Summary auto-generated
Researchers isolated a novel iridovirus, designated Apis iridescent virus (AIV), from sick adult Eastern honey bees (Apis cerana) collected from Kashmir. The virus particles, approximately 150 nm in diameter, contained DNA and closely resembled particles from Tipula and Sericesthis iridoviruses in physical appearance, exhibiting the characteristic isometric subunits arranged in trisymmetrons. However, serological testing revealed that AIV is only distantly related to these other iridoviruses, showing weak or no cross-reactivity in precipitation assays. AIV successfully multiplied in European honey bees (Apis mellifera) when injected into adults or fed orally, forming distinctive blue cytoplasmic crystalline aggregates in fat-body tissue and hypopharyngeal glands. The virus also replicated abundantly in injected pupae. Notably, AIV differed from all other tested iridoviruses by failing to multiply in Galleria mellonella larvae at either 20°C or 30°C, making it the first iridovirus isolated from the order Hymenoptera and establishing it as a distinct member of the iridovirus group.
Key findings
- Apis iridescent virus (AIV) is a newly identified iridovirus isolated from Eastern honey bees, representing the first iridovirus found in the order Hymenoptera
- AIV is serologically distinct from related iridoviruses despite morphological similarity, showing weak or no cross-reactivity with other iridoviruses tested
- AIV replicates in European honey bees with characteristic blue cytoplasmic crystalline aggregates in multiple tissues, but uniquely fails to multiply in Galleria mellonella larvae unlike other iridoviruses
- The virus contains DNA and has physical properties including ~150 nm particles with characteristic isometric subunits arranged as trisymmetrons with ten subunits per edge
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Abstract
An iridovirus, Apis iridescent virus (AIV), isolated from sick adult specimens of Apis cerana (Hymenoptera) from Kashmir, closely resembles iridescent viruses from Tipula and Sericesthis spp. (TIV and SIV). However, AIV is only distantly related serologically to TIV and SIV and is even more remotely related to several other similar viruses that were tested in tube precipitation tests with intact particles. AIV multiplies in Apis mellifera, forming cytoplasmic iridescent crystalline aggregates in several tissues, but unlike all the other iridoviruses tested, it failed to multiply in Galleria mellonella.