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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Baton Rouge, Louisiana » Honey Bee Lab » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #383950
Research Project: Using Genetics to Improve the Breeding and Health of Honey Bees

Location: Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics, and Physiology Research

Title: Context-dependent viral transgenerational immune priming in honey bees (Hymenoptera: apidae)

Author
item Lang, Sarah
item Simone-Finstrom, Michael
item HEALY, KRISTEN - Louisiana State University Agcenter

Submitted to: Journal of Insect Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/8/2022
Publication Date: 2/7/2022
Citation: Lang, S.A., Simone-Finstrom, M., Healy, K. 2022. Context-dependent viral transgenerational immune priming in honey bees (Hymenoptera: apidae). Journal of Insect Science. 22(1):19. https://doi.org/10.1093/jisesa/ieac001.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jisesa/ieac001

Interpretive Summary: Honey bees are threatened by multiple pests and pathogens. Deformed wing virus is a major contributor to honey bee health and colony loss. Honey bees are social insects that live together in large numbers and constantly interact with each other. Due to the social interaction between honey bees, there is huge potential for disease spread. It is important for researchers and beekeepers to have a better understanding of how these viruses and honey bees interact. In this study we test if virus exposure to the queen results in any immunity or increased resistance to the virus in her offspring. Our data suggests that there is potential for queens to pass on some resistance to progeny, but that there is genetic variability involved.

Technical Abstract: Transgenerational immune priming is the process of increased resistance to infection in offspring due to parental pathogen exposure. Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) are hosts to multiple pathogens, and this complex immune function could help protect against overwhelming infection. Honey bees have demonstrated transgenerational immune priming for the bacterial pathogen Paenibacillus larvae White, however evidence for viral transgenerational immune priming is lacking across insects in general. Here we test for the presence of transgenerational immune priming in honey bees with Deformed wing virus by injecting pupae from DWV exposed queens and measuring virus titer and immune gene expression. Our data suggests there is evidence for viral transgenerational immune priming in honey bees dependent on genetics and route of maternal exposure and potentially host genetics or epigenetic factors.