Interaction of field realistic doses of clothianidin and Varroa destructor parasitism on adult honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) health and neural gene expression, and antagonistic effects on differentially expressed genes

Abstract Queens and workers are very distinct phenotypes that develop from the same genome. Larvae from worker cells up to 3.5 d old can be transferred to larger queen cells and will subsequently be reared as queens and develop into functional queens. This has become a very popular queen rearing practice in contemporary apiculture. Here we used RNA-Seq to study the consequences of rearing queens from transplanted worker larvae on the transcriptome of the adult queens. We found that queens reared from transferred older larvae developed slower, weighted less, and had fewer ovarioles than queens reared from transferred eggs, indicating queens were cryptically intercaste. RNA-Seq analysis revealed differentially expressed genes between queens reared from transferred larvae compared with queens reared from transferred eggs: the older the larvae transferred, the greater the number of differentially expressed genes. Many of the differentially expressed genes had functions related to reproduction, longevity, immunity, or metabolism, suggesting that the health and long-term viability of queens was compromised. Our finds verify the previous studies that adult queens reared from older transferred larvae were of lower quality than queens reared from transferred eggs or younger larvae.

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Immune related gene expression in worker honey bee (Apis mellifera carnica) pupae exposed to neonicotinoid thiamethoxam and Varroa mites (Varroa destructor)

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0187079 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 12 (10) ◽

pp. e0187079 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Tanja Tesovnik ◽

Ivanka Cizelj ◽

Minja Zorc ◽

Manuela Čitar ◽

Janko Božič ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Apis Mellifera ◽

Honey Bee ◽

Varroa Destructor ◽

Related Gene ◽

Apis Mellifera Carnica ◽

Immune Related Gene ◽

Varroa Mites

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The genomic signature of social interactions regulating honey bee caste development

10.1101/012385 ◽

2014 ◽

Author(s):

Svjetlana Vojvodic ◽

Brian R Johnson ◽

Brock Harpur ◽

Clement Kent ◽

Amro Zayed ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Honey Bee ◽

Differentially Expressed Genes ◽

Social Evolution ◽

Expression Profiles ◽

Gene Expression Profiles ◽

Differentially Expressed ◽

Care Giving ◽

Caste Evolution ◽

Caste Development

Social evolution theory posits the existence of genes expressed in one individual that affect the traits and fitness of social partners. The archetypal example of reproductive altruism, honey bee reproductive caste, involves strict social regulation of larval caste fate by care-giving nurses. However, the contribution of nurse-expressed genes, which are prime socially-acting candidate genes, to the caste developmental program and to caste evolution remains mostly unknown. We experimentally induced new queen production by removing the current colony queen, and we used RNA sequencing to study the gene expression profiles of both developing larvae and their care-giving nurses before and after queen removal. By comparing the gene expression profiles between both queen-destined larvae and their nurses to worker-destined larvae and their nurses in queen-present and queen-absent conditions, we identified larval and nurse genes associated with larval caste development and with queen presence. Of 950 differentially-expressed genes associated with larval caste development, 82% were expressed in larvae and 18% were expressed in nurses. Behavioral and physiological evidence suggests that nurses may specialize in the short term feeding queen- versus worker-destined larvae. Estimated selection coefficients indicated that both nurse and larval genes associated with caste are rapidly evolving, especially those genes associated with worker development. Of the 1863 differentially-expressed genes associated with queen presence, 90% were expressed in nurses. Altogether, our results suggest that socially-acting genes play important roles in both the expression and evolution of socially-influenced traits like caste.

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Expression and Activity of Lysozyme in Apis Mellifera Carnica Brood Infested with Varroa Destructor

Journal of Apicultural Science ◽

10.1515/jas-2017-0014 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 61 (2) ◽

pp. 253-256 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ewa A. Zaobidna ◽

Krystyna Żółtowska ◽

Elżbieta Łopieńska-Biernat

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Apis Mellifera ◽

Honey Bee ◽

Varroa Destructor ◽

Developmental Stages ◽

Lysozyme Activity ◽

Apis Mellifera Carnica ◽

Relative Expression ◽

Stage Of Development ◽

And Gender

Abstract Varroa destructor is a parasitic mite that attacks the honey bee, and previous studies have suggested that parasitosis caused by this mite is accompanied by immunosuppresion in the host. In this study, the effect of mite infestation on the expression of the lysozyme-1 (lys-1) gene and lysozyme activity in Apis mellifera carnica was determined. The experiment was carried out on the five developmental stages of honey bee workers and drones. Developmental and gender-related differences in gene expression and lysozyme activity were observed in a Varroa destructor-infested brood. The relative expression of the lys-1 gene increased in a infested worker brood and decreased in a drone brood except for P3 pupae. In the final stage of development, the lys-1 gene expression was significantly lower in infested newly emerged workers and drones. Changes in the relative expression of the lys-1 gene in infested individuals was poorly manifested at the level of enzyme activity, whereas at the two final stages of development (P5 and I) there was a positive correlation between relative lys-1 expression and lysozyme activity in infested bees of both genders (r=0.988, r=0.999, respectively). The results of this study indicate that V. destructor influences the lysozyme-linked immune response in bees.

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Differential gene expression analysis of ankylosing spondylitis shows deregulation of the HLA-DRB, HLA-DQB, ITM2A, and CTLA4 genes

Egyptian Journal of Medical Human Genetics ◽

10.1186/s43042-021-00161-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Rowan AlEjielat ◽

Anas Khaleel ◽

Amneh H. Tarkhan

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Ankylosing Spondylitis ◽

Differentially Expressed Genes ◽

Gene Network ◽

Disease Diagnosis ◽

Receptor Activation ◽

Functional Enrichment ◽

Differentially Expressed ◽

Inflammatory Disorder ◽

Data Set

Abstract Background Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a rare inflammatory disorder affecting the spinal joints. Although we know some of the genetic factors that are associated with the disease, the molecular basis of this illness has not yet been fully elucidated, and the genes involved in AS pathogenesis have not been entirely identified. The current study aimed at constructing a gene network that may serve as an AS gene signature and biomarker, both of which will help in disease diagnosis and the identification of therapeutic targets. Previously published gene expression profiles of 16 AS patients and 16 gender- and age-matched controls that were profiled on the Illumina HumanHT-12 V3.0 Expression BeadChip platform were mined. Patients were Portuguese, 21 to 64 years old, were diagnosed based on the modified New York criteria, and had Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index scores > 4 and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index scores > 4. All patients were receiving only NSAIDs and/or sulphasalazine. Functional enrichment and pathway analysis were performed to create an interaction network of differentially expressed genes. Results ITM2A, ICOS, VSIG10L, CD59, TRAC, and CTLA-4 were among the significantly differentially expressed genes in AS, but the most significantly downregulated genes were the HLA-DRB6, HLA-DRB5, HLA-DRB4, HLA-DRB3, HLA-DRB1, HLA-DQB1, ITM2A, and CTLA-4 genes. The genes in this study were mostly associated with the regulation of the immune system processes, parts of cell membrane, and signaling related to T cell receptor and antigen receptor, in addition to some overlaps related to the IL2 STAT signaling, as well as the androgen response. The most significantly over-represented pathways in the data set were associated with the “RUNX1 and FOXP3 which control the development of regulatory T lymphocytes (Tregs)” and the “GABA receptor activation” pathways. Conclusions Comprehensive gene analysis of differentially expressed genes in AS reveals a significant gene network that is involved in a multitude of important immune and inflammatory pathways. These pathways and networks might serve as biomarkers for AS and can potentially help in diagnosing the disease and identifying future targets for treatment.

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Exploring Two Honey Bee Traits for Improving Resistance Against Varroa destructor: Development and Genetic Evaluation

Insects ◽

10.3390/insects12030216 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

pp. 216

Author(s):

Matthieu Guichard ◽

Benoît Droz ◽

Evert W. Brascamp ◽

Adrien von Virag ◽

Markus Neuditschko ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Honey Bee ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Varroa Destructor ◽

Field Trial ◽

Genetic Evaluation ◽

Phenotypic Correlation ◽

Apis Mellifera Mellifera ◽

Novel Traits ◽

Resistance Traits

For the development of novel selection traits in honey bees, applicability under field conditions is crucial. We thus evaluated two novel traits intended to provide resistance against the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor and to allow for their straightforward implementation in honey bee selection. These traits are new field estimates of already-described colony traits: brood recapping rate (‘Recapping’) and solidness (‘Solidness’). ‘Recapping’ refers to a specific worker characteristic wherein they reseal a capped and partly opened cell containing a pupa, whilst ‘Solidness’ assesses the percentage of capped brood in a predefined area. According to the literature and beekeepers’ experiences, a higher recapping rate and higher solidness could be related to resistance to V. destructor. During a four-year field trial in Switzerland, the two resistance traits were assessed in a total of 121 colonies of Apis mellifera mellifera. We estimated the repeatability and the heritability of the two traits and determined their phenotypic correlations with commonly applied selection traits, including other putative resistance traits. Both traits showed low repeatability between different measurements within each year. ‘Recapping’ had a low heritability (h2 = 0.04 to 0.05, depending on the selected model) and a negative phenotypic correlation to non-removal of pin-killed brood (r = −0.23). The heritability of ‘Solidness’ was moderate (h2 = 0.24 to 0.25) and did not significantly correlate with resistance traits. The two traits did not show an association with V. destructor infestation levels. Further research is needed to confirm the results, as only a small number of colonies was evaluated.

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Behavioral sensitization induced by methamphetamine causes differential alterations in gene expression and histone acetylation of the prefrontal cortex in rats

BMC Neuroscience ◽

10.1186/s12868-021-00616-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Hui Li ◽

Jing-An Chen ◽

Qian-Zhi Ding ◽

Guan-Yi Lu ◽

Ning Wu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Histone Acetylation ◽

Differentially Expressed Genes ◽

Behavioral Sensitization ◽

Functional Enrichment ◽

Differentially Expressed ◽

Adult Rats ◽

Mrna Microarray ◽

H3 Acetylation

Abstract Background Methamphetamine (METH) is one of the most widely abused illicit substances worldwide; unfortunately, its addiction mechanism remains unclear. Based on accumulating evidence, changes in gene expression and chromatin modifications might be related to the persistent effects of METH on the brain. In the present study, we took advantage of METH-induced behavioral sensitization as an animal model that reflects some aspects of drug addiction and examined the changes in gene expression and histone acetylation in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of adult rats. Methods We conducted mRNA microarray and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) coupled to DNA microarray (ChIP-chip) analyses to screen and identify changes in transcript levels and histone acetylation patterns. Functional enrichment analyses, including Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses, were performed to analyze the differentially expressed genes. We then further identified alterations in ANP32A (acidic leucine-rich nuclear phosphoprotein-32A) and POU3F2 (POU domain, class 3, transcription factor 2) using qPCR and ChIP-PCR assays. Results In the rat model of METH-induced behavioral sensitization, METH challenge caused 275 differentially expressed genes and a number of hyperacetylated genes (821 genes with H3 acetylation and 10 genes with H4 acetylation). Based on mRNA microarray and GO and KEGG enrichment analyses, 24 genes may be involved in METH-induced behavioral sensitization, and 7 genes were confirmed using qPCR. We further examined the alterations in the levels of the ANP32A and POU3F2 transcripts and histone acetylation at different periods of METH-induced behavioral sensitization. H4 hyperacetylation contributed to the increased levels of ANP32A mRNA and H3/H4 hyperacetylation contributed to the increased levels of POU3F2 mRNA induced by METH challenge-induced behavioral sensitization, but not by acute METH exposure. Conclusions The present results revealed alterations in transcription and histone acetylation in the rat PFC by METH exposure and provided evidence that modifications of histone acetylation contributed to the alterations in gene expression caused by METH-induced behavioral sensitization.

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Impact of aging on gene expression response to x-ray irradiation using mouse blood

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-89682-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Constantinos G. Broustas ◽

Axel J. Duval ◽

Sally A. Amundson

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Differentially Expressed Genes ◽

Differentially Expressed ◽

X Rays ◽

Gene Expression Response ◽

X Ray ◽

The Impact ◽

Old Mice ◽

Radiation Biodosimetry ◽

Young Mice

AbstractAs a radiation biodosimetry tool, gene expression profiling is being developed using mouse and human peripheral blood models. The impact of dose, dose-rate, and radiation quality has been studied with the goal of predicting radiological tissue injury. In this study, we determined the impact of aging on the gene expression profile of blood from mice exposed to radiation. Young (2 mo) and old (21 mo) male mice were irradiated with 4 Gy x-rays, total RNA was isolated from whole blood 24 h later, and subjected to whole genome microarray analysis. Pathway analysis of differentially expressed genes revealed young mice responded to x-ray exposure by significantly upregulating pathways involved in apoptosis and phagocytosis, a process that eliminates apoptotic cells and preserves tissue homeostasis. In contrast, the functional annotation of senescence was overrepresented among differentially expressed genes from irradiated old mice without enrichment of phagocytosis pathways. Pathways associated with hematologic malignancies were enriched in irradiated old mice compared with irradiated young mice. The fibroblast growth factor signaling pathway was underrepresented in older mice under basal conditions. Similarly, brain-related functions were underrepresented in unirradiated old mice. Thus, age-dependent gene expression differences should be considered when developing gene signatures for use in radiation biodosimetry.

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