scholarly journals Occurrence and Molecular Phylogeny of Honey Bee Viruses in Vespids

Viruses ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sa Yang ◽  
Philippe Gayral ◽  
Hongxia Zhao ◽  
Yaojun Wu ◽  
Xuejian Jiang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Virus Transmission ◽  
Deformed Wing Virus ◽  
Two Samples ◽  
Bee Health ◽  
Queen Cell ◽  
Honey Bee Health ◽  
Infection Processes ◽  
Bee Viruses

Since the discovery that honey bee viruses play a role in colony decline, researchers have made major breakthroughs in understanding viral pathology and infection processes in honey bees. Work on virus transmission patterns and virus vectors, such as the mite Varroa destructor, has prompted intense efforts to manage honey bee health. However, little is known about the occurrence of honey bee viruses in bee predators, such as vespids. In this study, we characterized the occurrence of 11 honey bee viruses in five vespid species and one wasp from four provinces in China and two vespid species from four locations in France. The results showed that all the species from China carried certain honey bee viruses, notably Apis mellifera filamentous virus (AmFV), Deformed wing virus (DWV), and Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV); furthermore, in some vespid colonies, more than three different viruses were identified. In France, DWV was the most common virus; Sacbrood virus (SBV) and Black queen cell virus (BQCV) were observed in one and two samples, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses of IAPV and BQCV sequences indicated that most of the IAPV sequences belonged to a single group, while the BQCV sequences belonged to several groups. Additionally, our study is the first to detect Lake Sinai virus (LSV) in a hornet from China. Our findings can guide further research into the origin and transmission of honey bee viruses in Vespidae, a taxon of ecological, and potentially epidemiological, relevance.

Prevalence of common honey bee pathogens at selected apiaries in Kenya, 2013/2014

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (01) ◽  
pp. 58-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliette R. Ongus ◽  
Ayuka T. Fombong ◽  
Janet Irungu ◽  
Daniel Masiga ◽  
Suresh Raina
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Deformed Wing Virus ◽  
Bee Health ◽  
Queen Cell ◽  
Honey Bee Health ◽  
Kashmir Bee Virus ◽  
Bee Disease ◽  
Acute Bee Paralysis Virus ◽  
Paralysis Virus

AbstractThe present study was part of a larger surveillance effort to identify the determinants of African honey bee health, and, particularly, to detect honey bee pathogens across Kenya, where 160 colonies were examined from 32 apiaries (five colonies/apiary). From each colony, 20 individual foragers, nurse bees, worker pupae, and drone pupae were sampled separately. These were organized as 30 foragers, 32 nurse bees, 28 worker pupae, and 10 drone pupae pools. Nucleic acid was extracted from the pooled homogenates and tested using a panel of 18 different (RT-)PCR methods targeted at detectingPaenibacillus larvae,Melissococcus plutonius,Ascophaera apis,Aspergillusspp.,Nosema ceranae, N. apis,Deformed wing virus(DWV),Varroa destructor virus 1(VDV 1),Acute bee paralysis virus(ABPV),Sacbrood virus(SBV),Israeli acute paralysis virus(IAPV),Black queen cell virus(BQCV),Chronic bee paralysis virus(CBPV), andKashmir bee virus. All amplified bands were sequenced and compared to the GenBank database. VDV 1 was the most abundant virus at 50% prevalence in the 100 bee pools. It was closely followed by DWV at 44%. The others were BQCV (36%), SBV (14%), IAPV (9%), ABPV (8%), andN. ceranae(5%). The pathogens co-existed within apiaries. VDV 1 was present in 66% of the apiaries, DWV in 69%, BQCV in 69%, SBV in 28%, IAPV in 22%, ABPV in 19%, andN. ceranaein 13%. The study concludes that these pathogens should be incorporated in honey bee disease surveillance activities in the region.

scholarly journals Impact of Chronic Exposure to Sublethal Doses of Glyphosate on Honey Bee Immunity, Gut Microbiota and Infection by Pathogens

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 845
Author(s):  
Loreley Castelli ◽  
Sofía Balbuena ◽  
Belén Branchiccela ◽  
Pablo Zunino ◽  
Joanito Liberti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Chronic Exposure ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Deformed Wing Virus ◽  
Immune Genes ◽  
Bee Health ◽  
Honey Bee Health ◽  
Sublethal Doses ◽  
The Impact

Glyphosate is the most used pesticide around the world. Although different studies have evidenced its negative effect on honey bees, including detrimental impacts on behavior, cognitive, sensory and developmental abilities, its use continues to grow. Recent studies have shown that it also alters the composition of the honey bee gut microbiota. In this study we explored the impact of chronic exposure to sublethal doses of glyphosate on the honey bee gut microbiota and its effects on the immune response, infection by Nosema ceranae and Deformed wing virus (DWV) and honey bee survival. Glyphosate combined with N. ceranae infection altered the structure and composition of the honey bee gut microbiota, for example by decreasing the relative abundance of the core members Snodgrassella alvi and Lactobacillus apis. Glyphosate increased the expression of some immune genes, possibly representing a physiological response to mitigate its negative effects. However, this response was not sufficient to maintain honey bee health, as glyphosate promoted the replication of DWV and decreased the expression of vitellogenin, which were accompanied by a reduced life span. Infection by N. ceranae also alters honey bee immunity although no synergistic effect with glyphosate was observed. These results corroborate previous findings suggesting deleterious effects of widespread use of glyphosate on honey bee health, and they contribute to elucidate the physiological mechanisms underlying a global decline of pollination services.

scholarly journals Genomic Signatures of Honey Bee Association in an Acetic Acid Symbiont

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 1882-1894
Author(s):  
Eric A Smith ◽  
Irene L G Newton
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Food Stores ◽  
Genomic Changes ◽  
Eusocial Insects ◽  
Us Economy ◽  
Bee Health ◽  
Honey Bee Health ◽  
Honey Bee Queens

Abstract Recent declines in the health of the honey bee have startled researchers and lay people alike as honey bees are agriculture’s most important pollinator. Honey bees are important pollinators of many major crops and add billions of dollars annually to the US economy through their services. One factor that may influence colony health is the microbial community. Indeed, the honey bee worker digestive tract harbors a characteristic community of bee-specific microbes, and the composition of this community is known to impact honey bee health. However, the honey bee is a superorganism, a colony of eusocial insects with overlapping generations where nestmates cooperate, building a hive, gathering and storing food, and raising brood. In contrast to what is known regarding the honey bee worker gut microbiome, less is known of the microbes associated with developing brood, with food stores, and with the rest of the built hive environment. More recently, the microbe Bombella apis was identified as associated with nectar, with developing larvae, and with honey bee queens. This bacterium is related to flower-associated microbes such as Saccharibacter floricola and other species in the genus Saccharibacter, and initial phylogenetic analyses placed it as sister to these environmental bacteria. Here, we used comparative genomics of multiple honey bee-associated strains and the nectar-associated Saccharibacter to identify genomic changes that may be associated with the ecological transition to honey bee association. We identified several genomic differences in the honey bee-associated strains, including a complete CRISPR/Cas system. Many of the changes we note here are predicted to confer upon Bombella the ability to survive in royal jelly and defend themselves against mobile elements, including phages. Our results are a first step toward identifying potential function of this microbe in the honey bee superorganism.

scholarly journals Deformed Wing Virus Infection in Honey Bees (Apis mellifera L.)

2019 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 636-641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roman V. Koziy ◽  
Sarah C. Wood ◽  
Ivanna V. Kozii ◽  
Claire Janse van Rensburg ◽  
Igor Moshynskyy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Rna Virus ◽  
Mandibular Glands ◽  
Deformed Wing Virus ◽  
Clinically Normal ◽  
Bee Health ◽  
Honey Bee Health ◽  
Honey Bee Workers

Deformed wing virus (DWV) is a single-stranded RNA virus of honey bees ( Apis mellifera L.) transmitted by the parasitic mite Varroa destructor. Although DWV represents a major threat to honey bee health worldwide, the pathological basis of DWV infection is not well documented. The objective of this study was to investigate clinicopathological and histological aspects of natural DWV infection in honey bee workers. Emergence of worker honey bees was observed in 5 colonies that were clinically affected with DWV and the newly emerged bees were collected for histopathology. DWV-affected bees were 2 times slower to emerge and had 30% higher mortality compared to clinically normal bees. Hypopharyngeal glands in bees with DWV were hypoplastic, with fewer intracytoplasmic secretory vesicles; cells affected by apoptosis were observed more frequently. Mandibular glands were hypoplastic and were lined by cuboidal epithelium in severely affected bees compared to tall columnar epithelium in nonaffected bees. The DWV load was on average 1.7 × 106 times higher ( P < .001) in the severely affected workers compared to aged-matched sister honey bee workers that were not affected by deformed wing disease based on gross examination. Thus, DWV infection is associated with prolonged emergence, increased mortality during emergence, and hypoplasia of hypopharyngeal and mandibular glands in newly emerged worker honey bees in addition to previously reported deformed wing abnormalities.

scholarly journals Impacts of Diverse Natural Products on Honey Bee Viral Loads and Health

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (22) ◽  
pp. 10732
Author(s):  
Dawn L. Boncristiani ◽  
James P. Tauber ◽  
Evan C. Palmer-Young ◽  
Lianfei Cao ◽  
William Collins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Products ◽  
Immune Responses ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Deformed Wing Virus ◽  
Bee Health ◽  
Honey Bee Health ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Bee Disease

Western honey bees (Apis mellifera), a cornerstone to crop pollination in the U.S., are faced with an onslaught of challenges from diseases caused by parasites, pathogens, and pests that affect this economically valuable pollinator. Natural products (NPs), produced by living organisms, including plants and microorganisms, can support health and combat disease in animals. NPs include both native extracts and individual compounds that can reduce disease impacts by supporting immunity or directly inhibiting pathogens, pests, and parasites. Herein, we describe the screening of NPs in laboratory cage studies for their effects on honey bee disease prevention and control. Depending on the expected activity of compounds, we measured varied responses, including viral levels, honey bee immune responses, and symbiotic bacteria loads. Of the NPs screened, several compounds demonstrated beneficial activities in honey bees by reducing levels of the critical honey bee virus deformed wing virus (DWV-A and-B), positively impacting the gut microbiome or stimulating honey bee immune responses. Investigations of the medicinal properties of NPs in honey bees will contribute to a better understanding of their potential to support honey bee immunity to fight off pests and pathogens and promote increased overall honey bee health. These investigations will also shed light on the ecological interactions between pollinators and specific floral food sources.

scholarly journals Molecular detection and phylogenetic assessment of six honeybee viruses in Apis mellifera L. colonies in Bulgaria

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e5077 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rositsa Shumkova ◽  
Boyko Neov ◽  
Daniela Sirakova ◽  
Ani Georgieva ◽  
Dimitar Gadjev ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Severe Infection ◽  
Eastern Region ◽  
Sequencing Data ◽  
Deformed Wing Virus ◽  
Queen Cell ◽  
Kashmir Bee Virus ◽  
Bee Colonies ◽  
Paralysis Virus ◽  
Bee Viruses

Honey bee colonies suffer from various pathogens, including honey bee viruses. About 24 viruses have been reported so far. However, six of them are considered to cause severe infection which inflicts heavy losses on beekeeping. The aim of this study was to investigate incidence of six honey bee viruses: deformed wing virus (DWV), acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV), chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV), sacbrood virus (SBV), kashmir bee virus (KBV), and black queen cell virus (BQCV) by a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). A total of 250 adult honey bee samples were obtained from 50 colonies from eight apiaries situated in three different parts of the country (South, North and West Bulgaria). The results showed the highest prevalence of DWV followed by SBV and ABPV, and one case of BQCV. A comparison with homology sequences available in GenBank was performed by phylogenetic analysis, and phylogenetic relationships were discussed in the context of newly described genotypes in the uninvestigated South Eastern region of Europe. In conclusion, the present study has been the first to provide sequencing data and phylogenetics analyses of some honey bee viruses in Bulgaria.

scholarly journals Tolerance of Honey Bees to Varroa Mite in the Absence of Deformed Wing Virus

Viruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 575 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. K. Roberts ◽  
Nelson Simbiken ◽  
Chris Dale ◽  
Joel Armstrong ◽  
Denis L. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Solomon Islands ◽  
Host Shift ◽  
Colony Losses ◽  
Viral Pathogen ◽  
Deformed Wing Virus ◽  
Bee Health ◽  
Queen Cell

The global spread of the parasitic mite Varroa destructor has emphasized the significance of viruses as pathogens of honey bee (Apis mellifera) populations. In particular, the association of deformed wing virus (DWV) with V. destructor and its devastating effect on honey bee colonies has led to that virus now becoming one of the most well-studied insect viruses. However, there has been no opportunity to examine the effects of Varroa mites without the influence of DWV. In Papua New Guinea (PNG), the sister species, V. jacobsoni, has emerged through a host-shift to reproduce on the local A. mellifera population. After initial colony losses, beekeepers have maintained colonies without chemicals for more than a decade, suggesting that this bee population has an unknown mite tolerance mechanism. Using high throughput sequencing (HTS) and target PCR detection, we investigated whether the viral landscape of the PNG honey bee population is the underlying factor responsible for mite tolerance. We found A. mellifera and A. cerana from PNG and nearby Solomon Islands were predominantly infected by sacbrood virus (SBV), black queen cell virus (BQCV) and Lake Sinai viruses (LSV), with no evidence for any DWV strains. V. jacobsoni was infected by several viral homologs to recently discovered V. destructor viruses, but Varroa jacobsoni rhabdovirus-1 (ARV-1 homolog) was the only virus detected in both mites and honey bees. We conclude from these findings that A. mellifera in PNG may tolerate V. jacobsoni because the damage from parasitism is significantly reduced without DWV. This study also provides further evidence that DWV does not exist as a covert infection in all honey bee populations, and remaining free of this serious viral pathogen can have important implications for bee health outcomes in the face of Varroa.

scholarly journals RNAseq Analysis Reveals Virus Diversity within Hawaiian Apiary Insect Communities

Viruses ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 397 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brettell ◽  
Schroeder ◽  
Martin
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Pest Species ◽  
Insect Communities ◽  
Colony Losses ◽  
Viral Pathogen ◽  
Deformed Wing Virus ◽  
Virus Diversity ◽  
Bee Health ◽  
Honey Bee Health

Deformed wing virus (DWV) is the most abundant viral pathogen of honey bees and has been associated with large-scale colony losses. DWV and other bee-associated RNA viruses are generalists capable of infecting diverse hosts. Here, we used RNAseq analysis to test the hypothesis that due to the frequency of interactions, a range of apiary pest species would become infected with DWV and/or other honey bee-associated viruses. We confirmed that DWV-A was the most prevalent virus in the apiary, with genetically similar sequences circulating in the apiary pests, suggesting frequent inter-species transmission. In addition, different proportions of the three DWV master variants as indicated by BLAST analysis and genome coverage plots revealed interesting DWV-species groupings. We also observed that new genomic recombinants were formed by the DWV master variants, which are likely adapted to replicate in different host species. Species groupings also applied when considering other viruses, many of which were widespread in the apiaries. In social wasps, samples were grouped further by site, which potentially also influenced viral load. Thus, the apiary invertebrate community has the potential to act as reservoirs of honey bee-associated viruses, highlighting the importance of considering the wider community in the apiary when considering honey bee health.

scholarly journals The Gut Microbiota Can Provide Viral Tolerance in the Honey Bee

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 871
Author(s):  
Christopher Dosch ◽  
Anja Manigk ◽  
Tabea Streicher ◽  
Anja Tehel ◽  
Robert J. Paxton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Positive Role ◽  
Viral Pathogen ◽  
Deformed Wing Virus ◽  
Bee Health ◽  
Honey Bee Health

Adult honey bees host a remarkably consistent gut microbial community that is thought to benefit host health and provide protection against parasites and pathogens. Currently, however, we lack experimental evidence for the causal role of the gut microbiota in protecting the Western honey bees (Apis mellifera) against their viral pathogens. Here we set out to fill this knowledge gap by investigating how the gut microbiota modulates the virulence of a major honey bee viral pathogen, deformed wing virus (DWV). We found that, upon oral virus exposure, honey bee survival was significantly increased in bees with an experimentally established normal gut microbiota compared to control bees with a perturbed (dysbiotic) gut microbiota. Interestingly, viral titers were similar in bees with normal gut microbiota and dysbiotic bees, pointing to higher viral tolerance in bees with normal gut microbiota. Taken together, our results provide evidence for a positive role of the gut microbiota for honey bee fitness upon viral infection. We hypothesize that environmental stressors altering honey bee gut microbiota composition, e.g., antibiotics in beekeeping or pesticides in modern agriculture, could interact synergistically with pathogens, leading to negative effects on honey bee health and the epidemiology and impact of their viruses.

scholarly journals Resistance of native honey bees from Rhodope Mountains and lowland regions of Bulgaria to Nosema ceranae and viral pathogens

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 206-217
Author(s):  
R. Shumkova ◽  
B. Neov ◽  
A. Georgieva ◽  
D. Teofanova ◽  
G. Radoslavov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Viral Infections ◽  
Viral Pathogens ◽  
Deformed Wing Virus ◽  
Queen Cell ◽  
Kashmir Bee Virus ◽  
Paralysis Virus ◽  
Bee Viruses

The Western honey bee (Apis mellifera L., Hymenoptera: Apidae) is a species of fundamental economic, agricultural and environmental importance. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of some parasitic and viral pathogens in local honey bees from the Rodope Mountains and plain regions. To achieve this goal, molecular screening for two of the most distributed Nosema spp. and molecular identification of six honey bee viruses – Deformed wing virus (DWV), Acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV), Chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV), Sacbrood virus (SBV), Kashmir bee virus (KBV), and Black queen cell virus (BQCV) was performed. Molecular analysis was carried out on 168 honey bee samples from apiaries situated in three different parts of the country where a mix of different honey bee subspecies were reared. In South Bulgaria (the Rhodope Mountains), a local honey bee called Apis mellifera rodopica (a local ecotype of A. m. macedonica) was bred, while in the other two regions (plains) different introduced subspecies existed. The results showed that the samples from the lowland regions in the country were outlined with the highest prevalence (70.5%) of N. ceranae, while those from the mountainous parts had the lowest rate (5.2%). Four of the honey bee viruses were identified – DWV (10/5.9%), followed by SBV (6/3.6%) and ABPV (2/1.2%), and one case of BQCV. In conclusion, the local honey bee A. m. rodopica (despite the higher number of samples) has shown lower prevalence of both nosemosis and viral infections. Therefore, this honey bee has to be preserved as a part of the national biodiversity.

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