Toll receptor ligand Spatzle 4 responses to the highly pathogenic Enterococcus faecalis from Varroa mites in honeybees.

ABSTRACT: Honeybees play a major role in crop pollination, which supports the agricultural economy and international food supply. The colony health of honeybees is threatened by the parasitic mite Varroa destructor, which inflicts physical injury on the hosts and serves as the vector for variable viruses. Recently, it shows that V. destructor may also transmit bacteria through the feeding wound, yet it remains unclear whether the invading bacteria can exhibit pathogenicity to the honeybees. Here, we incidentally isolate Enterococcus faecalis, one of the most abundant bacteria in Varroa mites, from dead bees during our routine generation of microbiota-free bees in the lab. In vivo tests show that E. faecalis is only pathogenic in Apis mellifera but not in Apis cerana. The expression of antimicrobial

SUBMITTER: Zhang W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10775982 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature