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Molecular detection of protozoan parasites infecting A pis mellifera colonies in J apan
Author(s) -
Morimoto Tomomi,
Kojima Yuriko,
Yoshiyama Mikio,
Kimura Kiyoshi,
Yang Bu,
Peng Guangda,
Kadowaki Tatsuhiko
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
environmental microbiology reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.229
H-Index - 69
ISSN - 1758-2229
DOI - 10.1111/j.1758-2229.2012.00385.x
Subject(s) - biology , protozoan parasite , microbiology and biotechnology , parasite hosting , world wide web , computer science
Summary The role of protozoan parasites in honey bee health and distribution in the world is not well understood. Therefore, we carried out a molecular survey for the presence of C rithidia mellificae and A picystis bombi in the colonies of both non‐native A pis mellifera and native A pis cerana japonica in J apan. We found that A . mellifera , but not A . c. japonica , colonies are parasitized with C . mellificae and A . bombi . Their absence in A . c. japonica colonies indicates that A . mellifera is their native host. Nevertheless, the prevalence in A . mellifera colonies is low compared with other pathogens such as viruses and N osema microsporidia. J apanese C . mellificae isolates share well‐conserved nuclear‐encoded gene sequences with S wiss and US isolates. We have found two J apanese haplotypes ( A and B ) with two nucleotide differences in the kinetoplast‐encoded cytochrome b sequence. The haplotype A is identical to S wiss isolate. These results demonstrate that C . mellificae and A . bombi distribute in A sia, O ceania, E urope, and S outh and N orth A mericas.