Review of the Expression of Antimicrobial Peptide Defensin in Honey Bees Apis Mellifera L.

Abstract

S u m m a r yHoney bees defensin have a high level of polymorphism and exist as two peptides -defensin 1 and 2. Defensin 1 is synthesized in the salivary glands and is responsible for social immunity. Defensin 2 is synthesized by cells of the fat body and hemolymph is responsible for individual immunity. Defensins are inducible and controlled by the interaction of Toll and Imd signaling pathways and have a broad spectrum of antimicrobial action. The use of chitosan as an immunomodulator has been shown to lead to an increase in the expression levels of defensin and abaecin in the honey bee organism. Stimulation of the transcriptional activity of the defensin genes will allow for the control of a honey bee colony's immunity level, and reduce the using of antibiotics and other chemicals.

Prochloraz and coumaphos induce different gene expression patterns in three developmental stages of the Carniolan honey bee (Apis mellifera carnica Pollmann)

“…Thus, it may have a protective function for salivary gland epithelial and comb cells in queens and other bees. Moreover, Defensin-1 has a predominant role in the formation of the social immune system of the honey bee, while Defensin-2 is induced by a pathogenic factor and is a component of individual immunity [45]. Interestingly, at all developmental stages Defensin-2 gene demonstrated a slight xenobiotic dependent expression, with significant changes noticed only in prepupae treated with prochloraz and in adults with all treatments.…”

Comparative susceptibility and immune responses of Asian and European honey bees to the American foulbrood pathogen, Paenibacillus larvae

“…The major protein components of both species had different molecular weights, isoelectric points, and immunological characteristics (Takenaka & Takenaka, 1996). Many studies have shown the effect of royalisin against Gramnegative bacteria and some Gram-positive (Ilyasov et al, 2012) including the agent causing AFB (Bíliková et al, 2001;Bachanová et al, 2002;Yoshiyama & Kimura, 2010;Bílikova et al, 2015). In this study, we used royal jelly collected from A. mellifera therefore this might affect the AFB resistance of A. cerana as it may be somewhat different when compared in nature.…”

Dissecting the Antimicrobial Composition of Honey

“…Bee defensin-1 is an antimicrobial peptide (AMP) identified in bee hemolymph (the bee blood system) and hypopharyngeal glands [6]. It is one of four AMPs, others include apidaecin, abaecin, hymenoptaecin and defensin [77]. Their role within the bee is as an innate immune response, exhibiting activity against fungi, yeast, protozoa and both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria [78].…”