OncologyBee-Killing Parasite Genome Sequenced
Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists have sequenced the genome
of a parasite that can kill honey bees. Nosema ceranae is one of many
pathogens suspected of contributing to the current bee population decline,
termed colony collapse disorder (CCD). Researchers describe the
parasite"s genome in a study published June 5 in the open-access journal
PLoS Pathogens.
In 2006, CCD began devastating commercial beekeeping operations, with some
beekeepers reporting losses of up to 90 percent, according to the USDA.
Researchers believe CCD may be the result of a combination of pathogens,
parasites and stress factors, but the cause remains elusive. At stake are
honey bees that play a valuable part in a $15 billion industry of crop
farming in the United States.
The microsporidian Nosema is a fungus-related microbe that produces spores
that bees consume when they forage. Infection spreads from their digestive
tract to other tissues. Within weeks, colonies are either wiped out or
lose much of their strength. Nosema apis was the leading cause of
microsporidia
infections among domestic bee colonies until recently when N. ceranae
jumped from Asian honey bees to the European honey bees used commercially
in the
United States.
The ARS scientists used genetic tools and microscopic analysis at the ARS
Bee Research Laboratory (BRL) in Beltsville, Maryland to examine N.
ceranae.
They collaborated with colleagues at the University of Maryland, College
Park, Maryland, Columbia University, New York, New York, and 454 Life
Sciences, of Branford, Connecticut.
Sequencing the genome should help scientists trace the parasite"s
migration patterns, determine how it became dominant, and help resolve the
spread
of infection by enabling the development of diagnostic tests and
treatments.
ARS is a scientific research agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
CITATION:
"Genomic Analyses of the Microsporidian Nosema ceranae, an Emergent Pathogen of Honey Bees."
Cornman RS, Chen YP, Schatz MC, Street C, Zhao Y, et al. (2009)
PLoS Pathog 5(6): e1000466. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1000466
PLoS Pathogens