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- Title
Salivary Cystatin-L2-like of Varroa destructor Causes Lower Metabolism Activity and Abnormal Development in Apis mellifera Pupae.
- Authors
Zhou, He; Duan, Xinle; Sun, Chaoxia; Huang, Hongji; Yang, Mei; Huang, Shaokang; Li, Jianghong
- Abstract
Simple Summary: Varroa destructor salivary secretion plays a vital role in mite–bee interactions. In this study, we found that the salivary cystatin gene was highly expressed in mites during the reproductive phase when they fed on pupal bees. Injection of prokaryotic-expressed cystatin into white-eyed pupal bees downregulated the metabolism of carbohydrates, fatty acids, and amino acids, and ATP production, which caused the pupal bees to fail to emerge and decreased the weight of newly emerged bees. Downregulation could save nutrients and energy for V. destructor to maximize its reproduction potential, implying that Varroa destructor could manipulate the metabolism of host bees through the injected salivary secretion. These results provide new insights into mite–bee interactions, providing a basis for Varroa destructor control in apiculture. Varroa destructor injects a salivary secretion into honeybees during their feeding process. The salivary secretion plays a vital role in mite–bee interactions and is the main cause of honeybee illness. To determine the biological function of cystatin-L2-like, one of the components of V. destructor salivary secretion, its gene expression in mites during the reproductive phase and dispersal phase was quantified using RT-qPCR, respectively. Moreover, the E. coli-expressed and -purified cystatin was injected into the white-eyed honeybee pupae, and its effects on the survival, the weight of the newly emerged bee, and the transcriptome were determined. The results showed that cystatin was significantly upregulated in mites during the reproductive phase. Cystatin significantly shortened the lifespan of pupae and decreased the weight of the newly emerged bees. Transcriptome sequencing showed that cystatin upregulated 1496 genes and downregulated 1483 genes in pupae. These genes were mainly enriched in ATP synthesis, the mitochondrial respiratory chain, and cuticle structure and function. Cystatin comprehensively downregulated the metabolism of carbohydrates, fatty acids, and amino acids, and energy production in the pupae. The downregulation of metabolic activity could save more nutrients and energy for V. destructor, helping it to maximize its reproduction potential, implying that the mite could manipulate the metabolism of host bees through the injected salivary secretion. The results provide new insights into mite–bee interactions, providing a basis for related studies and applications.
- Subjects
VARROA destructor; HONEYBEES; PUPAE; CARBOHYDRATE metabolism; METABOLISM; BEEKEEPING
- Publication
Animals (2076-2615), 2023, Vol 13, Issue 23, p3660
- ISSN
2076-2615
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3390/ani13233660