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Molecular diversity of Paenibacillus larvae strains isolated from Lithuanian apiaries
Paulina Amšiejute1,2, Vaclovas Jurgelevičius2, Petras Mačiulskis1
1National Food and Veterinary Risk Assessment Institute, Vilnius, Lithuania.
Abstract:
Paenibacillus larvae bacterium is known to be the causative agent of American foulbrood (AFB), a widespread, highly contagious and fatal disease in honey bees (Apis mellifera). There are four genotypes of Paenibacillus larvae that are named after their enterobacterial repetitive consensus (ERIC), and a fifth ERIC genotype has recently been found. In this study, a total of 108 independent P. larvae isolates from different geographical regions in Lithuania collected between 2011 and 2021 were investigated by molecular methods. The aims of this study were to detect which enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC) genotype is the most common in Lithuania apiaries, identify and differentiate subtypes of the defined genotype by using multiple-locus variable number of tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA), and review how bacterial molecular diversity has changed over time in different parts of Lithuania. The obtained molecular analysis results showed that 100% of P. larvae bacterial isolates from Lithuania belong to the ERIC I genotype and can be differentiated to nine different subtypes by using the MLVA and capillary electrophoresis methods.
Insights
American foulbrood (AFB) in honey bees is caused by Paenibacillus larvae. Molecular analysis of 108 Lithuanian isolates revealed all belong to the ERIC I genotype, with nine distinct subtypes identified.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Microbiology
- Apiculture Science
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- American foulbrood (AFB) is a devastating honey bee disease caused by the Paenibacillus larvae bacterium.
- Paenibacillus larvae exhibits genetic diversity, with five known enterobacterial repetitive consensus (ERIC) genotypes identified globally.
- Understanding the molecular epidemiology of P. larvae is crucial for managing AFB in honey bee populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the predominant ERIC genotype of Paenibacillus larvae in Lithuanian apiaries.
- To differentiate subtypes within the common genotype using multiple-locus variable number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA).
- To analyze temporal and geographical changes in the molecular diversity of P. larvae in Lithuania.
Main Methods:
- Molecular typing of 108 Paenibacillus larvae isolates collected from Lithuanian apiaries between 2011 and 2021.
- Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC) genotyping to identify bacterial genotypes.
- Multiple-locus variable number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA) combined with capillary electrophoresis for subtyping and diversity assessment.
Main Results:
- All investigated Paenibacillus larvae isolates (100%) from Lithuania belonged to the ERIC I genotype.
- MLVA and capillary electrophoresis differentiated these ERIC I isolates into nine distinct subtypes.
- The study provides a molecular baseline for tracking AFB in Lithuania.
Conclusions:
- The ERIC I genotype is uniformly prevalent in Lithuanian apiaries, suggesting limited genotypic diversity of Paenibacillus larvae.
- The identified nine subtypes within ERIC I offer potential markers for epidemiological surveillance and tracing AFB outbreaks.
- Continued molecular monitoring is recommended to understand the long-term evolution and spread of Paenibacillus larvae subtypes in Lithuania.
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