Scholarlink

Background <p>The global decline of honey bee health, driven by multiple stressors impairing immunity, threatens both natural and managed ecosystems. Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) is often found at high loads in collapsing colonies, associated with an immunosuppressive syndrome still poorly understood. This study investigates gut microbiota community patterns associated with different levels of DWV infection, an overlooked aspect which can contribute to the reduction of immunocompetence in infected honey bees.</p> Results <p>We quantified DWV in nurse bees from the field and compared gut microbiota in individuals with high vs. low viral loads. We also examined microbiota changes in bees experimentally infected with DWV. In both cases, highly infected bees showed a decreased transcription level of <i>dorsal 1-A</i>, a consolidated molecular proxy of reduced immunocompetence in honey bees. Host immunosuppression was associated with a consistent gut dysbiosis, marked by a reduced relative abundance of beneficial genera such as <i>Fructobacillus</i>,<i> Lactobacillus</i>, and <i>Apilactobacillus</i> (Firmicutes, Bacilli), and a relative enrichment of <i>Bartonella</i> (Proteobacteria).</p> Conclusions <p>These findings shed new light on host-pathogen interactions and will allow a targeted manipulation of honey bee gut microbiota to limit DWV infections, which strongly contribute to colony losses.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Deformed Wing Virus infection induces immunosuppression and gut dysbiosis in honey bees

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年1月10日

查看全文
  • Andrea Becchimanzi,
  • Giovanna De Leva,
  • Alfonso Cacace,
  • Ilaria Di Lelio,
  • Claudia Damiani,
  • Maria Cristina Digilio,
  • Emilio Caprio,
  • Guido Favia,
  • Francesco Pennacchio

摘要

Background

The global decline of honey bee health, driven by multiple stressors impairing immunity, threatens both natural and managed ecosystems. Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) is often found at high loads in collapsing colonies, associated with an immunosuppressive syndrome still poorly understood. This study investigates gut microbiota community patterns associated with different levels of DWV infection, an overlooked aspect which can contribute to the reduction of immunocompetence in infected honey bees.

Results

We quantified DWV in nurse bees from the field and compared gut microbiota in individuals with high vs. low viral loads. We also examined microbiota changes in bees experimentally infected with DWV. In both cases, highly infected bees showed a decreased transcription level of dorsal 1-A, a consolidated molecular proxy of reduced immunocompetence in honey bees. Host immunosuppression was associated with a consistent gut dysbiosis, marked by a reduced relative abundance of beneficial genera such as Fructobacillus, Lactobacillus, and Apilactobacillus (Firmicutes, Bacilli), and a relative enrichment of Bartonella (Proteobacteria).

Conclusions

These findings shed new light on host-pathogen interactions and will allow a targeted manipulation of honey bee gut microbiota to limit DWV infections, which strongly contribute to colony losses.