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Zhang W, Sun C, Lang H, Wang J, Li X, Guo J, Zhang Z, Zheng H. Toll receptor ligand Spätzle 4 responses to the highly pathogenic Enterococcus faecalis from Varroa mites in honeybees. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011897. [PMID: 38150483 PMCID: PMC10775982 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Honeybees play a major role in crop pollination, which supports the agricultural economy and international food supply. The colony health of honeybees is threatened by the parasitic mite Varroa destructor, which inflicts physical injury on the hosts and serves as the vector for variable viruses. Recently, it shows that V. destructor may also transmit bacteria through the feeding wound, yet it remains unclear whether the invading bacteria can exhibit pathogenicity to the honeybees. Here, we incidentally isolate Enterococcus faecalis, one of the most abundant bacteria in Varroa mites, from dead bees during our routine generation of microbiota-free bees in the lab. In vivo tests show that E. faecalis is only pathogenic in Apis mellifera but not in Apis cerana. The expression of antimicrobial peptide genes is elevated following infection in A. cerana. The gene-based molecular evolution analysis identifies positive selection of genes encoding Späetzle 4 (Spz4) in A. cerana, a signaling protein in the Toll pathway. The amino acid sites under positive selection are related to structural changes in Spz4 protein, suggesting improvement of immunity in A. cerana. The knock-down of Spz4 in A. cerana significantly reduces the survival rates under E. faecalis challenge and the expression of antimicrobial peptide genes. Our results indicate that bacteria associated with Varroa mites are pathogenic to adult bees, and the positively selected gene Spz4 in A. cerana is crucial in response to this mite-related pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhao Zhang
- Faculty of Food Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
| | - Cheng Sun
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Haoyu Lang
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Jieni Wang
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Xinyu Li
- Faculty of Food Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
| | - Jun Guo
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
| | - Zijing Zhang
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Hao Zheng
- Faculty of Food Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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Nemoto K, Takikawa H, Ogura Y. Syntheses of (+)-costic acid and structurally related eudesmane sesquiterpenoids and their biological evaluations as acaricidal agents against Varroa destructor. JOURNAL OF PESTICIDE SCIENCE 2023; 48:111-115. [PMID: 37745169 PMCID: PMC10513954 DOI: 10.1584/jpestics.d23-029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Synthesis of (+)-costic acid, isolated from Dittrichia viscosa (L.) W. Greuter as a natural acaricidal sesquiterpenoid, was achieved in 16 steps from (R)-carvone with an overall yield of 4.8%, involving the radical cyclization of selenoester to construct a decalone framework as the key step. Other structurally related natural products, (+)-costal, (+)-costol, and (+)-β-selinene, were also synthesized. The acaricidal activities of these four natural products and some synthetic intermediates were also evaluated against Varroa destructor. Among them, (+)-costal especially exhibited potent acaricidal activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Nemoto
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo
| | - Hirosato Takikawa
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo
| | - Yusuke Ogura
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo
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3
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Vilarem C, Piou V, Vogelweith F, Vétillard A. Varroa destructor from the Laboratory to the Field: Control, Biocontrol and IPM Perspectives-A Review. INSECTS 2021; 12:800. [PMID: 34564240 PMCID: PMC8465918 DOI: 10.3390/insects12090800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Varroa destructor is a real challenger for beekeepers and scientists: fragile out of the hive, tenacious inside a bee colony. From all the research done on the topic, we have learned that a better understanding of this organism in its relationship with the bee but also for itself is necessary. Its biology relies mostly on semiochemicals for reproduction, nutrition, or orientation. Many treatments have been developed over the years based on hard or soft acaricides or even on biocontrol techniques. To date, no real sustainable solution exists to reduce the pressure of the mite without creating resistances or harming honeybees. Consequently, the development of alternative disruptive tools against the parasitic life cycle remains open. It requires the combination of both laboratory and field results through a holistic approach based on health biomarkers. Here, we advocate for a more integrative vision of V. destructor research, where in vitro and field studies are more systematically compared and compiled. Therefore, after a brief state-of-the-art about the mite's life cycle, we discuss what has been done and what can be done from the laboratory to the field against V. destructor through an integrative approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Vilarem
- Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique, UMR5174, CNRS-Université de Toulouse III-IRD, INU Jean-François Champollion, Université Paul Sabatier, 31077 Toulouse, France; (C.V.); (V.P.)
- M2i Biocontrol–Entreprise SAS, 46140 Parnac, France;
| | - Vincent Piou
- Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique, UMR5174, CNRS-Université de Toulouse III-IRD, INU Jean-François Champollion, Université Paul Sabatier, 31077 Toulouse, France; (C.V.); (V.P.)
| | | | - Angélique Vétillard
- Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique, UMR5174, CNRS-Université de Toulouse III-IRD, INU Jean-François Champollion, Université Paul Sabatier, 31077 Toulouse, France; (C.V.); (V.P.)
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Balakrishnan B, Wu H, Cao L, Zhang Y, Li W, Han R. Immune Response and Hemolymph Microbiota of Apis mellifera and Apis cerana After the Challenge With Recombinant Varroa Toxic Protein. JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 114:1310-1320. [PMID: 33822096 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toab047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The honey bee is a significant crop pollinator and key model insect for understanding social behavior, disease transmission, and development. The ectoparasitic Varroa destructor mite put threats on the honey bee industry. A Varroa toxic protein (VTP) from the saliva of Varroa mites contributes to the toxicity toward Apis cerana and the deformed wing virus elevation in Apis mellifera. However, the immune response and hemolymph microbiota of honey bee species after the injection of recombinant VTP has not yet been reported. In this study, both A. cerana and A. mellifera worker larvae were injected with the recombinant VTP. Then the expressions of the honey bee immune genes abaecin, defensin, and domeless at three time points were determined by qRT-PCR, and hemolymph microbial community were analyzed by culture-dependent method, after recombinant VTP injection. The mortality rates of A. cerana larvae were much higher than those of A. mellifera larvae after VTP challenge. VTP injection induced the upregulation of defensin gene expression in A. mellifera larvae, and higher levels of abaecin and domeless mRNAs response in A. cerana larvae, compared with the control (without any injection). Phosphate buffer saline (PBS) injection also upregulated the expression levels of abaecin, defensin, and domeless in A. mellifera and A. cerana larvae. Three bacterial species (Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus cohnii, and Bacillus cereus) were isolated from the hemolymph of A. cerana larvae after VTP injection and at 48 h after PBS injections. Two bacterial species (Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and Staphylococcus aureus) were isolated from A. mellifera larvae after VTP challenge. No bacterial colonies were detected from the larval hemolymph of both honey bee species treated by injection only and the control. The result indicates that abaecin, defensin, and domeless genes and hemolymph microbiota respond to the VTP challenge. VTP injection might induce the dramatic growth of different bacterial species in the hemolymph of the injected larvae of A. mellifera and A. cerana, which provide cues for further studying the interactions among the honey bee, VTP, and hemolymph bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balachandar Balakrishnan
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510260, Guangdong, China
| | - Hua Wu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510260, Guangdong, China
| | - Li Cao
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510260, Guangdong, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510260, Guangdong, China
| | - Wenfeng Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510260, Guangdong, China
| | - Richou Han
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510260, Guangdong, China
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Georgiladaki S, Isaakidis D, Spyros A, Tsikalas GK, Katerinopoulos HE. Enantioselective synthesis of a costic acid analogue with acaricidal activity against the bee parasite Varroa destructor. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2020; 7:200612. [PMID: 33047025 PMCID: PMC7540747 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.200612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
One major disease of the pupae and the adult bee is the so-called Varroosis that is owing to the bee parasite Varroa destructor. It is an ectoparasite of bees, causing significant losses in the bee population needed for honey production as well as for pollination in agriculture. Costic acid is a sesquiterpene-carboxylic acid present in the plant Dittrichia viscosa. Recent studies by our group have shown that costic acid acts as acaricide against V. destructor. Oxalic acid is also an acaricide commonly used against varroa mites. In spite of its structural simplicity-it is the simplest bicarboxlic acid-it is equipotent to costic acid which consists of a trans-decalin system with three chiral centres. The basic goal of this project was to design and synthesize a hybrid entity, incorporating aspects of both oxalic acid and costic acid that would be more active than the parent compounds. This approach introduces a useful strategy for the preparation of congeners of bioactive compounds and proposes a structural framework for a new series of acaricidal agents.
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Cimmino A, Freda F, Santoro E, Superchi S, Evidente A, Cristofaro M, Masi M. α-Costic acid, a plant sesquiterpene with acaricidal activity against Varroa destructor parasitizing the honey bee. Nat Prod Res 2019; 35:1428-1435. [PMID: 31418584 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2019.1652291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The organic extract of the aerial parts of Dittrichia viscosa, a perennial native plant of the Mediterranean basin, showed a significant acaricidal activity against Varroa destructor, the parasite mite of Apis mellifera, commonly called honey bee. Among the metabolites isolated from the organic extract of this Asteraceae, α-costic acid showed to be one of the compounds responsible for the toxic activity exhibited by the crude plant extract on this parasite mite species. In addition to the toxic effect a clear acaricidal response has been recorded when the parasitic mite was exposed to 1 mg/mL concentration of α-costic acid while no effects have been showed on honey bees using the same compound at the same concentration. This finding suggests a potential use of α-costic acid to control Varroa mites. The possibility to reliably achieve absolute configuration of α-costic acid by DFT computational analysis of chiroptical spectra has been also demonstrated.†.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Cimmino
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", Complesso Universitario Monte S. Angelo, Napoli, Italy
| | | | - Ernesto Santoro
- Dipartimento di Scienze, Università della Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | - Stefano Superchi
- Dipartimento di Scienze, Università della Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | - Antonio Evidente
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", Complesso Universitario Monte S. Angelo, Napoli, Italy
| | - Massimo Cristofaro
- BBCA onlus, Rome, Italy.,ENEA C.R. Casaccia, SSPT-BIOAG-PROBIO, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Masi
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", Complesso Universitario Monte S. Angelo, Napoli, Italy
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Pakwan C, Kaltenpoth M, Weiss B, Chantawannakul P, Jun G, Disayathanoowat T. Bacterial communities associated with the ectoparasitic mites Varroa destructor and Tropilaelaps mercedesae of the honey bee (Apis mellifera). FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2018; 93:4628039. [PMID: 29145627 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fix160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Varroa and Tropilaelaps mites have been reported as serious ectoparasites of the honey bee (Apis mellifera). In this study, bacterial communities associated with Varroa destructor and Tropilaelaps mercedesae from northern Thailand were determined, using both culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches. Adult female mites were collected from apiaries in Chiang Mai and Lampang provinces. Culturable bacteria were isolated from individual mites. On average, we observed approximately 1340 and 1140 CFU/mite in Varroa and Tropilaelaps, respectively. All isolates were assigned to the genus Enterococcus. Six samples of genomic DNA from 30-50 mites were extracted and subjected to pyrosequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA amplicons. The resulting 81 717 sequences obtained from Varroa were grouped into 429 operational taxonomic units. The most abundant bacteria in Varroa mites belonged to the family Enterobacteriaceae, especially the genera Arsenophonus, Enterobacter and Proteus. For Tropilaelaps mites, 84 075 sequences were obtained and clustered into 166 operational taxonomic units, within which the family Enterococcaceae (particularly the genus Enterococcus) was predominant. Localization of bacteria in the mites using fluorescence in situ hybridization with two universal bacterial probes revealed that these bacteria were in the cecum of the mites. Taxon-specific Enterobacteriaceae and Arsenophonus probes also confirmed their localization in the cecum of Varroa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chonthicha Pakwan
- Bee Protection Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand, 50200.,Graduate School, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand, 50200
| | - Martin Kaltenpoth
- Department for Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany, 55128
| | - Benjamin Weiss
- Department for Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany, 55128
| | - Panuwan Chantawannakul
- Bee Protection Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand, 50200.,Center of Excellence in Bioresources for Agriculture, Industry and Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand, 50200
| | - Guo Jun
- College of Life Science, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China, 650500
| | - Terd Disayathanoowat
- Bee Protection Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand, 50200.,Center of Excellence in Bioresources for Agriculture, Industry and Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand, 50200
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8
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Sofou K, Isaakidis D, Spyros A, Büttner A, Giannis A, Katerinopoulos HE. Use of costic acid, a natural extract from Dittrichia viscosa, for the control of Varroa destructor, a parasite of the European honey bee. Beilstein J Org Chem 2017; 13:952-959. [PMID: 28684976 PMCID: PMC5480341 DOI: 10.3762/bjoc.13.96] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2017] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Costic acid has been isolated from the plant Dittrichia viscosa and its efficacy against Varroa destructor, a parasite of Apis mellifera, the European honey bee, has been studied. Costic acid exhibited potent in vivo acaricidal activity against the parasite. Initial experiments showed that the compound is not toxic for human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) at concentrations of up to 230 micromolar (μM), indicating that costic acid could be used as a safe, low-cost and efficient agent for controlling varroosis in honey bee colonies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalliopi Sofou
- Department of Chemistry, University of Crete, Voutes, Heraklion, 71003, Crete, Greece
| | - Demosthenis Isaakidis
- Department of Chemistry, University of Crete, Voutes, Heraklion, 71003, Crete, Greece
| | - Apostolos Spyros
- Department of Chemistry, University of Crete, Voutes, Heraklion, 71003, Crete, Greece
| | - Anita Büttner
- Institut für Organische Chemie, Universität Leipzig, Johannisallee 29, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.,recent address: Department of Chemistry and Food Chemistry, TU Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany
| | - Athanassios Giannis
- Institut für Organische Chemie, Universität Leipzig, Johannisallee 29, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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