Project description:The microsporidia Nosema ceranae are intracellular parasites that proliferate in the midgut epithelial cells of honey bees (Apis mellifera). To analyze the pathological effects of those microsporidia, we orally infected honey bee workers 7 days after their emergence. Bees were flash frozen 15 days after the infection. Then, the effects on the gut ventriculi were analyzed and compared to non-infected (control) bees.
Project description:The microsporidia Nosema ceranae are intracellular parasites that proliferate in the midgut epithelial cells of honey bees (Apis mellifera). To analyze the pathological effects of those microsporidia, we orally infected honey bee workers 7 days after their emergence. Bees were flash frozen 15 days after the infection. Then, the effects on the gut ventriculi were analyzed and compared to non-infected (control) bees. Comparisons of control vs Nosema ceranae bees
Project description:Experimental infection of (2 days old) adult honey bee workers (30 bees per replicates, 3 replicates per treatments, from 3 different colonies (one colony per cage for each treatment)) with 10^9 genome equivalent of Black Queen Cell Virus (BQCV) in 10µl of sugar solution and/or 10^5 fresh Nosema ceranae spores (control bees were given a similar bee extract in PBS, without pathogen). Bees were kept in cages of 30 bees in incubator (30°C/50%RH). At day 13 p.i., bees were flash frozen, and stored at -80°C. Brain mRNA profiles of 15 old bees were generated by deep sequencing, in triplicates except for bees infected by both Nosema ceranae and Black Queen Cell Virus (duplicates)
Project description:Experimental infection of (2 days old) adult honey bee workers (30 bees per replicates, 3 replicates per treatments, from 3 different colonies (one colony per cage for each treatment)) with 10^9 genome equivalent of Black Queen Cell Virus (BQCV) in 10µl of sugar solution and/or 10^5 fresh Nosema ceranae spores (control bees were given a similar bee extract in PBS, without pathogen). Bees were kept in cages of 30 bees in incubator (30°C/50%RH). At day 13 p.i., bees were flash frozen, and stored at -80°C.
Project description:We aim to evaluate the effects of four Nosema spores’ isolates, (i) and (ii) N. ceranae isolated from A. mellifera hosts from two different geographical origins, (iii) N. ceranae from A. cerana host and (iv) N. apis from A. mellifera, on the A. mellifera on gut proteomics at the early stage of infection. To dissect the molecular mechanism responsible of the susceptibility of A. mellifera to Nosema, we investigated by high-resolution proteomics (LC-ESI-MS/MS) and differential label-free quantification of proteins (LFQ) the molecular cross-talk existing between different species and isolates of N. apis and N. ceranae, and the targetted gut tissue of A. mellifera. To reach the objectives of this study, we performed a bottom-up proteomic analysis on the different anatomical sections of the gut tissue (esophagus, crop, midgut, ileum and rectum) at an early stage of the exposition to Nosema spores (4 days). Then, we focused on the midgut, the region targeted by Nosema sposres for germination and, as we found out, the second region with the highest load of Nosema proteins, after the rectum, to perform differential quantitative proteomic analyses and acquire series of up- and down-regulated proteins. We discussed the different pathways observed to be impacted by different Nosema species and isolates with a main focus on the deregulated metabolic and response to stimuli processes.
Project description:Apis mellifera syriaca is the native honeybee subspecies of Jordan and much of the Middle East. It expresses behavioral adaptations to a regional climate with very high temperatures, nectar dearth in summer, attacks of the Oriental wasp Vespa orientalis and in most cases it is resistant to varroa mites. The Thorax control sample of A. m. syriaca in this experiment was originally collected and stored since 2001 from Wadi Ben Hammad a remote valley in the southern region of Jordan. Using morphometric and Mitochondrial DNA markers it was proved that bees from this area had show higher similarity than other samples collected from the Middle East as represented by reference samples collected in 1952 by Brother Adam. The samples L1-L5 are collected from the National Center for Agricultural Research and Extension breading apiary which was originally established for the conservation of Apis mellifera syriaca. Goal was to use the genetic information in the breeding for varroa resistant bees and to determine the successfulness of this conservation program. Project funded by USAID-MERC grant number: TA-MOU-09-M29-075.
Project description:In this study we addressed whether the transcriptome profile in the honey bee brain is similar for two major parasites of honey bee, Varroa destructor and Nosema ceranae. Honey bees parasitized by these two parasites show accelerated behavioral maturation and deficiences in orientation and learning/memory that we hoped to characterized at the transcriptomic level. honey bee adults infested by Varroa destructor or Nosema ceranae compared to control bees, in duplicate
Project description:The western honey bee (Apis mellifera) often encounters chemical stressors in the form of phytochemicals, or pesticide residues. The first line of defense against these agrochemicals is constitutively expressed detoxification enzymes such as cytochrome P450s.Honey bees with lower levels of constitutively expressed enzymes experience greater immediate stress, which can lead to death, sub-lethal effects, and precocious foraging, if nursing. Precocious foragers are young, less developed honey bees that are recruited into the foraging population, whereas normal-aged foragers are much older. These precocious foragers are less capable flyers, and are more likely to die during their flights, which can in turn further stress the colony due to reduced food stores. In our study, we hypothesize that chemical stress sensitivity is directly linked to the onset of precocious foraging. Additionally, we believe that precocious foragers are less suited for foraging due to their rushed development, and are likely more transcriptionally similar to nurses instead of older foragers. We measured the survival of honey bees taken from 26 different colonies when exposed to a chemical stressor over 48 hours. Honey bees from each of these colonies were also all added to the same colony, and we measured the age and number of foragers from each colony over a 2-week period. Lastly, we performed transcriptomics of young and old nurses and foragers. Our results suggest that chemical stress tolerance was linked to the honey bee’s origin colony. Moreover, we found no significant correlation of the honey bees’ chemical tolerance to the age at which they began foraging. Rather, we found that bees from more tolerant colonies exhibited lower volumes of foraging by two weeks. Furthermore, transcriptomic analysis showed that precocious foragers exhibited global gene expression patterns more closely aligned with nurses than with older foragers, reinforcing age as the primary determinant of gene expression profiles. Susceptible bees displayed distinct expression profiles compared to more tolerant ones across different life stages, with notable overlap in genes encoding cytochrome P450e and a vitellogenin receptor, highlighting their potential roles in stress response and behavioral maturation.
Project description:In this study we addressed whether the transcriptome profile in the honey bee brain is similar for two major parasites of honey bee, Varroa destructor and Nosema ceranae. Honey bees parasitized by these two parasites show accelerated behavioral maturation and deficiences in orientation and learning/memory that we hoped to characterized at the transcriptomic level.