| Title: | "Molecular, physiological and behavioral responses of honey bee (Apis mellifera) drones to infection with microsporidian parasites" |
| Author(s): | Holt HL; Villar G; Cheng W; Song J; Grozinger CM; |
| Address: | "Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Center for Chemical Ecology, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA. Electronic address: holtlholly@gmail.com. Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Center for Chemical Ecology, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA. Department of Educational Psychology, Counseling and Special Education, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA. Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, USA" |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.jip.2018.04.008 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1096-0805 (Electronic) 0022-2011 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Susceptibility to pathogens and parasites often varies between sexes due to differences in life history traits and selective pressures. Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae are damaging intestinal pathogens of European honey bees (Apis mellifera). Nosema pathology has primarily been characterized in female workers where infection is energetically costly and accelerates worker behavioral maturation. Few studies, however, have examined infection costs in male honey bees (drones) to determine if Nosema similarly affects male energetic status and sexual maturation. We infected newly emerged adult drones with Nosema spores and conducted a series of molecular, physiological, and behavioral assays to characterize Nosema etiology in drones. We found that infected drones starved faster than controls and exhibited altered patterns of flight activity in the field, consistent with energetic distress or altered rates of sexual maturation. Moreover, expression of candidate genes with metabolic and/or hormonal functions, including members of the insulin signaling pathway, differed by infection status. Of note, while drone molecular responses generally tracked predictions based on worker studies, several aspects of infected drone flight behavior contrasted with previous observations of infected workers. While Nosema infection clearly imposed energetic costs in males, infection had no impact on drone sperm numbers and had only limited effects on antennal responsiveness to a major queen sex pheromone component (9-ODA). We compare Nosema pathology in drones with previous studies describing symptoms in workers and discuss ramifications for drone and colony fitness" |
| Keywords: | Animals Bees/*parasitology Male *Microsporidiosis *Nosema Apis mellifera Drone Honey bee Microsporidia Nosema apis Nosema ceranae; |
| Notes: | "MedlineHolt, Holly L Villar, Gabriel Cheng, Weiyi Song, Jun Grozinger, Christina M eng Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. 2018/05/01 J Invertebr Pathol. 2018 Jun; 155:14-24. doi: 10.1016/j.jip.2018.04.008. Epub 2018 Apr 26" |
