Unknown,Transcriptomics,Genomics,Proteomics

Dataset Information

Transcription profiling of honey bees for identification of changes in transcript abundance relating to Colony Collapse Disorder

ABSTRACT: Remaining adult bees in colonies suffering from CCD at apiaries in Florida, California and Pennsylvania were collected during the winter of 2006-2007. The health of CCD colonies was scored at the time of collection as either ï¾severeï¾ or ï¾mildï¾ depending on the apparent strength of the colony. ï¾Historicalï¾ bees, collected prior to the appearance of CCD and hence ostensibly healthy, were collected in 2004 and 2005 from colonies set up on new equipment and not receiving any miticide treatments from apiaries of The Pennsylvania State University near State College, PA. A combination looped, common-reference microarray design was used to compare historical and CCD samples with each other; a blend of RNA isolated from healthy colonies (collected near Urbana, IL in July 2007) served as reference. The microarray experiment compared the guts of bees from mildly and severely afflicted colonies collected in apiaries experiencing CCD on the East Coast (Florida and Pennsylvania) and West Coast (California) with a common reference.

ORGANISM(S): Apis mellifera

DISEASE(S): Healthy

SUBMITTER: Reed Johnson

PROVIDER: E-MEXP-2292 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress

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Project description:BACKGROUND: Social insects, such as honey bees, use molecular, physiological and behavioral responses to combat pathogens and parasites. The honey bee genome contains all of the canonical insect immune response pathways, and several studies have demonstrated that pathogens can activate expression of immune effectors. Honey bees also use behavioral responses, termed social immunity, to collectively defend their hives from pathogens and parasites. These responses include hygienic behavior (where workers remove diseased brood) and allo-grooming (where workers remove ectoparasites from nestmates). We have previously demonstrated that immunostimulation causes changes in the cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of workers, which results in altered worker-worker social interactions. Thus, cuticular hydrocarbons may enable workers to identify sick nestmates, and adjust their behavior in response. Here, we test the specificity of behavioral, chemical and genomic responses to immunostimulation by challenging workers with a panel of different immune stimulants (saline, Sephadex beads and Gram-negative bacteria E. coli). RESULTS: While only bacteria-injected bees elicited altered behavioral responses from healthy nestmates compared to controls, all treatments resulted in significant changes in cuticular hydrocarbon profiles. Immunostimulation caused significant changes in expression of hundreds of genes, the majority of which have not been identified as members of the canonical immune response pathways. Furthermore, several new candidate genes that may play a role in cuticular hydrocarbon biosynthesis were identified. Finally, we identified common genes regulated by pathogen challenge in honey bees and other insects, suggesting that immune responses are conserved at the molecular level. CONCLUSIONS: These studies suggest that honey bee genomic responses to immunostimulation are substantially broader than expected, and may mediate the behavioral changes associated with social immunity by orchestrating changes in chemical signaling.

Dataset Information

Transcription profiling of honey bees for identification of changes in transcript abundance relating to Colony Collapse Disorder

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