Data from: Development of a 44K SNP Assay focussing on the analysis of a varroa specific defense behavior in honey bees (Apis mellifera carnica)

Honey bees are exposed to a number of damaging pathogens and parasites. The most destructive among them is maybe Varroa destructor. A promising approach to prevent its spread is to breed for Varroa tolerant honey bees. A trait which has been shown to provide significant resistance against the Varroa mite is hygienic behavior, a behavioral response of honey bee workers to brood diseases in general. This study reports the development of a 44K SNP-assay, specifically designed for the analysis of hygienic behavior of individual worker bees (Apis mellifera carnica) directed against Varroa destructor. Initially, 70,000 SNPs published by the Honey Bee Genome Project were validated for their suitability in the analysis of Varroa tolerance. This was achieved by genotyping of pooled DNA-samples of trait bearers and two trait-negative controls. Roughly 36,000 of these validated SNPs and another 8,000 SNPs not validated in this study were selected for the construction of a SNP-assay. This assay will be employed to analyze individualized DNA-samples in order to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) involved in the control of the investigated trait. However, this assay is not just suitable to study Varroa tolerance, it is as well applicable to analyze any other trait in honey bees. In addition, because of its high density, this assay provides access into genomic selection with respect to several traits considered in honey bee breeding. It will become publicly available via AROS Applied Biotechnology AS, Aarhus, Denmark before the end of the year 2011.

蜜蜂会暴露于多种具有破坏性的病原体与寄生虫当中，其中破坏力最强的当属狄斯瓦螨（Varroa destructor）。防控其传播的一种颇具前景的方案，是选育抗狄斯瓦螨的蜜蜂品系。卫生行为（hygienic behavior）这一性状已被证实可为蜜蜂提供针对狄斯瓦螨的显著抗性，该性状是蜜蜂工蜂对幼虫病害的一般性行为应答。本研究报道了一款44K单核苷酸多态性（Single Nucleotide Polymorphism，简称SNP）分型芯片（SNP-assay）的开发历程，该芯片专为分析卡尼鄂拉蜂（Apis mellifera carnica）工蜂针对狄斯瓦螨的卫生行为而设计。研究初始阶段，科研人员对蜜蜂基因组计划（Honey Bee Genome Project）公布的70000个SNP位点进行了有效性验证，以考察其在狄斯瓦螨抗性分析中的适用性。验证过程通过对携带目标性状的蜜蜂混合DNA样本，以及两份性状阴性对照的混合DNA样本开展基因分型完成。最终筛选出约36000个经本研究验证有效的SNP位点，另纳入8000个未在本研究中完成验证的SNP位点，用于构建这款SNP分型芯片。该芯片将被用于分析单只蜜蜂的个体化DNA样本，以鉴定调控目标性状的数量性状基因座（quantitative trait loci，简称QTL）。不过，这款芯片并非仅适用于狄斯瓦螨抗性的研究，它同样可用于分析蜜蜂的其他性状。此外，凭借其高密度的位点分布，该芯片可支持蜜蜂育种中多性状的基因组选择研究。该芯片将于2011年年末前，通过丹麦奥胡斯市的AROS应用生物技术公司（AROS Applied Biotechnology AS）向公众开放。