A metagenomic survey of microbes in honey bee colony collapse disorder.
In colony collapse disorder (CCD), honey bee colonies inexplicably lose their workers. CCD has resulted in a loss of 50 to 90% of colonies in beekeeping operations across the United States. The observation that irradiated combs from affected colonies can be repopulated with naive bees suggests that infection may contribute to CCD. We used an unbiased metagenomic approach to survey microflora in CCD hives, normal hives, and imported royal jelly. Candidate pathogens were screened for significance of association with CCD by the examination of samples collected from several sites over a period of 3 years. One organism, Israeli acute paralysis virus of bees, was strongly correlated with CCD.
Cox-Foster
Diana L
DL
Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
Conlan
Sean
S
Holmes
Edward C
EC
Palacios
Gustavo
G
Evans
Jay D
JD
Moran
Nancy A
NA
Quan
Phenix-Lan
PL
Briese
Thomas
T
Hornig
Mady
M
Geiser
David M
DM
Martinson
Vince
V
vanEngelsdorp
Dennis
D
Kalkstein
Abby L
AL
Drysdale
Andrew
A
Hui
Jeffrey
J
Zhai
Junhui
J
Cui
Liwang
L
Hutchison
Stephen K
SK
Simons
Jan Fredrik
JF
Egholm
Michael
M
Pettis
Jeffery S
JS
Lipkin
W Ian
WI
D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001516:Bees / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000821:virology*; D005227:Fatty Acids; D020459:Genes, rRNA; D023281:Genomics; D007304:Insect Viruses / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016818:Nosema / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012328:RNA Viruses / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014351:Trypanosomatina / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000099219:Royal Jelly