The meeting schedule has been posted.
Information on the 5k run has been posted.
 41st Annual Meeting of the Society for Invertebrate Pathology |  | |
41st Annual Meeting of the Society for Invertebrate Pathology | | |
Latest InfoThe meeting schedule has been posted. Information on the 5k run has been posted. Navigation |
Asexual reproduction in the honey bee fungal pathogen Ascosphaera apisKatherine A. Aronstein1, Keith D. Murray1,2, Robert A. Cramer3, Thomas Eubanks4 1USDA/ARS, Honey Bee Research Unit, Weslaco, 2413 E Hwy.83, TX 78596, USA 2Weslaco, 2413 E. Hwy.83, TX 78596, USA 3Montana State University, Department of Veterinary Molecular Biology, Bozeman, MT 59718, USA 4University of Texas-Pan American, Department of Chemistry, Edinburg, TX 78541, USA Ascosphaera apis is an important fungal pathogen of honey bees. A. apis produces sexual spores (ascospores) that are the primary infective agent of chalkbrood disease. Honey bee larvae can be infected with A. apis by ingesting larval food contaminated with ascospores. By contrast, asexual reproduction has never been described in A. apis, although it is a widespread form of propagation in Ascomycetes. Since asexual reproduction does not require mating, it allows rapid production of large numbers of conidia (mitospores), and their subsequent dispersal into new areas. This study thus fills an important gap in current understanding of the developmental cycle of an important fungal honey bee pathogen. Herein we describe asexual reproduction in A. apis and discuss its potential role in host pathogenesis and in the dissemination of this infectious bee disease in the environment. Considering the worldwide spread of chalkbrood disease and the lack of EPA approved drugs to cure it, an understanding of the A. apis life cycle is an important factor in the design of a disease management program. |