Impact of Varroa mite infestation on honey bees: Insight from proteomics and metabolomics
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2024 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | Varroa mites pose a significant threat to honey bee populations worldwide, impacting colony health and productivity. Parasitism by the Varroa mite is often associated with deformed wing virus (DWV) co-infection. In this study, we investigated the effect of Varroa mite infestation on short-living summer honey bees through comprehensive proteomics and metabolomics analyses, accompanied with the DWV loads evaluation. Our findings reveal profound alterations in the proteome and metabolome profiles of Varroa parasitised honey bees, indicative of systemic physiological perturbations. Specifically, we observed dysregulation in proteins responsible for nutrition, longevity, and hygienic behaviour. In Varroa parasitised bees, we detected an upregulation in proteins associated with energy metabolism, stress response, and immune function, which is consistent with our metabolomic data. Additionally, our analysis demonstrated a significant increase in DWV loads in Varroa parasitised honey bees, confirming the role of Varroa mites as vectors for viral transmission within honey bee colonies. These findings shed light on the multifaceted impact of Varroa mite infestation on honey bee health during the summer period. |
| Related projects: |