina
| | - Kaira M. Wagoner
- Department of BiologyUniversity of North Carolina at GreensboroGreensboroNorth Carolina
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29
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Ricigliano VA, Mott BM, Maes PW, Floyd AS, Fitz W, Copeland DC, Meikle WG, Anderson KE. Honey bee colony performance and health are enhanced by apiary proximity to US Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands. Sci Rep 2019; 9:4894. [PMID: 30894619 PMCID: PMC6426953 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41281-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Honey bee colony performance and health are intimately linked to the foraging environment. Recent evidence suggests that the US Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has a positive impact on environmental suitability for supporting honey bee apiaries. However, relatively little is known about the influence of habitat conservation efforts on honey bee colony health. Identifying specific factors that influence bee health at the colony level incorporates longitudinal monitoring of physiology across diverse environments. Using a pooled-sampling method to overcome individual variation, we monitored colony-level molecular biomarkers during critical pre- and post-winter time points. Major categories of colony health (nutrition, oxidative stress resistance, and immunity) were impacted by apiary site. In general, apiaries within foraging distance of CRP lands showed improved performance and higher gene expression of vitellogenin (vg), a nutritionally regulated protein with central storage and regulatory functions. Mirroring vg levels, gene transcripts encoding antioxidant enzymes and immune-related proteins were typically higher in colonies exposed to CRP environments. Our study highlights the potential of CRP lands to improve pollinator health and the utility of colony-level molecular diagnostics to assess environmental suitability for honey bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent A Ricigliano
- USDA-ARS Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA.
- USDA-ARS, Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics, and Physiology Laboratory, Baton Rouge, LA, 70820, USA.
| | - Brendon M Mott
- USDA-ARS Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA
| | - Patrick W Maes
- Department of Entomology and Center for Insect Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Amy S Floyd
- Department of Entomology and Center for Insect Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - William Fitz
- Department of Entomology and Center for Insect Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Duan C Copeland
- Department of Microbiology, School of Animal & Comparative Biomedical Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - William G Meikle
- USDA-ARS Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA
| | - Kirk E Anderson
- USDA-ARS Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA.
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30
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Abstract
Bees-including solitary, social, wild, and managed species-are key pollinators of flowering plant species, including nearly three-quarters of global food crops. Their ecological importance, coupled with increased annual losses of managed honey bees and declines in populations of key wild species, has focused attention on the factors that adversely affect bee health, including viral pathogens. Genomic approaches have dramatically expanded understanding of the diversity of viruses that infect bees, the complexity of their transmission routes-including intergenus transmission-and the diversity of strategies bees have evolved to combat virus infections, with RNA-mediated responses playing a prominent role. Moreover, the impacts of viruses on their hosts are exacerbated by the other major stressors bee populations face, including parasites, poor nutrition, and exposure to chemicals. Unraveling the complex relationships between viruses and their bee hosts will lead to improved understanding of viral ecology and management strategies that support better bee health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina M Grozinger
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, and Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA;
| | - Michelle L Flenniken
- Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology and Pollinator Health Center, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717, USA;
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31
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Calatayud-Vernich P, Calatayud F, Simó E, Picó Y. Pesticide residues in honey bees, pollen and beeswax: Assessing beehive exposure. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2018; 241:106-114. [PMID: 29803024 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.05.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Revised: 05/01/2018] [Accepted: 05/18/2018] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
In order to study the distribution of pesticide residues in beekeeping matrices, samples of live in-hive worker honey bees (Apis mellifera), fresh stored pollen and beeswax were collected during 2016-2017 from 45 apiaries located in different landscape contexts in Spain. A total of 133 samples were screened for 63 pesticides or their degradation products to estimate the pesticide exposure to honey bee health through the calculation of the hazard quotient (HQ). The influence of the surrounding environment on the content of pesticides in pollen was assessed by comparing the concentrations of pesticide residues found in apiaries from intensive farming landscapes to those found in apiaries located in mountainous, grassland and urban contexts. Beeswax revealed high levels of miticides used in beekeeping such as coumaphos, chlorfenvinphos, fluvalinate and acrinathrin, which were detected in more than 75% of samples. Pollen was predominantly contaminated by miticides but also by insecticides used in agriculture such as chlorpyrifos and acetamiprid, which showed concentrations significantly higher in apiaries located in intensive farming contexts. Pesticides residues were less frequent and at lower concentrations in live honey bees. Beeswax showed the highest average hazard scores (HQ > 5000) to honey bees. Pollen samples contained the largest number of pesticide residues and relevant hazard (HQ > 50) to bees. Acrinathrin was the most important contributor to the hazard quotient scores in wax and pollen samples. The contributions of the pesticides dimethoate and chlorpyrifos to HQ were considered relevant in samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pau Calatayud-Vernich
- Environmental and Food Safety Research Group (SAMA-UV), Research Center on Desertification (CIDE, UV-CSIC-GV), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Av. Vicent Andrés Estellés s/n, 46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain.
| | - Fernando Calatayud
- Agrupación de Defensa Sanitaria Apícola (apiADS), Ctra. Montroi-Turís, 46193 Montroi, Valencia, Spain
| | - Enrique Simó
- Agrupación de Defensa Sanitaria Apícola (apiADS), Ctra. Montroi-Turís, 46193 Montroi, Valencia, Spain
| | - Yolanda Picó
- Environmental and Food Safety Research Group (SAMA-UV), Research Center on Desertification (CIDE, UV-CSIC-GV), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Av. Vicent Andrés Estellés s/n, 46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain; CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Av. Monforte de Lemos, 3-5. Pabellón 11, 28029 Madrid, Spain
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32
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Lihoreau M, Gómez-Moracho T, Pasquaretta C, Costa JT, Buhl C. Social nutrition: an emerging field in insect science. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2018; 28:73-80. [PMID: 30551770 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2018.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Revised: 05/01/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Nutrition is thought to be a major driver of social evolution, yet empirical support for this hypothesis is scarce. Here we illustrate how conceptual advances in nutritional ecology illuminate some of the mechanisms by which nutrition mediates social interactions in insects. We focus on experiments and models of nutritional geometry and argue that they provide a powerful means for comparing nutritional phenomena across species exhibiting various social ecologies. This approach, initially developed to study the nutritional behaviour of individual insects, has been increasingly used to study insect groups and societies, leading to the emerging field of social nutrition. We discuss future directions for exploring how these nutritional mechanisms may influence major social transitions in insects and other animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Lihoreau
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI); CNRS, University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France.
| | - Tamara Gómez-Moracho
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI); CNRS, University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Cristian Pasquaretta
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI); CNRS, University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - James T Costa
- Highlands Biological Station, 265 N. Sixth Street, Highlands, NC 28741, USA; Department of Biology, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC 28723, USA
| | - Camille Buhl
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, Southern Australia 5005, Australia
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33
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Ricigliano VA, Mott BM, Floyd AS, Copeland DC, Carroll MJ, Anderson KE. Honey bees overwintering in a southern climate: longitudinal effects of nutrition and queen age on colony-level molecular physiology and performance. Sci Rep 2018; 8:10475. [PMID: 29992997 PMCID: PMC6041268 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-28732-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 06/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Honey bee colony nutritional ecology relies on the acquisition and assimilation of floral resources across a landscape with changing forage conditions. Here, we examined the impact of nutrition and queen age on colony health across extended periods of reduced forage in a southern climate. We measured conventional hive metrics as well as colony-level gene expression of eight immune-related genes and three recently identified homologs of vitellogenin (vg), a storage glycolipoprotein central to colony nutritional state, immunity, oxidative stress resistance and life span regulation. Across three apiary sites, concurrent longitudinal changes in colony-level gene expression and nutritional state reflected the production of diutinus (winter) bees physiologically altered for long-term nutrient storage. Brood production by young queens was significantly greater than that of old queens, and was augmented by feeding colonies supplemental pollen. Expression analyses of recently identified vg homologs (vg-like-A, -B, and -C) revealed distinct patterns that correlated with colony performance, phenology, and immune-related gene transcript levels. Our findings provide new insights into dynamics underlying managed colony performance on a large scale. Colony-level, molecular physiological profiling is a promising approach to effectively identify factors influencing honey bee health in future landscape and nutrition studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brendon M Mott
- USDA-ARS Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA
| | - Amy S Floyd
- Department of Entomology and Center for Insect Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Duan C Copeland
- USDA-ARS Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA.,Department of Microbiology, School of Animal & Comparative Biomedical Sciences; University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Mark J Carroll
- USDA-ARS Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA
| | - Kirk E Anderson
- USDA-ARS Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA. .,Department of Entomology and Center for Insect Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA.
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Martín-Hernández R, Bartolomé C, Chejanovsky N, Le Conte Y, Dalmon A, Dussaubat C, García-Palencia P, Meana A, Pinto MA, Soroker V, Higes M. Nosema ceranaeinApis mellifera: a 12 years postdetectionperspective. Environ Microbiol 2018; 20:1302-1329. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2017] [Revised: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 03/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Martín-Hernández
- Laboratorio de Patología Apícola. Centro de Investigación Apícola y Agroambiental de Marchamalo, (CIAPA-IRIAF), Consejería de Agricultura de la Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha; Marchamalo Spain
- Instituto de Recursos Humanos para la Ciencia y la Tecnología (INCRECYT-FEDER), Fundación Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Castilla - La Mancha; Spain
| | - Carolina Bartolomé
- Medicina Xenómica, CIMUS, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela. Xenómica Comparada de Parásitos Humanos, IDIS, 15782 Santiago de Compostela; Galicia Spain
| | - Nor Chejanovsky
- Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center; Rishon LeZion Israel
| | - Yves Le Conte
- INRA, UR 406 Abeilles et Environnement; F-84000 Avignon France
| | - Anne Dalmon
- INRA, UR 406 Abeilles et Environnement; F-84000 Avignon France
| | | | | | - Aranzazu Meana
- Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid; Spain
| | - M. Alice Pinto
- Mountain Research Centre (CIMO), Polytechnic Institute of Bragança; 5300-253 Bragança Portugal
| | - Victoria Soroker
- Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center; Rishon LeZion Israel
| | - Mariano Higes
- Laboratorio de Patología Apícola. Centro de Investigación Apícola y Agroambiental de Marchamalo, (CIAPA-IRIAF), Consejería de Agricultura de la Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha; Marchamalo Spain
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