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Published on: November 26, 2016
Nosemosis in Russian Apis mellifera L. Populations: Distribution and Association with Hybridization
Milyausha Kaskinova1, Luisa Gaifullina1, Gleb Zaitsev2
1Institute of Biochemistry and Genetics, Ufa Federal Research Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ufa 450054, Russia.
Abstract:
One of the common causes of mass death in bee colonies is the infectious disease nosemosis, which is caused by two types of microsporidia, Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae. Of the many factors contributing to the spread of nosemosis, in this paper we consider the hybridization of subspecies of Apis mellifera L. In most of Russia, the native subspecies is the dark forest bee Apis mellifera mellifera, which is representative of the evolutionary lineage M. The export of bee packages and queens from the southern regions of Russia and other countries has led to the fragmentation of the range of these subspecies. First, we determined the maternal and paternal ancestry of 349 honey bee colonies across 12 beekeeping regions of Russia using the mitochondrial tRNAleu-COII locus and nine nuclear SSR markers (Ap243, 4a110, A024, A008, A43, A113, A088, Ap049, and A028). Among them, 140 colonies belonged to subspecies A. m. mellifera, 58 colonies were of hybrid origin, and 151 colonies belonged to evolutionary lineage C. Then, using microscopy and PCR analysis, we performed diagnostics of nosemosis in the studied colonies: N. apis was detected in 87 colonies, N. ceranae in 102 colonies, and coinfection was observed in 36 colonies. The results of our study indicate that the main reservoir of Nosema microsporidia was bees of evolutionary lineage C.
Insights
Honey bee subspecies hybridization in Russia is linked to nosemosis spread. Bees from evolutionary lineage C were identified as the primary reservoir for Nosema microsporidia, impacting Apis mellifera colonies.
Area of Science:
- Apiculture
- Genetics
- Pathology
Background:
- Nosemosis, caused by Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae, is a significant threat to honey bee colonies.
- Hybridization of Apis mellifera subspecies, particularly the native dark forest bee (Apis mellifera mellifera), is a suspected factor in disease spread.
- Range fragmentation due to bee trade has altered subspecies distribution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of honey bee subspecies hybridization in the prevalence of nosemosis in Russia.
- To determine the genetic ancestry of honey bee colonies and diagnose Nosema infections.
Main Methods:
- Maternal and paternal ancestry determination using mitochondrial tRNAleu-COII locus and nine nuclear SSR markers.
- Microscopy and PCR analysis for diagnosing Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae infections.
- Analysis of 349 honey bee colonies across 12 Russian beekeeping regions.
Main Results:
- Identified 140 colonies as Apis mellifera mellifera, 58 as hybrid, and 151 as evolutionary lineage C.
- Detected Nosema apis in 87 colonies, Nosema ceranae in 102 colonies, and coinfection in 36 colonies.
- Found that bees of evolutionary lineage C served as the main reservoir for Nosema microsporidia.
Conclusions:
- Honey bee subspecies composition and hybridization influence Nosema prevalence.
- Evolutionary lineage C bees are significantly associated with Nosema microsporidia presence.
- Understanding subspecies dynamics is crucial for managing nosemosis in honey bee populations.
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