Publication details
Fyziologie a imunitní systém trubců včely medonosné v kontextu parazitární zátěže
| Title in English | Physiology and immune system of honeybee drones in the context of parasitic load |
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| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
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| Citation | |
| Description | The honeybee (Apis mellifera) is one of the most important pollinators in the world. That is why its increasing decline is causing concern among both scientists and the public. The main factor contributing to this decline is intensive farming, which leads to the loss of natural habitats, the use of pesticides, temperature changes, and infections. In addition to a number of fungal and bacterial diseases, honeybee populations are also significantly affected by parasitism by the Varroa destructor mite and the viral infections that this mite transmits. Since Varroa destructor was only introduced to Europe in the 1970s, it represents a relatively new threat to European bee populations, which are still unable to cope with it sufficiently, leading to massive bee deaths and the collapse of entire colonies. Due to the rapid spread of varroasis, many studies have been conducted in recent years to describe the physiological and immune changes in parasitized worker bees in an effort to understand the nature of this disease and discover effective treatments. However, similar analyses are still lacking for drones. Yet their good health is also important for the colony, as they pass on their genetic information to future generations. Moreover, Varroa specifically prefers drones and attacks them about ten times more often than workers, even though they are only present in the colony for a limited time. The main objective of our work is therefore to investigate the impact of parasitism on the overall immunocompetence of drones. For this purpose, we will measure both the levels of basic nutrients - carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids, and immune parameters, such as the production of antimicrobial peptides or the strength of the phenoloxidase cascade, which have so far only been measured in healthy drones. Our findings will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanism by which Varroa reduces the immune system of bees, which is essential for the future development of effective drugs. The research is supported by the National Agency for Agricultural Research project QL24010241. |
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