2D-DIGE proteomic analysis reveals changes in haemolymph proteome of 1-day-old honey bee (Apis mellifera) workers in response to infection with Varroa destructor mites

Mariola Słowińska,Jerzy Wilde,Joanna Nynca,Andrzej Ciereszko,Maciej Siuda,Beata Bąk

doi:10.1007/s13592-019-00674-z

Abstract

Varroa destructor is an external parasite of Apis mellifera and feeds on the haemolymph of pupae and adult bees, vectoring numerous viral pathogens, in particular the deformed wing virus (DWV). However, the changes in haemolymph protein composition after Varroa infestation are unknown. The objective of this study was to investigate alterations in the haemolymph proteome in relation to Varroa parasitism. Using two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis and MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry, we identified changes in 44 haemolymph proteins in response to the parasite and one in protein originated from DWV. The following pathways were affected by Varroa infestation, including carbohydrate metabolism, detoxification and oxidative stress response, nutrient reservoir activity, oxidoreductase activity and the olfactory system. Several physiological functions of honey bees, such as energy metabolism, detoxification, metamorphosis and chemosensing, may be disrupted by Varroa.

Highlights

The Varroa mite (Varroa destructor ) is an external parasite of the honey bee (Apis mellifera ) and feeds on the haemolymph of pupae and adult bees (Nazzi and Le Conte 2016)
3.1. 2D-DIGE comparison of haemolymph of honey bee infested with Varroa mother mites
It is well documented that Varroa, which feeds on honey bee haemolymph, is a major vector for viral pathogen transmission, in particular the iflavirus deformed wing virus (DWV) (Wilfert et al 2016)

Summary

Introduction

The Varroa mite (Varroa destructor ) is an external parasite of the honey bee (Apis mellifera ) and feeds on the haemolymph of pupae and adult bees (Nazzi and Le Conte 2016). The damage caused by Varroa to the colonies is not strictly related to the parasitic action of the mite, as it vectors numerous honey bee viral pathogens, such as deformed wing virus (DWV) (De Miranda and Genersch 2010; Wilfert et al 2016), the member of the iflavirus group, including slow bee paralysis virus (Kalynych et al 2016), sacbrood virus (Ryabov et al 2016) and Moku virus (Mordecai et al 2016). The Varroa mite, in combination with its associated viruses, most notably DWV, has been associated with the death of millions of European honey bee colonies across the word (Brettell and Martin 2017)

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