RNA Interference-Mediated Knockdown of Genes Encoding Spore Wall Proteins Confers Protection against Nosema ceranae Infection in the European Honey Bee, Apis mellifera

He, Nan; Zhang, Yi; Duan, Xin Le; Li, Jiang Hong; Huang, Wei‐Fone; Evans, Jay D.; DeGrandi-Hoffman, Gloria; Chen, Yan Ping; Huang, Shao Kang

doi:10.3390/microorganisms9030505

Cited by 18 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 89 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Porphyrins have been documented to act directly on N. ceranae microsporidia; however, their potential effects on honeybee immunity have yet to be explored. Before analyzing the impact of porphyrins on the immune system in both the non-infected and Nosema- infected honeybees, we verified that the parasite proliferated in the host and significantly reduced its lifespan, as observed in previous studies 1 , 3 , 37 , 46 , 47 . The present work confirmed the negative impact of N. ceranae on the bee lifespan.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 76%

Effect of amide protoporphyrin derivatives on immune response in Apis mellifera

Trytek

Buczek

Zdybicka-Barabas

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The intracellular microsporidian parasite Nosema ceranae is known to compromise bee health by induction of energetic stress and downregulation of the immune system. Porphyrins are candidate therapeutic agents for controlling Nosema infection without adverse effects on honeybees. In the present work, the impact of two protoporphyrin IX derivatives, i.e. PP[Asp]2 and PP[Lys]2, on Apis mellifera humoral immune response has been investigated in laboratory conditions in non-infected and N. ceranae-infected honeybees. Fluorescence spectroscopy analysis of hemolymph showed for the first time that porphyrin molecules penetrate into the hemocoel of honeybees. Phenoloxidase (PO) activity and the expression of genes encoding antimicrobial peptides (AMPs: abaecin, defensin, and hymenoptaecin) were assessed. Porphyrins significantly increased the phenoloxidase activity in healthy honeybees but did not increase the expression of AMP genes. Compared with the control bees, the hemolymph of non-infected bees treated with porphyrins had an 11.3- and 6.1-fold higher level of PO activity after the 24- and 48-h porphyrin administration, respectively. Notably, there was a significant inverse correlation between the PO activity and the AMP gene expression level (r = − 0.61696, p = 0.0143). The PO activity profile in the infected bees was completely opposite to that in the healthy bees (r = − 0.5118, p = 0.000), which was related to the changing load of N. ceranae spores in the porphyrin treated-bees. On day 12 post-infection, the spore loads in the infected porphyrin-fed individuals significantly decreased by 74%, compared with the control bees. Our findings show involvement of the honeybee immune system in the porphyrin-based control of Nosema infection. This allows the infected bees to improve their lifespan considerably by choosing an optimal PO activity/AMP expression variant to cope with the varying level of N. ceranae infection.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 76%

Effect of amide protoporphyrin derivatives on immune response in Apis mellifera

Trytek

Buczek

Zdybicka-Barabas

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Thus, efforts to find new treatment strategies are critical to protect honey bees from this parasite [ 16 , 19 ]. Many promising alternatives strategies for control of N. ceranae infection have now been pursued, including important studies exploring other small molecules, RNAi, probiotics, and various natural compounds ([ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 ] and work prior to 2020 reviewed in [ 30 ]). Eukaryotic pathogens can be challenging to combat using chemical antimicrobials because of the phylogenetic closeness with their hosts, and microsporidia are no exception.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Proteasome Inhibition Is an Effective Treatment Strategy for Microsporidia Infection in Honey Bees

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The microsporidia Nosema ceranae is an obligate intracellular parasite that causes honey bee mortality and contributes to colony collapse. Fumagillin is presently the only pharmacological control for N. ceranae infections in honey bees. Resistance is already emerging, and alternative controls are critically needed. Nosema spp. exhibit increased sensitivity to heat shock, a common proteotoxic stress. Thus, we hypothesized that targeting the Nosema proteasome, the major protease removing misfolded proteins, might be effective against N. ceranae infections in honey bees. Nosema genome analysis and molecular modeling revealed an unexpectedly compact proteasome apparently lacking multiple canonical subunits, but with highly conserved proteolytic active sites expected to be receptive to FDA-approved proteasome inhibitors. Indeed, N. ceranae were strikingly sensitive to pharmacological disruption of proteasome function at doses that were well tolerated by honey bees. Thus, proteasome inhibition is a novel candidate treatment strategy for microsporidia infection in honey bees.

show abstract

“…RNA interference (RNAi) is currently being explored for pesticide activity in agriculture and as a potent and specific strategy for controlling infections of parasites and pathogens in insects, including honey bees [ 131 , 132 , 133 , 134 , 135 , 136 , 137 , 138 ]. Several studies evidence that RNAi might be exploited to regulate Nosema gene expression within bee hosts [ 139 , 140 , 141 ].…”

Section: Rna Interferencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Another recent study used RNAi to lower the expression of polar tube protein 3 (ptp3), a protein essential for sporoplasm injection and microsporidian cellular invasion [ 145 ]. He et al [ 141 ] explored the therapeutic potential of silencing the sequences of two N. ceranae encoded spore wall protein (SWP) genes employing the RNAi-based methodology. This study revealed that the oral ingestion of dsRNAs corresponding to SWP8 and SWP12 , used separately or in combination, could lead to a significant reduction in spore load, improved immunity and extended lifespan of N. ceranae infected bees.…”

Section: Rna Interferencementioning

confidence: 99%

Recent Advances in the Biocontrol of Nosemosis in Honey Bees (Apis mellifera L.)

Iorizzo

Letizia

Ganassi

et al. 2022

JoF

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Nosemosis is a disease triggered by the single-celled spore-forming fungi Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae, which can cause extensive colony losses in honey bees (Apis mellifera L). Fumagillin is an effective antibiotic treatment to control nosemosis, but due to its toxicity, it is currently banned in many countries. Accordingly, in the beekeeping sector, there is a strong demand for alternative ecological methods that can be used for the prevention and therapeutic control of nosemosis in honey bee colonies. Numerous studies have shown that plant extracts, RNA interference (RNAi) and beneficial microbes could provide viable non-antibiotic alternatives. In this article, recent scientific advances in the biocontrol of nosemosis are summarized.

show abstract

RNA Interference-Mediated Knockdown of Genes Encoding Spore Wall Proteins Confers Protection against Nosema ceranae Infection in the European Honey Bee, Apis mellifera

Cited by 18 publications

References 89 publications

Effect of amide protoporphyrin derivatives on immune response in Apis mellifera

Effect of amide protoporphyrin derivatives on immune response in Apis mellifera

Proteasome Inhibition Is an Effective Treatment Strategy for Microsporidia Infection in Honey Bees

Recent Advances in the Biocontrol of Nosemosis in Honey Bees (Apis mellifera L.)

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About