Bidirectional transfer of RNAi between honey bee and Varroa destructor: Varroa gene silencing reduces Varroa population

The mite Varroa destructor is an obligatory ectoparasite of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) and is one of the major threats to apiculture worldwide. We previously reported that honey bees fed on double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) with a sequence homologous to that of the Israeli acute paralysis virus are pr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PLoS pathogens 2012-12, Vol.8 (12), p.e1003035-e1003035
Main Authors: Garbian, Yael, Maori, Eyal, Kalev, Haim, Shafir, Sharoni, Sela, Ilan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agriculture
Animal genetics
Animals
Bees
Bees - genetics
Bees - parasitology
Biological Control Agents
Biology
Blotting, Northern
DNA methylation
Gene Silencing
Host-Parasite Interactions - genetics
Host-Parasite Interactions - immunology
Insects
Parasites
Plant reproduction
Population
Population genetics
Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
RNA Interference
RNA, Double-Stranded - administration & dosage
RNA, Messenger - genetics
Varroidae - pathogenicity
Varroidae - physiology
Veterinary Science
Viral infections
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Summary:The mite Varroa destructor is an obligatory ectoparasite of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) and is one of the major threats to apiculture worldwide. We previously reported that honey bees fed on double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) with a sequence homologous to that of the Israeli acute paralysis virus are protected from the viral disease. Here we show that dsRNA ingested by bees is transferred to the Varroa mite and from mite on to a parasitized bee. This cross-species, reciprocal exchange of dsRNA between bee and Varroa engendered targeted gene silencing in the latter, and resulted in an over 60% decrease in the mite population. Thus, transfer of gene-silencing-triggering molecules between this invertebrate host and its ectoparasite could lead to a conceptually novel approach to Varroa control.
ISSN:1553-7374
1553-7366
1553-7374
DOI:10.1371/journal.ppat.1003035