Vicente Daniel Moreno Andrade
Autonomous University of Queretaro, México
Title: Detection of Paenibacillus larvae using tRNACys-PCR on honeybee-collected pollen
Biography
Biography: Vicente Daniel Moreno Andrade
Abstract
The spread of Paenibacillus larvae between apiaries is often associated with the import of colonies and causes considerable economic losses in the apiculture industry. In recent years, the production of honeybee-collected pollen has increased due to its use as the principal food for bumblebee rearing, so that Paenibacillus larvae detection is important to the viability of this commercial activity. Early detection of Paenibacillus larvae during commercial bumblebee production is one of the principal goals for production facilities in Koppert, Mexico to assure the maintenance of acceptable food quality for bumblebees and to reduce the risk that the bees will serve as insect vectors during pollination in greenhouses. In this study, we developed a strategy for the detection of Paenibacillus larvae in bumblebee food using tRNACys-PCR as a rapid and reliable diagnostic procedure. We validated the tRNACys-PCR procedure through analysis of food samples containing honeybee-collected pollen from Mexico, Chile and Holland. Further validation of the procedure was obtained by bacterial identification using MALDITOF-MS and high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA genes obtained from enrichment cultures of sporulated bacteria. Thus, the tRNACys-PCR assay could be applied during bumblebee mass rearing as a diagnostic method for quality control of pollen.