Effects of Varroa destructor calmodulin dsRNA treatment on gene expression of foundress Varroa mites

Laboratory mini-hives of honey bees and Varroa were used to test the effects of vadescana dsRNA, which is specific in sequence to a Varroa destructor calmodulin mRNA, applied at two concentrations on the survival, reproduction, and gene expression of these parasites. RNA-seq was performed on pooled samples of foundress mites collected from bee brood (pupal) cells either 5 days after cells were capped (early uncapping) or from brood cells of emerging adult bees (late uncapping) to determine effects of vadescana on gene expression. Vadescana was developed by GreenLight Biosciences, Inc. (Medford, MA, USA) and is the active ingredient in their RNAi-based biopesticide product (brand name: NorroaTM; pending regulatory approval) for control of Varroa mites in honey bee colonies.

本研究采用蜜蜂与瓦螨（Varroa）的实验室迷你蜂箱，测试序列特异性针对狄斯瓦螨（Varroa destructor）钙调蛋白信使RNA（mRNA）的瓦德斯卡纳双链RNA（vadescana dsRNA）以两种浓度施用后，对该寄生螨的存活、繁殖及基因表达的影响。研究人员对两类产卵雌螨的混合样本开展RNA测序（RNA-seq）：一类采集自蜂房封盖5天后的蜂蛹巢房（提前脱盖组），另一类采集自刚羽化出房的成蜂所在的蜂蛹巢房（延后脱盖组），以此解析瓦德斯卡纳对螨类基因表达的调控效应。瓦德斯卡纳由美国马萨诸塞州梅德福市的格林莱特生物科学公司（GreenLight Biosciences, Inc.）研发，是该公司基于RNA干扰（RNAi）的生物农药产品（商品名：NorroaTM；待监管审批）的活性成分，用于防治蜜蜂蜂群中的瓦螨。