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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Bee Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #287349
Title: Selected techniques and protocols in American foulbrood research

Author
item DE GRAAF, DIRK - Ghent University
item ALIPPI, ADRIANNA - National University Of Laplata
item ANTUNEZ, KARINA - University Of Montevideo
item Aronstein, Katherine
item BUDGE, GILES - Central Science Laboratory
item DEKOKER, DIETER - Ghent University
item DE SMET, LINA - Ghent University
item DINGMAN, DOUGLAS - University Of Connecticut
item Evans, Jay
item FOSTER, LEONARD - University Of British Columbia
item FUNFHAUS, ANNE - Institute For Bee Research
item GARCIA-GONZALEZ, EVA - Institute For Bee Research
item GREGORC, ALES - Agricultural Institute Of Slovenia
item HUMAN, HANNELIE - University Of Pretoria
item Murray, Keith
item NGUYEN, BACH KIM - University Of Liege
item POPPINGA, LENA - Institute For Bee Research
item SPIVAK, MARLA - University Of Minnesota
item VANENGELSDORP, DENNIS - University Of Maryland
item WILKINS, SELWYN - Central Science Laboratory
item GENERSCH, ELKE - Institute For Bee Research

Submitted to: Journal of Apicultural Research
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/1/2012
Publication Date: 4/1/2013
Citation: De Graaf, D.C., Alippi, A.M., Antunez, K., Aronstein, K.A., Budge, G., Dekoker, D., De Smet, L., Dingman, D.W., Evans, J.D., Foster, L.J., Funfhaus, A., Garcia-Gonzalez, E., Gregorc, A., Human, H., Murray, K.D., Nguyen, B., Poppinga, L., Spivak, M., Vanengelsdorp, D., Wilkins, S., Genersch, E. 2013. Selected techniques and protocols in American foulbrood research. Journal of Apicultural Research. 52(1). doi: 10.3896/IBRA.1.52.1.11.

Interpretive Summary: American foulbrood (AFB) is a tightly regulated bacterial disease of honey bees that affects trade, the availability of colonies for pollination, and the economic survival of beekeeper operations. This article provides current methods for identifying, studying, and eliminating the bacterium causing AFB. These methods are standardized so that work is comparable across labs, and so that all researchers and regulators can use the most up-to-date methods for controlling this disease.

Technical Abstract: American foulbrood is one of the most devastating diseases of the honey bee caused by the spore-forming, Gram-positive rod-shaped bacterium Paenibacillus larvae. The recent updated genome assembly and annotation of this pathogen now permits in depth molecular studies. In the present paper, selected techniques and protocols for American foulbrood research are provided, often in a bullet-style format that permits easy implementation in the laboratory. Topics covered include: ‘working with Paenibacillus larvae’, ‘basic microbiological techniques’, ‘experimental infection’ and ‘omics and other sophisticated techniques’. Further, this paper covers other technical information including ‘biosafety measurements’ to guarantee the safe handling of this pathogen and the ‘expression of heterologous proteins in P. larvae’.