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Viruses
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Honeybee Viruses
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Honeybee Viruses

A special issue of Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915). This special issue belongs to the section "Invertebrate Viruses".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2015) | Viewed by 71605

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Elke Genersch

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
1. Institute for Bee Research, Friedrich-Engels-Str. 32, 16540 Hohen Neuendorf, Germany
2. Veterinary Faculty, Department for Microbiology and Epizootics, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-von-Ostertag-Str. 7-13, 14163 Berlin, Germany
Interests: viral, bacterial, and fungal bee pathogens; evolution of virulence; host-pathogen interactions; individual and social immune response in bees
Dr. Sebastian Gisder

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute for Bee Research, D-16540 Hohen Neuendorf, Germany
Interests: epidemiology; molecular tools for bee disease diagnostics; Nosema spp.; DWV

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Bees in general are essential for pollination of many wild and cultivated plant species and contribute not only to the maintenance of ecosystems but also to the profitability of agriculture. Among bees, managed honeybees (Apis mellifera) are the most important commercial pollinators used in agriculture all over the world. Hence, any losses of honeybee colonies cause economic losses in both apiculture and agriculture. Over the last decade, unusually high and inexplicable losses of honeybee colonies over winter or during the bee season have been reported from many parts of the world and several independent research efforts have identified honeybee viruses as one of the major players in these losses. Furthermore, recent results show that honeybee viruses may spill over from managed honeybee populations to wild bees such as bumblebees and it is conceivable that such newly introduced viral pathogens might contribute to population decline in these insect pollinators. Therefore, the putative host promiscuity of “honeybee” viruses urges us to broaden our horizon and to analyze these viruses in their entire ecological context and not only in relation to honeybees. This opens new interesting research fields.

This special issue of "Honeybee Viruses" will shed light on epidemiology and cellular and molecular pathology of honeybee virus infections in bees in general. Furthermore, results on the immune response of bees towards viral infections or the feasibility of RNAi-treatment strategies will be presented. Manuscripts that deal with the identification of new honeybee viruses or new hosts for known honeybee viruses are also welcome. The compilation of reviews and/or original research publications will showcase and highlight current research results in the field of honeybee virology.

Dr. Elke Genersch
Dr. Sebastian Gisder
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • virus-varroa relationship
  • discovery of new honeybee viruses
  • DWV
  • ABPV/KBV/IAPV clade
  • CBPV
  • orphan honeybee viruses
  • RNAi approaches against virus infections in honeybees
  • colony losses and virus infections
  • immune response towards viral infections in honeybees

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Editorial

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170 KiB  
Editorial
Special Issue: Honey Bee Viruses
by Sebastian Gisder and Elke Genersch
Viruses 2015, 7(10), 5603-5608; https://doi.org/10.3390/v7102885 - 26 Oct 2015
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 8990
Abstract
Pollination of flowering plants is an important ecosystem service provided by wild insect pollinators and managed honey bees. Hence, losses and declines of pollinating insect species threaten human food security and are of major concern not only for apiculture or agriculture but for [...] Read more.
Pollination of flowering plants is an important ecosystem service provided by wild insect pollinators and managed honey bees. Hence, losses and declines of pollinating insect species threaten human food security and are of major concern not only for apiculture or agriculture but for human society in general. Honey bee colony losses and bumblebee declines have attracted intensive research interest over the last decade and although the problem is far from being solved we now know that viruses are among the key players of many of these bee losses and bumblebee declines. With this special issue on bee viruses we, therefore, aimed to collect high quality original papers reflecting the current state of bee virus research. To this end, we focused on newly discovered viruses (Lake Sinai viruses, bee macula-like virus), or a so far neglected virus species (Apis mellifera filamentous virus), and cutting edge technologies (mass spectrometry, RNAi approach) applied in the field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Honeybee Viruses)

Research

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827 KiB  
Article
The Apis mellifera Filamentous Virus Genome
by Laurent Gauthier, Scott Cornman, Ulrike Hartmann, François Cousserans, Jay D. Evans, Joachim R. De Miranda and Peter Neumann
Viruses 2015, 7(7), 3798-3815; https://doi.org/10.3390/v7072798 - 9 Jul 2015
Cited by 69 | Viewed by 11612
Abstract
A complete reference genome of the Apis mellifera Filamentous virus (AmFV) was determined using Illumina Hiseq sequencing. The AmFV genome is a double stranded DNA molecule of approximately 498,500 nucleotides with a GC content of 50.8%. It encompasses 247 non-overlapping open reading frames [...] Read more.
A complete reference genome of the Apis mellifera Filamentous virus (AmFV) was determined using Illumina Hiseq sequencing. The AmFV genome is a double stranded DNA molecule of approximately 498,500 nucleotides with a GC content of 50.8%. It encompasses 247 non-overlapping open reading frames (ORFs), equally distributed on both strands, which cover 65% of the genome. While most of the ORFs lacked threshold sequence alignments to reference protein databases, twenty-eight were found to display significant homologies with proteins present in other large double stranded DNA viruses. Remarkably, 13 ORFs had strong similarity with typical baculovirus domains such as PIFs (per os infectivity factor genes: pif-1, pif-2, pif-3 and p74) and BRO (Baculovirus Repeated Open Reading Frame). The putative AmFV DNA polymerase is of type B, but is only distantly related to those of the baculoviruses. The ORFs encoding proteins involved in nucleotide metabolism had the highest percent identity to viral proteins in GenBank. Other notable features include the presence of several collagen-like, chitin-binding, kinesin and pacifastin domains. Due to the large size of the AmFV genome and the inconsistent affiliation with other large double stranded DNA virus families infecting invertebrates, AmFV may belong to a new virus family. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Honeybee Viruses)
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737 KiB  
Article
Genome Characterization, Prevalence and Distribution of a Macula-Like Virus from Apis mellifera and Varroa destructor
by Joachim R. De Miranda, R. Scott Cornman, Jay D. Evans, Emilia Semberg, Nizar Haddad, Peter Neumann and Laurent Gauthier
Viruses 2015, 7(7), 3586-3602; https://doi.org/10.3390/v7072789 - 6 Jul 2015
Cited by 53 | Viewed by 9314
Abstract
Around 14 distinct virus species-complexes have been detected in honeybees, each with one or more strains or sub-species. Here we present the initial characterization of an entirely new virus species-complex discovered in honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) and varroa mite (Varroa destructor) samples from [...] Read more.
Around 14 distinct virus species-complexes have been detected in honeybees, each with one or more strains or sub-species. Here we present the initial characterization of an entirely new virus species-complex discovered in honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) and varroa mite (Varroa destructor) samples from Europe and the USA. The virus has a naturally poly-adenylated RNA genome of about 6500 nucleotides with a genome organization and sequence similar to the Tymoviridae (Tymovirales; Tymoviridae), a predominantly plant-infecting virus family. Literature and laboratory analyses indicated that the virus had not previously been described. The virus is very common in French apiaries, mirroring the results from an extensive Belgian survey, but could not be detected in equally-extensive Swedish and Norwegian bee disease surveys. The virus appears to be closely linked to varroa, with the highest prevalence found in varroa samples and a clear seasonal distribution peaking in autumn, coinciding with the natural varroa population development. Sub-genomic RNA analyses show that bees are definite hosts, while varroa is a possible host and likely vector. The tentative name of Bee Macula-like virus (BeeMLV) is therefore proposed. A second, distantly related Tymoviridae-like virus was also discovered in varroa transcriptomes, tentatively named Varroa Tymo-like virus (VTLV). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Honeybee Viruses)
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1116 KiB  
Article
Characterisation of Structural Proteins from Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus (CBPV) Using Mass Spectrometry
by Aurore Chevin, Bruno Coutard, Philippe Blanchard, Anne-Sophie Dabert-Gay, Magali Ribière-Chabert and Richard Thiéry
Viruses 2015, 7(6), 3329-3344; https://doi.org/10.3390/v7062774 - 23 Jun 2015
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 8089
Abstract
Chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV) is the etiological agent of chronic paralysis, an infectious and contagious disease in adult honeybees. CBPV is a positive single-stranded RNA virus which contains two major viral RNA fragments. RNA 1 (3674 nt) and RNA 2 (2305 nt) [...] Read more.
Chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV) is the etiological agent of chronic paralysis, an infectious and contagious disease in adult honeybees. CBPV is a positive single-stranded RNA virus which contains two major viral RNA fragments. RNA 1 (3674 nt) and RNA 2 (2305 nt) encode three and four putative open reading frames (ORFs), respectively. RNA 1 is thought to encode the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) since the amino acid sequence derived from ORF 3 shares similarities with the RdRP of families Nodaviridae and Tombusviridae. The genomic organization of CBPV and in silico analyses have suggested that RNA 1 encodes non-structural proteins, while RNA 2 encodes structural proteins, which are probably encoded by ORFs 2 and 3. In this study, purified CBPV particles were used to characterize virion proteins by mass spectrometry. Several polypeptides corresponding to proteins encoded by ORF 2 and 3 on RNA 2 were detected. Their role in the formation of the viral capsid is discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Honeybee Viruses)
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1347 KiB  
Article
Honey Bee Infecting Lake Sinai Viruses
by Katie F. Daughenbaugh, Madison Martin, Laura M. Brutscher, Ian Cavigli, Emma Garcia, Matt Lavin and Michelle L. Flenniken
Viruses 2015, 7(6), 3285-3309; https://doi.org/10.3390/v7062772 - 23 Jun 2015
Cited by 77 | Viewed by 15906
Abstract
Honey bees are critical pollinators of important agricultural crops. Recently, high annual losses of honey bee colonies have prompted further investigation of honey bee infecting viruses. To better characterize the recently discovered and very prevalent Lake Sinai virus (LSV) group, we sequenced currently [...] Read more.
Honey bees are critical pollinators of important agricultural crops. Recently, high annual losses of honey bee colonies have prompted further investigation of honey bee infecting viruses. To better characterize the recently discovered and very prevalent Lake Sinai virus (LSV) group, we sequenced currently circulating LSVs, performed phylogenetic analysis, and obtained images of LSV2. Sequence analysis resulted in extension of the LSV1 and LSV2 genomes, the first detection of LSV4 in the US, and the discovery of LSV6 and LSV7. We detected LSV1 and LSV2 in the Varroa destructor mite, and determined that a large proportion of LSV2 is found in the honey bee gut, suggesting that vector-mediated, food-associated, and/or fecal-oral routes may be important for LSV dissemination. Pathogen-specific quantitative PCR data, obtained from samples collected during a small-scale monitoring project, revealed that LSV2, LSV1, Black queen cell virus (BQCV), and Nosema ceranae were more abundant in weak colonies than strong colonies within this sample cohort. Together, these results enhance our current understanding of LSVs and illustrate the importance of future studies aimed at investigating the role of LSVs and other pathogens on honey bee health at both the individual and colony levels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Honeybee Viruses)
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227 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Oral Administration of dsRNA on Viral Replication and Mortality in Bombus terrestris
by Niels Piot, Simon Snoeck, Maarten Vanlede, Guy Smagghe and Ivan Meeus
Viruses 2015, 7(6), 3172-3185; https://doi.org/10.3390/v7062765 - 18 Jun 2015
Cited by 44 | Viewed by 8035
Abstract
Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV), a single-stranded RNA virus, has a worldwide distribution and affects honeybees as well as other important pollinators. IAPV infection in honeybees has been successfully repressed by exploiting the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway of the insect’s innate immune response [...] Read more.
Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV), a single-stranded RNA virus, has a worldwide distribution and affects honeybees as well as other important pollinators. IAPV infection in honeybees has been successfully repressed by exploiting the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway of the insect’s innate immune response with virus-specific double stranded RNA (dsRNA). Here we investigated the effect of IAPV infection in the bumblebee Bombus terrestris and its tissue tropism. B. terrestris is a common pollinator of wild flowers in Europe and is used for biological pollination in agriculture. Infection experiments demonstrated a similar pathology and tissue tropism in bumblebees as reported for honeybees. The effect of oral administration of virus-specific dsRNA was examined and resulted in an effective silencing of the virus, irrespective of the length. Interestingly, we observed that non-specific dsRNA was also efficient against IAPV. However further study is needed to clarify the precise mechanism behind this effect. Finally we believe that our data are indicative of the possibility to use dsRNA for a broad range viral protection in bumblebees. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Honeybee Viruses)
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403 KiB  
Article
Dynamics of Apis mellifera Filamentous Virus (AmFV) Infections in Honey Bees and Relationships with Other Parasites
by Ulrike Hartmann, Eva Forsgren, Jean-Daniel Charrière, Peter Neumann and Laurent Gauthier
Viruses 2015, 7(5), 2654-2667; https://doi.org/10.3390/v7052654 - 22 May 2015
Cited by 43 | Viewed by 8761
Abstract
Apis mellifera filamentous virus (AmFV) is a large double stranded DNA virus of honey bees, but its relationship with other parasites and prevalence are poorly known. We analyzed individual honey bees from three colonies at different times post emergence in order to monitor [...] Read more.
Apis mellifera filamentous virus (AmFV) is a large double stranded DNA virus of honey bees, but its relationship with other parasites and prevalence are poorly known. We analyzed individual honey bees from three colonies at different times post emergence in order to monitor the dynamics of the AmFV gut colonization under natural conditions. Prevalence and loads of microsporidia and trypanosomes were also recorded, as well as five common honey bee RNA viruses. The results show that a high proportion of bees get infected with AmFV during the first week post-emergence (75%) and that AmFV DNA levels remained constant. A similar pattern was observed for microsporidia while trypanosomes seem to require more time to colonize the gut. No significant associations between these three infections were found, but significant positive correlations were observed between AmFV and RNA viruses. In parallel, the prevalence of AmFV in France and Sweden was assessed from pooled honey bee workers. The data indicate that AmFV is almost ubiquitous, and does not seem to follow seasonal patterns, although higher viral loads were significantly detected in spring. A high prevalence of AmFV was also found in winter bees, without obvious impact on overwintering of the colonies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Honeybee Viruses)
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