Different activation of immune-related genes in honey bee nurses and foragers (Apis mellifera)

Abstract

Honey bee workers show very flexible aging patterns. Their typical behavioral progression, from nurse bees to forager bees, is associated with an onset of aging symptoms. Here, we studied how immune-activation can affect nurse and forager bees differently. Nurse and forager bees of identical chronological age were injected with vehicle control or the bacterial cell wall components lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or peptidoglycan (PGN). Next, we monitored survival and tested the expression of three immune-related genes. We confirm that forager bees die sooner than same-aged nurse bees, independent of the type of immune challenge. The relative gene expression patterns of two immune-related genes differed between the nurse and forager honey bees as well as between the treatment groups. Our findings support that nurse and forager honey bees can respond differently to immune challenge, despite a lack of detectable differences in mortality between treatments. This response was specifically associated with the workers' behavioral caste, as the chronological age was similar among all tested animals. honeybee / aging / immune activation / vitellogenin / defensin-2

Improved mitochondrial function corrects immunodeficiency and impaired respiration in neonicotinoid exposed bumblebees

“…Hence, both in terms of haemocyte number and their immunocompetence, Imidacloprid exposure had a significant negative impact, but was corrected by 670nm exposure ( Fig 2 ). Additionally, challenging the immune system of the bee leads to attrition within the 24 h immune response period [ 55 ]. In the control group, 35% of the original cohort died, 50% in the Imidacloprid group died, whilst there was no deaths post immune challenge within 24h, in the two groups exposed to 670nm light.…”

“…Preserved haemocyte numbers account for the larger inhibition zones, as more anti-microbial peptides could be secreted into the haemolymph in response to immune challenge [ 64 ]. The immune challenge model employed triggers an immune response from both exposure to bacterial antigens, and wounding resulting from the injection [ 55 ]. In this instance we do not know which is predominating, however we have shown that Imidacloprid decreases the antimicrobial activity of the haemolymph, and that 670 nm light can restore immunocompetency.…”

Honeybee wings hold antibiofouling and antimicrobial clues for improved applications in health care and industries

“…The versatile activities of workers expose them to pathogens with significant effects such as paralysis, respiratory failure, and mortality of target (workers) and non-target (e.g., drones and queens) individuals. The A. mellifera workers need a highly adapted system as the tasks they perform during their lifespan expose them to distinct pressures from pathogenic exposure [46] . In general, the first line of defense against most pathogens is the cuticle, a preventive barrier designed to prevent or retard the entry of pathogens into the haemoceol [47] , [48] .…”

Middle-Aged Worker Bees Express Higher Innate Immunity than Young Worker Bees in the Abdomen without the Digestive Tract of Worker Bees Reared in an Incubator

“…The qPCR was performed using a CFX connect RT-PCR detection system (Bio-Rad Laboratories), and each reaction contained 0.5 µL of 10 µM of each primer, 12.5 µL of SYBR Green (170-8882; Bio-Rad Laboratories), 1 µL of diluted cDNA, and 10.5 µL of ddH 2 O in a final volume of 25 µL. The β-actin gene was used as a reference gene when measuring gene expression in honey bees [16,25,[28][29][30]. The primers were designed according to GenBank's nucleotide sequences, and primer sequences are shown in Table 1.…”

“…Defensin-1 is synthesized in salivary glands, and defensin-2 is synthesized in the fat body and lymph [11]. Defensins were used to assess the impact of Metarhizium anisopliae infection, lipopolysaccharide, and peptidoglycan on the immunity of honey bees [15,16]. The genes and proteins of abaecin, defensin-2, and hymenoptaecin are used to evaluate the humoral immunity of honey bees [3][4][5].…”