Honey bees and climate explain viral prevalence in wild bee communities on a continental scale.

Viruses are omnipresent, yet the knowledge on drivers of viral prevalence in wild host populations is often limited. Biotic factors, such as sympatric managed host species, as well as abiotic factors, such as climatic variables, are likely to impact viral prevalence. Managed and wild bees, which harbor several multi-host viruses with a mostly fecal-oral between-species transmission route, provide an excellent system with which to test for the impact of biotic and abiotic factors on viral prevalence in wild host populations. Here we show on a continental scale that the prevalence of three broad host viruses: the AKI-complex (Acute bee paralysis virus, Kashmir bee virus and Israeli acute paralysis virus), Deformed wing virus, and Slow bee paralysis virus in wild bee populations (bumble bees and solitary bees) is positively related to viral prevalence of sympatric honey bees as well as being impacted by climatic variables. The former highlights the need for good beekeeping practices, including Varroa destructor management to reduce honey bee viral infection and hive placement. Furthermore, we found that viral prevalence in wild bees is at its lowest at the extreme ends of both temperature and precipitation ranges. Under predicted climate change, the frequency of extremes in precipitation and temperature will continue to increase and may hence impact viral prevalence in wild bee communities.

The Effects of Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae Infection on Survival and Phenoloxidase Gene Expression in Galleria mellonella (Lepidoptera: Galleriidae) Compared to Apis mellifera.

The study aims to prove the possibility of colonization of N. apis and N. ceranae to the intestine of the greater wax moth, detect the differences of greater wax moth based on the presence of Nosema species and examine the effect of Nosema species on the phenoloxidase level of greater wax moth compared with honeybees. Each group was fed on the 1st day of the experiment with its appropriate diet containing 106 Nosema spores per insect. Each group was checked daily, and dead insects were counted. Furthermore, changes in the level of expression of the phenoloxidase-related gene after Nosema spp. treatment on the 6th, 9th and 12th days, which was detected by Q-PCR, and the mRNA level of phenoloxidase gene were measured in all experiment groups with the CFX Connect Real-Time PCR Detection System. This study shows that Apis mellifera L. has a 66.7% mortality rate in mixed Nosema infections, a 50% mortality rate in N. ceranae infection, a 40% mortality rate in N. apis infection, while there is no death in G. mellonella. A significant difference was found in the mixed Nosema infection group compared to the single Nosema infection groups by means of A. mellifera and G. mellonella (Duncan, p < 0.05). G. mellonella histopathology also shows that Nosema spores multiply in the epithelial cells of greater wax moth without causing any death. The increase in the mRNA level of Phenoloxidase gene in A. mellifera was detected (Kruskal-Wallis, p < 0.05), while the mRNA level of the Phenoloxidase gene did not change in G. mellonella (Kruskal-Wallis, p > 0.05). These findings prove that the Nosema species can colonize into the greater wax moth, which contributes to the dissemination of these Nosema species between beehives.

In vitro studies on inhibition capability of fungal-sourced bassiatin versus tamoxifen against ERα, EGFR and VEGFR on breast cancer cells.

Bassiatin which is produced by some fungi, is morpholine-based depsipeptide. Recent studies show that bassiatin inhibits MCF-7 breast cancer cell proliferation with its anti-oestrogenic effect. In this study, bassiatin's inhibition versus Tamoxifen was examined by comparing the effects on epidermal growth factor receptor and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor in addition to oestrogen receptor on breast cells. For this purpose, 15 concentrations of bassiatin, tamoxifen and combination of both were treated in terms of cytotoxicity on MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, SK-BR-3 and SVCT cell lines. For cell cycle analyses, MCF-7 and SVCT cell lines were incubated with 37.5 µM bassiatin, tamoxifen and combined substance for 24 h and 48 h. After treatment, cell distribution in each phase of the cell cycle was measured with flow cytometer. Furthermore, each interaction related to receptors were investigated with immunoassay ELISA kits. As a result, bassiatin-induced MCF-7 cell cycle arrest was shown in G0/G1 and G2/M phases at the presence of bassiatin. It was also found that bassiatin is more effective at all examined receptors on breast cancer cells than tamoxifen. These results show that bassiatin can be used effectively in breast cancer treatment as a new anticancer agent because of its multiple inhibition effects.