Honey Bees use multiple genetic patheways to fight infections.

Honey bees are essential to pollination, which means that it is extremely important for them to survive. Over the years we have had difficulty trying to keep honey bee colonies alive due to viruses, bacteria as well as parasites. Scientists have been working hard to determine a solution to the downfall of honey bee populations. Studies have shown that about 30 percent of honey bee colonies are lost over the winter, another 25 percent over the summer. The problem here is that there is not currently any type of treatments available for these bee keepers to fight these infections in their colonies. This has been up for discussion for a period of time due to the importance of these bees. A solution has to be found in order to protect these bees from further destruction of their populations.

     Scientists are working to find out which genes increase or decrease activity levels of these bees in the presence of viruses by measuring the expression of all genes in the honey bee genome, whether the virus is present or not. Their findings showed that the RNAi pathway in these bees had increased activity, which could mean that it has anti-viral properties in the immune pathway in bees.The researchers also looked for extra methylation marks which in virus infected bees could be present or not. Their finding showed that not only does the viral infections change the pattern of DNA methylation in honey bees, but its also in completely different genes then the ones in the RNAi pathway. These researchers have discovered that some of these genes are also anti-viral in humans, this has not yet before been linked in insects. These finding may not save the honey bees but it will only help further the information we have on the bees genetic background.. This information will help lead to how we can protect the populations of bees that we still have. Honey bees are important to understand and we should be doing everything we can to protect them.

Article: Honey Bees
Info: Honey Bee Pollination