Metatranscriptomic analyses of honey bee colonies

Area of Science:

• Apiculture and Entomology
• Microbiology and Genomics
• Animal Health and Disease Ecology

Background:

• Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) face diverse biotic threats, impacting global apiculture.
• Turkey, a major apiculture center, hosts significant honey bee subspecies diversity.
• Understanding the microbial community of honey bees is crucial for their health and productivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a comprehensive analysis of microbes in worker honey bees from distinct Turkish regions.
• To identify known and novel microbial species, including pathogens and symbionts, associated with honey bees.
• To establish a workflow and database for future honey bee microbial surveys.

Main Methods:

• Deep RNA sequencing (ILLUMINA) to capture RNA from honey bees and associated microbes.
• Bioinformatic analysis including read trimming, mapping to the honey bee genome, and comparison to a curated microbial database.
• Quantitative PCR (qPCR) for validating levels of key honey bee pathogens.

Main Results:

• New country records were established for Lake Sinai virus, Spiroplasma species, and various symbionts (Candidatus Schmidhempelia bombi, Frischella perrara, Snodgrassella alvi, Gilliamella apicola, Lactobacillus spp.).
• Metagenomic analysis revealed evidence of bacterial pathogens (Melissococcus plutonius, Paenibacillus larvae), Varroa destructor-1 virus, Sacbrood virus, and fungi.
• Several viruses and pests, including KBV, SBPV, Acarapis spp., and Tropilaeleps spp., were notably absent in the surveyed populations.

Conclusions:

• The study provides a detailed molecular profile of honey bee-associated microbes in Turkey.
• Findings highlight the importance of regional variations and potentially management practices in shaping honey bee microbial communities.
• The developed methodology and database are valuable tools for assessing honey bee health and disease dynamics.