Population genetics and host specificity of Varroa destructor mites infesting eastern and western honeybees |
| |
Authors: | Lin Zheguang Wang Shuai Neumann Peter Chen Gongwen Page Paul Li Li Hu Fuliang Zheng Huoqing Dietemann Vincent |
| |
Institution: | 1.College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China ;2.College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China ;3.Swiss Bee Research Center, Agroscope, Bern, Switzerland ;4.Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland ;5.Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland ; |
| |
Abstract: | In a globalized world, parasites are often brought in contact with new potential hosts. When parasites successfully shift host, severe diseases can emerge at a large cost to society. However, the evolutionary processes leading to successful shifts are rarely understood, hindering risk assessment, prevention, or mitigation of their effects. Here, we screened populations of Varroa destructor, an ectoparasitic mite of the honeybee genus Apis, to investigate their genetic structure and reproductive potential on new and original hosts. From the patterns identified, we deduce the factors that influenced the macro- and microevolutionary processes that led to the structure observed. Among the mite variants identified, we found two genetically similar populations that differed in their reproductive abilities and thus in their host specificity. These lineages could interbreed, which represents a threat due to the possible increased virulence of the parasite on its original host. However, interbreeding was unidirectional from the host-shifted to the nonshifted native mites and could thus lead to speciation of the former. The results improve our understanding of the processes affecting the population structure and evolution of this economically important mite genus and suggest that introgression between shifted and nonshifted lineages may endanger the original host. |
| |
Keywords: | |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|