Article
Zoology
Jody R. Gerdts, John M. K. Roberts, Michael Simone-Finstrom, Steven M. Ogbourne, Joseph Tucci
Summary: The study found that there are multiple genetically distinct strains of Ascosphaera apis in Australian beehives, but no specific factors were predictive of infection levels. The results suggest that host genotype plays an important role in colony resistance to chalkbrood infection in Australia.
JOURNAL OF INVERTEBRATE PATHOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Xuefen Cheng, Li Zhang, Ji Luo, Sa Yang, Yanchun Deng, Jianghong Li, Chunsheng Hou
Summary: This study discovered the presence of Aspergillus tubingensis as another pathogenic fungus in addition to Ascosphaera apis in honey bee chalkbrood. The study also found honey bee viruses in these fungi and their ability to increase in titer over time through different modes of transmission. These findings enhance our understanding of fungal disease outbreaks.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Physiology
Yaping Ye, Xiaoxue Fan, Qi Long, Jie Wang, Wende Zhang, Zongbing Cai, Minghui Sun, Xiaoyu Gu, Peiyuan Zou, Dafu Chen, Rui Guo
Summary: In this study, lncRNAs associated with the immune response of bee hosts to A. apis invasion were identified and analyzed. A complex regulatory network involving lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs was constructed. The findings provide candidate DElncRNAs for further functional studies and lay a foundation for understanding the mechanism underlying the immune response to A. apis invasion.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Delaney L. Miller, Eric A. Smith, Irene L. G. Newton
Summary: The study found that the honey bee-associated bacterium Bombella apis can inhibit the growth of insect fungal pathogens, effectively protecting bee broods from infection in vivo, possibly through the secretion of antifungal metabolites. This research provides clues for the development of new antifungal treatments.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Minghui Sun, Xiaoxue Fan, Qi Long, He Zang, Yiqiong Zhang, Xiaoyu Liu, Peilin Feng, Yuxuan Song, Kunze Li, Ying Wu, Haibin Jiang, Dafu Chen, Rui Guo
Summary: piRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that play essential roles in gene expression and biological processes. In this study, the expression pattern of piRNAs in honeybee larvae after Ascosphaera apis infection was analyzed. The results showed that the expression of piRNAs was altered and they were involved in various pathways related to energy metabolism, development, and immune response. Furthermore, specific piRNAs were found to negatively regulate the expression of immune-related genes during the infection. These findings provide a platform for further investigation of piRNAs in honeybees and shed light on the mechanisms underlying the host response to A. apis infection.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Dae Yoon Kim, Soohyun Maeng, Sung-Jin Cho, Hui Jin Park, Kyungsu Kim, Jae Kwon Lee, Sathiyaraj Srinivasan
Summary: The declining honeybee populations pose a significant risk to global agriculture, and parasites are a major contributing factor. In recent years, there has been increasing attention to honeybee diseases, with annual losses of 30% to 40% of managed colonies in the USA. This study aims to compare the bacterial community in the gut of honeybees infected with Nosema ceranae and Ascosphaera apis, and compare it to that of weakly active honeybees.
Article
Zoology
Marcos Raul Tejerina, Maria Jose Cabana, Marcelo Rafael Benitez-Ahrendts
Summary: Beekeeping activities in Argentina have been on the rise, leading to the spread of diseases like chalkbrood caused by the fungus Ascosphaera apis. Recent research is focusing on the probiotic effects of lactic acid bacteria against A. apis, showing promising results in reducing larval mummification.
JOURNAL OF INVERTEBRATE PATHOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Massimo Iorizzo, Bruno Testa, Sonia Ganassi, Silvia Jane Lombardi, Mario Ianiro, Francesco Letizia, Mariantonietta Succi, Patrizio Tremonte, Franca Vergalito, Autilia Cozzolino, Elena Sorrentino, Sonia Petrarca, Antonio De Cristofaro, Raffaele Coppola
Summary: Lactic acid bacteria have shown promising effects in combating the honeybee pathogenic fungus Ascosphaera apis, displaying activities in antagonism, antioxidant properties, and biofilm formation. These strains may serve as potential probiotics in honeybee nutrition, providing a eco-friendly strategy for controlling chalkbrood disease.
Review
Microbiology
Richard Galajda, Alexandra Valencakova, Monika Sucik, Petra Kandracova
Summary: Nosematosis is a honey bee disease caused by Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae, with exposure to pesticides and nutritional stress being key factors that weaken the immune response of bees and make them more susceptible to parasites. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is an important method for detecting and distinguishing between the two species causing the disease.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Nenad M. Zaric, Robert Brodschneider, Walter Goessler
Summary: This study analyzed the elemental composition of individual honey bees for the first time, revealing significant differences in elemental concentrations between hives within the same apiary as well as between different apiaries. The study highlights the importance of sampling a larger number of hives at each location when using honey bees as biomonitors to ensure reliable interpretation of results. Additionally, negative correlations between the dry mass of a bee and concentrations of certain elements suggest potential factors such as honey or nectar content impacting the elemental composition of individual bees.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alison McAfee, David R. Tarpy, Leonard J. Foster
Summary: The study revealed that cold stress decreased stored sperm viability in queen bees, but heat stress did not significantly impact other metrics, indicating substantial variation in temperature tolerance among queens in terms of fertility impacts.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Nenad M. Zaric, Simone Braeuer, Walter Goessler
Summary: This study determined arsenic concentrations and speciation analysis in honeybees for the first time, finding that the highest concentrations were near coal fired thermal power plants and urban regions. The most effective extraction method for total arsenic from honeybee samples was hot water at 90 degrees C. Inorganic arsenic accounted for the majority of arsenic species in honeybees, except in an industrial city where a significant portion was present as DMA.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kaiyao Zhang, Zhongmin Fu, Xiaoxue Fan, Zixin Wang, Siyi Wang, Sijia Guo, Xuze Gao, Haodong Zhao, Xin Jing, Peiyuan Zou, Qiming Li, Mengjun Chen, Dafu Chen, Rui Guo
Summary: Ascosphaera apis exclusively infects bee larvae, causing chalkbrood disease and reducing adult bees and colony productivity. This study found that A. apis infestation significantly decreases the activities of antioxidant enzymes in bee larvae and negatively affects their survival rate.
Article
Biology
Petr Mraz, Marian Hybl, Marek Kopecky, Andrea Bohata, Jana Konopicka, Irena Hostickova, Petr Konvalina, Jan Sipos, Michael Rost, Vladislav Curn
Summary: Chalkbrood is a globally spread honey bee brood disease caused by the fungal pathogen Ascosphaera apis, and controlling the disease has been a challenge. This study evaluated the impact of various artificial media and temperatures on the growth and development of the fungus, finding that a medium modified with crushed bee brood was most suitable for reproductive structure production. The experiments also revealed a specific relationship between temperature and the size of fungal reproductive structures.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nonno Hasegawa, Maeva A. Techer, Noureddine Adjlane, Muntasser Sabah al-Hissnawi, Karina Antunez, Alexis Beaurepaire, Krisztina Christmon, Helene Delatte, Usman H. Dukku, Nurit Eliash, Mogbel A. A. El-Niweiri, Olivier Esnault, Jay D. Evans, Nizar J. Haddad, Barbara Locke, Irene Munoz, Gregoire Noel, Delphine Panziera, John M. K. Roberts, Pilar De la Rua, Mohamed A. Shebl, Zoran Stanimirovic, David A. Rasmussen, Alexander S. Mikheyev
Summary: This study used phylogeographic analysis based on whole-genome data to reconstruct the origins and spread of deformed wing viruses (DWV) transmitted by the varroa mite. The results suggest that DWV-A likely originated in East Asia and spread in the mid-20th century, while DWV-B was acquired more recently from a source outside East Asia and appears to be absent from the original varroa host.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)