2019 Fiscal Year Annual Research Report
Origins, spread and evolution of novel honey bee parasites and diseases
| Project/Area Number |
18H02216
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| Research Institution | Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University |
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Principal Investigator |
ミケェエヴ アレクサンダー 沖縄科学技術大学院大学, 生態・進化学ユニット, 准教授 (90601162)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
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| Keywords | parasites / mites / viruses / honey bees / coevolution |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
We have acquired almost all of the data proposed for project -- an extensive collection of Varroa mites around the world. We have developed methods for extracting DNA and RNA for sequencing form these specimens, and have sequenced DNA from about 2/3 of the samples already. We recently published reference genomes for the Varroa parasites (Varroa destructor and Varroa jacobsoni), which are invaluable references for the work we have still to complete. We have also published a well-received opinion paper, outlining the importance of Varroa coevolution in the bee-Varroa interaction. Previously, Varroa was believed to be largely clonal, and as such a static partner in the interaction, but we argue that this is not the case.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
1: Research has progressed more than it was originally planned.
Reason
This project was greatly aided by JSPS postdoctoral funding for Maeva Techer, who has spearheaded sample collection and established international networks necessary for this project to go forward. As a result, we were able to obtain all of the necessary material well ahead of schedule. She was also able to prepare all of the libraries for sequencing. As a result, we expect that the data acquisition component of this study will be done in the next month, maximally two. In addition to the published manuscript, we have two manuscripts in advanced drafts, to be submitted on the scale of weeks.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
In the next few months we will finish sequencing the DNA for all the Varroa mites collected (over 1000), and ~300 RNA libraries. The rest of the time will be spent analyzing the data and preparing manuscripts for publication. The DNA libraries will be used for tracing Varroa’s spread worldwide, and to understand how it evolves in response to different honey bee populations and human selection pressures. The RNA libraries will be used to trace the spread and evolution of viruses, the proximal causes of honey bee declines. We are working on two manuscripts: (1) Understanding the demographics associated with host switches in honey bee parasites. (2) A toolkit for studying Varroa genomics and transcriptomics: preservation, extraction and sequencing library preparation. The former is a major scientific paper, while the latter will be a widely useful methodological paper for other workers in the field.
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Research Products
(3 results)
