Endosymbiotic bacteria in honey bees: Arsenophonus spp. are not transmitted transovarially.

Orlando Yañez,Peter Neumann,Laurent Gauthier,Panuwan Chantawannakul,David Clarke

doi:10.1093/femsle/fnw147

Orlando Yañez, Peter Neumann + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1093/femsle/fnw147

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Abstract

Intracellular endosymbiotic bacteria are common and can play a crucial role for insect pathology. Therefore, such bacteria could be a potential key to our understanding of major losses of Western honey bees (Apis mellifera) colonies. However, the transmission and potential effects of endosymbiotic bacteria in A. mellifera and other Apis spp. are poorly understood. Here, we explore the prevalence and transmission of the genera Arsenophonus, Wolbachia, Spiroplasma and Rickettsia in Apis spp. Colonies of A. mellifera (N = 33, with 20 eggs from worker brood cells and 100 adult workers each) as well as mated honey bee queens of A. cerana, A. dorsata and A. florea (N = 12 each) were screened using PCR. While Wolbachia, Spiroplasma and Rickettsia were not detected, Arsenophonus spp. were found in 24.2% of A. mellifera colonies and respective queens as well as in queens of A. dorsata (8.3%) and A. florea (8.3%), but not in A. cerana. The absence of Arsenophonus spp. from reproductive organs of A. mellifera queens and surface-sterilized eggs does not support transovarial vertical transmission. Instead, horizontal transmission is most likely.

Highlights

Endosymbiotic bacteria are widespread in arthropods (Hilgenboeker et al 2008; Duron et al 2008)
Arsenophonus spp. were the only endosymbiont tested positive in our samples consisting of eggs, workers and queens
The phylogenetic analyses and low prevalence in sympatric A. cerana suggest that horizontal transmission from other honey bees is unlikely to be the source of Arsenophonus spp. in A. dorsata and A. florea

Summary

Introduction

Endosymbiotic bacteria are widespread in arthropods (Hilgenboeker et al 2008; Duron et al 2008) Their interactions with hosts are highly variable ranging from obligate (primary) to facultative (secondary) symbiosis and from parasitic to mutualistic symbiosis (Werren, Skinner and Huger 1986; Perotti et al 2007). Their spread into the host population can be achieved, in some cases, by manipulating host reproduction, and may cause feminization, cytoplasmic incompatibility and male killing

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