Publication details
Cellular immune response of honey bees against Varroa destructor
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2019 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | Despite their lack of adapted immunity, insects are capable of manifesting strong immune response which can be resolved into two broad categories: humoral and cellular immunity. The primary mediators of cellular immunity are haemocytes – specialised immune cells found in haemolymph. There are many types of haemocytes in different insect species, for instance plasmatocytes, granulocytes, lamellocytes, oenocytes and many others. They are specialised in different defense mechanisms including phagocytosis, nodulation and encapsulation. As a model organism for haemocyte analysis we choose the honey bee (Apis mellifera). This ecologically and economically important species is currently struggling with significant decline in many parts of the world which is except other factors caused by bee pathogens. Here we compare the haemolymph samples from healthy bees and bees from hives infected with parasite Varroa destructor. This mite is well known for its ability to infect both larvae and workers, transmit viruses further amplifying its negative impact; and if not treated bringing the hive to the collapse in just one year. We use flow cytometry with the help of various fluorescent markers to distinguish the elements present in the haemolymph including haemocytes. This method allows us to observe changes in haemocyte counts, their viability and activity. Our analyses were performed through the whole year 2019 to monitor the conditions of the hives and determine its health status. We also use confocal microscopy to compare honey bee haemocytes with characteristics of other species. Our results confirm that in honey bee haemolymph we can distinguish living haemocytes with intact membrane, permeabilised cells and not well-defined cellular debris. It remains to be confirmed if there is a significant difference between healthy and Varroa-infected bees. This study was supported by the Grant Agency of Masaryk university. |
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