In vitro and in vivo control of the causal agent of American foulbrood disease Paenibacillus larvae by honeybee symbionts

摘要

Like others social insects, honeybees are exposed to many infective disease due to their living in nests at high population density. Pathogen agents (often transmitted by mites and other arthropods) rang from bacteria to viruses, microsporidia and fungi but few pathogens are as highly destructive and economically impacting as the bacterium Paenibacillus larvae, the causative agent of American Foulbrood disease (AFB). Since the honeybee genome has been sequenced, major attention has been given to the study of its immune system components. Surprisingly, the studies reveal that, compared to other insects (such as Drosophila or Anopheles), honeybees have a reduced number of genes implicated in immunity.