Phylogenetic analysis of Starmerella apis in honey bees (Apis mellifera)

Honey bees are among the most effective pollinators that promote plant reproduction. Bees are highly active in the pollen collection season, which can lead to the transmission of selected pathogens between colonies. The clade Starmerella comprises yeasts that are isolated mainly from bees and their environment. When visiting plants, bees can come into contact with Starmerella spp. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and phylogenetic position of S. apis in bee colonies. Bee colonies were collected from nine apiaries in three regions. Ten colonies were sampled randomly from each apiary, and pooled samples were collected from the central part of the hive in each colony. A total of 90 (100%) bee colonies from nine apiaries were examined. Starmerella apis was detected in 31 (34.44%) samples, but related species were not identified. The 18S rRNA amplicon sequences of S. apis were compatible with the GenBank sequences of Starmerella spp. from India, Japan, Syria, Thailand, and the USA. The amplicon sequences of S. apis were also 99.06% homologous with the sequences deposited in GenBank under accession numbers JX515988 and NG067631.This is the first study to perform a phylogenetic analysis of S. apis in Polish honey bees.