Ontogeny of immunity and natural viral infection in Apis mellifera drones and workers

The most common viral diseases affecting honey bees (Apis mellifera) in Israel include deformed wing viruses (DWV-A and DWV-B) and acute paralysis viruses (ABPV and IAPV). These viruses are transmitted within and between colonies, both horizontally and vertically. All members of the colony contribute to this transmission, on the other hand individual and social immunity, particularly hygienic behaviour, may affect the outcome of the process. In this study, we evaluated the ontogeny of natural infections of DWV-A, DWV-B, ABPV and IAPV, their prevalence and loads, in workers and drones from high (H) and low (L) hygienic colonies. In parallel, we evaluated the expression of two immune genes: peptidoglycan recognition protein S2 (PGRP-S2) and hymenoptaecin. The prevalence of DWV-B and IAPV increased with age and was higher in workers than in drones. ABPV was not detected in drones. The expression of both immune genes was significantly affected by age and sex. Drones from H colonies had higher expression of these genes. The increased expression of immune genes with drones’ age, particularly in hygienic colonies, suggest additional value of honey bee breeding for hygienic behaviour for sustainable beekeeping.