Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, University of St. Andrews, North Haugh, St. Andrews, KY16 9ST, UK.
USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA.
Sci Rep. 2020 Oct 8;10(1):16847. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-73809-3.
Deformed wing virus (DWV) is a persistent pathogen of European honey bees and the major contributor to overwintering colony losses. The prevalence of DWV in honey bees has led to significant concerns about spillover of the virus to other pollinating species. Bumble bees are both a major group of wild and commercially-reared pollinators. Several studies have reported pathogen spillover of DWV from honey bees to bumble bees, but evidence of a sustained viral infection characterized by virus replication and accumulation has yet to be demonstrated. Here we investigate the infectivity and transmission of DWV in bumble bees using the buff-tailed bumble bee Bombus terrestris as a model. We apply a reverse genetics approach combined with controlled laboratory conditions to detect and monitor DWV infection. A novel reverse genetics system for three representative DWV variants, including the two master variants of DWV-type A and B-was used. Our results directly confirm DWV replication in bumble bees but also demonstrate striking resistance to infection by certain transmission routes. Bumble bees may support DWV replication but it is not clear how infection could occur under natural environmental conditions.
变形翅膀病毒（DWV）是欧洲蜜蜂的持续性病原体，也是导致越冬蜂群损失的主要原因。DWV 在蜜蜂中的流行程度引起了人们对病毒溢出到其他传粉物种的严重关注。大黄蜂既是野生和商业饲养的主要传粉者群体之一。有几项研究报告了 DWV 从蜜蜂到大黄蜂的病原体溢出，但尚未证明存在以病毒复制和积累为特征的持续病毒感染的证据。在这里，我们使用黄带熊蜂 Bombus terrestris 作为模型来研究 DWV 在大黄蜂中的感染性和传播。我们采用反向遗传学方法结合受控的实验室条件来检测和监测 DWV 感染。我们使用了一种新的反向遗传学系统来研究三种代表性的 DWV 变体，包括 DWV-A 型和 B 型的两个主要变体。我们的结果直接证实了 DWV 在大黄蜂中的复制，但也表明对某些传播途径的感染具有惊人的抵抗力。大黄蜂可能支持 DWV 的复制，但尚不清楚在自然环境条件下感染是如何发生的。
