We are coming to appreciate that at fertilization human spermatozoa deliver the paternal genome alongside a suite of structures, proteins and RNAs. Although the role of some of the structures and proteins as requisite elements for early human development has been established, the function of the sperm-delivered RNAs remains a point for discussion. The presence of RNAs in transcriptionally quiescent spermatozoa can only be derived from transcription that precedes late spermiogenesis. A cross-platform microarray strategy was used to assess the profile of human spermatozoal transcripts from fertile males who had fathered at least one child compared to teratozoospermic individuals. Unsupervised clustering of the data followed by pathway and ontological analysis revealed the transcriptional perturbation common to the affected individuals. Transcripts encoding components of various cellular remodeling pathways, such as the ubiquitin-proteosome pathway, were severely disrupted. The origin of the perturbation could be traced as far back as the pachytene stage of spermatogenesis. It is anticipated that this diagnostic strategy will prove valuable for understanding male factor infertility.

-The primary food of adult honey bees (Apis mellifera ) is honey prepared by bees from nectar, provided by plants in order to stimulate the bee's pollination service. Nectar consists of carbohydrates, amino acids and water, as well as other minor compounds whose proportion varies among plant species and whose biological implications in the honey bee physiology require intense research. Several environmental stressors are causing the decline of bee colonies, and thereby, we tried to connect the nutritional quality of bee's diet with the strength of the bee's immune system. The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) is present in nectar, honey and adult honey bees. It has been demonstrated that ABA stimulates innate immune defences in animal cells. However, the influence of ABA on A. mellifera 's health and fitness is unknown. Here, we show that honey bees fed with an ABA supplement in field experiments resulted in (i) the appearance of ABA in larvae and adult bees, (ii) enhanced haemocyte response to non-self recognition, (iii) improved wound healing and granulocyte and plasmatocyte activation and (iv) maximum adult bee population after the winter and increased pesticide tolerance. The results indicate that the naturally occurring compound ABA has a positive influence in honey bee immunity. ABA emerges as a potent booster of immune defence in A. mellifera and may be useful in addressing the colony losses threatening apiculture and pollination service worldwide.Apis mellifera / abscisic acid / immune aptitude

Apis mellifera populations are being threatened by several pathogens and parasitosis. Several authors have proposed that honey bee colonies may suffer from a compromised immune system leading to colony loss. This is why the study of A. mellifera immune system has become a topic of pressing concern. Nitric oxide (NO) is a signaling and immune effector molecule that has been proposed as a key molecule in invertebrate immunity, and that plays a part in A. mellifera cellular defenses. This paper deals with NO participation in the response to wounding/encapsulation challenge in A. mellifera fifth instar (L5) larvae. Challenging A. mellifera L5 larvae with nylon implants enhanced NO production and spreading in granulocytelike hemocytes and increased the number of this NO-producing hemocyte type. However, AmNOS expression levels were not influenced by the insult. These results reveal that NO participates in the wound healing/ encapsulation response as a signal molecule, possibly by the activation of a constitutively expressed AmNOS in honey bees. Apis mellifera / nitric oxide / wounding / encapsulation

The high annual losses of managed honey bees (Apis mellifera) has attracted intensive attention, and scientists have dedicated much effort trying to identify the stresses affecting bees. There are, however, no simple answers; rather, research suggests multifactorial effects. Several works have been reported highlighting the relationship between bees’ immunosuppression and the effects of malnutrition, parasites, pathogens, agrochemical and beekeeping pesticides exposure, forage dearth and cold stress. Here we analyze a possible connection between immunity-related signaling pathways that could be involved in the response to the stress resulted from Varroa-virus association and cold stress during winter. The analysis was made understanding the honey bee as a superorganism, where individuals are integrated and interacting within the colony, going from social to individual immune responses. We propose the term “Precision Nutrition” as a way to think and study bees’ nutrition in the search for key molecules which would be able to strengthen colonies’ responses to any or all of those stresses combined.

-An organic product based on oxalic acid was evaluated for use in Varroa control under spring/summer climatic conditions in Argentina. The formulation consists of four strips made of cellulose impregnated with a solution based on oxalid acid. Forty-eight beehives were used to assess the product efficacy. Residues of the product were also tested in honey, bees, and wax. Each trial had respective control groups without oxalic treatment. At the beginning of the experiment, four strips of the formulation were applied to the colonies belonging to the treated group. Falling mites were counted after 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, and 42 days. After the last count, the strips were removed and colonies received two flumethrin strips for 45 days. Falling mites were counted throughout this period. Average efficacy of the organic product was 93.1 % with low variability. This product is an organic treatment designed for Varroa control during brood presence and represents a good alternative to the synthetic treatments.Varroa destructor / control / oxalic acid / bee brood / Argentina

The aim of this work was to compare the antimicrobial activity against Paenibacillus larvae and the antioxidant capacity of two Laurus nobilis L. extracts obtained by different extraction methods. The hydroalcoholic extract was moreover added as supplementary diet to bees in field conditions to test behavioural effects and colony strength. Both laurel extracts were subjected to different phytochemical analysis to identify their bioactive compounds. Antimicrobial activity was analyzed by the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination by means the agar dilution method. The hydroalcoholic extract (HE) was able to inhibit the bacterial growth of all P. larvae strains, with 580 µg/mL mean value. This better antibacterial activity in relation to the essential oil (EO) could be explained by the presence of some phenolic compounds, such as flavonoids, evidenced by characteristic bands resulting from the Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. Antioxidant activities of the extracts were evaluated by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical-scavenging ability and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. The HE showed the highest antioxidant activity as measured by DPPH, with IC50 values of 257 ± 12 μg/mL. The FRAP assay method showed that the HE was 3-fold more effective reducing agent than the EO. When the bee colonies were supplied with laurel HE in sugar paste an improvement in their general condition was noticed, although neither the hygienic behavior nor the proportions of the breeding cells varied statistically due to the treatment. In conclusion, the inhibition power against P. larvae attributable to the phenolic compounds, the antioxidant capacity of the HE, and the non-lethal effects on adult honey bees on field trials suggest the HE of laurel as a promising substance for control American foulbrood disease.

No abstract

Many biotic and abiotic stressors impact bees’ health, acting as immunosupressors and contribute to colony losses. Thus, the importance of studying the immune response of honey bees is central to develop new strategies aiming to enhance bees’ fitness to confront the threats affecting them. If a pathogen breaches the physical and chemical barriers, honey bees can protect themselves from infection with cellular and humoral immune responses which represent a second line of defense. Through a series of correlative studies we have previously reported that abscisic acid (ABA) and nitric oxide (NO) share roles in the same immune defenses of Apis mellifera (A. mellifera). Here we show results supporting that the supplementation of bee larvae’s diet reared in vitro with l-Arginine (precursor of NO) or ABA enhanced the immune activation of the granulocytes in response to wounding and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection.