Progress 10/01/17 to 09/30/18
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416): The overarching goal of the Bee Research Laboratory (BRL) is to provide beekeepers and regulators practical advice for maintaining sustainable honey bee populations for pollination and hive products. BRL will use integrated laboratory and field approaches to develop novel management strategies for 1) diagnosing and mitigating disease, 2) reducing the impacts on bees of pesticides and other environmental chemicals, and 3) improving bee health through better nutrition. Objective 1: Exploit genetic analyses of parasites, pathogens and bee immunity (including gut microbe interactions) to improve diagnosis and management of bee diseases. [NP305, Component 2, Problem Statement 2B] Subobjective 1.A: Manipulate honey bee immune responses toward disease. Subobjective 1.B: Conduct metagenomic analyses to identify novel pathogens and pathogen webs important for bee disease. Subobjective 1.C: Exploit bacterial gut symbionts to defend honey bees against disease. Objective 2: Use genomic information to develop novel controls for mites and other parasites, e.g., controls based on RNAi strategies or that target parasite vulnerabilities. [NP305, Component 2, Problem Statement 2B] Subobjective 2.A: Produce genome-led control strategies against Varroa mites. Subobjective 2.B: Develop gene-based control strategies for the gut parasite Nosema ceranae. Subobjective 2.C: Reduce the impacts of mite-transmitted viruses on bee health. Objective 3: Determine the impacts of physiological stress on worker and queen development and longevity, including that caused by overwintering and unbalanced diets. [NP305, Component 2, Problem Statement 2A] Subobjective 3.A: Determine the impacts of nutritional components on behavioral development, immune response and susceptibility to disease. Subobjective 3.B: Determine the effects of dietary fatty acids (FAs) on honey bee colony survival. Subobjective 3.C: Improve queen fecundity and longevity through better nutrition. Objective 4: Identify key impacts of in-hive and environmental pesticides on bee health, including sub-lethal effects and interactions with bee pathogens. [NP305, Component 2, Problem Statement 2B] Subobjective 4.A: Define synergisms between chemical exposure and disease. Subobjective 4.B: Determine whether pesticide exposure increases oxidative stress in honey bees, and if so, develop means to reduce the potential negative effects of oxidative damage to honey bees. Subobjective 4.C: Determine the effects of pesticides on honey bee basal metabolic rate (BMR). Objective 5: Develop and test hive-level treatments against mites and other bee threats. [NP305, Component 2, Problem Statement 2B] Subobjective 5.A: Develop best practices for resource availability, mite control, and colony health for migratory commercial beekeepers. Subobjective 5.B: Develop colony management strategies for improved queen health. Approach (from AD-416): Research at the Bee Research Laboratory (BRL) focuses on using microbiological, genomic, physiological, and toxicological approaches to improve the management of bee diseases and parasites, with a mission to develop innovative tools that can be used by beekeepers to build and maintain healthy bee populations. Integrated laboratory and field approaches will be used to develop novel management strategies for 1) diagnosing and mitigating disease, 2) reducing the impacts on bees of pesticides and other environmental chemicals, and 3) improving bee health through better nutrition. This is the last year of this research project that has five major objectives: 1) exploit genetic analyses of parasites, pathogens and bee immunity (including gut microbe interactions) to improve diagnosis and management of bee diseases, 2) use genomic information to develop novel controls for mites and other parasites, 3) determine the impacts of physiological stress on worker and queen development and longevity, 4) identify key impacts of in-hive and environmental pesticides on bee health, and 5) develop and test hive-level treatments against mites and other bee threats. Significant progress was made this year on all five objectives, all of which fall under National Program 305 (Crop Production) , Action Plan Component II (Bees and Pollination), Problem Area A (Honey bees). Along with direct outreach efforts to the general public and beekeepers at meetings ranging from county to national and international levels, BRL scientists responded to field colony losses by detecting and identifying disease-causing parasites and pathogens in samples, helping to determine the impacts of pesticides and nutritional stress, and providing guidelines for bee disease detection and management. In a total of 16 published peer-reviewed papers, the five BRL scientists described the mechanisms of bee diseases and risk factors associated with bee diseases and developed management tools and insights that can help mitigate disease and stress on beehives. Under Objective 1, BRL scientists made significant progress in understanding and elucidating host-pathogen/parasite interactions in honey bee colonies and gained further insights into the effects of biotic and abiotic stressors including Varroa mite, Nosema, viruses, bacteria, small hive beetle, pesticide residues, and malnutrition on bee health. Progress was made in identifying a new emerging virus, Varroa destructor virus-1 (VDV1) in the U.S. bee population and developing a molecular tool to monitor the spread and prevalence of this virus nationwide. Progress was also made in identifying key factors that are possibly responsible for driving colony collapse and developing solutions to reverse bee losses. Under Objective 2, BRL scientists made significant progress in identifying pathogen and parasite virulence factors that are critical for host invasion and developing new, innovative treatments for bee diseases. Progress was made by genetically manipulating pathogens by using RNA interference (RNAi) technology to knock down the virulence factors of the pathogens and inhibit replication of pathogens in honey bees, thereby enhancing the overall fitness and lifespan of honey bees. Under Objective 3, BRL scientists made progress in understanding the influence of malnutrition/pollen/proteins/lipids/carbohydrates/supplemental feeding on honey bee physiology and development. Under Objective 4, significant progress was made in testing key impacts of in-hive and environmental pesticides including neonicotinoid, organophosphate, carbamate and pyrethroid insecticides and acaricides on bee health, colony performance and reproduction. Under Objective 5, significant progress was made in developing colony-level treatments against Varroa mites and pathogens by testing novel disease-control compounds including phytochemicals, low- toxicity chemicals, food additives, etc. under both laboratory and field conditions. Significant progress was also made in developing a novel method to mitigate detrimental oxidative effects induced by synergistic interactions of pesticide exposure and virus infection. Accomplishments 01 Discovery and description of Varroa destructor virus-1 (VDV1) in the United States (U.S.). VDV1 is known to cause high rates of honey bee colony losses in Europe. It was unknown in the U.S. until recently. By using advanced sequencing technologies, ARS scientists in Beltsville, Maryland, identified VDV1 in U.S. honey bee populations. The scientists also detected and characterized newly emerged hybrid forms between the U.S. strains of VDV1 and Deformed wing virus (DWV), the most common and deadliest virus currently attacking honey bees. The presence of such hybrids poses additional risks to bee health because similar VDV1-DWV hybrids constitute the most virulent honeybee viruses in the United Kingdom. These results will help researchers and regulators track the spread of this virus in the U.S. and guide work for virus control to assure the good health of honey bees. 02 Antibiotic treatment could increase the honeybee�s vulnerability to Nosema disease infection. Gut bacteria play vital roles in the development, nutrition, immunity, and overall fitness of their animal hosts. Antibiotics indiscriminately wipe out both good and bad bacteria, leading to antibiotic resistance and causing other potential health problems. ARS scientists in Beltsville, Maryland, discovered that disruption of gut bacteria by antibiotic treatment could cause the inhibition of honeybee immunity and make honeybees more susceptible to the infection of Nosema disease. This study adds new evidence that antibiotic treatment not only leads to the complex problem of antibiotic resistance, but also damages gut microbial communities that help regulate immune function in honeybees. 03 Chronic fungul infection in honey bees. Nosema ceranae is an intracellular fungal pathogen that is often implicated in worldwide honey bee colony declines. Nosema infected bees were found to suffer from immune suppression, severe energetic stress and intense hunger. ARS scientists in Beltsville, Maryland, expanded the investigation of host energetic stress and showed for the first time that lipid, and not sugar metabolism, may cause energetic stress experienced by Nosema infected honey bees. This finding is important because the lipid content of young adult bees is an important factor in determining adult worker bee behavioral development. The work identifies a possible mechanism explaining why nurse bees infected with Nosema forage earlier than those that are uninfected. Accelerated lipid loss due to Nosema infection in nurse honey bees can lead to precocious foraging, which might drive colony collapse. 04 Development of genomic resources for the improvement of pollinator health. The parasitic mite Varroa was introduced to European honey bees through global commerce from Asian honey bees and has become the European honey bees most detrimental pest. ARS scientists in Beltsville, Maryland, led an international team of scientists from China, Australia, and the United States to conduct a systematic study of the Asian honey bee genome sequence and performed a comparative analysis with the genome sequence of the European honey bee. This study provided a comprehensive view on how genes, traits, and inheritance give each bee species its unique characteristics, especially the resistance mechanism of Asian honey bees to Varroa. The information obtained from the study provides an invaluable genetic resource to facilitate the breeding of Varroa-resistance traits to improve honey bee health. This study also expands the current understanding of genetic diversity and evolution across social bee species, an important step in maintaining the health of all pollinators. 05 Identification and elucidation of health benefits of nectar and pollen phytochemicals to honey bees. Phytochemicals (phyto means plant in Greek) are naturally occurring compounds found in plants and known to have health protective effects. ARS scientists in Beltsville, Maryland, conducted a study to evaluate whether phytochemical consumption would mitigate infection in honey bees inside or outside of their colonies. The results showed that short-term consumption of phytochemicals found in pollen and nectar could confer virus immunity to honey bees and lead to significant reduction of honey bee diseases; especially Deformed wing virus (DWV). In addition, the study revealed that phytochemical concentrations that reduced disease were comparable with naturally occurring floral concentrations, suggesting that flowers could serve as seasonally varied, serially consumed pollinator medicines. This study identifies a new direction for treating honey bee diseases and inspires researchers worldwide to examine a wide variety of phytochemicals for their potential benefits to promote honey bee health. 06 First detection of Acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV) in Asian honey bees. Acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV) is a common virus identified in European honey bees with a previously reported association with honey bee colony losses. ARS scientists in Beltsville, Maryland, supervised a student from Thailand to conduct research and provide the first evidence that ABPV can also attack Asian honey bees and its parasitic mite, Tropilaelaps mercedesae. This result illustrates the remarkable adaptability of honey bee viruses and emphasizes the importance of viral disease surveillance and control as an integrated part of biodiversity conservation efforts. 07 Environmental factors have a strong impact on the composition and diversity of the gut bacterial community of Chinese black honeybees. The Chinese black honeybee is a unique genotype of European honey bees and has been an important breeding resource for resistance to the parasitic mite Varroa, which is the world's most devastating pest of honey bees. By partnering with Chinese scientists, ARS scientists in Beltsville, Maryland, participated in a study to explore the nutritional advantages of Chinese black honey bees distributed in nature reserves in North China. The results showed that the bee samples collected from the nature reserves had a higher variety and richness of gut bacteria that play critical roles in nutrition and health than those collected from regions outside the reserves. The results clearly indicate that environmental factors including food choice play an important role in shaping the composition and activity of honey bee gut bacteria and highlights the need for further investigation into the functional significance of these gut bacteria for honey bee health. 08 Susceptibility and immune responses of European and Asian honey bees to American foulbrood pathogen. American foulbrood (AFB) is a fatal bacterial disease of honey bee brood caused by the bacterium Paenibacillus larvae. The comparative knowledge of P. larvae infectivity and pathogenicity between both European and Asian honey bee species is scarce. ARS scientists in Beltsville, Maryland, supervised an international student from Thailand to conduct research comparing the infection and disease processes in European and Asian honey bees when infected with P. larvae. This research provides the first evidence of susceptibility, survival rate, and immune response profiles of Asian honey bees to P. larvae infection, in comparison with European honey bees. This study enhances our understanding of the disease mechanism of P. larvae, which in turn is a prerequisite for the future development of effective honey bee disease management strategies.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- Egekwu, N.I., Sonenshine, D.E., Posada, F., Cook, S.C. 2018. Using an in vitro system for maintaining Varroa destructor mites on Apis mellifera hosts: Studies of mite longevity and feeding behavior. Experimental and Applied Acarology. 74:301-315.
- Richards, S., Childers, A.K., Childers, C. 2018. Arthropod genomic resources for the 21st century. Current Opinion in Insect Science.
- Diao, Q., Sun, L., Zheng, H., Xu, S., Shi, Y., Wang, Y., Meng, F., Sang, Q. , Cao, L., Liu, F., Zhu, Y., Li, W., Chen, Y., Li, Z., Dai, C., Yang, M., Chen, S., Chen, R., Zhang, S., Evans, J.D., Huang, Q., Liu, J., Wang, S., Zeng, Z., Hu, F., Su, S., Chen, S., Wu, J. 2018. Genomic and transcriptomic analysis of the Asian honeybee Apis cerana provides novel insights into honeybee biology. Scientific Reports. 8(1):822.
- Li, J., Evans, J.D., Li, W., Zhao, Y., Hoffman, G.D., Huang, S., Li, Z., Hamilton, M.C., Chen, Y. 2017. New evidence showing that the destruction of gut bacteria by antibiotic treatment could increase the honeybee's vulnerability to Nosema infection. PLoS One. 12(11):e0187505.
- Chanpanitkitchote, P., Chen, Y., Evans, J.D., Li, W., Li, J., Hamilton, M. C., Chantawannakul, P. 2017. Acute bee paralysis virus occurs in the Asian honeybee Apis cerana and parasitic mite Tropilaelaps mercedesae. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology. 152:131-136.
- Palmer-Young, E., Schwarz, R.S., Tozkar, C.O., Chen, Y., Irwin, R.E., Adler, L.S., Evans, J.D. 2017. Nectar and pollen phytochemicals stimulate honey bee immunity to viral infection. Journal of Economic Entomology. 110(5): 1959�1972.
- Liu, S., Wang, L., Guo, J., Tang, Y., Chen, Y., Wu, J., Li, J. 2017. Chinese sacbrood virus infection in Asian honey bees (Apis cerana cerana) and host immune responses to the virus infection. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology. 150:63-69.
- Li, W., Chen, Y., Cook, S.C. 2018. Chronic Nosema ceranae infection inflicts comprehensive and persistent immunosuppression and accelerated lipid loss in host Apis mellifera honey bees. International Journal for Parasitology. 48:433-444.
- Ryabov, E., Childers, A.K., Chen, Y., Madella, S., Nessa, A., Vanengelsdorp, D., Evans, J.D. 2017. Recent spread of Varroa destructor virus-1, a honey bee pathogen, in the United States. Scientific Reports. 7:17447.
- Krongdang, S., Evans, J.D., Chen, Y., Chantawannakul, P. 2018. Comparative susceptibility and immune responses of Asian and European honey bees to the American foulbrood pathogen. Insect Science. 00:1-12.
- Zhao, Y., Chen, Y., Li, Z., Peng, W. 2018. Environmental factors have a strong impact on the composition and diversity of the gut bacterial community of Chinese Black Honeybees. Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology. 21:261-267.
- Zhao, Y., Zhang, J., Chen, Y., Li, Z., Ni, H., Peng, W., Su, S. 2018. Altered serum metabolite profiling and relevant pathways analysis in rats stimulated by honeybee venom: A new insight into allergy to honeybee venom. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 66(4):871-880.
|
Progress 10/01/16 to 09/30/17
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416): The overarching goal of the Bee Research Laboratory (BRL) is to provide beekeepers and regulators practical advice for maintaining sustainable honey bee populations for pollination and hive products. BRL will use integrated laboratory and field approaches to develop novel management strategies for 1) diagnosing and mitigating disease, 2) reducing the impacts on bees of pesticides and other environmental chemicals, and 3) improving bee health through better nutrition. Objective 1: Exploit genetic analyses of parasites, pathogens and bee immunity (including gut microbe interactions) to improve diagnosis and management of bee diseases. [NP305, Component 2, Problem Statement 2B] Subobjective 1.A: Manipulate honey bee immune responses toward disease. Subobjective 1.B: Conduct metagenomic analyses to identify novel pathogens and pathogen webs important for bee disease. Subobjective 1.C: Exploit bacterial gut symbionts to defend honey bees against disease. Objective 2: Use genomic information to develop novel controls for mites and other parasites, e.g., controls based on RNAi strategies or that target parasite vulnerabilities. [NP305, Component 2, Problem Statement 2B] Subobjective 2.A: Produce genome-led control strategies against Varroa mites. Subobjective 2.B: Develop gene-based control strategies for the gut parasite Nosema ceranae. Subobjective 2.C: Reduce the impacts of mite-transmitted viruses on bee health. Objective 3: Determine the impacts of physiological stress on worker and queen development and longevity, including that caused by overwintering and unbalanced diets. [NP305, Component 2, Problem Statement 2A] Subobjective 3.A: Determine the impacts of nutritional components on behavioral development, immune response and susceptibility to disease. Subobjective 3.B: Determine the effects of dietary fatty acids (FAs) on honey bee colony survival. Subobjective 3.C: Improve queen fecundity and longevity through better nutrition. Objective 4: Identify key impacts of in-hive and environmental pesticides on bee health, including sub-lethal effects and interactions with bee pathogens. [NP305, Component 2, Problem Statement 2B] Subobjective 4.A: Define synergisms between chemical exposure and disease. Subobjective 4.B: Determine whether pesticide exposure increases oxidative stress in honey bees, and if so, develop means to reduce the potential negative effects of oxidative damage to honey bees. Subobjective 4.C: Determine the effects of pesticides on honey bee basal metabolic rate (BMR). Objective 5: Develop and test hive-level treatments against mites and other bee threats. [NP305, Component 2, Problem Statement 2B] Subobjective 5.A: Develop best practices for resource availability, mite control, and colony health for migratory commercial beekeepers. Subobjective 5.B: Develop colony management strategies for improved queen health. Approach (from AD-416): Research at the Bee Research Laboratory (BRL) focuses on using microbiological, genomic, physiological, and toxicological approaches to improve the management of bee diseases and parasites, with a mission to develop innovative tools that can be used by beekeepers to build and maintain healthy bee populations. Integrated laboratory and field approaches will be used to develop novel management strategies for 1) diagnosing and mitigating disease, 2) reducing the impacts on bees of pesticides and other environmental chemicals, and 3) improving bee health through better nutrition. This is the fifth year of a five-year project that has five major objectives: 1) exploit genetic analyses of parasites, pathogens and bee immunity (including gut microbe interactions) to improve diagnosis and management of bee diseases; 2) use genomic information to develop novel controls for mites and other parasites, 3) determine the impacts of physiological stress on worker and queen development and longevity, 4) identify key impacts of in-hive and environmental pesticides on bee health, and 5) develop and test hive-level treatments against mites and other bee threats. Significant progress was made this year on all five objectives, all of which fall under National Program 305 (Crop Production) , Action Plan Component II (Bees and Pollination), Problem Area A (Honey bees). Along with direct outreach to beekeepers at meetings ranging from county to national and international levels, BRL scientists responded to field colony losses by identifying parasites and pathogens in samples, helping to determine the impacts of pesticides and nutritional stress, and providing guidelines for bee disease detection and management. In a total of 30 peer-reviewed papers, the five BRL scientists (one retired Sep. 30, 2016) described management tools and insights that can help reduce disease and stress on beehives. Under Objective 1, BRL scientists made significant progress in elucidating host-pathogen and pathogen-pathogen interactions under different nutritional and environmental conditions and gaining new insights into the negative impacts of individual stressors including Varroa mite, Nosema, viruses, small hive beetle, pesticide residues, and malnutrition on bee health, acting individually and synergistically. Progress was also made in unraveling the interactions between the microbiota, the host, and pathogenic microbes, and the dual roles of the gut microbiota in honey bee health and diseases. Under Objective 2, BRL scientists made significant progress in identifying pathogen and parasite virulent factors that are critical for disease pathogenicity which can serve as a valuable resource for future genetic manipulation. Progress was made toward developing novel RNA interference (RNAi) approaches through knocking down parasite/pathogen virulence factors and host immune suppressors to reduce honey bee diseases caused by Nosema and viruses. Under Objective 3, BRL scientists made progress in understanding the influence of malnutrition / pollen / protein / carbohydrates / supplemental feeding on honey bee physiology and development. Under Objective 4, significant progress was made in testing key impacts of in- hive and environmental pesticides including neonicotinoid, organophosphate, carbamate and pyrethroid insecticides and acaricides on bee health and colony performance. Under Objective 5, significant progress was made in developing colony-level treatments against Varroa mites by testing over 20 novel acaricides and disease-control compounds under both laboratory and field conditions. Accomplishments 01 Establishment of a link between altered gut microbial community and increased parasite and pathogen prevalence in honey bees. Animal guts contain thousands of bacterial species that play a crucial role in animal health. However, the impacts of most members of bee gut bacteria on host health are poorly understood. By supplementing young adult bees with a resident strain of bacteria, ARS scientists in Beltsville, Maryland, showed that an early perturbation in the microbial populations of young adult bee could have sustained consequences for hosts including microbial imbalance, altered developmental, and increased susceptibility to disease infection. This work indicates that the ratio of individual bacterial species is critical to the functioning of the gut microbial community as a whole and provides a cautionary tale regarding the arbitrary use of probiotics in animal health management. 02 Development of a new genetic-engineering technology to control honey bee Nosema disease. The parasite Nosema is often implicated in the honey bee colony declines. Fumagillin is the only antibiotic approved for control of Nosema disease. However, the emergence of antibiotic resistance has complicated disease treatment and urges the need to develop new therapeutic options. ARS scientists in Beltsville, Maryland identified suppressors that negatively regulate honey bee immunity and demonstrated that silencing a honey bee immune suppressor using a new genetic-engineering technology called RNAi could inhibit the reproduction of Nosema and improve the overall health of honey bees. This is the first effort to design an effective therapeutic to control honey bee diseases by focusing on a host immune suppressor. The information obtained from this study will have positive implications for bee disease management practices. 03 A national survey of managed honey bee annual colony losses in the U.S. The declines of pollinator populations and high mortality rates of honey bee colonies are a major concern. ARS scientists in Beltsville, Maryland, in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Maryland (Bee Informed Partnership, BIP) conducted a national survey of colony losses among beekeepers of all operation sizes. The results showed that summer bee losses exceeded winter losses, resulting in total annual colony losses of more than 40%. The loss rate is substantially higher than the 15% -18% loss rate that is considered as economically sustainable. The data on annual colony losses improve our understanding of forces shaping the viability of the pollination industry and drive best management practices to promote the health of and mitigate the risks to honey bees. 04 Impacts of pesticide exposure on honey bee health. The impact of pesticides on pollinators remains an ongoing concern. An ARS scientist in Beltsville, Maryland, in collaboration with colleagues from University of Maryland, North Carolina State University, and Pennsylvania State University developed a model system to assess the risks of in-hive pesticide contamination to the health of migratory honey bees in the U.S. The study found that pesticide contamination in stored beebread and wax comb was associated with colony mortality and increased queen replacement. Implementing and improving such model system can help identify potential pesticide risks and facilitates the development of much-needed recommendations to mitigate problems associated with pesticide exposure, thus improving pollinator health. 05 Determination of variability in Small Hive Beetle (SHV) reproduction. Small hive beetles inhabit almost all honey bee colonies in their native range and put significant stress on bee colonies. If large populations of SHV are allowed to build up, even strong colonies can be destroyed in a short time. An ARS scientist in Beltsville, Maryland, in collaboration with ARS scientist colleagues in Tucson, Arizona, conducted studies to examine how several key factors affect population growth of the small hive beetle in the laboratory and larval survivorship in full hives under field conditions and concluded that temperature and food availability play a critical role in the SBV development and survivorship. This study has important implications for the development of an accurate simulation model of SHB dynamics to forecast outbreaks, particularly in an already variable field environment. 06 Transcriptomic analysis of Small Hive Beetle (SHB). SHV is a major pest of honey bees in the U.S. and has resulted in immense management and regulatory costs. An ARS scientist in Beltsville, Maryland, in collaboration with ARS scientists in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, performed a genetic analysis involving sequencing of multiple life stages and both sexes of this pest species and highlighted potential differences between this beetle and its honey bee hosts. This work generated genetic resources of the SHV that are made publicly available and suggests mechanisms of future research into the biology and control of this species.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- Li, Z., Su, S., Hamilton, M.C., Yan, L., Chen, Y. 2014. The ability to cause infection in a pathogenic fungus uncovers a new biological feature of honey bee viruses. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology. 120:18-22. doi: 10.1016/j.jip.2014.05.002.
- Zheng, H., Lin, Z., Huang, S., Sohr, A.R., Wu, L., Chen, Y. 2014. Nosema ceranae spore loads may not provide a good indicator of Apis mellifera health. Journal of Economic Entomology. 107(6):2037-2044.
- Hoffman, G.D., Chen, Y., Watkins De Jong, E.E., Chambers, M.L., Hidalgo, G. 2015. Effects of oral exposure to fungicides on honey bee nutrition and immunity. Journal of Economic Entomology. doi: 10.1093/jee/tov251.
- Khongphinitbunjong, K., De Guzman, L.I., Tarver, M.R., Rinderer, T.E., Chen, Y., Chantawannakul, P. 2014. Differential viral levels and immune gene expression in three stocks of Apis mellifera induced by different numbers of Varroa destructor. Journal of Insect Physiology. 72:28-34.
- Cabrera, A.R., Shirk, P.D., Evans, J.D., Hung, K., Sims, J.W., Alborn, H.T. , Teal, P.E. 2014. Three halloween genes from the varroa mite, varroa destructor (Anderson & Trueman) and their expression during reproduction. Insect Molecular Biology. doi: 10.1111/imb.12155.
- Meikle, W.G., Holst, N., Cook, S.C., Patt, J.M. 2015. Variability in small hive beetle, Aethina tumida, reproduction in laboratory and field trials. Journal of Economic Entomology. doi: 10.1093/jee/tov101.
- Zheng, H., Gong, H., Huang, S., Sohr, A., Hu, F., Chen, Y. 2015. Evidence of the synergistic effect of honey bee pathogens nosema ceranae and deformed wing virus. Veterinary Microbiology. 177(1):1-6.
- Niu, D., Zheng, H., Corona, M.V., Lu, Y., Chen, X., Cao, L. 2014. Transcriptome comparison between inactivated and activated ovaries of the honey bee Apis mellifera L. Insect Molecular Biology. 23(5):668-681.
- Ting, J., Zhenguo, L., Jie, S., Fang, S., Qin, L., Liming, W., Guohong, C., Corona, M.V. 2014. Proteomics analysis reveals protein expression differences for hypopharyngeal gland activity in the honeybee, Apis mellifera carnica Pollmann. Biomed Central (BMC) Genomics. 15(1):1.
- Lee, K.V., Steinhauer, N., Rennich, K., Wilson, M.E., Tarpy, D.R., Caron, D.M., Rose, R., Delaplane, K.S., Baylis, K., Lengerich, E.J., Pettis, J.S., Skinner, J.A., Wilkes, J.T., Vanengelsdorp, D. 2015. A national survey of managed honey bee 2013-2014 annual colony losses in the USA: Results from the Bee Informed Partnership. Apidologie. 46:292-305.
- Michaud, S., Boncristiani, H.F., Gouw, J.W., Pettis, J.S., Rueppell, O., Foster, L.J. 2014. Response of the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) proteome to Israeli acute paralysis virus infection. Canadian Journal of Zoology. 93(9):711-720.
- Johnson, J., Pettis, J.S. 2014. A survey of imidacloprid levels in water sources potentially frequented by honey bees (Apis mellifera) in the Eastern U.S.. Journal Of Water Air And Soil Pollution. 225(11):1-6.
- Huang, Q., Chen, Y., Wang, R., Cheng, S., Evans, J.D. 2016. Host-parasite interactions and purifying selection in a microsporidian parasite of honey bees. PLoS One. 11(2): e0147549.
- Hoffman, G.D., Chen, Y. 2015. Nutrition, immunity and viral infections in honey bees. Current Opinion in Insect Science. 10:170-176.
- Khongphinitbunjong, K., De Guzman, L.I., Rinderer, T.E., Tarver, M.R., Frake, A.M., Chen, Y., Chantawannaku, P. 2016. Responses of Varroa- resistant honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) to Deformed wing virus. Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology. 19:921-927.
- Schwarz, R., Huang, Q., Evans, J.D. 2015. Hologenome theory and the honey bee pathosphere. Current Opinion in Insect Science. 10:1-7.
- Huang, Q., Evans, J.D. 2016. Identification of MicroRNA-like small RNAs from fungus parasite Nosema ceranae. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology. 133:107-109.
- Poelchau, M.F., Childers, C., Lee, C., Lin, H., Evans, J.D., Benoit, J., Richards, S. 2015. Unique features of a global human ectoparasite identified through sequencing of the bed bug genome. Nature Communications. doi:10.1038/ncomms10165.
- Van Engelsdorp, D., Traynor, K.S., Tarpy, D.R., Mullin, C.A., Pettis, J.S. 2016. Pesticide Exposome: Assessing risks to migratory honey bees from pesticide contamination in the hive environment in the Eastern United States. Scientific Reports. 6:33207.
- McKenna, D.D., Scully, E.D., Pauchet, Y., Hoover, K., Kirsch, R., Geib, S. M., Mitchell, R.F., Waterhouse, R.M., Ahn, S., Arsala, D., Childers, A.K., Benoit, J.B., Blackmon, H., Bledsoe, T., Bowsher, J., Busch, A., Calla Zalles, B., Chao, H., Childers, C., Clark, D.J., Cohen, L., Demuth, J.P., Dinh, H., Doddapaneni, H., Dolan, A., Duan, J.J., Dugan, S., Friedrich, M., Glastad, K.M., Goodisman, M.D., Haddad, S., Han, Y., Hughes, D.T., Ioannidis, P., Vargas Jentzsch, I.M., Johnston, J., Jones, J.W., Kuhn, L.A. , Lance, D.R., Lee, C., Lee, S.L., Lin, H., Lynch, J.A., Moczek, A.P., Murali, S.C., Muzny, D.M., Nelson, D.R., Palli, S.R., Panfilio, K.A., Pers, D., Poelchau, M.F., Quan, H., Qu, J., Ray, A.M., Rinehart, J.P., Robertson, H.M., Roehrdanz, R.L., Rosendale, A.J., Shin, S., Silva, C., Torson, A., Werren, J.H., Worley, K.C., Yocum, G.D., Zdobnov, E.M., Gibbs, R.A., Richards, S. 2016. Genome of the Asian longhorned beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis), a globally significant invasive species, reveals key functional and evolutionary innovations at the beetle-plant interface. Genome Biology. 17:227. doi:10.1186/s13059-016-1088-8.
- Traynor, K.S., Rennich, K., Forsgren, E., Rose, R., Pettis, J.S., Kunkel, G., Madella, S., Evans, J.D., Lopez, D.L., Vanengelsdorp, D. 2016. Multiyear survey targeting disease incidence in US honey bees. Apidologie. 47:325-347.
- Tarver, M.R., Huang, Q., De Guzman, L.I., Rinderer, T.E., Holloway, B.A., Reese, J., Weaver, D., Evans, J.D. 2016. Transcriptomic and functional resources for the Small Hive Beetle Aethina tumida, a worldwide parasite of honey bees. Genomics Data. 9:97-99.
- Schwarz, R., Moran, N., Evans, J.D. 2016. Early gut colonizers shape parasite susceptibility and microbiota composition in honey bee workers. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 113(33):9345-9350.
- Li, W., Evans, J.D., Huang, Q., Rodriguez, C.G., Liu, J., Hamilton, M.C., Grozinger, C.M., Webster, T.C., Su, S., Chen, Y. 2016. Silencing honey bee naked cuticle (nkd) reduces Nosema ceranae replication and disease levels . Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 82(22):6779-6787.
- Engel, P., Kwong, W.K., Mcfrederick, Q., Anderson, K.E., Barribeau, S.M., Chandler, J.A., Cornman, R., Dainat, J., De Miranda, J., Doublet, J., Emery, O., Evans, J.D., Farinelli, L., Flenbniken, M., Granberg, M., Grasis, J., Gauthier, L., Hayer, J., Koch, H., Kocher, S., Martinson, V., Moran, N., Munoz-Torres, M., Newton, I., Pazton, R., Powell, E., Sadd, B., Schmid-Hempelp., P., Schmid-Hempel, R., Song, S., Schwarz, R.S., Vanengelsdorp, D., Dainat, B. 2016. The bee microbiome: impact on bee health and model for evolution and ecology of host-microbe interactions. mBio 7(2):e02164-15. doi: 10.1128/mBio.02164-15.
- Valles, S.M., Chen, Y., Firth, A.E., Guerin, D.M., Hashimoto, Y., Herrero, S., De Miranda, J., Ryabov, E. 2017. ICTV virus taxonomy profile: iflaviridae. Journal of General Virology. 98:527-528. doi:10.1099/jgv.0. 000757.
- Valles, S.M., Chen, Y., Firth, A.E., Guerin, D.M., Hashimoto, Y., Herrero, S., De Miranda, J., Ryabov, E. 2017. ICTV virus taxonomy profile: dicistroviridae. Journal of General Virology. 98:355-356. doi:10.1099/jgv. 0.000756.
- Seitz, N., Traynor, K.S., Vanengelsdorp, D., Steinhauer, N., Rennich, K., Wilson, M., Ellis, J., Rose, R., Tarpy, D., Sagili, R., Caron, D., Delaplane, K., Rangel, J., Lee, K., Bayliss, K., Wilkes, J., Skinner, J., Pettis, J.S. 2016. A national survey of managed honey bee 2014 - 2015 annual colony losses in the USA. Journal of Apicultural Research. doi: 10. 1080/00218839.2016.1153294.
|
Progress 10/01/15 to 09/30/16
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416): The overarching goal of the Bee Research Laboratory (BRL) is to provide beekeepers and regulators practical advice for maintaining sustainable honey bee populations for pollination and hive products. BRL will use integrated laboratory and field approaches to develop novel management strategies for 1) diagnosing and mitigating disease, 2) reducing the impacts on bees of pesticides and other environmental chemicals, and 3) improving bee health through better nutrition. Objective 1: Exploit genetic analyses of parasites, pathogens and bee immunity (including gut microbe interactions) to improve diagnosis and management of bee diseases. [NP305, Component 2, Problem Statement 2B] Subobjective 1.A: Manipulate honey bee immune responses toward disease. Subobjective 1.B: Conduct metagenomic analyses to identify novel pathogens and pathogen webs important for bee disease. Subobjective 1.C: Exploit bacterial gut symbionts to defend honey bees against disease. Objective 2: Use genomic information to develop novel controls for mites and other parasites, e.g., controls based on RNAi strategies or that target parasite vulnerabilities. [NP305, Component 2, Problem Statement 2B] Subobjective 2.A: Produce genome-led control strategies against Varroa mites. Subobjective 2.B: Develop gene-based control strategies for the gut parasite Nosema ceranae. Subobjective 2.C: Reduce the impacts of mite-transmitted viruses on bee health. Objective 3: Determine the impacts of physiological stress on worker and queen development and longevity, including that caused by overwintering and unbalanced diets. [NP305, Component 2, Problem Statement 2A] Subobjective 3.A: Determine the impacts of nutritional components on behavioral development, immune response and susceptibility to disease. Subobjective 3.B: Determine the effects of dietary fatty acids (FAs) on honey bee colony survival. Subobjective 3.C: Improve queen fecundity and longevity through better nutrition. Objective 4: Identify key impacts of in-hive and environmental pesticides on bee health, including sub-lethal effects and interactions with bee pathogens. [NP305, Component 2, Problem Statement 2B] Subobjective 4.A: Define synergisms between chemical exposure and disease. Subobjective 4.B: Determine whether pesticide exposure increases oxidative stress in honey bees, and if so, develop means to reduce the potential negative effects of oxidative damage to honey bees. Subobjective 4.C: Determine the effects of pesticides on honey bee basal metabolic rate (BMR). Objective 5: Develop and test hive-level treatments against mites and other bee threats. [NP305, Component 2, Problem Statement 2B] Subobjective 5.A: Develop best practices for resource availability, mite control, and colony health for migratory commercial beekeepers. Subobjective 5.B: Develop colony management strategies for improved queen health. Approach (from AD-416): Research at the Bee Research Laboratory (BRL) focuses on using microbiological, genomic, physiological, and toxicological approaches to improve the management of bee diseases and parasites, with a mission to develop innovative tools that can be used by beekeepers to build and maintain healthy bee populations. Integrated laboratory and field approaches will be used to develop novel management strategies for 1) diagnosing and mitigating disease, 2) reducing the impacts on bees of pesticides and other environmental chemicals, and 3) improving bee health through better nutrition. This project made several important advances relevant to maintaining healthy honey bee populations this year. Along with direct outreach to beekeepers at meetings ranging from county to national and international levels, ARS scientists in Beltsville, Maryland, responded to field colony losses by identifying parasites and pathogens in samples, and helping to determine the impacts of pesticides and nutritional stress. In a total of 26 peer-reviewed papers, the five Bee Research Laboratory scientists described management tools and insights that can help reduce disease and stress on beehives. Specifically, Bee Research Laboratory (BRL) scientists generated unique insights into the effects of abiotic stress on honey bee workers and queens, showing interactions between chemical stress and disease levels. Consistent with the mission to improve honey bee management, advances were made in determining the impacts of nutrition management on disease, and the impacts of traditional miticides on honey bee longevity. Work revealed a novel counter-defense of Nosema parasites when faced with the honey bee immune response, feeding into an effort to use RNA interference and other gene-based techniques to help reduce bee disease. Genomic work identified novel viruses in bees from the U.S. and overseas, and a range of microbes that are candidates for microbial control of Varroa mites. The virus work was immediately relevant to trade decisions enforced by USDA-APHIS, while the Varroa work shows great promise for new control methods. Accomplishments 01 Impacts of improved nutrition on bee disease loads. Honey bees often face limited food availability, requiring beekeepers to supplement their diets. In a collaborative project, ARS researchers in Tucson maintained honey bee colonies on either rich or deficient natural diets. ARS researchers in Beltsville screened worker bees for viruses known to cause worker bee mortality. Bees with limited nutrition showed higher disease loads and those colonies ultimately died at a higher rate. While field experiments are ongoing, preliminary results have been transmitted to beekeepers who have been encouraged to manage forage availability and/or protein supplements in order to maintain bee nutrition. 02 Determination of Nosema defenses and counter-defenses in bees. The impacts of honey bee parasites, including the worldwide gut parasite Nosema ceranae, can be reduced by host immune responses. Nosema has been implicated in colony declines and yet there are few options available for controlling this parasite. A controlled experiment by ARS scientists in Beltsville, Maryland used RNA sequencing to show how Nosema battles honey bee immune responses with its own attacking proteins and RNA. The goal is to use this understanding to design better treatments against this key parasite, including RNA interference and breeding markers for honey bees. ARS scientists will work with industry to test products and delivery of control methods. 03 Characterization of disease threats from overseas. Parasites and pathogens are a key driver of honey bee declines. Many of the most important honey bee parasites, including Nosema ceranae and Varroa mites, reached the U.S. from overseas, and the threat of new introductions remains high. Quarantines and border regulation can be used to reduce the impacts of these threats. Along with a longstanding partnership between ARS scientists in Beltsville, Maryland and the USDA- APHIS-sponsored National Honey Bee Disease Survey, Beltsville scientists carried out genetic screens for viruses in Asia that are potential risks for U.S. honey bees. They also identified core bacterial communities on bumble bees and honey bees, with the aim of managing these associates of bees in order to improve disease resistance and nutritional health. 04 Combined impacts of chemical and disease stress on honey bees. Honey bees face significant threats from biological and chemical agents. Among the chemical agents, compounds used to control bee pests and to control pests or microbes on crop plants can inadvertently add to honey bee losses. ARS scientists in Beltsville, Maryland have carried out long-lasting work regarding the interactive effects of chemical and disease stress on bee health, most recently showing the combined effects of the neonicitinoid pesticide imidacloprid and mite stress on bee health. They showed an increase in disease loads of worker bees and lower survival for these bees when exposed to chemicals. These results can inform beekeepers and regulators, leading to better avoidance of chemical stress and mitigation strategies for exposed bees. 05 Impacts of pesticide exposure on honey bee queens. Using field- realistic exposure to neonicotinoid chemicals used to control crop pests and miticides used in the hive to control Varroa, ARS scientists in Beltsville, Maryland determined a negative impact on genes expected to determine honey bee queen health and longevity. This work connects with ongoing efforts to measure sperm viability in order to ensure that queens are vital and productive. The results can provide guidance to queen breeders regarding which chemicals are most likely to impact the health and fertility of the queens they sell. 06 Characterization of the development of honey bee queens. Honey bee queen health is integral to the longevity of honey bee colonies. Queen longevity can be impacted through the environment faced by developing honey bee queen-destined larvae. In a review and synthesis, an ARS scientist in Beltsville, Maryland identified key genetic changes in queen and worker larvae that are responsible for healthy queen development. The results offer new insights into the timing of queen development and the nutritional and energetic needs of healthy queens. Queen breeders can benefit from precise data showing how quality queens are produced within the colony and how the grafting age of these queens affects their future success.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- Gong, H., Chen, X., Chen, Y., Hu, F., Zhang, J., Lin, Z., Yu, J., Zhang, H. 2016. Evidence of Apis cerana sacbrood virus infection in Apis mellifera. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. doi: 10.1128/AEM.03292-15.
- Li, Z., Huang, S., Huang, W., Geng, H., Zhao, Y., Li, M., Chen, Y., Su, S. 2016. A scientific note on detection of honey bee viruses in the darkling beetle (Alphitobius diaperinus), an inhabitant in Apis cerana colonies. Apidologie. doi: 10.1007/s13592-016-0430-1.
- Kapheim, K.M., et. al. (51 Authors), Yocum, G.D., Kemp, W.P., Evans, J.D., Robinson, G.E. 2015. Genomic signatures of evolutionary transitions from solitary to group living. Science. 348(6239):1139-1143.
- Hoffman, G.D., Chen, Y., Rivera, R., Carroll, M.J., Chambers, M.L., Hidalgo, G., Watkins De Jong, E.E. 2015. Honey bee colonies provided with natural forage have lower pathogen loads and higher overwinter survival than those fed protein supplements. Apidologie. doi: 10.1007/s13592-015- 0386-6.
- Peng, W., Zhao, Y., Chen, Y., Li, J., Zeng, Z. 2015. A descriptive study of the prevalence of parasites and pathogens in Chinese black honey bees, Apis mellifera mellifera. PLoS One. 142: 1364�1374.
- Ziska, L.H., Pettis, J.S., Tomecek, M.B., Clark, A., Dukes, J.S., Loladze, I., Polley, H.W. 2016. Rising atmospheric CO2 is reducing the protein concentration of a floral pollen source essential for North American bees. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 283(1828):20160414.
- De Miranda, J., Cornman, R.S., Evans, J.D., Haddad, N., Neumann, P., Gauthier, L. 2015. Genome characterization, prevalence and distribution of a Macula-like virus from Apis mellifera and Varroa destructor. Viruses. 7:3586-3602.
- Gauthier, L., Cornman, R.S., Hartmann, U., Cousserans, F., Evans, J.D., De Miranda, J., Neumann, P. 2015. The Apis mellifera filamentous virus genome. Viruses. 7:3798-3815.
- Guo, J., Wu, J., Chen, Y., Evans, J.D., Dai, R., Luo, W., Li, J. 2015. Characterization of gut bacteria at different developmental stages of Asian honey bees, Apis cerana. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology. 127: 110- 114.
- Poelchau, M.F., Coates, B.S., Childers, C., Evans, J.D., Hackett, K.J., Shoemaker, D.D. 2016. Agricultural applications of insect ecological genomics. Current Opinion in Insect Science. 13:61-69. doi:10.1016/j.cois. 2015.12.002.
- Coates, B.S., Poelchau, M.F., Childers, C., Evans, J.D., Handler, A.M., Guerrero, F., Skoda, S.R., Hopper, K.R., Wintermantel, W.M., Ling, K., Hunter, W.B., Oppert, B.S., Perez De Leon, A.A., Hackett, K.J., Shoemaker, D.D. 2015. Arthropod genomics research in the United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service: Current impacts and future prospects. Trends in Entomology. 11(1):1-27.
- Pettis, J.S., Rice, N.D., Joselow, K., Vanengelsdorp, D., Chaimanee, V. 2016. Colony failure linked to low sperm viability in honey bee (Apis mellifera) queens and an exploration of potential causative factors. PLoS One. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0147220.
- Dively, G.P., Embrey, M.S., Kamel, A., Hawthorne, D.J., Pettis, J.S. 2015. Assessment of chronic sublethal effects of imidacloprid on honey bee colony health. PLoS One. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118748.
- Mustafa, S.G., Spooner-Hart, R., Duncan, M., Pettis, J.S., Rosendranz, P., Steidle, J. 2015. Age and aggregation trigger mating behavior in the small hive beetle, Aethina tumida. Naturwissenschaften. doi: 10.1007/s00114-015- 1300-9.
- Li, J., Powell, J., Guo, J., Evans, J.D., Wu, J., Williams, P., Lin, Q., Moran, N.A., Zhang, Z. 2015. Two gut community enterotypes recur in diverse bumblebee species. Current Biology. 25:R652-R653.
- Tozkar, O.C., Kence, M., Kence, A., Huang, Q., Evans, J.D. 2015. Metatranscriptomic analyses of honey bee colonies. Frontiers in Genetics. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2015.00100.
- Corona, M.V., Libbrecht, R., Wheeler, D.E. 2016. Molecular mechanisms of phenotypic plasticity in social insects. Current Opinion in Insect Science. 13:55-60. doi: 10.1016/j.cois.2015.12.003.
- Jiang, H., Dobesh, S., Donghun, K., Evans, J.D., Nachman, R.J., Krzysztof, K., Janusz, Z., Park, Y. 2016. Ligand selectivity in tachykinin and natalisin neuropeptidergic systems of the honey bee parasitic mite Varroa destructor. Scientific Reports. 6:19547. doi: 10.1038/srep19547.
- Straub, L., Williams, G.R., Pettis, J.S., Fries, I., Neumann, P. 2015. Superorganism resilience: Eusociality and susceptibility of ecosystem service providing insects to stressors. Current Opinion in Insect Science. 12:109.
- Smart, M.D., Pettis, J.S., Rice, N., Browning, Z., Spivak, M. 2016. Assessing the health of colonies and individual honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) in a commercial beekeeping operation. PLoS One. e0152685. doi:10.1371/ journal.pone.0152685.
- Guseman, A.J., Miller, K., Kunkle, G., Dively, G.P., Pettis, J.S., Evans, J.D., Vanengelsdorp, D., Hawthorne, D.J. 2016. Multi-drug resistance transporters and a mechanism-based strategy for assessing risks of pesticide combinations to honey bees. PLoS One. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone. 0148242.
- Cook, S.C., Eubanks, M.D., Gold, R.E., Behmer, S.T. 2016. Seasonal effects of food macronutrient content on ants: Colony and individual responses. Journal of Insect Physiology. 87(2016):35-44.
- Chaimanee, V., Evans, J.D., Chen, Y., Jackson, C., Pettis, J.S. 2016. Sperm viability and gene expression in honey bee queens (Apis mellifera) following exposure to the neonicotinoid insecticide Imidacloprid and the organophosphate Acaricide Coumaphos. Journal of Insect Physiology. 89:1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2016.03.004.
- Abbo, P.M., Kawasaki, J.K., Hamilton, M.C., Cook, S.C., Hoffman, G.D., Li, W., Lie, J., Chen, Y. 2016. The effects of Imidacloprid and Varroa destructor on the survival and health of European honey bees, Apis mellifera. Insect Science. doi: 10.1111/1744-7917.12335.
- Grozinger, C.M., Evans, J.D. 2015. Social insects: from the lab to the landscape - translational approaches to pollinator health. Current Opinion in Insect Science. doi:10.1016/j.cois.2015.06.001.
- Huang, Q., Chen, Y., Wang, R., Schwarz, R., Evans, J.D. 2015. MicroRNAs of host honey bees, Apis mellifera respond to the infection of Microsporidian parasite Nosema ceranae. Scientific Reports. doi: 10.1038/srep 17494 2.
|
Progress 10/01/14 to 09/30/15
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416): The overarching goal of the Bee Research Laboratory (BRL) is to provide beekeepers and regulators practical advice for maintaining sustainable honey bee populations for pollination and hive products. BRL will use integrated laboratory and field approaches to develop novel management strategies for 1) diagnosing and mitigating disease, 2) reducing the impacts on bees of pesticides and other environmental chemicals, and 3) improving bee health through better nutrition. Objective 1: Exploit genetic analyses of parasites, pathogens and bee immunity (including gut microbe interactions) to improve diagnosis and management of bee diseases. [NP305, Component 2, Problem Statement 2B] Subobjective 1.A: Manipulate honey bee immune responses toward disease. Subobjective 1.B: Conduct metagenomic analyses to identify novel pathogens and pathogen webs important for bee disease. Subobjective 1.C: Exploit bacterial gut symbionts to defend honey bees against disease. Objective 2: Use genomic information to develop novel controls for mites and other parasites, e.g., controls based on RNAi strategies or that target parasite vulnerabilities. [NP305, Component 2, Problem Statement 2B] Subobjective 2.A: Produce genome-led control strategies against Varroa mites. Subobjective 2.B: Develop gene-based control strategies for the gut parasite Nosema ceranae. Subobjective 2.C: Reduce the impacts of mite-transmitted viruses on bee health. Objective 3: Determine the impacts of physiological stress on worker and queen development and longevity, including that caused by overwintering and unbalanced diets. [NP305, Component 2, Problem Statement 2A] Subobjective 3.A: Determine the impacts of nutritional components on behavioral development, immune response and susceptibility to disease. Subobjective 3.B: Determine the effects of dietary fatty acids (FAs) on honey bee colony survival. Subobjective 3.C: Improve queen fecundity and longevity through better nutrition. Objective 4: Identify key impacts of in-hive and environmental pesticides on bee health, including sub-lethal effects and interactions with bee pathogens. [NP305, Component 2, Problem Statement 2B] Subobjective 4.A: Define synergisms between chemical exposure and disease. Subobjective 4.B: Determine whether pesticide exposure increases oxidative stress in honey bees, and if so, develop means to reduce the potential negative effects of oxidative damage to honey bees. Subobjective 4.C: Determine the effects of pesticides on honey bee basal metabolic rate (BMR). Objective 5: Develop and test hive-level treatments against mites and other bee threats. [NP305, Component 2, Problem Statement 2B] Subobjective 5.A: Develop best practices for resource availability, mite control, and colony health for migratory commercial beekeepers. Subobjective 5.B: Develop colony management strategies for improved queen health. Approach (from AD-416): Research at the Bee Research Laboratory (BRL) focuses on using microbiological, genomic, physiological, and toxicological approaches to improve the management of bee diseases and parasites, with a mission to develop innovative tools that can be used by beekeepers to build and maintain healthy bee populations. Integrated laboratory and field approaches will be used to develop novel management strategies for 1) diagnosing and mitigating disease, 2) reducing the impacts on bees of pesticides and other environmental chemicals, and 3) improving bee health through better nutrition. This project made several important advances relative to relevant to National Program 305 (Crop Production), Action Plan Component II (Bees and Pollination), Problem Area A (Honey bees) this year. Several genome- based studies reached publication this year, describing traits and weaknesses of honey bee parasites (e.g., Nosema apis), and describing the genomes and stress responses of two additional honey bee species, two bumble bee species, and several additional pollinators. BRL scientists produced high profile papers describing the correlates with colony decline and experimental efforts to determine the impacts of pesticides on queen and colony health. They also described the impacts of disease on queen health. ARS scientists in Beltsville, MD presented these findings to stakeholders, policy leaders and fellow researchers in a timely fashion, and the key results were widely reported in local and national media as well as the scientific literature. Accomplishments 01 Reducing pesticide stress on honey bee colonies. Bee colonies were shown to accumulate diverse agricultural chemicals in wax, honey, and bee bodies, enabling an improved resolution of pesticide stress on bee health. In addition, analyses showed that honey bee colonies exposed to the insecticide imidacloprid have higher rates of mortality. Doses in the field were low, however, generally below the experimental level that induced colony health impact. This information can be used by beekeepers and growers to limit exposure of bees to damaging chemicals, ensuring that farming practices will be compatible with pollinator health. 02 Determination of the impacts of parasite interactions on bee health. Honey bees, especially in situations of colony decline, often battle two or more parasites at the same time. Controlled experiments showed which parasites interact with each other to impact bee disease and colony health, information that can be used by beekeepers as they monitor and treat their colonies. This work also includes symbiotic bacteria of honey bees, and these results pave the way for probiotics or beekeeper-driven changes in bee nutrition that can bolster bee health. 03 Improved understanding of honey bee and pollinator immunity through genomics. Through collaborative work, ARS researchers at Beltsville, Maryland, carried out full genome sequencing on two Asian honey bee species, the North American bumble bee species used most for commercial pollination, as well as the Alfalfa leaf cutting bee. These projects helped identify the behavioral and disease-related traits of these species, and gave insights into social behavior and their key biology traits. Researchers can now target immune proteins that are especially responsive to disease agents. This information can be used for the management of pollinator species in croplands, and to help improve efforts of honey bee breeders. 04 Rates and causes of queen and colony failure for honey bees. ARS scientists in Beltsville, Maryland, presented evidence for continued high colony losses in the United States. They worked jointly with USDA- APHIS and the University of Maryland to conduct the most extensive survey of U.S. honey bee health and disease agents to date. They presented evidence for continued high colony losses in the U.S., helped identify predominant viruses in FY15 and determined specific causes through experimentation. Results indicate that queen health, disease, and genetic traits have a strong bearing on colony losses. By expanding this multiyear project to include 34 states, ARS will generate substantial baseline data for bee colony health, and will be better able to catch emergent signs of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) and disease outbreaks. 05 Characterization of a widespread gut parasite of honey bees. Beltsville scientists determined in 2015 that the primary trypanosomatid parasite of honey bees was misidentified, leading to confusion in the understanding of bee disease. Using extensive collections as well as genetic and microscopic insights, a new genus and species were named in order to improve the understanding of this parasite and its biology. This result has enabled worldwide studies of this parasite, pointing to an unappreciated role in bee declines. The new species has been recognized by the entire beekeeping and regulatory community and has led to renewed analyses of disease collections to determine its impact on bee health worldwide.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- Elsik, C.G., Worley, K.C., Bennett, A.K., Beye, M., Camara, F.C., Childers, C.P., De Graaf, D.C., Debyser, G., Deng, J., Devreese, B., Elhaik, E., Evans, J.D., Foster, L.J., Graur, D., Guigo, R., Hoff, K.J., Holder, M.E., Hudson, M.E., Hunt, G.J., Jiang, H., Josh, V., Khetani, R.S., Kosarev, P., Kovar, C.L., Ma, J., Maleszka, R., Moritz, R.F., Munoz-Torres, M.C., Murphy, T.D., Muzny, D.M., Newsham, I.F., Reese, J.T., Robertson, H.M., Robinson, G.E., Rueppell, O., Solovyev, V., Stanke, M., Stolle, E., Tsuruda, J.M., Vaerenbergh, M., Waterhouse, R.M., Weaver, D.B., Whitfield, C.W., Wu, Y., Zdobnov, E.M., Zhang, L., Zhu, D., Gibbs, R.A. 2014. Finding the missing honey bee genes: lessons learned from a genome upgrade. Biomed Central (BMC) Genomics. 15:86.
- Barribeau, S.M., Sadd, B.M., Du Plessis, L., Brown, M.J., Buechel, S.D., Carolan, J.C., Christiaens, O., Colgan, T.J., Erler, S., Evans, J.D., Helbing, S., Karaus, E., Lattorff, M.G., Marxer, M., Meeus, I., Napflin, K. , Schmid-Hempel, R., Smagghe, G., Waterhouse, R.M., Yu, N., Zdobnov, E.M., Schmid-Hempel, P. 2015. A depauperate immune repertoire precedes evolution of sociality in bees. Genome Biology. 16:83.
- Wheeler, D.E., Buck, N., Evans, J.D. 2014. Expression of insulin/insulin- like signalling and TOR pathway genes in honey bee caste determination. Insect Molecular Biology. 23(1):113-21.
- Schwarz, R.S., Bauchan, G.R., Murphy, C.A., Ravoet, J., De Graaf, D.C., Evans, J.D. 2015. Genetic and ultrastructure characterization of a known and a new species of trypanosomatidae from the honey bee Apis mellifera: Crithidia mellificae Langridge and McGhee, 1967 and Leptomonas passim sp. n. Protist. 1:1-17.
- Chaimanee, V., Chantawannakul, P., Chen, Y., Evans, J.D., Pettis, J.S. 2014. Effects of host age on susceptibility to infection and immune-gene expression in honey bee queens (Apis mellifera) inoculated with Nosema ceranae. Apidologie. 45(4): 451-463.
- Poelchau, M.F., Childers, C., Moore, G.G., Tsavvatapalli, V., Evans, J.D., Lee, C., Lin, H., Lin, J., Hackett, K.J. 2015. The i5k Workspace@NAL � enabling genomic data access, visualization, and curation for the i5k community . Nucleic Acids Research. 43:D714-719.
- Sadd, B.M., Bambeau, S.M., Bloch, G., Bourke, A.F., Collins, D., Dearden, P.K., Flores, K.B., Degraaf, D.C., Elsik, C.G., Gadau, J., Grimmelikhuijzen, C.J., Klasberg, S., Hasselmann, M., Lozier, J.D., Robertson, H., Robinson, G.E., Amdam,, G.V., Brown, M.J., Chittka, L., Erler, S., Evans, J.D., Gibbs, R., Hartfelder, K., Hasselmann, M., Hauser, F., Hudson, M., Johnson, R.M., Moritz, R., Murphy, T., Richards, S., Rueppell, O., Salzberg, S.L., Zdobnov, E.M., Schmid-Hempel, P., Smagghe, G. , Stolle, E., Van Vaerenbergh, M., Waterhouse, R., Worley, K. 2015. Two bumblebee genomes illuminate the route to advanced social living. Genome Biology. 16:76.
- Chen, Y., Pettis, J.S., Zhao, Y., Cornman, R.S., Tallon, L.L., Sadzewicz, L.L., Ye, J., Li, R., Zhang, X., Hamilton, M.C., Pernal, S., Melathopoulos, A., Yan, X., Evans, J.D. 2013. Sequencing and genome annotation of honey bee microsporidia parasite, Nosema apis and comparative genome analysis with its sympatric congener, N. ceranae. Biomed Central (BMC) Genomics. 14:451. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-14-451.
- Chen, Y., Pettis, J.S., Corona, M.V., Chen, W., Spivak, M., Visscher, K.P., Hoffman, G.D., Boncristiani, H., Zhao, Y., Vanengelsdorp, D., Delaplane, K., Solter, L., Drummond, F., Kramer, M.H., Lipkin, I.W., Palacios, G., Hamilton, M.C., Smith Jr, I.B., Huang, S., Zheng, H., Li, J., Zhang, X., Zhou, A., Wu, L., Zhou, J., Lee, M.L., Teixeira, E.W., Li, Z., Evans, J.D., Li, C. 2014. Israeli acute paralysis virus: epidemiology, pathogenesis and implications for honey bee health and Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). PLoS Pathogens. 10 (7):e1004261. DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004261.
- Li, J., Cornman, R., Evans, J.D., Pettis, J.S., Zhao, Y., Murphy, C.F., Hammond, J., Peng, W., Wu, J., Boncristiani, H., Zhou, L., Chen, Y. 2014. Systemic spread and propagation of a plant pathogenic virus in European honey bees, Apis mellifera. mBio. 5(1):e00898-13. DOI: 10.1128/mBio.00898- 13.
- Tarpy, D.R., Pettis, J.S., Vanengelsdorp, D. 2013. Genetic diversity affects colony survivorship in commercial honey bee colonies. Naturwissenschaften. 100(8): 723-728.
|
Progress 10/01/13 to 09/30/14
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416): The overarching goal of the Bee Research Laboratory (BRL) is to provide beekeepers and regulators practical advice for maintaining sustainable honey bee populations for pollination and hive products. BRL will use integrated laboratory and field approaches to develop novel management strategies for 1) diagnosing and mitigating disease, 2) reducing the impacts on bees of pesticides and other environmental chemicals, and 3) improving bee health through better nutrition. Objective 1: Exploit genetic analyses of parasites, pathogens and bee immunity (including gut microbe interactions) to improve diagnosis and management of bee diseases. [NP305, Component 2, Problem Statement 2B] Subobjective 1.A: Manipulate honey bee immune responses toward disease. Subobjective 1.B: Conduct metagenomic analyses to identify novel pathogens and pathogen webs important for bee disease. Subobjective 1.C: Exploit bacterial gut symbionts to defend honey bees against disease. Objective 2: Use genomic information to develop novel controls for mites and other parasites, e.g., controls based on RNAi strategies or that target parasite vulnerabilities. [NP305, Component 2, Problem Statement 2B] Subobjective 2.A: Produce genome-led control strategies against Varroa mites. Subobjective 2.B: Develop gene-based control strategies for the gut parasite Nosema ceranae. Subobjective 2.C: Reduce the impacts of mite-transmitted viruses on bee health. Objective 3: Determine the impacts of physiological stress on worker and queen development and longevity, including that caused by overwintering and unbalanced diets. [NP305, Component 2, Problem Statement 2A] Subobjective 3.A: Determine the impacts of nutritional components on behavioral development, immune response and susceptibility to disease. Subobjective 3.B: Determine the effects of dietary fatty acids (FAs) on honey bee colony survival. Subobjective 3.C: Improve queen fecundity and longevity through better nutrition. Objective 4: Identify key impacts of in-hive and environmental pesticides on bee health, including sub-lethal effects and interactions with bee pathogens. [NP305, Component 2, Problem Statement 2B] Subobjective 4.A: Define synergisms between chemical exposure and disease. Subobjective 4.B: Determine whether pesticide exposure increases oxidative stress in honey bees, and if so, develop means to reduce the potential negative effects of oxidative damage to honey bees. Subobjective 4.C: Determine the effects of pesticides on honey bee basal metabolic rate (BMR). Objective 5: Develop and test hive-level treatments against mites and other bee threats. [NP305, Component 2, Problem Statement 2B] Subobjective 5.A: Develop best practices for resource availability, mite control, and colony health for migratory commercial beekeepers. Subobjective 5.B: Develop colony management strategies for improved queen health. Approach (from AD-416): Research at the Bee Research Laboratory (BRL) focuses on using microbiological, genomic, physiological, and toxicological approaches to improve the management of bee diseases and parasites, with a mission to develop innovative tools that can be used by beekeepers to build and maintain healthy bee populations. Integrated laboratory and field approaches will be used to develop novel management strategies for 1) diagnosing and mitigating disease, 2) reducing the impacts on bees of pesticides and other environmental chemicals, and 3) improving bee health through better nutrition. This project made several important advances relevant to National Program 305 (Crop Production), Action Plan Component II (Bees and Pollination), Problem Area A (Honey bees) this year. The Bee Research Laboratory has a balanced focus on several aspects of bee management and health, with scientists focused on nutrition, chemical stress, and the effects of parasites and pathogens, the three major causes of honey bee declines. Work at the colony level revealed high levels of pesticides in production honey bee colonies across the country, and an impact of colony genetic diversity on persistence and health. Controlled experiments with important pathogens and parasites showed traits of resilience in bees that can be exploited by breeding or improved management. Genomic strategies showed the depth of the honey bee immune response, vulnerabilities in varroa mites, the key bee parasites, and possible virulence factors in honey bee viruses. Scientists presented these findings to stakeholders, policy leaders, and fellow researchers in a timely fashion, and the key results were widely reported in local and national media as well as the scientific literature. Accomplishments 01 Abundance of agricultural chemicals and impacts on bees. Bee colonies were shown to accumulate diverse agricultural chemicals in wax, honey, and bee bodies. Levels of one fungicide in particular were shown to be correlated with colony health and in particular with levels of the parasite Nosema ceranae. 02 Development of resources and protocols for bee research. BRL scientists played major roles in five chapters of the BeeBook compilation, a multi-year effort to document best practices in bee research that was published in book form in early 2014. They were also involved in organizing and enacting the efforts of the i5k (5000 arthropod genome) initiative, an effort that will improve bee and crop health through comparative genomics, and in a major analysis of protocols for controlled rearing of honey bees. 03 Immune responses toward bacterial pathogens. A complete transcriptome project was carried out to determine the effects of bacterial infection (the agent of American foulbrood disease) on honey bee larvae, the first such project focused on a bee pathogen. Disruptions to bee development were shown as well as changes in immune profiles, an aid to breeding more resistant bees.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- Boncristiani, H., Evans, J.D., Chen, Y., Pettis, J.S., Murphy, C.A., Lopez, D.L., Simone-Finstrom, M., Strand, M., Tarpy, D., Rueppell, O. 2013. In- vitro infection of pupae with Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus suggests variation for susceptibility and disturbance of transcriptional homeostasis in honey bees (Apis mellifera). PLoS One. DOI: 10.1371/journal. pone.0073429.
- Chaimanee, V., Chantawannakul, P., Chen, Y., Evans, J.D., Pettis, J.S. 2012. Differential expression of immune genes of adult honey bee (Apis mellifera) after inoculated by Nosema ceranae. Journal of Insect Physiology. 58(8):1090-1095.
- Cornman, R.S., Boncristiani, H., Dainat, B., Chen, Y., Vanengelsdorp, D., Weaver, D., Evans, J.D. 2013. Population-genomic variation within RNA viruses of the Western honey bee, Apis mellifera, inferred from deep sequencin. Biomed Central (BMC) Genomics. 14:154.
- Huang, S., Csaki, T., Double, V., Dussaubat, C., Evans, J.D., Gajda, A.M., Gregorc, A., Hamilton, M.C., Kamler, M., Lecocq, A., Muz, M.N., Neumann, P. , Ozkirim, A., Schiesser, A., Sohr, A.R., Tanner, G., Tozkar, C., Williams, G.R., Wu, L., Zheng, H., Chen, Y. 2014. International standardization of cage designs and feeding regimes for honey bee in vitro experiments. Journal of Economic Entomology. 107(1):54-62.
- Evans, J.D., Brown, S.J., Hackett, K.J., Richards, S., Lawson, D., Elsik, C., Coddington, J., Edwards, O., Emrich, S., Gabaldon, T., Goldsmith, M., Hanes, G.W., Misof, B., Mu-Oz-Torres, M., Niehuis, O., Papanicolaou, A., Pfrender, M., Poelchau, M., Purcell, M.F., Robertson, H.M., Ryder, O., Tagu, D., Torres, T., Zdobnov, E., Zhang, G., Zhou, X. 2013. The i5K Initiative: Advancing arthropod genomics for knowledge, human health, agriculture, and the environment. Journal of Heredity. 104(5):595-600.
- Neumann, P., Evans, J.D., Pettis, J.S., Pirk, C.W., Schafer, M.O., Tanner, G., Ellis, J.D. 2013. Standard methods for small hive beetle research. Journal of Apicultural Research. 52(4):1-32.
- Cornman, R.S., Lopez, D.L., Evans, J.D. 2013. Transcriptional response of honey bee larvae infected with the bacterial pathogen Paenibacillus larvae. Developmental and Comparative Immunology. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone. 0065424.
- Cabrera, A.R., Shirk, P.D., Grozinger, C.M., Evans, J.D., Teal, P.E. 2013. Examining the role of foraging and malvolio in host-finding behavior in the honey bee parasite, Varroa destructor (Anderson & Trueman). Archives of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology. 85(2):61-75.
- Pettis, J.S., Lichtenberg, E.M., Andree, M., Stitzinger, J., Rose, R., Vanengelsdorp, D. 2013. Crop pollination exposes honey bees to pesticides which alters their susceptibility to the gut pathogen Nosema ceranae. PLoS One. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0070182.
- Tarpy, D., Pettis, J.S., Vanengelsdorp, D. 2013. Genetic diversity affects colony survivorship in commercial honey bee colonies. Naturwissenschaften. DOI: 10.1007/s00114-013-1065-y.
|
|