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Demonstrating the potential of a novel spider venom-based biopesticide for target-specific control of the small hive beetle, a serious pest of the European honeybee.

ABSTRACT: The parasitic small hive beetle (Aethina tumida) feeds on pollen, honey and brood of the European honey bee (Apis mellifera); establishment in North America and Australia has resulted in severe economic damage to the apiculture industry. We report potential for the "in-hive" use of a novel biopesticide that is toxic to this invasive beetle pest but harmless to honeybees. Constructs encoding the spider venom neurotoxin ?-hexatoxin-Hv1a (Hv1a) linked to the N- or C-terminus of snowdrop lectin (GNA) were used to produce recombinant Hv1a/GNA and GNA/Hv1a fusion proteins. Both were similarly toxic to beetles by injection (respective LD50s 1.5 and 0.9 nmoles/g larvae), whereas no effects on adult honeybee survival were observed at injection doses of?>?200 nmoles/g insect. When fed to A. tumida larvae, GNA/Hv1a was significantly more effective than Hv1a/GNA (LC50s of 0.52 and 1.14 mg/ml diet, respectively), whereas both proteins were similarly toxic to adults. Results suggested that the reduced efficacy of Hv1a/GNA against larvae was attributable to differences in the susceptibility of the fusion proteins to cleavage by gut serine proteases. In laboratory assays, A. tumida larval survival was significantly reduced when brood, inoculated with eggs, was treated with GNA/Hv1a.

SUBMITTER: Powell ME

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6957549 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Demonstrating the potential of a novel spider venom-based biopesticide for target-specific control of the small hive beetle, a serious pest of the European honeybee.

Powell Michelle E ME Bradish Hannah M HM Cao Min M Makinson Rebecca R Brown Adrian P AP Gatehouse John A JA Fitches Elaine C EC

Journal of pest science 20190803 1

The parasitic small hive beetle (Aethina tumida) feeds on pollen, honey and brood of the European honey bee (Apis mellifera); establishment in North America and Australia has resulted in severe economic damage to the apiculture industry. We report potential for the "in-hive" use of a novel biopesticide that is toxic to this invasive beetle pest but harmless to honeybees. Constructs encoding the spider venom neurotoxin ω-hexatoxin-Hv1a (Hv1a) linked to the N- or C-term ...[more]

PMID: 31997983

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Project description:Abstract Invasive species are a major driver of ecological and environmental changes that affect human health, food security, and natural biodiversity. The success and impact of biological invasions depend on adaptations to novel abiotic and biotic selective pressures. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying adaptations in invasive parasitic species are inadequately understood. Small hive beetles, Aethina tumida, are parasites of bee nests. Originally endemic to sub‐Saharan Africa, they are now found nearly globally. Here, we investigated the molecular bases of the adaptations to novel environments underlying their invasion routes. Genomes of historic and recent adults A. tumida from both the endemic and introduced ranges were compared. Analysis of gene–environment association identified 3049 candidate loci located in 874 genes. Functional annotation showed a significant bias toward genes linked to growth and reproduction. One of the genes from the apoptosis pathway encodes an “ecdysone‐related protein,” which is a crucial regulator in controlling body size in response to environmental cues for holometabolous insects during cell death and renewal. Genes whose proteins regulate organ size, ovary activation, and oviposition were also detected. Functions of these enriched pathways parallel behavioral differences between introduced and native A. tumida populations, which may reflect patterns of local adaptation. The results considerably improve our understanding of the underlying mechanisms and ecological factors driving adaptations of invasive species. Deep functional investigation of these identified loci will help clarify the mechanisms of local adaptation in A. tumida. Small hive beetles, Aethina tumida, invasive parasites of pollinating bees have recently invaded multiple continents, across a wide range of climates. The molecular mechanisms underlying the adaptation of this invasive beetle remain poorly understood. Here, the identification of genetic basis, analyses of gene ontology, and pathway enrichment of identified genes provide a mechanistic understanding of a biological invasion.

Dataset Information

Demonstrating the potential of a novel spider venom-based biopesticide for target-specific control of the small hive beetle, a serious pest of the European honeybee.

Publications

Demonstrating the potential of a novel spider venom-based biopesticide for target-specific control of the small hive beetle, a serious pest of the European honeybee.

Similar Datasets

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