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El-Meihy RM, Hassan EO, Alamoudi SA, Negm S, Al-Hoshani N, Al-Ghamdi MS, Nowar EE. Probing the interaction of Paenibacillus larvae bacteriophage as a biological agent to control the american foulbrood disease in honeybee. Saudi J Biol Sci 2024; 31:104002. [PMID: 38706719 PMCID: PMC11070271 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2024.104002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
American foulbrood (AFB) is a harmful honeybee disease primarily caused by Paenibacillus larvae. The study aims to isolate and identify the AFB causative agent P. larvae and their specific phages to use as a new biological method for AFB disease control. Eight apiaries were inspected for AFB infections. Symptoms of diseased brood comb, were odd brood cells with soft brown decayed brood amongst healthy brood, were identified in the field and demonstrated the prevalence of AFB in every apiary. Three P. larvae isolates were identified using traditional techniques using a 452-bp PCR amplicon specific to the bacterial 16SrRNA gene and was compared between Paenibacillus isolates. Additionally, specific phages of P. larvae strains were applied to examine their efficiency in reducing the infection rate under the apiary condition. The infection rate was reduced to approximately 94.6 to 100 % through the application of a phage mixture, as opposed to 20 to 85.7 % when each phage was administered individually or 78.6 to 88.9 % when antibiotic treatment was implemented. Histological studies on phage-treated bee larvae revealed some cells regaining normal shape, with prominent nuclei and microvilli. The gastrointestinal tract showed normal longitudinal and circular muscles, unlike bee larvae treated with bacterial strains with abnormal and destroyed tissues, as shown by the basement membrane surrounding the mid-gut epithelium. Phage techniques exhibited promise in resolving the issue of AFB in honeybees due to their ease of application, comparatively lower cost, and practicality for beekeepers in terms of laboratory preparation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rasha M. El-Meihy
- Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture, Benha University, Moshtohor, Qalyubia 13736, Egypt
| | - Eman O. Hassan
- Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, Benha University, Moshtohor, Qalyubia 13736, Egypt
| | - Soha A. Alamoudi
- Biological Sciences Department, College of Science & Arts, King Abdulaziz University, Rabigh 21911, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sally Negm
- Department of Life Sciences, College of Science and Art Mahyel Aseer, King Khalid University, Abha 62529, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nawal Al-Hoshani
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mariam S. Al-Ghamdi
- Department of Biology, College of Sciences, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 24381, Saudi Arabia
| | - Elhosseny E. Nowar
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Benha University, Moshtohor, Qalyubia 13736, Egypt
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da Silva Oliveira W, Teixeira CRV, Mantovani HC, Dolabella SS, Jain S, Barbosa AAT. Nisin variants: What makes them different and unique? Peptides 2024; 177:171220. [PMID: 38636811 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2024.171220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Nisin A is a lantibiotic bacteriocin typically produced by strains of Lactococcus lactis. This bacteriocin has been approved as a natural food preservative since the late 1980 s and shows antimicrobial activity against a range of food-borne spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms. The therapeutic potential of nisin A has also been explored increasingly both in human and veterinary medicine. Nisin has been shown to be effective in treating bovine mastitis, dental caries, cancer, and skin infections. Recently, it was demonstrated that nisin has an affinity for the same receptor used by SARS-CoV-2 to enter human cells and was proposed as a blocker of the viral infection. Several nisin variants produced by distinct bacterial strains or modified by bioengineering have been described since the discovery of nisin A. These variants present modifications in the peptide structure, biosynthesis, mode of action, and spectrum of activity. Given the importance of nisin for industrial and therapeutic applications, the objective of this study was to describe the characteristics of the nisin variants, highlighting the main differences between these molecules and their potential applications. This review will be useful to researchers interested in studying the specifics of nisin A and its variants.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Silvio Santana Dolabella
- Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Parasitária, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil
| | - Sona Jain
- Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil
| | - Ana Andréa Teixeira Barbosa
- Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Parasitária, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil.
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Fowler PD, Schroeder DC, Kevill JL, Milbrath MOG. No impact of hygienic behavior and viral coinfection on the development of European foulbrood in honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies during blueberry pollination in Michigan. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2023; 23:21. [PMID: 38055945 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/iead094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
European foulbrood (EFB) is a severe disease of honey bee (Apis mellifera) larvae caused by the bacterium Linnaeus [Hymenoptera: Apidae]) Melissococcus plutonius (ex White) Bailey and Collins (Lactobacillales: Enterococcaceae). Many beekeepers in North America report severe EFB following blueberry pollination, but it is not clear what factors during pollination are related to clinical disease. Additionally, the impact that other factors such as viral load and hygienic behavior have on EFB has not been studied. In Spring of 2020 we enrolled 60 commercial honey bee colonies in a prospective cohort study. Colonies were inspected 3 times over the season with hive metrics and samples taken for viral testing. Each colony was tested for hygienic behavior twice and the score was averaged. Viral loads were determined by qPCR for deformed wing virus (DWV) A and B. We found no statistical difference in the EFB prevalence or severity between the 2 yards at any timepoint; 50% (n = 16) of the colonies in the holding yard and 63% (n = 17) in blueberry developed moderate to severe EFB over the study period. When colonies from both yards were pooled, we found no relationship between viral load or hygienic behavior and development of EFB. These results suggest that other factors may be responsible for driving EFB virulence and hygienic behavior is not likely helpful in managing this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter D Fowler
- Comparative Medicine and Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824,USA
| | - Declan C Schroeder
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - Jessica L Kevill
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
- Centre for Environmental Biotechnology, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor LL57 2UW, Gwynedd, UK
| | - Meghan O G Milbrath
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, Pollinator Performance Center, 4090 N. College Road, RM 100, Lansing, MI 48910, USA
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Karaoğlu ŞA, Yayli N, Akpinar R, Bozdeveci A, Erik İ, Suyabatmaz Ş, Korkmaz B, Batan N, Kaya S, Nisbet C, Güler A. Phytochemicals, antimicrobial, and sporicidal activities of moss, Dicranum polysetum Sw., against certain honey bee bacterial pathogens. Vet Res Commun 2023; 47:1445-1455. [PMID: 36892790 DOI: 10.1007/s11259-023-10094-1] [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: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023]
Abstract
Beekeeping is an important agricultural and commercial activity globally practiced. Honey bee is attacked by certain infectious pathogens. Most important brood diseases are bacterial including American Foulbrood (AFB), caused by Paenibacillus larvae (P. larvae), and European Foulbrood (EFB) by Melissococcus plutonius (M. plutonius) in addition of secondary invaders, e.g. Paenibacillus alvei (P. alvei) and Paenibacillus dendritiformis (P. dendritiformis). These bacteria cause the death of larvae in honey bee colonies. In this work, antibacterial activities of extracts, fractions, and isolated certain compounds (nominated 1-3) all originated from moss, Dicranum polysetum Sw. ( D. polysetum), were tested against some honey bee bacterial pathogens. Minimum inhibitory concentration, minimum bactericidal concentration, and sporicidal values of methanol extract, ethyl acetate, and n-hexane fractions ranged between 10.4 and 18.98, 83.4-303.75 & 5.86-18.98 µg/mL against P. larvae, respectively. Antimicrobial activities of the ethyl acetate sub-fractions (fraction) and the isolated compounds (1-3) were tested against AFB- and EFB-causing bacteria. Bio-guided chromatographic separation of ethyl acetate fraction, a crude methanolic extract obtained from aerial parts of D. polysetum resulted in three natural compounds: a novel one, i.e. glycer-2-yl hexadeca-4-yne-7Z,10Z,13Z-trienoate (1, dicrapolysetoate; given as trivial name), in addition to two known triterpenoids poriferasterol (2), and γ-taraxasterol (3). Minimum inhibitory concentration ranges were 1.4-60.75, 8.12-65.0, 2.09-33.44 & 1.8-28.75 µg/mL for sub-fractions, compounds 1, 2, and 3, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Şengül Alpay Karaoğlu
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University, Rize, 53100, Turkey.
| | - Nurettin Yayli
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, 61080, Turkey
| | - Rahşan Akpinar
- Laboratory of Bee Diseases, Samsun Veterinary Control Institute, Samsun, 55200, Turkey
| | - Arif Bozdeveci
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University, Rize, 53100, Turkey
| | - İshak Erik
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, 61080, Turkey
| | - Şeyma Suyabatmaz
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University, Rize, 53100, Turkey
| | - Büşra Korkmaz
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, 61080, Turkey
| | - Nevzat Batan
- Molecular Biology and Genetics, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, 61080, Turkey
| | - Selma Kaya
- Laboratory of Bee Diseases, Samsun Veterinary Control Institute, Samsun, 55200, Turkey
| | - Cevat Nisbet
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun, 55200, Turkey
| | - Ahmet Güler
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun, 55200, Turkey
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TAKAMATSU D. Atypical Melissococcus plutonius strains: their characteristics, virulence, epidemiology, and mysteries. J Vet Med Sci 2023; 85:880-894. [PMID: 37460304 PMCID: PMC10539817 DOI: 10.1292/jvms.23-0180] [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: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Melissococcus plutonius is a Gram-positive lanceolate coccus that is the causative agent of European foulbrood, an important bacterial disease of honey bee brood. Although this bacterium was originally described in the early 20th century, a culture method for this bacterium was not established until more than 40 years after its discovery due to its fastidious characteristics, including the requirement for high potassium and anaerobic/microaerophilic conditions. These characteristics were considered to be common to the majority of M. plutonius strains isolated worldwide, and M. plutonius was also thought to be genetically homologous or clonal for years. However, non-fastidious variants of this species (designated as atypical M. plutonius) were very recently identified in Japan. Although the morphology of these unusual strains was similar to that of traditionally well-known M. plutonius strains, atypical strains were genetically very different from most of the M. plutonius strains previously isolated and were highly virulent to individual bee larva. These atypical variants were initially considered to be unique to Japan, but were subsequently found worldwide; however, the frequency of isolation varied from country to country. The background of the discovery of atypical M. plutonius in Japan and current knowledge on atypical strains, including their biochemical and culture characteristics, virulence, detection methods, and global distribution, are described in this review. Remaining mysteries related to atypical M. plutonius and directions for future research are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke TAKAMATSU
- Division of Infectious Animal Disease Research, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Ibaraki, Japan
- The United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan
- Joint Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan
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Bueren EK, Weinheimer AR, Aylward FO, Hsu BB, Haak DC, Belden LK. Characterization of prophages in bacterial genomes from the honey bee ( Apis mellifera) gut microbiome. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15383. [PMID: 37312882 PMCID: PMC10259446 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15383] [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: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The gut of the European honey bee (Apis mellifera) possesses a relatively simple bacterial community, but little is known about its community of prophages (temperate bacteriophages integrated into the bacterial genome). Although prophages may eventually begin replicating and kill their bacterial hosts, they can also sometimes be beneficial for their hosts by conferring protection from other phage infections or encoding genes in metabolic pathways and for toxins. In this study, we explored prophages in 17 species of core bacteria in the honey bee gut and two honey bee pathogens. Out of the 181 genomes examined, 431 putative prophage regions were predicted. Among core gut bacteria, the number of prophages per genome ranged from zero to seven and prophage composition (the compositional percentage of each bacterial genome attributable to prophages) ranged from 0 to 7%. Snodgrassella alvi and Gilliamella apicola had the highest median prophages per genome (3.0 ± 1.46; 3.0 ± 1.59), as well as the highest prophage composition (2.58% ± 1.4; 3.0% ± 1.59). The pathogen Paenibacillus larvae had a higher median number of prophages (8.0 ± 5.33) and prophage composition (6.40% ± 3.08) than the pathogen Melissococcus plutonius or any of the core bacteria. Prophage populations were highly specific to their bacterial host species, suggesting most prophages were acquired recently relative to the divergence of these bacterial groups. Furthermore, functional annotation of the predicted genes encoded within the prophage regions indicates that some prophages in the honey bee gut encode additional benefits to their bacterial hosts, such as genes in carbohydrate metabolism. Collectively, this survey suggests that prophages within the honey bee gut may contribute to the maintenance and stability of the honey bee gut microbiome and potentially modulate specific members of the bacterial community, particularly S. alvi and G. apicola.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma K. Bueren
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
| | - Alaina R. Weinheimer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
| | - Frank O. Aylward
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
| | - Bryan B. Hsu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
| | - David C. Haak
- School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
| | - Lisa K. Belden
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
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Thebeau JM, Cloet A, Liebe D, Masood F, Kozii IV, Klein CD, Zabrodski MW, Biganski S, Moshynskyy I, Sobchishin L, Wilson G, Guarna MM, Gerbrandt EM, Ruzzini A, Simko E, Wood SC. Are fungicides a driver of European foulbrood disease in honey bee colonies pollinating blueberries? Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1073775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
IntroductionBlueberry producers in Canada depend heavily on pollination services provided by honey bees (Apis mellifera L.). Anecdotal reports indicate an increased incidence of European foulbrood (EFB), a bacterial disease caused by Melissococcus plutonius, is compromising pollination services and colony health. Fungicidal products are commonly used in blueberry production to prevent fungal diseases such as anthracnose and botrytis fruit rot. Pesticide exposure has been implicated in honey bee immunosuppression; however, the effects of commercial fungicidal products, commonly used during blueberry pollination, on honey bee larval susceptibility to EFB have not been investigated.MethodsUsing an in vitro infection model of EFB, we infected first instar honey bee larvae with M. plutonius 2019 BC1, a strain isolated from an EFB outbreak in British Columbia, Canada, and chronically exposed larvae to environmentally relevant concentrations of fungicide products over 6 days. Survival was monitored until pupation or eclosion.ResultsWe found that larvae chronically exposed to one, two, or three fungicidal products [Supra® Captan 80WDG (Captan), low concentration of Kenja™ 400SC (Kenja), Luna® Tranquility (Luna), and/or Switch® 62.5 WG (Switch)], did not significantly reduce survival from EFB relative to infected controls. When larvae were exposed to four fungicide products concurrently, we observed a significant 24.2% decrease in survival from M. plutonius infection (p = 0.0038). Similarly, higher concentrations of Kenja significantly reduced larval survival by 24.7–33.0% from EFB (p < 0.0001).DiscussionThese in vitro results suggest that fungicides may contribute to larval susceptibility and response to M. plutonius infections. Further testing of other pesticide combinations is warranted as well as continued surveillance of pesticide residues in blueberry-pollinating colonies.
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Adhesion and Anti-Adhesion Abilities of Potentially Probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria and Biofilm Eradication of Honeybee ( Apis mellifera L.) Pathogens. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27248945. [PMID: 36558073 PMCID: PMC9786635 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27248945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) naturally inhabits the organisms of honeybees and can exhibit adhesive properties that protect these insects against various pathogenic microorganisms. Thus, cell surface (auto-aggregation, co-aggregation, hydrophobicity) and adhesive properties of LAB to two abiotic (polystyrene and glass) and four biotic (collagen, gelatin, mucus, and intestinal Caco-2 cells) surfaces were investigated. Additionally, anti-adhesion activity and the eradication of honeybee pathogen biofilms by LAB metabolites (culture supernatants) were determined. The highest hydrophobicity was demonstrated by Pediococcus pentosaceus 19/1 (63.16%) and auto-aggregation by Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 18/1 (71.91%). All LAB showed a broad spectrum of adhesion to the tested surfaces. The strongest adhesion was noted for glass. The ability to co-aggregate with pathogens was tested for the three most potently adherent LAB strains. All showed various levels of co-aggregation depending on the pathogen. The eradication of mature pathogen biofilms by LAB metabolites appeared to be weaker than their anti-adhesive properties against pathogens. The most potent anti-adhesion activity was observed for L. plantarum 18/1 (98.80%) against Paenibacillus apiarius DSM 5582, while the strongest biofilm eradication was demonstrated by the same LAB strain against Melissococcus plutonius DSM 29964 (19.87%). The adhesive and anti-adhesive activity demonstrated by LAB can contribute to increasing the viability of honeybee colonies and improving the conditions in apiaries.
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Thebeau JM, Liebe D, Masood F, Kozii IV, Klein CD, Zabrodski MW, Moshynskyy I, Sobchishin L, Wilson G, Guarna MM, Gerbrandt EM, Simko E, Wood SC. Investigation of Melissococcus plutonius isolates from 3 outbreaks of European foulbrood disease in commercial beekeeping operations in western Canada. THE CANADIAN VETERINARY JOURNAL = LA REVUE VETERINAIRE CANADIENNE 2022; 63:935-942. [PMID: 36060490 PMCID: PMC9377190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
European foulbrood (EFB) disease is an economically important bacterial disease of honey bee larvae caused by enteric infection with Melissococcus plutonius. In this study, we investigated 3 clinical outbreaks of EFB disease in commercial beekeeping operations in western Canada in the summer of 2020 and characterized the Melissococcus plutonius isolates cultured from these outbreaks according to genetic multi-locus sequence type and i n vitro larval pathogenicity. We isolated M. plutonius sequence type 19 from EFB outbreaks in British Columbia and Alberta, and a novel M. plutonius sequence type 36 from an EFB outbreak in Saskatchewan. In vitro larval infection with each M. plutonius isolate was associated with decreased larval survival in vitro by 58.3 to 70.8% (P < 0.001) compared to non-infected controls. Further elucidation of mechanisms of virulence of M. plutonius, paired with epidemiologic investigation, is imperative to improve EFB management strategies and mitigate risks of EFB outbreaks in western Canada.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna M Thebeau
- Department of Veterinary Pathology (Thebeau, Liebe, Kozii, Klein, Zabrodski, Moshynskyy, Sobchishin, Simko, Wood), and Department of Veterinary Microbiology (Masood), Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B4; Ministry of Agriculture, Government of Saskatchewan, 141-800 Central Drive, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan S6V 6Z2 (Wilson); Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Beaverlodge, Alberta, T0H 0C0 (Guarna); British Columbia Blueberry Council, Abbotsford, British Columbia V2T 1W5 (Gerbrandt)
| | - Dana Liebe
- Department of Veterinary Pathology (Thebeau, Liebe, Kozii, Klein, Zabrodski, Moshynskyy, Sobchishin, Simko, Wood), and Department of Veterinary Microbiology (Masood), Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B4; Ministry of Agriculture, Government of Saskatchewan, 141-800 Central Drive, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan S6V 6Z2 (Wilson); Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Beaverlodge, Alberta, T0H 0C0 (Guarna); British Columbia Blueberry Council, Abbotsford, British Columbia V2T 1W5 (Gerbrandt)
| | - Fatima Masood
- Department of Veterinary Pathology (Thebeau, Liebe, Kozii, Klein, Zabrodski, Moshynskyy, Sobchishin, Simko, Wood), and Department of Veterinary Microbiology (Masood), Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B4; Ministry of Agriculture, Government of Saskatchewan, 141-800 Central Drive, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan S6V 6Z2 (Wilson); Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Beaverlodge, Alberta, T0H 0C0 (Guarna); British Columbia Blueberry Council, Abbotsford, British Columbia V2T 1W5 (Gerbrandt)
| | - Ivanna V Kozii
- Department of Veterinary Pathology (Thebeau, Liebe, Kozii, Klein, Zabrodski, Moshynskyy, Sobchishin, Simko, Wood), and Department of Veterinary Microbiology (Masood), Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B4; Ministry of Agriculture, Government of Saskatchewan, 141-800 Central Drive, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan S6V 6Z2 (Wilson); Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Beaverlodge, Alberta, T0H 0C0 (Guarna); British Columbia Blueberry Council, Abbotsford, British Columbia V2T 1W5 (Gerbrandt)
| | - Colby D Klein
- Department of Veterinary Pathology (Thebeau, Liebe, Kozii, Klein, Zabrodski, Moshynskyy, Sobchishin, Simko, Wood), and Department of Veterinary Microbiology (Masood), Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B4; Ministry of Agriculture, Government of Saskatchewan, 141-800 Central Drive, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan S6V 6Z2 (Wilson); Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Beaverlodge, Alberta, T0H 0C0 (Guarna); British Columbia Blueberry Council, Abbotsford, British Columbia V2T 1W5 (Gerbrandt)
| | - Michael W Zabrodski
- Department of Veterinary Pathology (Thebeau, Liebe, Kozii, Klein, Zabrodski, Moshynskyy, Sobchishin, Simko, Wood), and Department of Veterinary Microbiology (Masood), Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B4; Ministry of Agriculture, Government of Saskatchewan, 141-800 Central Drive, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan S6V 6Z2 (Wilson); Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Beaverlodge, Alberta, T0H 0C0 (Guarna); British Columbia Blueberry Council, Abbotsford, British Columbia V2T 1W5 (Gerbrandt)
| | - Igor Moshynskyy
- Department of Veterinary Pathology (Thebeau, Liebe, Kozii, Klein, Zabrodski, Moshynskyy, Sobchishin, Simko, Wood), and Department of Veterinary Microbiology (Masood), Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B4; Ministry of Agriculture, Government of Saskatchewan, 141-800 Central Drive, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan S6V 6Z2 (Wilson); Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Beaverlodge, Alberta, T0H 0C0 (Guarna); British Columbia Blueberry Council, Abbotsford, British Columbia V2T 1W5 (Gerbrandt)
| | - Larhonda Sobchishin
- Department of Veterinary Pathology (Thebeau, Liebe, Kozii, Klein, Zabrodski, Moshynskyy, Sobchishin, Simko, Wood), and Department of Veterinary Microbiology (Masood), Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B4; Ministry of Agriculture, Government of Saskatchewan, 141-800 Central Drive, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan S6V 6Z2 (Wilson); Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Beaverlodge, Alberta, T0H 0C0 (Guarna); British Columbia Blueberry Council, Abbotsford, British Columbia V2T 1W5 (Gerbrandt)
| | - Geoff Wilson
- Department of Veterinary Pathology (Thebeau, Liebe, Kozii, Klein, Zabrodski, Moshynskyy, Sobchishin, Simko, Wood), and Department of Veterinary Microbiology (Masood), Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B4; Ministry of Agriculture, Government of Saskatchewan, 141-800 Central Drive, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan S6V 6Z2 (Wilson); Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Beaverlodge, Alberta, T0H 0C0 (Guarna); British Columbia Blueberry Council, Abbotsford, British Columbia V2T 1W5 (Gerbrandt)
| | - M Marta Guarna
- Department of Veterinary Pathology (Thebeau, Liebe, Kozii, Klein, Zabrodski, Moshynskyy, Sobchishin, Simko, Wood), and Department of Veterinary Microbiology (Masood), Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B4; Ministry of Agriculture, Government of Saskatchewan, 141-800 Central Drive, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan S6V 6Z2 (Wilson); Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Beaverlodge, Alberta, T0H 0C0 (Guarna); British Columbia Blueberry Council, Abbotsford, British Columbia V2T 1W5 (Gerbrandt)
| | - Eric M Gerbrandt
- Department of Veterinary Pathology (Thebeau, Liebe, Kozii, Klein, Zabrodski, Moshynskyy, Sobchishin, Simko, Wood), and Department of Veterinary Microbiology (Masood), Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B4; Ministry of Agriculture, Government of Saskatchewan, 141-800 Central Drive, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan S6V 6Z2 (Wilson); Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Beaverlodge, Alberta, T0H 0C0 (Guarna); British Columbia Blueberry Council, Abbotsford, British Columbia V2T 1W5 (Gerbrandt)
| | - Elemir Simko
- Department of Veterinary Pathology (Thebeau, Liebe, Kozii, Klein, Zabrodski, Moshynskyy, Sobchishin, Simko, Wood), and Department of Veterinary Microbiology (Masood), Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B4; Ministry of Agriculture, Government of Saskatchewan, 141-800 Central Drive, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan S6V 6Z2 (Wilson); Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Beaverlodge, Alberta, T0H 0C0 (Guarna); British Columbia Blueberry Council, Abbotsford, British Columbia V2T 1W5 (Gerbrandt)
| | - Sarah C Wood
- Department of Veterinary Pathology (Thebeau, Liebe, Kozii, Klein, Zabrodski, Moshynskyy, Sobchishin, Simko, Wood), and Department of Veterinary Microbiology (Masood), Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B4; Ministry of Agriculture, Government of Saskatchewan, 141-800 Central Drive, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan S6V 6Z2 (Wilson); Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Beaverlodge, Alberta, T0H 0C0 (Guarna); British Columbia Blueberry Council, Abbotsford, British Columbia V2T 1W5 (Gerbrandt)
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10
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de La Harpe M, Gütlin A, Chiang C, Dietemann V, Dainat B. Influence of Honey bee Nutritive Jelly Type and Dilution on its Bactericidal Effect on Melissococcus plutonius, the Etiological Agent of European Foulbrood. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2022:10.1007/s00248-022-02082-w. [PMID: 35941249 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-022-02082-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
To defend themselves against pathogenic microorganisms, honey bees resort to social immunity mechanisms, such as the secretion of antibiotic compounds in the jelly they feed to their larvae. Whereas the bactericidal activity of jelly fed to queen larvae is well studied, little is known about the bioactivity of compositionally different jelly fed to worker larvae. However, the numerous worker larvae are likely to drive the spread of the microorganism and influence its virulence and pathogenesis. Diluted jelly or extracts are mostly used for jelly bioactivity tests, which may bias the evaluation of the pathogen's resistance and virulence. Here, we compared the bactericidal effect of pure and diluted jellies destined for queen and worker larvae on Melissococcus plutonius, the etiological agent of the European foulbrood (EFB) disease of honey bees, and on a secondary invader bacteria, Enterococcus faecalis. We tested three strains of M. plutonius with varying virulence to investigate the association between resistance to antibacterial compounds and virulence. The resistance of the bacteria varied but was not strictly correlated with their virulence and was lower in pure than in diluted jelly. Resistance differed according to whether the jelly was destined for queen or worker larvae, with some strains being more resistant to queen jelly and others to worker jelly. Our results provide a biologically realistic assessment of host defenses via nutritive jelly and contribute to a better understanding of the ecology of M. plutonius and of secondary invaders bacteria in the honey bee colony environment, thus shedding light on the selective forces affecting their virulence and on their role in EFB pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marylaure de La Harpe
- Swiss Bee Research Center, Agroscope, Bern Liebefeld, Switzerland
- Present address: Department of Geography, Remote Sensing Laboratories, Spatial Genetics Group, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ayaka Gütlin
- Swiss Bee Research Center, Agroscope, Bern Liebefeld, Switzerland
| | | | - Vincent Dietemann
- Swiss Bee Research Center, Agroscope, Bern Liebefeld, Switzerland
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, UNIL-Sorge, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Benjamin Dainat
- Swiss Bee Research Center, Agroscope, Bern Liebefeld, Switzerland.
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11
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Molecular Detection and Differentiation of Arthropod, Fungal, Protozoan, Bacterial and Viral Pathogens of Honeybees. Vet Sci 2022; 9:vetsci9050221. [PMID: 35622749 PMCID: PMC9145064 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci9050221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The honeybee Apis mellifera is highly appreciated worldwide because of its products, but also as it is a pollinator of crops and wild plants. The beehive is vulnerable to infections due to arthropods, fungi, protozoa, bacteria and/or viruses that manage to by-pass the individual and social immune mechanisms of bees. Due to the close proximity of bees in the beehive and their foraging habits, infections easily spread within and between beehives. Moreover, international trade of bees has caused the global spread of infections, several of which result in significant losses for apiculture. Only in a few cases can infections be diagnosed with the naked eye, by direct observation of the pathogen in the case of some arthropods, or by pathogen-associated distinctive traits. Development of molecular methods based on the amplification and analysis of one or more genes or genomic segments has brought significant progress to the study of bee pathogens, allowing for: (i) the precise and sensitive identification of the infectious agent; (ii) the analysis of co-infections; (iii) the description of novel species; (iv) associations between geno- and pheno-types and (v) population structure studies. Sequencing of bee pathogen genomes has allowed for the identification of new molecular targets and the development of specific genotypification strategies.
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12
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Evaluating approved and alternative treatments against an oxytetracycline-resistant bacterium responsible for European foulbrood disease in honey bees. Sci Rep 2022; 12:5906. [PMID: 35393467 PMCID: PMC8991240 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09796-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
European foulbrood (EFB) is a disease of honey bee larvae caused by Melissococcus plutonius. In North America, oxytetracycline (OTC) is approved to combat EFB disease though tylosin (TYL) and lincomycin (LMC) are also registered for use against American foulbrood disease. Herein, we report and characterize an OTC-resistant M. plutonius isolate from British Columbia, Canada, providing an antimicrobial sensitivity to the three approved antibiotics and studying their abilities to alter larval survival in an in vitro infection model. Specifically, we investigated OTC, TYL, and LMC as potential treatment options for EFB disease using laboratory-reared larvae infected with M. plutonius. The utility of the three antibiotics were compared through an experimental design that either mimicked metaphylaxis or antimicrobial intervention. At varying concentrations, all three antibiotics prevented clinical signs of EFB disease following infection with M. plutonius 2019BC1 in vitro. This included treatment with 100 μg/mL of OTC, a concentration that was ~ 3× the minimum inhibitory concentration measured to inhibit the strain in nutrient broth. Additionally, we noted high larval mortality in groups treated with doses of OTC corresponding to ~ 30× the dose required to eliminate bacterial growth in vitro. In contrast, TYL and LMC were not toxic to larvae at concentrations that exceed field use. As we continue to investigate antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profiles of M. plutonius from known EFB outbreaks, we expect a range of AMR phenotypes, reiterating the importance of expanding current therapeutic options along with alternative management practices to suppress this disease.
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13
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Antibacterial Activity of Solanum torvum Leaf Extract and Its Synergistic Effect with Oxacillin against Methicillin-Resistant Staphyloccoci Isolated from Dogs. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11030302. [PMID: 35326765 PMCID: PMC8944679 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11030302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Methicillin-resistant staphylococci (MRS) have been considered a veterinary and public health threat that needs to be addressed, as they are known to cause serious infections, with limited therapeutic options. Thus, in this study, we aimed to examine the potential antibacterial activity of the leaf extract of Solanum torvum against MRS isolated from clinically healthy dogs. In total, seven mecA-positive Staphylococcus isolates tested in this study were identified using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and all of them were classified as multidrug-resistant using disk diffusion tests. According to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, the main phytochemical components found in the leaf extract were hexadecanoic acid and its ethyl ester and 9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid, ethyl ester, (Z,Z,Z). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) breakpoints for the leaf extract against all tested isolates ranged from 2 to 16 mg/mL, while the MIC breakpoints for oxacillin were from 2 to 512 mg/L. Although varying effects were found, the positive effects of the leaf extract were most evident in combination with oxacillin. These results suggested that S. torvum leaf extract may complement classical antibiotics and may potentially drive the development of an effective therapeutic option for MRS.
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14
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OKAMOTO M, FURUYA H, SUGIMOTO I, KUSUMOTO M, TAKAMATSU D. A novel multiplex PCR assay to detect and distinguish between different types of Paenibacillus larvae and Melissococcus plutonius, and a survey of foulbrood pathogen contamination in Japanese honey. J Vet Med Sci 2022; 84:390-399. [PMID: 35082220 PMCID: PMC8983297 DOI: 10.1292/jvms.21-0629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mariko OKAMOTO
- Division of Infectious Animal Disease Research, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization
| | | | - Ikuko SUGIMOTO
- Shizuoka Prefectural Chubu Livestock Hygienic Service Center
| | - Masahiro KUSUMOTO
- Division of Zoonosis Research, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization
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15
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Iwanaga M, Imai N, Kamikawa A, Shimada K, Okura M, Takamatsu D, Ueda D, Nakayama M, Shibahara T. Suppurative meningoencephalitis and perineuritis caused by Streptococcus gallolyticus in a Japanese Black calf. J Vet Med Sci 2021; 84:53-58. [PMID: 34819412 PMCID: PMC8810337 DOI: 10.1292/jvms.21-0518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
A 179-day-old calf, which was weak and stunted, showed neurological signs and was euthanized. Postmortem examination revealed extensive and severe cloudy area in the meninges, and pleural
pneumonia. Gram-positive cocci were isolated from systemic organs. Biochemical and 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses identified the isolate as Streptococcus gallolyticus, and
its subspecies was suggested to be gallolyticus (SGG). The isolate was classified as a novel sequence type (ST115) by the multilocus sequence typing scheme for SGG and
showed susceptibility to penicillin, ampicillin, amoxicillin, florfenicol, sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, and chloramphenicol. Histopathologically, suppurative meningoencephalitis and
perineuritis were detected. As SGG has been isolated solely from a cow with mastitis in Japan, this is the first SGG infection in a calf with suppurative meningoencephalitis and perineuritis
in this country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikuya Iwanaga
- Fukushima Prefectural Chuou Livestock Hygiene Service Center
| | - Naoto Imai
- Fukushima Prefectural Chuou Livestock Hygiene Service Center
| | - Ayaka Kamikawa
- Fukushima Prefectural Chuou Livestock Hygiene Service Center
| | - Kaho Shimada
- Chiba Prefectural Chuou Livestock Hygiene Service Office
| | - Masatoshi Okura
- Division of Infectious Animal Disease Research, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO)
| | - Daisuke Takamatsu
- Division of Infectious Animal Disease Research, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO).,The United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University
| | - Daijiro Ueda
- Saga Prefectural Livestock Hygiene Service Center
| | | | - Tomoyuki Shibahara
- Division of Hygiene Management Research, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO).,Department of Veterinary Science, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University
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16
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Pérez-Ordóñez G, Romo-Chacón A, Rios-Velasco C, Sepúlveda DR, de Jesús Ornelas-Paz J, Acosta-Muñiz CH. Virulence variations between clonal complexes of Melisococcus plutonius and the possible causes. J Invertebr Pathol 2021; 186:107686. [PMID: 34780719 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2021.107686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Melissococcus plutonius is a pathogenic bacterium that affects honeybee brood triggering colony collapse in severe cases. The bacterium causes a European foulbrood (EFB) disease in the honeybee populations, impacting beekeeping and agricultural industries. The pathogenesis, epidemiology, and variants of M. plutonius have been studied, but the virulence factors involved in larval infection are still unknown. Recently, an in-silico study suggested putative genes that might play a role in the pathogenesis of EFB. However, studies are required to determine their function as virulence factors. In addition, the few studies of clonal complexes (CCs), virulence factors, and variation in the honeybee larvae mortality have interfered with the development of more efficient control methods. The research, development, and differences in virulence between genetic variants (CCs) of M. plutonius and potential virulence factors implicated in honeybee larval mortality are discussed in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerardo Pérez-Ordóñez
- Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C. Av. Rio Conchos s/n, parque industrial, Z.C. 31570 Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua, Mexico.
| | - Alejandro Romo-Chacón
- Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C. Av. Rio Conchos s/n, parque industrial, Z.C. 31570 Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua, Mexico.
| | - Claudio Rios-Velasco
- Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C. Av. Rio Conchos s/n, parque industrial, Z.C. 31570 Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua, Mexico.
| | - David R Sepúlveda
- Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C. Av. Rio Conchos s/n, parque industrial, Z.C. 31570 Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua, Mexico.
| | - José de Jesús Ornelas-Paz
- Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C. Av. Rio Conchos s/n, parque industrial, Z.C. 31570 Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua, Mexico.
| | - Carlos H Acosta-Muñiz
- Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C. Av. Rio Conchos s/n, parque industrial, Z.C. 31570 Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua, Mexico.
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17
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Milbrath MO, Fowler PD, Abban SK, Lopez D, Evans JD. Validation of Diagnostic Methods for European Foulbrood on Commercial Honey Bee Colonies in the United States. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2021; 21:6414648. [PMID: 34723329 PMCID: PMC8559156 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieab075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
One of the most serious bacterial pathogens of Western honey bees (Apis mellifera Linnaeus [Hymenoptera: Apidae]) is Melissococcus plutonius, the cause of the disease European foulbrood. Because European foulbrood is highly variable, with diverse outcomes at both the individual and colony levels, it is difficult to diagnose through visual inspection alone. Common lab diagnostic techniques include microscopic examination and molecular detection through PCR. In 2009, a lateral flow device was developed and validated for field diagnosis of European foulbrood. At the time, M. plutonius was thought to be genetically homogenous, but we have subsequently learned that this bacterium exists as multiple strains, including some strains that are classified as 'atypical' for which the lateral flow device is potentially less effective. These devices are increasingly used in the United States, though they have never been validated using strains from North America. It is essential to validate this device in multiple locations as different strains of M. plutonius circulate in different geographical regions. In this study, we validate the field use of the lateral flow device compared to microscopic examination and qPCR on larval samples from 78 commercial honey bee colonies in the United States with visual signs of infection. In this study, microscopic diagnosis was more sensitive than the lateral flow device (sensitivity = 97.40% and 89.47%, respectively), and we found no false positive results with the lateral flow device. We find high concurrence between the three diagnostic techniques, and all three methods are highly sensitive for diagnosing European foulbrood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan O’Grady Milbrath
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, 4090 N. College Road, Pollinator Performance Center, RM 100, Lansing, MI 48910, USA
| | - Peter Daniel Fowler
- Department of Comparative Medicine and Integrative Biology, Veterinary Medical Center, Michigan State University, 784 Wilson Road, Room G100, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Samuel K Abban
- Bee Research Laboratory, USDA–Agricultural Research Service, B306 BARC-East Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Dawn Lopez
- Bee Research Laboratory, USDA–Agricultural Research Service, B306 BARC-East Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Jay D Evans
- Bee Research Laboratory, USDA–Agricultural Research Service, B306 BARC-East Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
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18
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Rahman-Enyart A, Yang W, Yaggie RE, White BA, Welge M, Auvil L, Berry M, Bushell C, Rosen JM, Rudick CN, Schaeffer AJ, Klumpp DJ. Acyloxyacyl hydrolase is a host determinant of gut microbiome-mediated pelvic pain. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2021; 321:R396-R412. [PMID: 34318715 PMCID: PMC8530758 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00106.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Dysbiosis of gut microbiota is associated with many pathologies, yet host factors modulating microbiota remain unclear. Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) is a debilitating condition of chronic pelvic pain often with comorbid urinary dysfunction and anxiety/depression, and recent studies find fecal dysbiosis in patients with IC/BPS. We identified the locus encoding acyloxyacyl hydrolase, Aoah, as a modulator of pelvic pain severity in a murine IC/BPS model. AOAH-deficient mice spontaneously develop rodent correlates of pelvic pain, increased responses to induced pelvic pain models, voiding dysfunction, and anxious/depressive behaviors. Here, we report that AOAH-deficient mice exhibit dysbiosis of gastrointestinal (GI) microbiota. AOAH-deficient mice exhibit an enlarged cecum, a phenotype long associated with germ-free rodents, and a "leaky gut" phenotype. AOAH-deficient ceca showed altered gene expression consistent with inflammation, Wnt signaling, and urologic disease. 16S sequencing of stool revealed altered microbiota in AOAH-deficient mice, and GC-MS identified altered metabolomes. Cohousing AOAH-deficient mice with wild-type mice resulted in converged microbiota and altered predicted metagenomes. Cohousing also abrogated the pelvic pain phenotype of AOAH-deficient mice, which was corroborated by oral gavage of AOAH-deficient mice with stool slurry of wild-type mice. Converged microbiota also alleviated comorbid anxiety-like behavior in AOAH-deficient mice. Oral gavage of AOAH-deficient mice with anaerobes cultured from IC/BPS stool resulted in exacerbation of pelvic allodynia. Together, these data indicate that AOAH is a host determinant of normal gut microbiota, and dysbiosis associated with AOAH deficiency contributes to pelvic pain. These findings suggest that the gut microbiome is a potential therapeutic target for IC/BPS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Afrida Rahman-Enyart
- Department of Urology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Wenbin Yang
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Ryan E Yaggie
- Department of Urology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Bryan A White
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
- National Center for Supercomputing Applications, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Michael Welge
- National Center for Supercomputing Applications, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Loretta Auvil
- National Center for Supercomputing Applications, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Matthew Berry
- National Center for Supercomputing Applications, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Colleen Bushell
- National Center for Supercomputing Applications, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - John M Rosen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Children's Mercy, Kansas City, Missouri
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Missouri, Kansas City, Missouri
| | - Charles N Rudick
- Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Bloomington, Indiana
| | - Anthony J Schaeffer
- Department of Urology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - David J Klumpp
- Department of Urology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
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19
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Nanetti A, Bortolotti L, Cilia G. Pathogens Spillover from Honey Bees to Other Arthropods. Pathogens 2021; 10:1044. [PMID: 34451508 PMCID: PMC8400633 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10081044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Honey bees, and pollinators in general, play a major role in the health of ecosystems. There is a consensus about the steady decrease in pollinator populations, which raises global ecological concern. Several drivers are implicated in this threat. Among them, honey bee pathogens are transmitted to other arthropods populations, including wild and managed pollinators. The western honey bee, Apis mellifera, is quasi-globally spread. This successful species acted as and, in some cases, became a maintenance host for pathogens. This systematic review collects and summarizes spillover cases having in common Apis mellifera as the mainteinance host and some of its pathogens. The reports are grouped by final host species and condition, year, and geographic area of detection and the co-occurrence in the same host. A total of eighty-one articles in the time frame 1960-2021 were included. The reported spillover cases cover a wide range of hymenopteran host species, generally living in close contact with or sharing the same environmental resources as the honey bees. They also involve non-hymenopteran arthropods, like spiders and roaches, which are either likely or unlikely to live in close proximity to honey bees. Specific studies should consider host-dependent pathogen modifications and effects on involved host species. Both the plasticity of bee pathogens and the ecological consequences of spillover suggest a holistic approach to bee health and the implementation of a One Health approach.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura Bortolotti
- Council for Agricultural Research and Agricultural Economics Analysis, Centre for Agriculture and Environment Research (CREA-AA), Via di Saliceto 80, 40128 Bologna, Italy; (A.N.); (G.C.)
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20
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Okamoto M, Kumagai M, Kanamori H, Takamatsu D. Antimicrobial Resistance Genes in Bacteria Isolated From Japanese Honey, and Their Potential for Conferring Macrolide and Lincosamide Resistance in the American Foulbrood Pathogen Paenibacillus larvae. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:667096. [PMID: 33995331 PMCID: PMC8116656 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.667096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
American foulbrood (AFB) is the most serious bacterial disease of honey bee brood. Spores of the causative agent Paenibacillus larvae are ingested by bee larvae via brood foods and germinated cells proliferate in the larval midgut. In Japan, a macrolide antibiotic, tylosin, is used as the approved prophylactic for AFB. Although tylosin-resistant P. larvae has yet to be found in Japan, it may emerge in the future through the acquisition of macrolide resistance genes from other bacteria, and bacteria latent in brood foods, such as honey, may serve as a source of resistance genes. In this study, to investigate macrolide resistance genes in honey, we attempted to isolate tylosin-resistant bacteria from 53 Japanese honey samples and obtained 209 isolates from 48 samples in the presence of 1 μg/ml of tylosin. All isolates were Gram-positive spore-forming bacteria mainly belonging to genera Bacillus and Paenibacillus, and 94.3% exhibited lower susceptibility to tylosin than Japanese P. larvae isolates. Genome analysis of 50 representative isolates revealed the presence of putative macrolide resistance genes in the isolates, and some of them were located on mobile genetic elements (MGEs). Among the genes on MGEs, ermC on the putative mobilizable plasmid pJ18TS1mac of Oceanobacillus strain J18TS1 conferred tylosin and lincomycin resistance to P. larvae after introducing the cloned gene using the expression vector. Moreover, pJ18TS1mac was retained in the P. larvae population for a long period even under non-selective conditions. This suggests that bacteria in honey is a source of genes for conferring tylosin resistance to P. larvae; therefore, monitoring of bacteria in honey may be helpful to predict the emergence of tylosin-resistant P. larvae and prevent the selection of resistant strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariko Okamoto
- Division of Bacterial and Parasitic Disease, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Masahiko Kumagai
- Advanced Analysis Center, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Kanamori
- Institute of Crop Science, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Daisuke Takamatsu
- Division of Bacterial and Parasitic Disease, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Japan
- The United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan
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21
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Peritrophic matrix-degrading proteins are dispensable virulence factors in a virulent Melissococcus plutonius strain. Sci Rep 2021; 11:8798. [PMID: 33888837 PMCID: PMC8062581 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88302-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
European foulbrood (EFB) caused by Melissococcus plutonius is a major bacterial disease of honey bees. Strains of the causative agent exhibit genetic heterogeneity, and the degree of virulence varies among strains. In bee larvae orally infected with the highly virulent strains, ingested bacterial cells colonize the larval midgut and proliferate within the sac of the peritrophic matrix (PM), a barrier lining the midgut epithelium. However, the barrier is degraded during the course of infection, and M. plutonius cells eventually directly interact with the midgut epithelium. As M. plutonius possesses genes encoding putative PM-degrading proteins (enhancin, a chitin-binding domain-containing protein and endo-α-N-acetylgalactosaminidase), we constructed PM-degrading protein gene-knockout mutants from a highly virulent M. plutonius strain and investigated their role in the pathogenesis of EFB. In larvae infected with the triple-knockout mutant, which has no PM-degrading protein genes, M. plutonius that proliferated in the larval midguts was confined to the sac of the PM. However, the midgut epithelial cells degenerated over time, and the mutant killed approximately 70-80% of bee brood, suggesting that although the PM-degrading proteins are involved in the penetration of the PM by M. plutonius, they are not indispensable virulence factors in the highly virulent M. plutonius strain.
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22
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Masry SHD, Taha TH, Botros WA, Mahfouz H, Al-Kahtani SN, Ansari MJ, Hafez EE. Antimicrobial activity of camphor tree silver nano-particles against foulbrood diseases and finding out new strain of Serratia marcescens via DGGE-PCR, as a secondary infection on honeybee larvae. Saudi J Biol Sci 2021; 28:2067-2075. [PMID: 33911922 PMCID: PMC8071921 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.02.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Revised: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
American foulbrood (AFB) and European foulbrood (EFB) are the two major bacterial diseases affecting honeybees, leading to a decrease in viability of the hive, decreasing honey production, and resulting in significant economic losses to beekeepers. Due to the inefficiency and/or low efficacy of some antibiotics, researches with nanotechnology represent, possibly, new therapeutic strategies. Nanostructure drugs have presented some advantagesover the conventional medicines, such as slow, gradual and controlled release, increased bioavailability, and reduced side-effects. In this study, different infected larvae were collected from two apiaries; the combs that had symptoms of American and European foulbrood were isolated. In vitro antimicrobial activity of camphor tree silver nano-particles against foulbrood diseases were characterized using UV-Vis spectrophotometry and scanning electron microscope (SEM) that proves the formation of silver nanoparticles with size range 160-660 nm. The antimicrobial activity of the silver nanoparticles was tested using agar diffusion assay and proved their ability to effectively cease the pathogenic bacterial growth in both AFB and EFB. DGGE-PCR technique has been applied for the identification of un-common bacterial infections honeybees depending on 16S rRNA amplification from their total extracted DNA and has been identified as Serratia marcescens (TES), deposited in GenBank with a new accession number (MT240613). The results were confirmed strain has been detected by DGGE-PCR analysis causing uniquely infected brood that was attacked by the American Foulbrood It could be concluded that greenly synthesized silver nanoparticles is projected to be used as effective treatment for honeybee bacterial diseases. These material need more investigations under field conditions and study the possibility of its residues in honeybee products such as honey, and beeswax.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saad Hamdy Daif Masry
- Department of Plant Protection and Molecular Diagnosis, Arid Lands Cultivation Research Institute, City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications, Alexandria (SRTA-City), New Borg El-Arab City, P.O. Box: 21934, Alexandria, Egypt
- Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Tarek Hosny Taha
- Environmental Biotechnology Department, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Institute (GEBRI), City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications (SRTA-City), New Borg El-Arab City, P.O. Box: 21934, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - William A. Botros
- Nucleic Acids Research Department, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Institute (GEBRI), City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications (SRTA-City), New Borg El-Arab City, P.O. Box: 21934, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Hatem Mahfouz
- Department of Plant Production, Faculty of Environment Agricultural Science, Arish University, Egypt
| | - Saad Naser Al-Kahtani
- Arid Land Agriculture Department, College of Agricultural Sciences & Foods, King Faisal University, P.O. Box 400, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammad Javed Ansari
- Department of Botany, Hindu College Moradabad (Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Rohilkhand University Bareilly), India
| | - Elsayed Elsayed Hafez
- Department of Plant Protection and Molecular Diagnosis, Arid Lands Cultivation Research Institute, City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications, Alexandria (SRTA-City), New Borg El-Arab City, P.O. Box: 21934, Alexandria, Egypt
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23
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Biová J, Charrière JD, Dostálková S, Škrabišová M, Petřivalský M, Bzdil J, Danihlík J. Melissococcus plutonius Can Be Effectively and Economically Detected Using Hive Debris and Conventional PCR. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12020150. [PMID: 33572468 PMCID: PMC7916248 DOI: 10.3390/insects12020150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
European foulbrood (EFB) is an infectious disease of honey bees caused by the bacterium Melissococcus plutonius. A method for DNA isolation and conventional PCR diagnosis was developed using hive debris, which was non-invasively collected on paper sheets placed on the bottom boards of hives. Field trials utilized 23 honey bee colonies with clinically positive symptoms and 21 colonies without symptoms. Bayes statistics were applied to calculate the comparable parameters for EFB diagnostics when using honey, hive debris, or samples of adult bees. The reliability of the conventional PCR was 100% at 6.7 × 103 Colony Forming Unit of M. plutonius in 1 g of debris. The sensitivity of the method for the sampled honey, hive debris, and adult bees was 0.867, 0.714, and 1.000, respectively. The specificity for the tested matrices was 0.842, 0.800, and 0.833. The predictive values for the positive tests from selected populations with 52% prevalence were 0.813, 0.833, and 0.842, and the real accuracies were 0.853, 0.750, and 0.912, for the honey, hive debris, and adult bees, respectively. It was concluded that hive debris can effectively be utilized to non-invasively monitor EFB in honey bee colonies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Biová
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, 783 71 Olomouc, Czech Republic; (J.B.); (S.D.); (M.Š.); (M.P.)
| | - Jean-Daniel Charrière
- Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Center, Schwarzenburgstraße 161, 3003 Bern, Switzerland;
| | - Silvie Dostálková
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, 783 71 Olomouc, Czech Republic; (J.B.); (S.D.); (M.Š.); (M.P.)
| | - Mária Škrabišová
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, 783 71 Olomouc, Czech Republic; (J.B.); (S.D.); (M.Š.); (M.P.)
| | - Marek Petřivalský
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, 783 71 Olomouc, Czech Republic; (J.B.); (S.D.); (M.Š.); (M.P.)
| | - Jaroslav Bzdil
- State Veterinary Institute, Jakoubka ze Stříbra 1, 779 00 Olomouc, Czech Republic;
| | - Jiří Danihlík
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, 783 71 Olomouc, Czech Republic; (J.B.); (S.D.); (M.Š.); (M.P.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +42-05-8563-4928
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24
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Grossar D, Kilchenmann V, Forsgren E, Charrière JD, Gauthier L, Chapuisat M, Dietemann V. Putative determinants of virulence in Melissococcus plutonius, the bacterial agent causing European foulbrood in honey bees. Virulence 2021; 11:554-567. [PMID: 32456539 PMCID: PMC7567439 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2020.1768338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Melissococcus plutonius is a bacterial pathogen that causes epidemic outbreaks of European foulbrood (EFB) in honey bee populations. The pathogenicity of a bacterium depends on its virulence, and understanding the mechanisms influencing virulence may allow for improved disease control and containment. Using a standardized in vitro assay, we demonstrate that virulence varies greatly among sixteen M. plutonius isolates from five European countries. Additionally, we explore the causes of this variation. In this study, virulence was independent of the multilocus sequence type of the tested pathogen, and was not affected by experimental co-infection with Paenibacillus alvei, a bacterium often associated with EFB outbreaks. Virulence in vitro was correlated with the growth dynamics of M. plutonius isolates in artificial medium, and with the presence of a plasmid carrying a gene coding for the putative toxin melissotoxin A. Our results suggest that some M. plutonius strains showed an increased virulence due to the acquisition of a toxin-carrying mobile genetic element. We discuss whether strains with increased virulence play a role in recent EFB outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Grossar
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, UNIL-Sorge, University of Lausanne , Lausanne, Switzerland.,Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Centre , Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Eva Forsgren
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences SLU , Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | | | - Michel Chapuisat
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, UNIL-Sorge, University of Lausanne , Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Vincent Dietemann
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, UNIL-Sorge, University of Lausanne , Lausanne, Switzerland.,Agroscope, Swiss Bee Research Centre , Bern, Switzerland
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25
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Zendo T, Ohashi C, Maeno S, Piao X, Salminen S, Sonomoto K, Endo A. Kunkecin A, a New Nisin Variant Bacteriocin Produced by the Fructophilic Lactic Acid Bacterium, Apilactobacillus kunkeei FF30-6 Isolated From Honey Bees. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:571903. [PMID: 33042078 PMCID: PMC7525160 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.571903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Apilactobacillus kunkeei FF30-6 isolated from healthy honey bees synthesizes the bacteriocin, which exhibits antimicrobial activity against Melissococcus plutonius. The bacteriocin, kunkecin A, was purified through three-step chromatography, and mass spectrometry revealed that its relative molecular mass was 4218.3. Edman degradation of purified kunkecin A showed only the N-terminal residue, isoleucine. Hence, alkaline alkylation made the subsequent amino acid residues accessible to Edman degradation, and 30 cycles were sequenced with 11 unidentified residues. Whole genome sequencing of A. kunkeei FF30-6, followed by Sanger sequencing, revealed that the genes encoding the proteins involved in lantibiotic biosynthesis were within the plasmid, pKUNFF30-6. Most of the identified proteins exhibited significant sequence similarities to the biosynthetic proteins of nisin A and its variants, such as subtilin. However, the kunkecin A gene cluster lacked the genes corresponding to nisI, nisR, and nisK of the nisin A biosynthetic gene cluster. A comparison of the gene products of kukA and nisA (kunkecin A and nisin A structural genes, respectively) suggested that they had similar post-translational modifications. Furthermore, the structure of kunkecin A was proposed based on a comparison of the observed and calculated relative molecular masses of kunkecin A. The structural analysis revealed that kunkecin A and nisin A had a similar mono-sulfide linkage pattern. Purified kunkecin A exhibited a narrow antibacterial spectrum, but high antibacterial activity against M. plutonius. Kunkecin A is the first bacteriocin to be characterized in fructophilic lactic acid bacteria and is the first nisin-type lantibiotic found in the family Lactobacillaceae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Zendo
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Graduate School, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Chihiro Ohashi
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Graduate School, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Shintaro Maeno
- Department of Food, Aroma and Cosmetic Chemistry, Faculty of Bioindustry, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Xingguo Piao
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Graduate School, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Seppo Salminen
- Functional Foods Forum, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Kenji Sonomoto
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Graduate School, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Akihito Endo
- Department of Food, Aroma and Cosmetic Chemistry, Faculty of Bioindustry, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Hokkaido, Japan
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26
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Microbial Ecology of European Foul Brood Disease in the Honey Bee ( Apis mellifera): Towards a Microbiome Understanding of Disease Susceptibility. INSECTS 2020; 11:insects11090555. [PMID: 32825355 PMCID: PMC7565670 DOI: 10.3390/insects11090555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Simple Summary Honey bees are vital to the agriculture of the world, but like all managed organisms, disease control has become challenging due to the overuse and misuse of antibiotics. Alternate solutions with potential to control disease include natural compounds and probiotic supplements. Probiotic supplements in honey bees have been praised by industry, but studies applying probiotics to honey bee larval disease are lacking and technically challenging. In this study we tested the effectiveness of a demonstrated probiotic (Parasacharribacter apium strain C6) to mitigate a damaging larval disease called European Foul Brood (EFB). Based on a controlled laboratory study and two separate trials, the probiotic had no effect on EFB disease. The control groups performed as expected, validating the very sensitive lab procedure used to artificially rear honey bee larvae. Surprisingly, the probiotic provided no survival benefit to larvae in the absence of disease, contradicting past results. We discuss the difficult technique of larval rearing in the laboratory with reference to an improved experimental design introducing disease agents and potential remedies. In summary, our findings indicate that the representation of honey bee health and disease in the laboratory setting requires repeatable validation with reference to rigorous control and natural colony context. Abstract European honey bees (Apis mellifera Linnaeus) are beneficial insects that provide essential pollination services for agriculture and ecosystems worldwide. Modern commercial beekeeping is plagued by a variety of pathogenic and environmental stressors often confounding attempts to understand colony loss. European foulbrood (EFB) is considered a larval-specific disease whose causative agent, Melissococcus plutonius, has received limited attention due to methodological challenges in the field and laboratory. Here, we improve the experimental and informational context of larval disease with the end goal of developing an EFB management strategy. We sequenced the bacterial microbiota associated with larval disease transmission, isolated a variety of M.plutonius strains, determined their virulence against larvae in vitro, and explored the potential for probiotic treatment of EFB disease. The larval microbiota was a low diversity environment similar to honey, while worker mouthparts and stored pollen contained significantly greater bacterial diversity. Virulence of M. plutonius against larvae varied markedly by strain and inoculant concentration. Our chosen probiotic, Parasaccharibacter apium strain C6, did not improve larval survival when introduced alone, or in combination with a virulent EFB strain. We discuss the importance of positive and negative controls for in vitro studies of the larval microbiome and disease.
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27
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Takamatsu D, Okumura K, Tabata A, Okamoto M, Okura M. Transcriptional regulator SpxA1a controls the resistance of the honey bee pathogen Melissococcus plutonius to the antimicrobial activity of royal jelly. Environ Microbiol 2020; 22:2736-2755. [PMID: 32519428 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Royal jelly (RJ), a brood food of honey bees, has strong antimicrobial activity. Melissococcus plutonius, the causative agent of European foulbrood of honey bees, exhibits resistance to this antimicrobial activity and infects larvae orally. Among three genetically distinct groups (CC3, CC12 and CC13) of M. plutonius, CC3 strains exhibit the strongest RJ resistance. In this study, to identify genes involved in RJ resistance, we generated an RJ-susceptible derivative from a highly RJ-resistant CC3 strain by UV mutagenesis. Genome sequence analysis of the derivative revealed the presence of a frameshift mutation in the putative regulator gene spxA1a. The deletion of spxA1a from a CC3 strain resulted in increased susceptibility to RJ and its antimicrobial component 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid. Moreover, the mutant became susceptible to low-pH and oxidative stress, which may be encountered in brood foods. Differentially expressed gene analysis using wild-type and spxA1a mutants revealed that 45 protein-coding genes were commonly upregulated in spxA1a-positive strains. Many upregulated genes were located in a prophage region, and some highly upregulated genes were annotated as universal/general stress proteins, oxidoreductase/reductase, chaperons and superoxide dismutase. These results suggest that SpxA1a is a key regulator to control the tolerance status of M. plutonius against stress in honey bee colonies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Takamatsu
- Division of Bacterial and Parasitic Disease, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0856, Japan.,The United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, 501-1193, Japan
| | - Kayo Okumura
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan
| | - Atsushi Tabata
- Department of Bioscience and Bioindustry, Graduate School of Technology, Industrial and Social Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, 770-8513, Japan
| | - Mariko Okamoto
- Division of Bacterial and Parasitic Disease, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0856, Japan
| | - Masatoshi Okura
- Division of Bacterial and Parasitic Disease, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0856, Japan
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28
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European Foulbrood in stingless bees (Apidae: Meliponini) in Brazil: Old disease, renewed threat. J Invertebr Pathol 2020; 172:107357. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2020.107357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Revised: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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29
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Wood SC, Chalifour JC, Kozii IV, Medici de Mattos I, Klein CD, Zabrodski MW, Moshynskyy I, Guarna MM, Wolf Veiga P, Epp T, Simko E. In Vitro Effects of Pesticides on European Foulbrood in Honeybee Larvae. INSECTS 2020; 11:insects11040252. [PMID: 32316434 PMCID: PMC7240397 DOI: 10.3390/insects11040252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 04/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Neonicotinoid and fungicide exposure has been linked to immunosuppression and increased susceptibility to disease in honeybees (Apis mellifera). European foulbrood, caused by the bacterium Melissococcus plutonius, is a disease of honeybee larvae which causes economic hardship for commercial beekeepers, in particular those whose colonies pollinate blueberries. We report for the first time in Canada, an atypical variant of M. plutonius isolated from a blueberry-pollinating colony. With this isolate, we used an in vitro larval infection system to study the effects of pesticide exposure on the development of European foulbrood disease. Pesticide doses tested were excessive (thiamethoxam and pyrimethanil) or maximal field-relevant (propiconazole and boscalid). We found that chronic exposure to the combination of thiamethoxam and propiconazole significantly decreased the survival of larvae infected with M. plutonius, while larvae chronically exposed to thiamethoxam and/or boscalid or pyrimethanil did not experience significant increases in mortality from M. plutonius infection in vitro. Based on these results, individual, calculated field-realistic residues of thiamethoxam and/or boscalid or pyrimethanil are unlikely to increase mortality from European foulbrood disease in honeybee worker brood, while the effects of field-relevant exposure to thiamethoxam and propiconazole on larval mortality from European foulbrood warrant further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah C. Wood
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada; (J.C.C.); (I.V.K.); (I.M.d.M.); (C.D.K.); (M.W.Z.); (I.M.); (E.S.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Jocelyne C. Chalifour
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada; (J.C.C.); (I.V.K.); (I.M.d.M.); (C.D.K.); (M.W.Z.); (I.M.); (E.S.)
| | - Ivanna V. Kozii
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada; (J.C.C.); (I.V.K.); (I.M.d.M.); (C.D.K.); (M.W.Z.); (I.M.); (E.S.)
| | - Igor Medici de Mattos
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada; (J.C.C.); (I.V.K.); (I.M.d.M.); (C.D.K.); (M.W.Z.); (I.M.); (E.S.)
| | - Colby D. Klein
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada; (J.C.C.); (I.V.K.); (I.M.d.M.); (C.D.K.); (M.W.Z.); (I.M.); (E.S.)
| | - Michael W. Zabrodski
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada; (J.C.C.); (I.V.K.); (I.M.d.M.); (C.D.K.); (M.W.Z.); (I.M.); (E.S.)
| | - Igor Moshynskyy
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada; (J.C.C.); (I.V.K.); (I.M.d.M.); (C.D.K.); (M.W.Z.); (I.M.); (E.S.)
| | - M. Marta Guarna
- Beaverlodge Research Farm, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 1 Research Road, Beaverlodge, AB T0H 0C0, Canada;
| | - Patricia Wolf Veiga
- National Bee Diagnostic Centre, Grand Prairie Regional College, 1 Research Road, Beaverlodge, AB T0H 0C0, Canada;
| | - Tasha Epp
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada;
| | - Elemir Simko
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada; (J.C.C.); (I.V.K.); (I.M.d.M.); (C.D.K.); (M.W.Z.); (I.M.); (E.S.)
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Nakamura K, Okumura K, Harada M, Okamoto M, Okura M, Takamatsu D. Different impacts of pMP19 on the virulence of Melissococcus plutonius strains with different genetic backgrounds. Environ Microbiol 2020; 22:2756-2770. [PMID: 32219986 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Virulence factors responsible for bacterial pathogenicity are often encoded by plasmids. In Melissococcus plutonius, the causative agent of European foulbrood of honey bees, a putative virulence plasmid (pMP19) possessing mtxA, which encodes a putative insecticidal toxin, was found by comparative genome analyses. However, as the role of pMP19 in the pathogenesis of European foulbrood remains to be elucidated, we generated pMP19 cured-M. plutonius from representative strains of the three genetically distinct groups (CC3, CC12 and CC13) and compared their virulence against Apis mellifera larvae using our in vitro infection model. Under the conditions tested, the loss of pMP19 abrogated the pathogenicity in CC3 strains, and > 94% of pMP19-cured CC3 strain-infected larvae became adult bees, suggesting that pMP19 is a virulence determinant of CC3 strains. However, introduction of mtxA on its own did not increase the virulence of pMP19-cured strains. In contrast to CC3 strains, the representative CC12 strain remained virulent even in the absence of pMP19, whereas the representative CC13 strain was avirulent even in the presence of the plasmid. Thus, pMP19 plays a role in the virulence of M. plutonius; however, its impact on the virulence varies among strains with different genetic backgrounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keiko Nakamura
- Research and Business Promotion Division, Research Institute for Animal Science in Biochemistry and Toxicology, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-0132, Japan
| | - Kayo Okumura
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan
| | - Mariko Harada
- Research and Business Promotion Division, Research Institute for Animal Science in Biochemistry and Toxicology, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-0132, Japan
| | - Mariko Okamoto
- Division of Bacterial and Parasitic Disease, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0856, Japan
| | - Masatoshi Okura
- Division of Bacterial and Parasitic Disease, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0856, Japan
| | - Daisuke Takamatsu
- Division of Bacterial and Parasitic Disease, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0856, Japan.,The United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Gifu, 501-1193, Japan
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31
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Ohashi I, Kato K, Okamoto M, Kobayashi S, Takamatsu D. Microbicidal effects of slightly acidic hypochlorous acid water and weakly acidified chlorous acid water on foulbrood pathogens. J Vet Med Sci 2020; 82:261-271. [PMID: 31902832 PMCID: PMC7118478 DOI: 10.1292/jvms.19-0531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Paenibacillus larvae and Melissococcus plutonius are
bacterial pathogens of honey bee brood. As decontamination of beekeeping equipment,
including combs, is essential to control these pathogens, we evaluated the disinfecting
effects of slightly acidic hypochlorous acid water (SAHAW) and weakly acidified chlorous
acid water (WACAW) on the pathogens. Both disinfectants exhibited strong disinfecting
effects in suspension tests under no organic matter conditions and reduced both pathogens
by >5 log10 CFU/ml. Although the microbicidal activity of
SAHAW with an available chlorine concentration (ACC) of 10–30 ppm was decreased by organic
matter, it reduced viable P. larvae spores in combs more efficiently than
H2O when the comb was not as dirty. However, its efficacy on combs decreased
at 4°C and when overused or highly contaminated combs were tested. WACAW with an ACC of
≥600 ppm had a higher disinfecting capacity than SAHAW, and efficiently removed P.
larvae spores from combs even under organic matter-rich and low-temperature
conditions. However, even by WACAW, the amount of viable spores in combs was not markedly
reduced depending on contamination levels and P. larvae genotypes. These
results suggest the usefulness of both disinfectants for decontaminating beekeeping
equipment depending on the situations expected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ikuyo Ohashi
- Yamagata Prefectural Central Livestock Hygiene Service Center, Yamagata, Yamagata 990-2161, Japan
| | - Kiyoko Kato
- Tochigi Prefectural Central Livestock Health and Hygiene Center, Utsunomiya, Tochigi 321-0905, Japan
| | - Mariko Okamoto
- Division of Bacterial and Parasitic Disease, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856, Japan
| | - Sota Kobayashi
- Division of Bacterial and Parasitic Disease, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856, Japan
| | - Daisuke Takamatsu
- Division of Bacterial and Parasitic Disease, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856, Japan.,The United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
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32
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Ochi K, Okamoto M, Okamoto M, Okura M, Takamatsu D. Development of a novel Trueperella pyogenes-specific PCR assay. J Vet Med Sci 2019; 82:109-114. [PMID: 31866633 PMCID: PMC7041988 DOI: 10.1292/jvms.19-0522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Trueperella pyogenes is an opportunistic pathogen that causes a wide
variety of purulent infections. We recently isolated a T.
pyogenes strain unable to be identified by the previously reported
T. pyogenes pyolysin gene
(plo)-specific PCR from the lung of a sheep with astasia. Sequence
comparison of plo among representative strains revealed several
nucleotide substitutions in the primer-annealing regions. As such substitutions were
considered to be a reason for the low PCR specificity, we designed novel primers in
conserved regions of plo. Under optimized conditions, the novel primers
precisely identified all T. pyogenes strains tested, and
no products were generated from any other bacterial strains, suggesting the usefulness of
the novel PCR assay for the diagnosis of T. pyogenes
infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenta Ochi
- Ehime Prefectural Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center, Toon, Ehime 791-0212, Japan
| | - Mariko Okamoto
- Division of Bacterial and Parasitic Disease, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856, Japan
| | - Misaki Okamoto
- Chiba Prefectural Chuo Livestock Hygiene Service Center, Sakura, Chiba 285-0072, Japan
| | - Masatoshi Okura
- Division of Bacterial and Parasitic Disease, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856, Japan
| | - Daisuke Takamatsu
- Division of Bacterial and Parasitic Disease, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856, Japan.,The United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
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33
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Okura M, Maruyama F, Ota A, Tanaka T, Matoba Y, Osawa A, Sadaat SM, Osaki M, Toyoda A, Ogura Y, Hayashi T, Takamatsu D. Genotypic diversity of Streptococcus suis and the S. suis-like bacterium Streptococcus ruminantium in ruminants. Vet Res 2019; 50:94. [PMID: 31727180 PMCID: PMC6854688 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-019-0708-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although Streptococcus suis has attracted public attention as a major swine and human pathogen, this bacterium has also been isolated from other animals, including ruminants. However, recent taxonomic studies revealed the existence of other species that were previously identified as S. suis, and some of these isolates were reclassified as the novel species Streptococcus ruminantium. In Japan, biochemically identified S. suis is frequently isolated from diseased ruminants; however, such isolates have not yet been identified accurately, and their aetiological importance in ruminants is unclear. Therefore, to understand the importance of S. suis and S. suis-like bacteria in ruminants, we reclassified S. suis isolates from ruminants according to the updated classification and investigated their genetic diversity. Although both S. suis and S. ruminantium were isolated from healthy and diseased ruminants, most of the isolates from diseased animals were S. ruminantium, implying that S. ruminantium is more likely to be associated with ruminant disease than S. suis. However, the ruminant S. suis and S. ruminantium isolates from diseased animals were classified into diverse genotypes rather than belonging to certain clonal groups. Genome sequence analysis of 20 S. ruminantium isolates provided information about the antibiotic resistance, potential virulence, and serological diversity of this species. We further developed an S. ruminantium-specific PCR assay to aid in the identification of this bacterium. The information obtained and the method established in this study will contribute to the accurate diagnosis of ruminant streptococcal infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masatoshi Okura
- Division of Bacterial and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Japan.
| | - Fumito Maruyama
- Department of Microbiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile
| | - Atsushi Ota
- Department of Microbiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takeshi Tanaka
- Nairiku Meat Inspection Center, Yamagata Prefectural Government, Yamagata, Japan
| | - Yohei Matoba
- Murayama Public Health Center, Yamagata Prefectural Government, Yamagata, Japan
| | - Aya Osawa
- Matsumoto Livestock Hygiene Service Center, Nagano Prefectural Government, Matsumoto, Japan
| | - Sayed Mushtaq Sadaat
- Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, Animal Health Directorate, Central Veterinary Diagnostic and Research Laboratory, Kabul, Afghanistan
| | - Makoto Osaki
- Division of Bacterial and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Atsushi Toyoda
- Department of Genomics and Evolutionary Biology, National Institute of Genetics, Shizuoka, Japan.,Advanced Genomics Center, National Institute of Genetics, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Yoshitoshi Ogura
- Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Hayashi
- Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Daisuke Takamatsu
- Division of Bacterial and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Japan.,United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan
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Complete Genome Sequences of Two Melissococcus plutonius Strains with Different Virulence Profiles, Obtained by PacBio Sequencing. Microbiol Resour Announc 2019; 8:8/21/e00038-19. [PMID: 31123010 PMCID: PMC6533380 DOI: 10.1128/mra.00038-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Melissococcus plutonius attacks honeybee larvae, causing European foulbrood. Based on their virulence toward larvae, M. plutonius isolates were classified into three types, highly virulent, moderately virulent, and avirulent. Melissococcus plutonius attacks honeybee larvae, causing European foulbrood. Based on their virulence toward larvae, M. plutonius isolates were classified into three types, highly virulent, moderately virulent, and avirulent. We herein performed whole-genome sequencing of M. plutonius isolates with different virulence levels to promote an understanding of the pathogenesis of this disease.
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35
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Meekhanon N, Kaewmongkol S, Jirawattanapong P, Kaminsonsakul T, Kongsoi S, Chumsing S, Okura M, Ueno Y, Sekizaki T, Takamatsu D. High rate misidentification of biochemically determined Streptococcus isolates from swine clinical specimens. J Vet Med Sci 2019; 81:567-572. [PMID: 30814435 PMCID: PMC6483909 DOI: 10.1292/jvms.18-0678] [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] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, 22 bacterial isolates from swine necropsy specimens, which were biochemically identified as Streptococcus suis and other Streptococcus species, were re-examined using species-specific PCR for authentic S. suis and 16S rRNA gene sequencing for the verification of the former judge. Identification of S. suis on the basis of biochemical characteristics showed high false-positive (70.6%) and false-negative (60%) rates. The authentic S. suis showed various capsular polysaccharide synthesis gene types, including type 2 that often isolated from human cases. Five of 22 isolates did not even belong to the genus Streptococcus. These results suggested that the misidentification of the causative pathogen in routine veterinary diagnosis could be a substantial obstacle for the control of emerging infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nattakan Meekhanon
- Department of Veterinary Technology, Faculty of Veterinary Technology, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Sarawan Kaewmongkol
- Department of Veterinary Technology, Faculty of Veterinary Technology, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Pichai Jirawattanapong
- Department of Farm Resources and Production Medicines, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Nakhon Pathom 73140, Thailand
| | - Tanyanant Kaminsonsakul
- Kamphaengsaen Veterinary Diagnostic Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Nakhon Pathom 73140, Thailand
| | - Siriporn Kongsoi
- Department of Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Nakhon Pathom 73140, Thailand
| | - Suksan Chumsing
- Department of Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Nakhon Pathom 73140, Thailand
| | - Masatoshi Okura
- Division of Bacterial and Parasitic Disease, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856, Japan
| | - Yuichi Ueno
- Division of Bacterial and Parasitic Disease, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Sekizaki
- Research Center for Food Safety, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Daisuke Takamatsu
- Division of Bacterial and Parasitic Disease, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856, Japan.,The United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
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36
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de León-Door AP, Romo-Chacón A, Rios-Velasco C, Zamudio-Flores PB, Ornelas-Paz JDJ, Acosta-Muñiz CH. Prevalence, typing and phylogenetic analysis of Melissococcus plutonius strains from bee colonies of the State of Chihuahua, Mexico. J Invertebr Pathol 2018; 159:71-77. [PMID: 30312627 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2018.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2018] [Revised: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/05/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
European foulbrood (EFB) caused by Melissococcus plutonius is an important bee brood disease but, in Mexico, information about this bacterium is limited. We evaluated the prevalence of typical and atypical strains in beehives of seven apicultural regions of the state of Chihuahua, Mexico. We performed MLST and phylogenetic analysis to characterize the isolates. Prevalence was highest 59%, in the region of Chihuahua, and lowest, 14%, in the regions of Cuauhtémoc and Nuevo Casas Grandes. Typical and atypical strains were identified in hives from all regions; however, in the regions of Parral, Cuauhtémoc and Aldama, the atypical strains were only detected in combination with typical strains. We obtained 81 isolates of M. plutonius and identified seven sequence types, of which three were new types. Additionally, we observed a relation between sequence type and the region where the strain was isolated. Phylogenetic analysis and multilocus sequence typing using goeBURST analysis showed that 97.5% of the isolates correspond to the Clonal Complex (CC) 12 and 2.5% to the CC3. Our work is the first molecular characterization of M. plutonius in Mexico and contributes to global information about the epidemiology of this pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrián Ponce de León-Door
- Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C. Av. Rio Conchos s/n, parque industrial, Z.C. 31570, Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua, Mexico
| | - Alejandro Romo-Chacón
- Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C. Av. Rio Conchos s/n, parque industrial, Z.C. 31570, Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua, Mexico
| | - Claudio Rios-Velasco
- Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C. Av. Rio Conchos s/n, parque industrial, Z.C. 31570, Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua, Mexico
| | - Paul Baruk Zamudio-Flores
- Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C. Av. Rio Conchos s/n, parque industrial, Z.C. 31570, Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua, Mexico
| | - José de Jesús Ornelas-Paz
- Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C. Av. Rio Conchos s/n, parque industrial, Z.C. 31570, Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua, Mexico
| | - Carlos H Acosta-Muñiz
- Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C. Av. Rio Conchos s/n, parque industrial, Z.C. 31570, Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua, Mexico.
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37
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Takamatsu D, Yoshida E, Watando E, Ueno Y, Kusumoto M, Okura M, Osaki M, Katsuda K. A frameshift mutation in the rRNA large subunit methyltransferase gene rlmA II determines the susceptibility of a honey bee pathogen Melissococcus plutonius to mirosamicin. Environ Microbiol 2018; 20:4431-4443. [PMID: 30043554 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2018] [Revised: 07/04/2018] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
American foulbrood (AFB) and European foulbrood (EFB) caused by Paenibacillus larvae and Melissococcus plutonius, respectively, are major bacterial infections of honey bees. Although macrolides (mirosamicin [MRM] and tylosin) have been used to prevent AFB in Japan, macrolide-resistant P. larvae have yet to be found. In this study, we revealed that both MRM-resistant and -susceptible strains exist in Japanese M. plutonius and that a methyltransferase gene (rlmA II ) was disrupted exclusively in MRM-susceptible strains due to a single-nucleotide insertion. The M. plutonius RlmAII modified G748 of 23S rRNA, and the deletion of rlmA II resulted in increased susceptibility to MRM and the loss of modification at G748, suggesting that methylation at G748 by RlmAII confers MRM resistance in M. plutonius. The single-nucleotide mutation in MRM-susceptible strains was easily repaired by spontaneous deletion of the inserted nucleotide; however, intact rlmA II was only found in Japanese M. plutonius and not in a Paraguayan strain tested or any of the whole-genome-sequenced European strains. MRM has been used in apiculture only in Japan. Although M. plutonius is not the target of this drug, the use of MRM as a prophylactic drug for AFB may have influenced the antibiotic susceptibility of the causative agent of EFB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Takamatsu
- Division of Bacterial and Parasitic Disease, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0856, Japan.,The United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Gifu, 501-1193, Japan
| | - Emi Yoshida
- Iwate Prefectural Chuo Livestock Hygiene Service Center, Takizawa, Iwate, 020-0605, Japan
| | - Eri Watando
- Aichi Prefectural Chuo Livestock Hygiene Service Center, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-0805, Japan
| | - Yuichi Ueno
- Division of Bacterial and Parasitic Disease, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0856, Japan
| | - Masahiro Kusumoto
- Division of Bacterial and Parasitic Disease, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0856, Japan
| | - Masatoshi Okura
- Division of Bacterial and Parasitic Disease, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0856, Japan
| | - Makoto Osaki
- Division of Bacterial and Parasitic Disease, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0856, Japan
| | - Ken Katsuda
- Division of Bacterial and Parasitic Disease, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0856, Japan
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38
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Comparative Genomics and Description of Putative Virulence Factors of Melissococcus plutonius, the Causative Agent of European Foulbrood Disease in Honey Bees. Genes (Basel) 2018; 9:genes9080419. [PMID: 30127293 PMCID: PMC6116112 DOI: 10.3390/genes9080419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In Europe, approximately 84% of cultivated crop species depend on insect pollinators, mainly bees. Apis mellifera (the Western honey bee) is the most important commercial pollinator worldwide. The Gram-positive bacterium Melissococcus plutonius is the causative agent of European foulbrood (EFB), a global honey bee brood disease. In order to detect putative virulence factors, we sequenced and analyzed the genomes of 14 M. plutonius strains, including two reference isolates. The isolates do not show a high diversity in genome size or number of predicted protein-encoding genes, ranging from 2.021 to 2.101 Mbp and 1589 to 1686, respectively. Comparative genomics detected genes that might play a role in EFB pathogenesis and ultimately in the death of the honey bee larvae. These include bacteriocins, bacteria cell surface- and host cell adhesion-associated proteins, an enterococcal polysaccharide antigen, an epsilon toxin, proteolytic enzymes, and capsule-associated proteins. In vivo expression of three putative virulence factors (endo-alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase, enhancin and epsilon toxin) was verified using naturally infected larvae. With our strain collection, we show for the first time that genomic differences exist between non-virulent and virulent typical strains, as well as a highly virulent atypical strain, that may contribute to the virulence of M. plutonius. Finally, we also detected a high number of conserved pseudogenes (75 to 156) per genome, which indicates genomic reduction during evolutionary host adaptation.
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39
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Complete Genome Sequence of Melissococcus plutonius DAT561, a Strain That Shows an Unusual Growth Profile, Obtained by PacBio Sequencing. GENOME ANNOUNCEMENTS 2018; 6:6/23/e00431-18. [PMID: 29880590 PMCID: PMC5992355 DOI: 10.1128/genomea.00431-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Melissococcus plutonius is the causative agent of European foulbrood, and its isolates were believed to be remarkably genetically homogeneous. However, recent epidemiological and pathogenic studies have shown this pathogen to be more heterogeneous than expected. Herein, we present the whole-genome sequence of M. plutonius DAT561, a representative atypical strain.
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40
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Lewkowski O, Erler S. Virulence of Melissococcus plutonius and secondary invaders associated with European foulbrood disease of the honey bee. Microbiologyopen 2018; 8:e00649. [PMID: 29799173 PMCID: PMC6436434 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2018] [Revised: 03/16/2018] [Accepted: 04/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
European foulbrood is a globally distributed brood disease affecting honey bees. It may lead to lethal infections of larvae and, in severe cases, even to colony collapse. Lately, a profound genetic and phenotypic diversity was documented for the causative agent Melissococcus plutonius. However, experimental work on the impact of diverse M. plutonius strains on hosts with different genetic background is completely lacking and the role of secondary invaders is poorly understood. Here, we address these issues and elucidate the impact and interaction of both host and pathogen on one another. Moreover, we try to unravel the role of secondary bacterial invasions in foulbrood‐diseased larvae. We employed in vitro infections with honey bee larvae from queens with different genetic background and three different M. plutonius strains. Larvae infection experiments showed host‐dependent survival dynamics although M. plutonius strain 49.3 consistently had the highest virulence. This pattern was also reflected in significantly reduced weights of 49.3 strain‐infected larvae compared to the other treatments. No difference was found in groups additionally inoculated with a secondary invader (Enterococcus faecalis or Paenibacillus alvei) neither in terms of larval survival nor weight. These results suggest that host background contributes markedly to the course of the disease but virulence is mainly dependent on pathogen genotype. Secondary invaders following a M. plutonius infection do not increase disease lethality and therefore may just be a colonization of weakened and immunodeficient, or dead larvae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oleg Lewkowski
- Institute of Biology, Molecular Ecology, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Silvio Erler
- Institute of Biology, Molecular Ecology, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
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41
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Fünfhaus A, Ebeling J, Genersch E. Bacterial pathogens of bees. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2018; 26:89-96. [PMID: 29764667 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2018.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2017] [Revised: 01/09/2018] [Accepted: 02/02/2018] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Pollination is an indispensable ecosystem service provided by many insects, especially by wild and managed bee species. Hence, reports on large scale honey bee colony losses and on population declines of many wild bees were alarming and resulted in increased awareness of the importance of bee health and increased interest in bee pathogens. To serve this interest, this review will give a comprehensive overview on bacterial bee pathogens by covering not only the famous pathogens (Paenibacillus larvae, Melissococcus plutonius), but also the orphan pathogens which have largely been neglected by the scientific community so far (spiroplasmas) and the pathogens which were only recently discovered as being pathogenic to bees (Serratia marcescens, Lysinibacillus sphaericus).
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Fünfhaus
- Institute for Bee Research, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Bee Diseases, Friedrich-Engels-Str. 32, 16540 Hohen Neuendorf, Germany
| | - Julia Ebeling
- Institute for Bee Research, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Bee Diseases, Friedrich-Engels-Str. 32, 16540 Hohen Neuendorf, Germany
| | - Elke Genersch
- Institute for Bee Research, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Bee Diseases, Friedrich-Engels-Str. 32, 16540 Hohen Neuendorf, Germany; Freie Universität Berlin, Fachbereich Veterinärmedizin, Institut für Mikrobiologie und Tierseuchen, Robert-von-Ostertag-Str. 7-13, 14163 Berlin, Germany.
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42
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Forsgren E, Locke B, Sircoulomb F, Schäfer MO. Bacterial Diseases in Honeybees. CURRENT CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s40588-018-0083-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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43
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Takamatsu D, Osawa A, Nakamura K, Yoshiyama M, Okura M. High-level resistance of Melissococcus plutonius clonal complex 3 strains to antimicrobial activity of royal jelly. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2017; 9:562-570. [PMID: 28892305 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.12590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2017] [Revised: 08/28/2017] [Accepted: 08/31/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Melissococcus plutonius is the causative agent of European foulbrood of honey bee larvae. Among its three genetically distinct groups (CC3, CC12 and CC13), CC3 strains have been suggested to be more virulent at the colony level. Honey bee larvae are fed royal or worker jellies by adult bees, and these jellies exhibit antimicrobial activity. Since M. plutonius orally infects larvae via brood food, we herein investigated the resistance of M. plutonius to the antimicrobial activity of royal jelly (RJ). The results obtained revealed that M. plutonius strains were more resistant to RJ and its component, 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid, than the other species tested. Moreover, among the M. plutonius strains examined, CC3 strains exhibited the strongest resistance to antimicrobial activity; they temporarily proliferated and survived for a long period in 50% RJ-containing broth. However, resistance was not observed when freshly cultured bacteria were used, it was only detected after a preculture on agar media for five or more days, suggesting that, under certain conditions, CC3 strains change their physiological state to that which is advantageous for survival in brood food. This high-level RJ resistance of CC3 strains may contribute to their virulence in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Takamatsu
- Division of Bacterial and Parasitic Disease, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856, Japan
- The United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
| | - Aya Osawa
- Matsumoto Livestock Hygiene Service Center, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-0851, Japan
| | - Keiko Nakamura
- Research and Business Promotion Division, Research Institute for Animal Science in Biochemistry and Toxicology, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-0132, Japan
| | - Mikio Yoshiyama
- Division of Animal Breeding and Reproduction Research, Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0901, Japan
| | - Masatoshi Okura
- Division of Bacterial and Parasitic Disease, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856, Japan
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Erban T, Ledvinka O, Kamler M, Hortova B, Nesvorna M, Tyl J, Titera D, Markovic M, Hubert J. Bacterial community associated with worker honeybees ( Apis mellifera) affected by European foulbrood. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3816. [PMID: 28966892 PMCID: PMC5619233 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2016] [Accepted: 08/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Melissococcus plutonius is an entomopathogenic bacterium that causes European foulbrood (EFB), a honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) disease that necessitates quarantine in some countries. In Czechia, positive evidence of EFB was absent for almost 40 years, until an outbreak in the Krkonose Mountains National Park in 2015. This occurrence of EFB gave us the opportunity to study the epizootiology of EFB by focusing on the microbiome of honeybee workers, which act as vectors of honeybee diseases within and between colonies. Methods The study included worker bees collected from brood combs of colonies (i) with no signs of EFB (EFB0), (ii) without clinical symptoms but located at an apiary showing clinical signs of EFB (EFB1), and (iii) with clinical symptoms of EFB (EFB2). In total, 49 samples from 27 honeybee colonies were included in the dataset evaluated in this study. Each biological sample consisted of 10 surface-sterilized worker bees processed for DNA extraction. All subjects were analyzed using conventional PCR and by metabarcoding analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene V1–V3 region, as performed through Illumina MiSeq amplicon sequencing. Results The bees from EFB2 colonies with clinical symptoms exhibited a 75-fold-higher incidence of M. plutonius than those from EFB1 asymptomatic colonies. Melissococcus plutonius was identified in all EFB1 colonies as well as in some of the control colonies. The proportions of Fructobacillus fructosus, Lactobacillus kunkeei, Gilliamella apicola, Frischella perrara, and Bifidobacterium coryneforme were higher in EFB2 than in EFB1, whereas Lactobacillus mellis was significantly higher in EFB2 than in EFB0. Snodgrassella alvi and L. melliventris, L. helsingborgensis and, L. kullabergensis exhibited higher proportion in EFB1 than in EFB2 and EFB0. The occurrence of Bartonella apis and Commensalibacter intestini were higher in EFB0 than in EFB2 and EFB1. Enterococcus faecalis incidence was highest in EFB2. Conclusions High-throughput Illumina sequencing permitted a semi-quantitative analysis of the presence of M. plutonius within the honeybee worker microbiome. The results of this study indicate that worker bees from EFB-diseased colonies are capable of transmitting M. plutonius due to the greatly increased incidence of the pathogen. The presence of M. plutonius sequences in control colonies supports the hypothesis that this pathogen exists in an enzootic state. The bacterial groups synergic to both the colonies with clinical signs of EFB and the EFB-asymptomatic colonies could be candidates for probiotics. This study confirms that E. faecalis is a secondary invader to M. plutonius; however, other putative secondary invaders were not identified in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ondrej Ledvinka
- Crop Research Institute, Prague, Czechia.,Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, Prague, Czechia
| | - Martin Kamler
- Bee Research Institute at Dol, Libcice nad Vltavou, Czechia
| | | | | | - Jan Tyl
- Bee Research Institute at Dol, Libcice nad Vltavou, Czechia
| | - Dalibor Titera
- Bee Research Institute at Dol, Libcice nad Vltavou, Czechia.,Department of Zoology and Fisheries/Faculty of Agrobiology Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | | | - Jan Hubert
- Crop Research Institute, Prague, Czechia
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Ansari MJ, Al-Ghamdi A, Nuru A, Ahmed AM, Ayaad TH, Al-Qarni A, Alattal Y, Al-Waili N. Survey and molecular detection of Melissococcus plutonius, the causative agent of European Foulbrood in honeybees in Saudi Arabia. Saudi J Biol Sci 2017; 24:1327-1335. [PMID: 28855828 PMCID: PMC5562458 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2016.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2016] [Revised: 10/05/2016] [Accepted: 10/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
A large-scale field survey was conducted to screen major Saudi Arabian beekeeping locations for infection by Melissococcus plutonius. M. plutonius is one of the major bacterial pathogens of honeybee broods and is the causative agent of European Foulbrood disease (EFB). Larvae from samples suspected of infection were collected from different apiaries and homogenized in phosphate buffered saline (PBS). Bacteria were isolated on MYPGP agar medium. Two bacterial isolates, ksuMP7 and ksuMP9 (16S rRNA GenBank accession numbers, KX417565 and KX417566, respectively), were subjected to molecular identification using M. plutonius -specific primers, a BLAST sequence analysis revealed that the two isolates were M. plutonius with more than 98% sequence identity. The molecular detection of M. plutonius from honeybee is the first recorded incidence of this pathogen in Saudi Arabia. This study emphasizes the need for official authorities to take immediate steps toward treating and limiting the spread of this disease throughout the country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Javed Ansari
- Bee Research Chair, Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, PO Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmad Al-Ghamdi
- Bee Research Chair, Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, PO Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Adgaba Nuru
- Bee Research Chair, Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, PO Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ashraf Mohamed Ahmed
- Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, PO Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Tahany H Ayaad
- Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, PO Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulaziz Al-Qarni
- Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, PO Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Yehya Alattal
- Bee Research Chair, Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, PO Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Noori Al-Waili
- Institute for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian/Hudson Valley Hospital, USA
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Assessing the health status of managed honeybee colonies (HEALTHY-B): a toolbox to facilitate harmonised data collection. EFSA J 2016. [DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2016.4578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
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Virulence Differences among Melissococcus plutonius Strains with Different Genetic Backgrounds in Apis mellifera Larvae under an Improved Experimental Condition. Sci Rep 2016; 6:33329. [PMID: 27625313 PMCID: PMC5022037 DOI: 10.1038/srep33329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2016] [Accepted: 08/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
European foulbrood (EFB) caused by Melissococcus plutonius is an important bacterial disease of honeybee larvae. M. plutonius strains can be grouped into three genetically distinct groups (CC3, CC12 and CC13). Because EFB could not be reproduced in artificially reared honeybee larvae by fastidious strains of CC3 and CC13 previously, we investigated a method to improve experimental conditions using a CC3 strain and found that infection with a potassium-rich diet enhanced proliferation of the fastidious strain in larvae at the early stage of infection, leading to the appearance of clear clinical symptoms. Further comparison of M. plutonius virulence under the conditions revealed that the representative strain of CC12 was extremely virulent and killed all tested bees before pupation, whereas the CC3 strain was less virulent than the CC12 strain, and a part of the infected larvae pupated. In contrast, the tested CC13 strain was avirulent, and as with the non-infected control group, most of the infected brood became adult bees, suggesting differences in the insect-level virulence among M. plutonius strains with different genetic backgrounds. These strains and the improved experimental infection method to evaluate their virulence will be useful tools for further elucidation of the pathogenic mechanisms of EFB.
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Hirai Y, Suzuki T, Inaba N, Minoguchi N, Takamatsu D. Existence of Paenibacillus larvae genotypes ERIC I-ST2, ERIC I-ST15 and ERIC II-ST10 in the western region of Aichi prefecture, Japan. J Vet Med Sci 2016; 78:1195-9. [PMID: 27020320 PMCID: PMC4976278 DOI: 10.1292/jvms.16-0041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
American foulbrood is the most destructive honeybee bacterial disease. The etiological
agent, Paenibacillus larvae, has been classified into four genotypes by a
repetitive-element PCR (ERIC I-IV) and 21 sequence types by multilocus sequence typing
(ST1-21). In this study, we genotyped Japanese P. larvae isolates for the
first time and revealed the presence of three genotypes (ERIC I-ST2, ERIC I-ST15 and ERIC
II-ST10) in the western region of Aichi prefecture. ERIC I-ST15 and ERIC II-ST10 are
globally distributed types, whereas the ERIC I-ST2 isolate was the first isolate of this
genotype identified outside the native range of the European honeybee. The ERIC I and II
isolates differed in phenotypes including cell morphology, and these may be useful for
predicting ERIC types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuko Hirai
- Aichi Prefectural Seibu Livestock Hygiene Service Center, Owari branch, 8-2673-5 Shinogi-cho, Kasugai, Aichi 486-0851, Japan
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Takamatsu D, Sato M, Yoshiyama M. Infection of Melissococcus plutonius clonal complex 12 strain in European honeybee larvae is essentially confined to the digestive tract. J Vet Med Sci 2015; 78:29-34. [PMID: 26256232 PMCID: PMC4751113 DOI: 10.1292/jvms.15-0405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Melissococcus plutonius is an important pathogen that causes
European foulbrood (EFB) in honeybee larvae. Recently, we discovered a group of M.
plutonius strains that are phenotypically and genetically distinct from other
strains. These strains belong to clonal complex (CC) 12, as determined by multilocus
sequence typing analysis, and show atypical cultural and biochemical characteristics
in vitro compared with strains of other CCs tested. Although EFB is
considered to be a purely intestinal infection according to early studies, it is unknown
whether the recently found CC12 strains cause EFB by the same pathomechanism. In this
study, to obtain a better understanding of EFB, we infected European honeybee
(Apis mellifera) larvae per os with a
well-characterized CC12 strain, DAT561, and analyzed the larvae histopathologically.
Ingested DAT561 was mainly localized in the midgut lumen surrounded by the peritrophic
matrix (PM) in the larvae. In badly affected larvae, the PM and midgut epithelial cells
degenerated, and some bacterial cells were detected outside of the midgut. However, they
did not proliferate in the deep tissues actively. By immunohistochemical analysis, the PM
was stained with anti-M. plutonius serum in most of the DAT561-infected
larvae. In some larvae, luminal surfaces of the PM were more strongly stained than the
inside. These results suggest that infection of CC12 strain in honeybee larvae is
essentially confined to the intestine. Moreover, our results imply the presence of
M. plutonius-derived substances diffusing into the larval tissues in
the course of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Takamatsu
- Bacterial and Parasitic Diseases Research Division, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, 3-1-5 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856, Japan
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Budge GE, Shirley MDF, Jones B, Quill E, Tomkies V, Feil EJ, Brown MA, Haynes EG. Molecular epidemiology and population structure of the honey bee brood pathogen Melissococcus plutonius. THE ISME JOURNAL 2014; 8:1588-97. [PMID: 24599072 PMCID: PMC4817608 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2014.20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2013] [Revised: 01/17/2014] [Accepted: 01/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Melissococcus plutonius is the causative agent of European foulbrood (EFB), which is a serious brood disease of the European honey bee (Apis mellifera). EFB remains a threat because of a poor understanding of disease epidemiology. We used a recently published multi-locus sequence typing method to characterise 206 M. plutonius isolates recovered from outbreaks in England and Wales over the course of 2 years. We detected 15 different sequence types (STs), which were resolved by eBURST and phylogenetic analysis into three clonal complexes (CCs) 3, 12 and 13. Single and double locus variants within CC3 were the most abundant and widespread genotypes, accounting for 85% of the cases. In contrast, CCs 12 and 13 were rarer and predominantly found in geographical regions of high sampling intensity, consistent with a more recent introduction and localised spread. K-function analysis and interpoint distance tests revealed significant geographical clustering in five common STs, but pointed to different dispersal patterns between STs. We noted that CCs appeared to vary in pathogenicity and that infection caused by the more pathogenic variants is more likely to lead to honey bee colony destruction, as opposed to treatment. The importance of these findings for improving our understanding of disease aetiology and control are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mark D F Shirley
- School of Biology, Newcastle University, Ridley Building, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | | | | | | | - Edward J Feil
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | | | - Edward G Haynes
- Food and Environment Research Agency, York, UK
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
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