[Localization of deformed wing virus in infection in queen and drone Apis mellifera L.]
2007
Fevet, G. | Tencheva, D.
The infectivity of bee queens and drones with deformed wing virus (DWV), as well as its distribution within different organs and tissues were studied by the RT-PCR method, immunochemistry and electronic microscopy. DWV was detected in 67% of clinically healthy productive bee queens, 78% of drones collected at a hive entrance and 100% of drones before the hive entrance. The number of virus genome copies in RT-PCR was maximum in testes and digestive tracts of drones, lower – in glands; in queens – maximum in ovaries and the least – in heads and digestive tracts. Some attempts to identify the localization of DWV in digestive tracts and ovaries by a serological test and hybridization were not successive in spite of detection of virus RNA in RT-PCR. Adipose cells gave a strong and specific response to DWV. Therefore, the DWV infection of fatty cells in queens results in their reduced productivity. In drones DWV was detected in epithelial cells in seminal vesicles, accessory glands. The intensive replication of DWV in them influenced negatively the productivity of drones, and consequently contaminated sperm was a source of infection bee females and the next bee generations. DWV was also detected in most drones’ epithelial cells of proventriculus, mid and hind intestine. It is concluded that DWV affects certain tissues of bees’ genital and digestive tracts. Many epithelial cells are adjacent to the basal membrane which is a physiological barrier preventing from penetrating viruses into internal organs. This explains the differences in the infection running under peroral and vector infections of bees. The spread of infection in a bee family among adult bees and larvae in the nutrition process or through gland excretions is much lower.
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