title: Influence of Amitraz and Oxalic Acid on the Cuticle Proteolytic System of Apis mellifera L. Workers.
abstract: This work verifies that amitraz and oxalic acid treatment affect honeybee cuticle proteolytic enzymes (CPE). Three bee groups were monitored: oxalic acid treatment, amitraz treatment, control. Electrophoresis of hydrophilic and hydrophobic CPE was performed. Protease and protease inhibitor activities (in vitro) and antifungal/antibacterial efficiencies (in vivo), were analyzed. Amitraz and oxalic acid treatment reduced hydrophobic, but did not affect hydrophilic, protein concentrations and reduced both hydrophilic and hydrophobic body surface asparagine and serine protease activities in relation to most substrates and independently of pH. The activities of natural cuticle inhibitors of acidic, neutral, and alkaline proteases were suppressed as a result of the treatments, corresponding with reduced antifungal and antibacterial activity. Electrophoretic patterns of low-, medium-, and high-molecular-weight proteases and protease inhibitors were also affected by the treatments.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental and Environmental Biology, Department of Biological Basis of Animal Production, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, ul. Akademicka 13, PL-20-950 Lublin, Poland. aneta.strachecka@up.lublin.pl.
authors.forename: Aneta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Strachecka
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental and Environmental Biology, Department of Biological Basis of Animal Production, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, ul. Akademicka 13, PL-20-950 Lublin, Poland. jerzy.paleolog@up.lublin.pl.
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Paleolog
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental and Environmental Biology, Department of Biological Basis of Animal Production, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, ul. Akademicka 13, PL-20-950 Lublin, Poland. krzysztof.olszewski@up.lublin.pl.
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Olszewski
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental and Environmental Biology, Department of Biological Basis of Animal Production, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, ul. Akademicka 13, PL-20-950 Lublin, Poland. grzegorz.borsuk@up.lublin.pl.
authors.forename: Grzegorz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Borsuk
keywords: Apis mellifera; amitraz; bees; cuticle; oxalic acid; protease inhibitors; proteases