What is the causing the collapse of honey bee colonies across the country? This question has vexed researchers since honey bee colony collapse disorder (CCD) was first attributed to the disappearance of honey bee colonies in North America in 2006.According to a story by the Associated Press, theories of the cause of the collapse have ranged from mites to fungi. Now, researchers have another theory as to why the colonies are collapsing—damage to ribosomes. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have conducted a study that showed sick bees had fragments of ribosomal RNA in their stomachs, which is an indication of ribosomal damage. RNA, which comes from DNA, is vital to protein production. The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The researchers reported that the “sick bees suffered an unusually high number of infections with viruses that attack the ribosome.” As May R. Berenbaum, the head of the department of entomology at Illinois, states in the Associated Press story, ‘"If your ribosome is compromised, then you can't respond to pesticides, you can't respond to fungal infections or bacteria or inadequate nutrition because the ribosome is central to the survival of any organism. You need proteins to survive[.]"’
Mites that carry “picorna-like viruses” may be leading to the ribosome breakdown in the bees. One such mite, the varroa mite, was “accidentally introduced to the U.S. in 1986[.]” Given the importance of honey bee pollination to the world’s food production, it is certain that studies of CCD will continue. This particular study was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
To read the Associated Press story click here.
Posted: 08/31/09
