Biology subjects

Pettis, J.

Publications and source records attributed to Pettis, J..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

A non-invasive method for profiling the gut microbiome and virome of honey bee queens

High honey bee colony mortality worldwide has underscored the critical role of queen bee health in colony survival, with poor queen quality frequently linked to colony losses. The gut microbiome plays fundamental roles in immunity, nutrition, and reproduction, making its characterization essential for understanding stressors that impact queen health, longevity, and fecundity, yet its role in mediating stress responses remains poorly understood. Here, we present a novel, non-invasive method for collecting feces from queen honey bees and demonstrate its potential as a powerful tool for profiling the gut microbiome, detecting stressor exposure, and screening for viral infections. This approach permits repeated, longitudinal assessments of individual queens, providing unprecedented insights into how environmental and pathogenic pressures influence queen health, longevity, and reproductive capacity. Beyond research applications, benefits include evaluating queens before colony introduction and mitigating disease transmission risks in international trade, where pathogen spread remains a major regulatory challenge.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2020

Trade-offs between sperm viability and immune protein expression in honey bee queens (Apis mellifera)

Queens of many social hymenoptera keep sperm alive within their specialized storage organ, the spermatheca, for years, defying the typical trade-off between lifespan and reproduction. However, whether honey bee queens experience a trade-off between reproduction and immunity is unknown, and the biochemical processes underlying sperm viability are poorly understood. Here, we survey quality metrics and viral loads of honey bee queens from nine genetic sources. Queens rated as failed by beekeepers had lower sperm viability, fewer sperm, and higher levels of SBV and BQCV. Quantitative proteomics on N = 123 spermathecal fluid samples shows, after accounting for sperm count, health status, and apiary effects, five spermathecal fluid proteins significantly correlating with sperm viability: odorant binding protein (OBP)14, lysozyme, serpin 88Ea, artichoke, and heat-shock protein (HSP)10. The significant negative correlation of lysozyme--a conserved immune effector--with sperm viability is consistent with a reproduction vs. immunity trade-off in honey bee queens.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2020

Candidate stress biomarkers for queen failure diagnostics

BackgroundQueen failure is a persistent problem in beekeeping operations, but in the absence of overt symptoms it is often difficult, if not impossible, to ascertain the root cause. Stressors like heat-shock, cold-shock, and sublethal pesticide exposure can reduce stored sperm viability and lead to cryptic queen failure. Previously, we suggested candidate protein markers indicating heat-shock in queens, which we investigate further here, and tested new stressors to identify additional candidate protein markers. ResultsWe found that heat-shocking queens for upwards of one hour at 40 {degrees}C was necessary to induce significant changes in the two strongest candidate heat-shock markers, and that relative humidity significantly influenced the degree of activation. In blind heat-shock experiments, we tested the efficiency of these markers at assigning queens to their respective treatment groups and found that one marker was sufficient to correctly assign queens 75% of the time. Finally, we compared cold-shocked queens at 4 {degrees}C and pesticide-exposed queens to controls to identify candidate markers for these additional stressors, and compared relative abundances of all markers to queens designated as healthy and failing by beekeepers. ConclusionsThis work offers some of the first steps towards developing molecular diagnostic tools to aid in determining cryptic causes of queen failure. Further work will be necessary to determine how long after the stress event a markers expression remains changed and how accurate these could be in the field.

biochemistry↗