A Saliva Protein of Varroa Mites Contributes to the Toxicity toward Apis cerana and the DWV Elevation in A. mellifera.

ABSTRACT: Varroa destructor mites express strong avoidance of the Apis cerana worker brood in the field. The molecular mechanism for this phenomenon remains unknown. We identified a Varroa toxic protein (VTP), which exhibited toxic activity toward A. cerana worker larvae, in the saliva of these mites, and expressed VTP in an Escherichia coli system. We further demonstrated that recombinant VTP killed A. cerana worker larvae and pupae in the absence of deformed-wing virus (DWV) but was not toxic to A. cerana worker adults and drones. The recombinant VTP was safe for A. mellifera individuals, but resulted in elevated DWV titers and the subsequent development of deformed-wing adults. RNAi-mediated suppression of vtp gene expression in the mites partially protected A. cerana larvae. We propose a modifie

SUBMITTER: Zhang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5821841 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature