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First
molecular detection and characterization of deformed wing
virus (DWV) in honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) and mite
(Varroa
destructor)
in Turkey
Yaşar Gülmez*, Ahmet Bursalı and Şaban Tekin
Gaziosmanpaşa University, Faculty of Art
and Sciences, Department of Biology, Taşlıçiftlik,
Tokat, Turkey.
*Corresponding author. E-mail:
yasar_gulmez@yahoo.com.
Tel: 90356-2521616/3041. Fax:
90-356-2521585.
Accepted 12 May, 2009 |
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Deformed wing virus (DWV), a member of the genus iflavirus
of the insect picorna-like viruses, is one of the most
common honey bee viruses transmitted by the parasitic mite
Varroa destructor during pupal stages,
and is associated with wing deformities in adult honeybees.
Although no data are available from Turkey up till now, DWV
have been reported in many countries from all continents. In
the present study, we tested the presence of DWV in Apis
mellifera L and V. destructor from Ordu province
of Turkey using one step reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR).
We were able to demonstrate that all of the worker bees with
deformed wings and the varroa mites but not healthy bees
were infected with DWV. BLAST analysis of the sequences of
PCR products showed 96-98% similarity to polyprotein gene of
known DWV virus isolates.
Key words:
Apis mellifera,
deformed wing virus, honeybee viruses,
Varroa destructor,
RT-PCR, Ordu, Turkey. |
