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At least 685 records · Page 38Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

Worker genetic diversity and infection by Nosema apis in honey bee colonies.

The hypothesis that parasites and pathogens select for polyandry in eusocial Hymenoptera was tested, using the honey bee Apis mellifera and its microsporidian parasite Nosema apis. Five honey bee colonies with low and five with high worker genetic diversity were infected with N. apis spores. At 54-56 days after inoculation, parasite spores in the workers' midguts were counted to determine whether there was a greater variation of infection intensity (spore counts per worker) in high-diversity colonies than in low-diversity ones. In all colonies there were two discrete sets of workers, with few or many parasite spores. To compare the variations of infection intensity between two colony groups, coefficients of variation were calculated for all workers examined, and for the slightly infected and strongly infected workers. The percentages of slightly infected workers in the low- and high-diversity groups were also compared. None of the comparisons between low- and high-diversity colonies showed significant differences, therefore no relation was found between honey bee workers' genetic diversity and their infection with N. apis.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Multiple molecular data sets suggest independent origins of highly eusocial behavior in bees (Hymenoptera:Apinae).

Different views of the pattern of social evolution among the highly eusocial bees have arisen as a result of discordance between past molecular and morphology-based phylogenies. Here we present new data and taxa for four molecular data sets and reassess the morphological characters available to date. We show there is no significant character incongruence between four molecular data sets (two nuclear and two mitochondrial), but highly significant character incongruence leads to topological incongruence between the molecular and morphological data. We investigate the effects of using different outgroup combinations to root the estimated tree. We also consider various ways in which biases in the sequence data could be misleading, using several maximum likelihood models, LogDet corrections, and spectral analyses. Ultimately, we concede there is strong discordance between the molecular and morphological data partitions and appropriately apply the conditional combination approach in this case. We also find two equally well supported placements of the root for the molecular trees, one supported by 16S and 28S sequences, the other supported by cytochrome b and opsin. The strength of the evidence leads us to accept two equally well supported hypotheses based on analyses of the molecular data sets. These are the most rigorously supported hypotheses of corbiculate bee relationships at this time, and frame our argument that highly eusocial behavior within the corbiculate bees evolved twice independently.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

[Olfactory perception and learning in the honey bee (Apis mellifera): calcium imaging in the antenna lobe].

Honey bees are a key-model in the study of learning and memory, because they show considerable learning abilities, their brain is well described and is accessible to a wide range of physiological recordings and treatments. We use in vivo calcium imaging to study olfactory perception in the bee brain, and combine this method to appetitive olfactory conditioning to unravel the neural substrates of olfactory learning. Odours are detected by receptor neurons on the antennae. Each receptor neuron projects to the first-order neuropile of the olfactory pathway, the antennal lobe, connecting to projection neurons in one of its 160 functional units, the glomeruli. In calcium imaging experiments, each odour elicits a particular activity pattern of antennal lobe glomeruli, according to a code conserved between individuals. The antennal lobe is also a site where the olfactory memory is formed. Using optical imaging, two studies have shown modulations of odour representation in the antennal lobe after learning, with different effects depending on the type of conditioning used. While simple differential conditioning (A + B- training) showed an increased calcium response to the reinforced odour, side-specific conditioning (A + B-/B + A- training) decorrelated the calcium responses of odours between brain sides. This difference may owe to the formation of different memories, which will be addressed in future work. By specifically staining antennal lobe neuronal subpopulations, we hope to be able in the future to study synaptic plasticity in the honey bee.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

New genomic resources for the honey bee(Apis mellifera L.): development of a deep-coverage BAC library and a preliminary STC database.

We have constructed a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library for a European honey bee strain using the cloning enzyme HindIII in order to develop resources for structural genomics research. The library contains 36,864 clones (ninety-six 384-well plates). A random sampling of 247 clones indicated an average insert size of 113 kb (range = 27 to 213 kb) and 2% empty vectors. Based on an estimated genome size of 270 Mb, this library provides approximately 15 haploid genome equivalents, allowing >99% probability of recovering any specific sequence of interest. High-density colony filters were gridded robotically using a Genetix Q-BOT in a 4 x 4 double-spotted array on 22.5-cm2 filters. Screening of the library with four mapped honey bee genomic clones and two bee cDNA probes identified an average of 21 positive signals per probe, with a range of 7-38 positive signals per probe. An additional screening was performed with nine aphid gene fragments and one Drosophila gene fragment resulting in seven of the nine aphid probes and the Drosophila probe producing positive signals with a range of 1 to 122 positive signals per probe (average of 45). To evaluate the utility of the library for sequence tagged connector analysis, 1152 BAC clones were end sequenced in both forward and reverse directions, giving a total of 2061 successful reads of high quality. End sequences were queried against SWISS-PROT, insect genomic sequence GSS, insect EST, and insect transposable element databases. Results in spreadsheet format from these searches are publicly available at the Clemson University Genomics Institute (CUGI) website in a searchable format (http://www.genome.clemson.edu/projects/stc/bee/AM__Ba/).

Animals↗
PubMed2004

[Supercritical CO2 extraction of fatty oils from bee pollen and its GC-MS analysis].

The extraction of fatty oils from bee pollen with supercritical CO2 was studied. The effects of extraction pressure, extraction temperature and the grinding size of the bee pollen on the yields were discussed. The optimal condition of this method was: extraction pressure 30MPa,extraction temperature 55 degrees C, separator I pressure 14MPa, separator I temperature 45 degrees C, separator II pressure 6MPa, separator II temperature 40 degrees C, extraction period 2 hours. Compared with the traditional solvent extraction, this method had some virtues, such as shortening the extraction period greatly, escaping oxidation of unsaturated fatty acid, and the products from which having better quality. With a GC-MS analysis, the main composition of the fatty oil from the bee pollen was: oleic acid, palmitic acid, linoic acid, pentacosane, octacosane and so on. The contents of alpha-linolenic acid in the fatty oils from separator I and separator II were 42% and 8.8%, which differed greatly. It proved that this method succeeded in extraction, separating and enriching alpha-linolenic acid.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Maternal influence on the acceptance of virgin queens introduced into Africanized honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies.

The oviposition potential of honey bee queens decreases with age, therefore it is important to replace old queens with younger ones on a periodic basis. However, queen replacement is problematic, especially in Africanized honey bee colonies, since many introduced queens are not accepted, and virgin queens are less easily accepted than are mated queens. We assessed the influence of genetic origin (queen mother) on the acceptance of queens, when they were introduced as virgins into Africanized honey bee colonies. For this purpose, 12 daughter queens from each of 11 mother queens with no degree of kinship among themselves were introduced. Introductions were made monthly, for 12 months, though the winter months of June and July were not included, as there is little brood and drones are rare in winter. There was some seasonal variation in the acceptance rates; generally there was greater acceptance in months with good honey flows. However, the acceptance of introduced queens was influenced by their origin. The rate of acceptance of daughter queens from the 11 different mother queens varied significantly, ranging from 33 to 75%. There appears to be a genetic influence of the mother queen on the introduced queen acceptance rate.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

[Bee sting of the cornea--a case report].

Published reports on bee stings of the cornea are rare, especially when it occurs in the winter season. have the potential for causing serious ophthalmologic problems. The venom in the sting can produce toxic and immunologic reactions. The result is acute ocular inflammation, which is usually confined to the anterior segment of the eye. The aim of our work is to present a 84-year-old man who was stung by a bee on the left cornea, while taking care of a swarm of bees. The main symptoms were pain, oedema of eyelids, conjunctival injection, keratitis and iritis. The sing was present in the cornea. After the removal of retained stinger and pharmacological treatment we observed rapid improvement.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Sperm morphology of mud dauber Sceliphron fistularium dahlbom (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Sphecidae), as an indication of bees relation.

The morphology of spermatozoon of Sceliphron fistularium is very similar to that described for bees. In particular, the response to E-PTA stains is similar to that observed in corbiculated Apidae, especially Meliponini bees. Spermatozoa measure 285 microm and are composed of 1) a bilayered acrosome (acrosomal vesicle and perforatorium); 2) a homogeneous and compact nucleus; 3) a 9+9+2 axoneme; 4) a rod-shaped centriolar adjunct; 5) two asymmetrical mitochondrial derivatives with paracrystalline material exclusively in the larger one, and 6) two accessory bodies. Only the accessory microtubules of axoneme and the paracrystalline material are E-PTA positive. Comparison of S. fistularium sperm to data on Hymenoptera corroborates their proximity with bees.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

The safety of thiamethoxam to pollinating bumble bees (Bombus terrestris L.) when applied to tomato plants through drip irrigation.

Thiamethoxam, mainly sold under the trademark of Actara, is a neonicotinoid widely used in covered vegetables for the control of aphids and whiteflies. In these crops, and particularly in covered tomatoes, bumble-bees are used for cross-pollination as an alternative to labour intensive manual techniques. In this study, made on tomatoes grown in separated greenhouse plots in Murcia, Southern Spain, thiamethoxam was applied through drip irrigation at a rate of 200 g ai/ha, and as a split application of the same rate, to evaluate the effects on pollinating bumble bees compared to a foliar application of a toxic standard. The results showed that the toxic foliar standard had a clear effect on the pollination of tomato flowers, declining to zero pollination two weeks after application, whereas both the single and split drip irrigation applications of Actara had no effect on pollination when compared to the control plots. The count of dead adults and larvae did not show any differences between the treatments, whereas the measurement of sugar water consumption was shown to correlate well with pollination. The consumption of sugar water declined in the toxic standard plots by 69% with respect to the control, whilst the decline in lower dose drip irrigation application was only 3%. In regard to hive weight, and number of adults and brood after destructive sampling; there were no statistical differences between the treatments but a negative effect of the foliar treatment was observed. Based on these results we can conclude that a split application of Actara applied in drip irrigation to the soil/substrate has no effect on the bumble-bees used in tomatoes for pollination.

Agriculture↗
PubMed1990

[Morphological observation of effect of bee pollen on intercellura lipofuscin in NIH mice].

By histochemical method we have observed the effect of bee pollen on lipofuscin in NIH mice. The results show that oral administration of bee pollen at 10 g/kg/d markedly reduces lipofuscin in cardiac muscle in aged mice, significantly inhibits the increase of lipofuscin in cardiac muscle, liver, brain and adrenal gland cells induced by orally given peroxidized corn oil or iv alloxan. This action may be related with the anti-ageing effect of bee pollen.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Acute renal failure due to multiple bee stings--case reports.

This report deals with a father and his son who developed acute renal failure following multiple bee stings. The renal lesion in these patients appears to be due to rhabdomyolysis caused by the bee venom. The other mechanisms are also discussed. The need for clinicians to be aware of acute renal failure as a complication of bee stings is stressed.

Acute Kidney Injury↗
PubMed1990

Antioxidant activity of and interleukin production affected by honey bee venom.

Honey bee venom is found to inhibit significantly nonenzymatic lipid peroxidation. It also possesses a considerable hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, evaluated by its competition with dimethyl sulfoxide for HO.. These results, in relation to the in vitro suppression mainly of interleukin-1 production offered by honey bee venom, may further support that antioxidant activity is involved in the anti-inflammatory activity of honey bee venom.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

[Effects of bee pollen on lipid peroxides and immune response in aging and malnourished mice].

The results showed that the level of hemolysin (HC), the numbers of plaque forming cells (PFC) and specific rosette forming cells (SRFC) in primary response to sheep red blood cells (SRBC) were markedly lowered and the lipoperoxide level in brain, liver and serum was increased in aging (over 18 months) and malnourished mice fed with ground corn in comparison to normal controls, while HC and the numbers of PFC and SRFC were significantly increased and the lipoperoxide level was markedly decreased after treatment with bee pollen 10 g/kg/d orally for 3 months and with 20% bee pollen-containing ground corn for 3 weeks respectively. The reduction of total protein and albumin contents of serum, DNA, RNA and protein contents of spleen and thymus in mice fed with ground corn can be prevented by adding 20% bee pollen in ground corn diet.

Aging↗
PubMed1988

[Epidemiological and clinical study on bee venom allergy among beekeepers].

A randomized population of 222 beekeepers from Lombardy (203 males, 19 females, of mean age 42.5 years) was studied to determine the frequency of allergic reactions to bee sting. The type of reactions, the clinical evolution at the subsequent stings and the risk factors concerning the development of allergy (presence of venom specific IgE, number of stings in a year, atopy, age) were evaluated. It was found that 170 beekeepers never presented reactions to stings while 52 (23.4%) showed allergic reactions consisting in 31 large local reactions and 21 systemic reactions; of these, 3 (5.7%) were life-threatening. In the group of beekeepers with allergic reactions at the subsequent stings, 26 (50%) showed a spontaneous loss of reactivity, 16 (30.8%) presented persistent, but unchanged in severity, reactions and 10 (19.2%) had a worsening of symptoms. Specific honey bee venom IgE levels (measured by means of RAST) were significantly lower in immune beekeepers when compared with the group with allergic reactions (p less than 0.01) and in beekeepers with previous allergy when compared to the ones with persistent reactions (p less than 0.05). We also found significant differences about the number of stings received in a year by beekeepers with persistent allergic reactions (17.5 stings), beekeepers with previous allergy (89.8 stings) and immune subjects (126.9 stings). On the contrary, no significant differences were detected about the age and the presence of atopy. These results suggest that practice of bee-keeping induces a relatively high incidence of allergic reactions but with a trend to the spontaneous improvement of symptoms and a low incidence of severe reactions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Bee venom, adjuvant induced disease and interleukin production.

Interleukin production and the in vitro mitogenic responses from honey bee venom treated normal rat splenocytes were reduced considerably compared to controls. Addition of interleukin-1 (IL-1) or interleukin-2 (IL-2) supernatants to these cultures in vitro resulted in an increase of their responses to normal levels. These results suggest that in vivo honey bee venom treatment affects the production of IL-1 by macrophages directly. Honey bee venom treatment affects adjuvant induced disease development by inhibiting certain macrophage functions and thus indirectly inhibiting the activation of T and B cells, and possibly the activation of an endogenous virus which might be involved in adjuvant induced disease induction.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Spiroplasma apis, a new species from the honey-bee Apis mellifera.

Two spiroplasma strains (B31 and B39) recovered from diseased honey-bees (Apis mellifera) in southwestern France were similar in biochemical, serological and pathological properties. The organisms grew at 30 degrees C, required cholesterol for growth, fermented glucose, catabolized arginine and produced a film and spot reaction. The two spiroplasmas were serologically indistinguishable but were related to serogroup IV spiroplasmas, which had been previously isolated from flower surfaces and from insects. The isolates were distinct from the three previously established species of Spiroplasma and from other presently known serogroups. The G + C content of the DNA from strain B31 was 30 +/- 1 mol %. Both B31 and B39 strains were associated with a lethal infection ("May disease") of the honey-bee. On the basis of the characterization presented here, it is proposed that these spiroplasmal pathogens of bees and allied strains be classified as a new species, Spiroplasma apis, the type strain of which is B31 (ATCC 33834).

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Correlation of IgG and IgE antibody levels to honey bee venom allergens with protection to sting challenge.

A group of 25 honey bee venom allergic patients were treated with commercial honey bee venom at a monthly maintenance dose of 100 micrograms for approximately one year. At the end of one year 24 patients were intentionally challenged and one was accidentally challenged. Three patients experienced significant systemic reactions to challenge and three experienced minor reactions. Sera obtained before commencing therapy, at maintenance and before challenge were tested by radioallergosorbent test (RAST), double antibody technique and protein A RAST for IgE and IgG antibody levels to all five known honey bee venom allergens. All of the treatment failures experienced at least a two-fold rise in IgG antibody against phospholipase. The ratios of IgG to IgE antibodies in the pre-challenge specimens were analyzed by a graphical method. Four patients had inadequate responses to at least three of the five allergens and three of these patients were those who experienced severe reactions to challenge. Sixteen patients had adequate responses to all five allergens, four patients to four allergens and one patient to three allergens; three of these patients experienced minor or local reactions to challenge and the remainder no reaction. No single allergen identified only the three severe reactors but three allergens identified all three reactors. The diagnostic efficiency of the criteria used for assessing protection was 0.96. The only non-correlating case was classifying a single nonreactor as at risk. No patients were misclassified as protected.

Allergens↗
PubMed1984

The characterization of high-affinity binding sites in rat brain for the mast cell-degranulating peptide from bee venom using the purified monoiodinated peptide.

The preparation of a pure, monoiodinated derivative of mast cell-degranulating peptide (MCD peptide), the mast cell-degranulating peptide from bee venom, has enabled us to identify binding sites in rat brain membranes that have a high affinity and specificity for this peptide. These binding sites are evenly distributed throughout the brain and copurify with synaptic membranes. Saturation-binding curves, determined by rapid centrifugation or filtration assays, indicate a single population of sites with a concentration of 200 fmol/mg membrane protein in partially fractionated, lysed brain membranes. Dissociation constants of 150 and 140 pM were calculated for the iodinated and native peptides, respectively. These binding sites are probably associated with the neurotoxic action of MCD peptide in the central nervous system. No similar binding sites have been identified in peripheral tissue preparations, and other polycationic mast cell-degranulating agents including compound 48/80 show no such specificity. Specific modification of the primary amines, arginine residues, or disulfide bridges of MCD peptide results in a complete loss of binding activity. Other components of bee venom show specificity for the MCD peptide-binding site, suggesting that a class of neurotoxins in bee venom (possibly including secapin and tertiapin, but not apamin) share the specific action of MCD peptide on the central nervous system.

Amino Acid Sequence↗