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Updated: May 2, 2026
Preparation of Virus-Enriched Inoculum for Oral Infection of Honey Bees Apis mellifera
Published on: August 26, 2020
Establishment of a bacterial infection model using the European honeybee, Apis mellifera L
Kenichi Ishii1, Hiroshi Hamamoto1, Kazuhisa Sekimizu1
1Laboratory of Microbiology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
Abstract:
Injection of human pathogenic bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Serratia marcescens, Salmonella enterica, Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria monocytogenes) into the hemocoel of honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) workers kills the infected bees. The bee-killing effects of the pathogens were affected by temperature, and the LD₅₀ values at 37°C were more than 100-fold lower than those at 15°C. Gene-disrupted S. aureus mutants of virulence genes such as agrA, saeS, arlR, srtA, hla, and hlb had attenuated bee-killing ability. Nurse bees were less susceptible than foragers and drones to S. aureus infection. Injection of antibiotics clinically used for humans had therapeutic effects against S. aureus infections of bees, and the ED₅₀ values of these antibiotics were comparable with those determined in mammalian models. Moreover, the effectiveness of orally administered antibiotics was consistent between honeybees and mammals. These findings suggest that the honeybee could be a useful model for assessing the pathogenesis of human-infecting bacteria and the effectiveness of antibiotics.
Insights
Honeybees are susceptible to human pathogenic bacteria, with temperature significantly impacting survival. This research suggests honeybees can serve as a valuable model for studying bacterial infections and antibiotic efficacy in humans.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Animal Models
Background:
- Human pathogenic bacteria can infect and kill honeybees (Apis mellifera L.).
- Bacterial virulence factors and host factors influence honeybee susceptibility.
- Antibiotic efficacy in honeybees mirrors mammalian models.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the pathogenicity of human bacteria in honeybees.
- To evaluate the honeybee as a model organism for infectious disease research.
- To assess the therapeutic potential of antibiotics in honeybee infections.
Main Methods:
- Injection of human pathogenic bacteria into honeybee hemocoel.
- Determination of lethal dose 50% (LD₅₀) values at different temperatures.
- Assessment of virulence gene mutants and antibiotic efficacy.
Main Results:
- Human pathogens like Staphylococcus aureus killed honeybees, with temperature significantly affecting mortality (LD₅₀ at 37°C vs. 15°C).
- Mutants lacking specific virulence genes showed reduced bee-killing ability.
- Antibiotics effective in humans also showed therapeutic effects in infected bees, with similar ED₅₀ values.
Conclusions:
- Honeybees are a viable model for studying the pathogenesis of human-infecting bacteria.
- The honeybee model can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of antibiotics.
- Findings support the use of honeybees for preclinical assessment of antimicrobial therapies.
