| bee stings--a remedy for postherpetic neuralgia? a case report. | this case report describes the effects of bee stings on painful postherpetic neuralgia in a 51-year-old man. | 2007 | 18035302 |
| phylogenetic footprinting analysis in the upstream regulatory regions of the drosophila enhancer of split genes. | during drosophila development suppressor of hairless [su(h)]-dependent notch activation upregulates transcription of the enhancer of split-complex [e(spl)-c] genes. drosophila melanogaster e(spl) genes share common transcription regulators including binding sites for su(h), proneural, and e(spl) basic-helix-loop-helix (bhlh) proteins. however, the expression patterns of e(spl) genes during development suggest that additional factors are involved. to better understand regulators responsible for t ... | 2007 | 18039873 |
| distribution of paenibacillus larvae spores among adult honey bees (apis mellifera) and the relationship with clinical symptoms of american foulbrood. | knowledge of the distribution of paenibacillus larvae spores, the causative agent of american foulbrood (afb), among individual adult honey bees is crucial for determining the appropriate number of adult bees to include in apiary composite samples when screening for diseased colonies. to study spore distribution at the individual bee level, 500 honey bees were collected from different parts of eight clinically diseased colonies and individually analyzed for p. larvae. from the brood chamber and ... | 2008 | 18046600 |
| spread of infectious chronic bee paralysis virus by honeybee (apis mellifera l.) feces. | knowledge of the spreading mechanism of honeybee pathogens within the hive is crucial to our understanding of bee disease dynamics. the aim of this study was to assess the presence of infectious chronic bee paralysis virus (cbpv) in bee excreta and evaluate its possible role as an indirect route of infection. samples of paralyzed bees were (i) produced by experimental inoculation with purified virus and (ii) collected from hives exhibiting chronic paralysis. cbpv in bee heads or feces (crude or ... | 2007 | 17933946 |
| antiplatelet activity of caffeic acid phenethyl ester is mediated through a cyclic gmp-dependent pathway in human platelets. | the aim of this study was to examine the inhibitory mechanisms of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (cape), which is derived from the propolis of honeybee, in platelet activation. in this study, cape (15 and 25 microm) markedly inhibited platelet aggregation stimulated by collagen (2 microg/ml). cape (15 and 25 microm) increased cyclic gmp level, and cyclic gmp-induced vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (vasp) ser157 phosphorylation, but did not increase cyclic amp in washed human platelets. rapid ... | 2007 | 17867432 |
| a sensitive one-step real-time rt-pcr method for detection of deformed wing virus and black queen cell virus in honeybee apis mellifera. | a one-step real-time rt-pcr based on sybr green (sg) chemistry was developed for the detection, differentiation and quantification of two of the most common viruses on the honeybee apis mellifera l., deformed wing virus and black queen cell virus. two sets of primers specific for each virus, were designed in conserved regions of the viral genome for their use in the one-step real-time rt-pcr. both reactions were optimized for highest sensitivity and specificity and sg-based real-time was used to ... | 2008 | 17964669 |
| a genome-wide inventory of neurohormone gpcrs in the red flour beetle tribolium castaneum. | insect neurohormones (biogenic amines, neuropeptides, and protein hormones) and their g protein-coupled receptors (gpcrs) play a central role in the control of behavior, reproduction, development, feeding and many other physiological processes. the recent completion of several insect genome projects has enabled us to obtain a complete inventory of neurohormone gpcrs in these insects and, by a comparative genomics approach, to analyze the evolution of these proteins. the red flour beetle triboliu ... | 2008 | 18054377 |
| [effect of propolis on insulin resistance in fructose-drinking rats]. | propolis, a honeybee product, contains a variety of biologically active substances. the present study was designed to investigate the effects of propolis on insulin resistance induced by fructose-drinking rats (fdr; type 2 diabetic animal model). male wistar rats (6 weeks old) received 15% fructose solution in drinking water for 8 weeks. fdr showed significant increases in plasma levels of insulin, homeostasis model assessment ratio (homa-r, an index of insulin resistance), body weight, and syst ... | 2007 | 18057795 |
| honeybee (apis cerana) foraging responses to the toxic honey of tripterygium hypoglaucum (celastraceae): changing threshold of nectar acceptability. | to investigate honeybee foraging responses to toxic nectar, honey was collected from apis cerana colonies in the yaoan county of yunnan province, china, during june, when flowers of tripterygium hypoglaucum were the main nectar source available. pollen analysis confirmed the origin of the honey, and high-performance liquid chromatography showed the prominent component triptolide to be present at a concentration of 0.61 mug/g +/- 0.11 sd. in cage tests that used young adult worker bees, significa ... | 2007 | 18058178 |
| bee venom stimulates human melanocyte proliferation, melanogenesis, dendricity and migration. | pigmentation may result from melanocyte proliferation, melanogenesis, migration or increases in dendricity. recently, it has been reported that secreted phospholipase a(2)(spla(2)) known as a component of bee venom (bv), stimulates melanocyte dendricity and pigmentation. bv has been used clinically to control rheumatoid arthritis and to ameliorate pain via its anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive properties. moreover, after treatment with bv, pigmentation around the injection sites was occasion ... | 2007 | 18059136 |
| bee venom injection produces a peripheral anti-inflammatory effect by activation of a nitric oxide-dependent spinocoeruleus pathway. | our recent data, obtained using a zymosan-induced inflammatory air pouch model in mice, have demonstrated that subcutaneous bee venom (bv) injection into the hind limb selectively activates the contralateral brain stem locus coeruleus (lc) and then via a descending noradrenergic pathway and subsequent adrenal medullary catecholamine release induces a potent anti-inflammatory effect. while the efferent limb of this bv-induced neuroimmune anti-inflammatory pathway is well documented, the afferent ... | 2008 | 18061346 |
| apical sk potassium channels and ca2+-dependent anion secretion in endometrial epithelial cells. | apical uridine triphosphate (utp) stimulation was shown to increase short circuit current (i(sc)) in immortalized porcine endometrial gland epithelial monolayers. pretreatment with the bee venom toxin apamin enhanced this response. voltage-clamp experiments using amphotericin b-permeablized monolayers revealed that the apamin-sensitive current increased immediately after utp stimulation and was k(+) dependent. the current-voltage relationship was slightly inwardly rectifying with a reversal pote ... | 2008 | 18048454 |
| candida flosculorum sp. nov. and candida floris sp. nov., two yeast species associated with tropical flowers. | two ascomycetous yeast species, candida flosculorum sp. nov. and candida floris sp. nov., were isolated from tropical flowers and their associated insects. c. flosculorum was isolated from flower bracts of heliconia velloziana and heliconia episcopalis (heliconiaceae) collected from two atlantic rain forest sites in brazil. c. floris was isolated from flowers of ipomoea sp. (convolvulaceae) growing on the banks of the river paraguai in the pantanal ecosystem in brazil and from an adult of the st ... | 2007 | 18048759 |
| in vitro study of the antimicrobial activity of brazilian propolis against paenibacillus larvae. | the honey bee disease american foulbrood (afb) is a serious problem since its causative agent (paenibacillus larvae) has become increasingly resistant to conventional antibiotics. the objective of this study was to investigate the in vitro activity of propolis collected from various states of brazil against p. larvae. propolis is derived from plant resins collected by honey bees (apis mellifera) and is globally known for its antimicrobial properties and particularly valued in tropical regions. t ... | 2008 | 18054037 |
| the oral absorption of phospholipid prodrugs: in vivo and in vitro mechanistic investigation of trafficking of a lecithin-valproic acid conjugate following oral administration. | the purpose of this study was to evaluate the oral absorption characteristics of a phospholipid-drug conjugate, comprising direct conjugation between the lecithin and the drug moiety through the sn-2 position. we investigated the mechanisms involved with the trafficking of this conjugate following oral administration in the gastrointestinal (gi) lumen, within the enterocyte and further. a phospholipid-valproic acid conjugate (dp-vpa) was utilized as a model molecule. the oral absorption of this ... | 2008 | 18082281 |
| high mobility group (hmg-box) genes in the honeybee fungal pathogen ascosphaera apis. | the genome of the honeybee fungal pathogen ascosphaera apis (maassen) encodes three putative high mobility group (hmg-box) transcription factors. the predicted proteins (mat1-2, ste11 and htf), each of which contain a single strongly conserved hmg-box, exhibit high similarity to mating type proteins and ste11-like transcription factors previously identified in other ascomycete fungi, some of them important plant and human pathogens. in this study we characterized the a. apis hmg-box containing g ... | 2007 | 18065006 |
| prevalence of pathogenic bee viruses in hungarian apiaries: situation before joining the european union. | a survey on the occurrence of six honeybee-pathogenic viruses was carried out using one-step rt-pcr assays. samples were collected between 1999 and 2004 in 52 hungarian apiaries located in different regions of the country. the results of the assays on samples of adult honeybees and varroa destructor mites were compared to similar surveys from france and austria. the study demonstrates geographical differences in the prevalence of honeybee viruses between hungary and the older eu member states. t ... | 2008 | 18155230 |
| long-lasting descending and transitory short-term spinal controls on deep spinal dorsal horn nociceptive-specific neurons in response to persistent nociception. | under intact and spinalized conditions, we compared the responses of deep spinal dorsal horn (dh) nociceptive-specific (ns) and wide-dynamic range (wdr) neurons to subcutaneous bee venom (bv, 0.2 mg/50 microl)-induced persistent nociception. in contrast to the monophasic, long-lasting (34-81 min) wdr neuron responses in both intact and spinalized conditions, bv in ns neurons elicited short-term (<10 min) firing in intact, and long-term (>1 h) biphasic firing in spinalized rats. the bv-induced lo ... | 2008 | 18158093 |
| regulatory nk cells suppress antigen-specific t cell responses. | the immune system has a variety of regulatory/suppressive processes, which are decisive for the development of a healthy or an allergic immune response to allergens. nk1 and nk2 subsets have been demonstrated to display counterregulatory and provocative roles in immune responses, similar to th1 and th2 cells. t regulatory cells suppressing both th1 and th2 responses have been the focus of intensive research during the last decade. in this study, we aimed to investigate regulatory nk cells in hum ... | 2008 | 18178824 |
| a meta-analysis of effects of bt crops on honey bees (hymenoptera: apidae). | honey bees (apis mellifera l.) are the most important pollinators of many agricultural crops worldwide and are a key test species used in the tiered safety assessment of genetically engineered insect-resistant crops. there is concern that widespread planting of these transgenic crops could harm honey bee populations. | 2008 | 18183296 |
| molecular characterisation and phylogenetic analysis of chronic bee paralysis virus, a honey bee virus. | the complete sequences of the two major rnas of chronic bee paralysis virus (cbpv) have been determined. rna 1 (3674nt long) and rna 2 (2305nt long) are positive single-stranded rnas that are capped but not polyadenylated. the 3' ends of both rnas are unreactive to polymerisation or ligation even in denaturing conditions, a feature already observed in alphanodavirus rnas. the three previously described smaller rnas [overton, h.a., buck, k.w., bailey, l., et al., 1982. relationships between the r ... | 2008 | 18079012 |
| evidence for convergent nucleotide evolution and high allelic turnover rates at the complementary sex determiner gene of western and asian honeybees. | our understanding of the impact of recombination, mutation, genetic drift, and selection on the evolution of a single gene is still limited. here we investigate the impact of all these evolutionary forces at the complementary sex determiner (csd) gene that evolves under a balancing mode of selection. females are heterozygous at the csd gene and males are hemizygous; diploid males are lethal and occur when csd is homozygous. rare alleles thus have a selective advantage, are seldom lost by the eff ... | 2008 | 18192695 |
| does cry1ab protein affect learning performances of the honey bee apis mellifera l. (hymenoptera, apidae)? | genetically modified bt crops are increasingly used worldwide but side effects and especially sublethal effects on beneficial insects remain poorly studied. honey bees are beneficial insects for natural and cultivated ecosystems through pollination. the goal of the present study was to assess potential effects of two concentrations of cry1ab protein (3 and 5000 ppb) on young adult honey bees. following a complementary bioassay, our experiments evaluated effects of the cry1ab on three major life ... | 2008 | 18206234 |
| variability in germination and in temperature and storage resistance among paenibacillus larvae genotypes. | there are several methods for cultivation of paenibacillus larvae, the causative agent of american foulbrood (afb) in honey bees. protocols for detection of sub-clinical levels of the bacterium from honey and bee samples include heat treatment of samples. the main objective of this study was to investigate if there is variability in temperature resistance among p. larvae genotypes, potentially leading to biased diagnose and disease monitoring. the variation in germination and proliferation abili ... | 2008 | 18207338 |
| the use of rna-dependent rna polymerase for the taxonomic assignment of picorna-like viruses (order picornavirales) infecting apis mellifera l. populations. | single-stranded rna viruses, infectious to the european honeybee, apis mellifera l. are known to reside at low levels in colonies, with typically no apparent signs of infection observed in the honeybees. reverse transcription-pcr (rt-pcr) of regions of the rna-dependent rna polymerase (rdrp) is often used to diagnose their presence in apiaries and also to classify the type of virus detected. | 2008 | 18211671 |
| ocellar optics in nocturnal and diurnal bees and wasps. | nocturnal bees, wasps and ants have considerably larger ocelli than their diurnal relatives, suggesting an active role in vision at night. in a first step to understanding what this role might be, the morphology and physiological optics of ocelli were investigated in three tropical rainforest species - the nocturnal sweat bee megalopta genalis, the nocturnal paper wasp apoica pallens and the diurnal paper wasp polistes occidentalis - using hanging-drop techniques and standard histological method ... | 2006 | 18089077 |
| prevalence and alternative therapy methods for bee and wasp allergy in van. | | 2008 | 18186819 |
| regurgitated pellets of merops apiaster as fomites of infective nosema ceranae (microsporidia) spores. | the importance of transmission factor identification is of great epidemiological significance. the bee-eater (merops apiaster) is a widely distributed insectivorous bird, locally abundant mainly in arid and semi-arid areas of southern europe, northern africa and western asia but recently has been seen breeding in central europe and great britain. bee-eaters predominantly eat insects, especially bees, wasps and hornets. on the other hand, nosema ceranae is a microsporidia recently described as a ... | 2008 | 18218034 |
| presence of kynurenic acid in food and honeybee products. | kynurenic acid (kyna) is an endogenous antagonist of ionotropic glutamate receptors and the alpha 7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, showing anticonvulsant and neuroprotective activity. in this study, the presence of kyna in food and honeybee products was investigated. kyna was found in all 37 tested samples of food and honeybee products. the highest concentration of kyna was obtained from honeybee products' samples, propolis (9.6 nmol/g), honey (1.0-4.8 nmol/g) and bee pollen (3.4 nmol/g). a h ... | 2009 | 18231708 |
| a site- and time-heterogeneous model of amino acid replacement. | we combined the category (cat) mixture model (lartillot n, philippe h. 2004) and the nonstationary break point (bp) model (blanquart s, lartillot n. 2006) into a new model, cat-bp, accounting for variations of the evolutionary process both along the sequence and across lineages. as in cat, the model implements a mixture of distinct markovian processes of substitution distributed among sites, thus accommodating site-specific selective constraints induced by protein structure and function. further ... | 2008 | 18234708 |
| expression analysis of the foxp homologue in the brain of the honeybee, apis mellifera. | the transcription factor foxp2 is related to acoustic communication in vertebrates and, although widely expressed in various tissues, its mutations cause a speech disorder in humans and disrupt vocalization in mice. in honeybee colonies, workers transmit information about a food location using 'dance communication', which is a form of acoustic communication. we identified a honeybee foxp2-homologue, amfoxp, and investigated its expression in the honeybee brain to elucidate its possible role in d ... | 2008 | 18237284 |
| effects of melittin on the production of matrix metalloproteinase-1 and -3 in rheumatoid arthritic fibroblast-like synoviocytes. | bee venom (bv) has been used in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, a condition characterized by rheumatoid joint destruction mediated, in large part, by matrix metalloproteinases (mmps). we investigated the effects of melittin, a major component of bee venom, on the production of mmps in human rheumatoid arthritic fibroblast-like synoviocytes (fls). lipopolysaccharide (lps)-stimulated mmp3 production was significantly inhibited by melittin, which also inhibited lps-induced dna binding by nuclea ... | 2008 | 18212480 |
| changes in the reproductive ability of the mite varroa destructor (anderson e trueman) in africanized honey bees (apis mellifera l.) (hymenoptera: apidae) colonies in southern brazil. | varroa destructor has been in brazil for more than 30 years, but no mortality of honeybee colonies due to this mite has been recorded. africanized bee infestation rates attained by varroa have been low, without causing measurable damage to brazilian apiculture. the low reproductive ability of this parasite in africanized bee worker brood cells has been considered an important factor for maintaining the host-parasite equilibrium. nevertheless, the possible substitution of the haplotype of the mit ... | 2007 | 18246271 |
| evolution of insect proteomes: insights into synapse organization and synaptic vesicle life cycle. | the molecular components in synapses that are essential to the life cycle of synaptic vesicles are well characterized. nonetheless, many aspects of synaptic processes, in particular how they relate to complex behaviour, remain elusive. the genomes of flies, mosquitoes, the honeybee and the beetle are now fully sequenced and span an evolutionary breadth of about 350 million years; this provides a unique opportunity to conduct a comparative genomics study of the synapse. | 2008 | 18257909 |
| medication with antihistamines impairs allergen-specific immunotherapy in mice. | histamine released from activated mast cells and basophils is an important mediator in allergy. therefore, antihistamines are efficiently and widely used to suppress allergic symptoms. | 2008 | 18081882 |
| basophil sensitivity in patients not responding to venom immunotherapy. | treatment failure of venom immunotherapy (vit) is not rare and the risk and pathogenic factors for those failures are so far poorly understood. for that reason we evaluated allergen-specific basophil sensitivity in patients who did not tolerate field re-stings after completed vit treatment. | 2008 | 18270492 |
| pollination and breeding system of couepia uiti (mart. and zucc.) benth (chrysobalanaceae) in the pantanal da nhecolândia. | the pollination biology and breeding system of couepia uiti was studied. in this species, flowers opened at 06:00 am anthesis, and nectar production began at around 0800 h, reached a maximum volume from 09:30 am to 10:30 am, and decreased thereafter. the nectar sugar concentration increased continuously, but showed an abrupt increase from 10:00 am to 12:00 am. pollen release occurred at about 09:30 am and was quickly collected. the stigmas became receptive at around 12:00 am. the pollinators of ... | 2007 | 18278325 |
| detection of chronic bee paralysis virus (cbpv) genome and its replicative rna form in various hosts and possible ways of spread. | detection of chronic bee paralysis virus (cbpv) is reported for the first time in two species of ants (camponotus vagus and formica rufa) and in varroa destructor. a quantitative real-time pcr (qpcr) method was used to detect and quantify cbpv in infected bees, ants and mites. a minus-strand-specific rt-pcr was used to assess viral replication. these results suggest a new way by which the infection may be spread and other sites of viral persistence in the close apiary environment. | 2008 | 18243390 |
| pheromones in the life of insects. | life in insect societies asks for a permanent flow of information, often carried by rather simple organic molecules. some originate from plants as odours of blossoms or exudates from trees. especially important are the intra- and interspecific combinations of compounds produced by the insects themselves. these are called pheromones or ecto-hormones and serve a variety of tasks. the paper deals mainly with honeybee pheromones, but takes also into consideration those of wasps and hornets. effects ... | 2008 | 18214464 |
| [preparation and in vitro tumor cells selectivity of sterically stabilized immunoliposomal peptides in bee venom]. | recently the use of peptides in bee venom (pbv) for cancer therapy has attracted considerable attention. in this study, the sterically stabilized liposomal pbv (pbv-sl) was prepared using soybean phosphatidylcholine, cholesterol, and cholesterol-peg-cooh. the humanized antihepatoma disulfide-stabilized fv (hdscfv25) was coupled to sterically stabilized liposomes using the n-hydroxysuccinimide ester method. the hdscfv25-immunoliposomes (sil[hdscfv25]) were immunoreactive as determined by elisa as ... | 2007 | 18300479 |
| cloning and identification of an oxytocin/vasopressin-like receptor and its ligand from insects. | more than 20 years ago, an oxytocin/vasopressin-like peptide, clitncprgamide, was isolated from the locust, locusta migratoria [proux jp, et al. (1987) identification of an arginine vasopressin-like diuretic hormone from locusta migratoria. biochem biophys res commun 149:180-186]. however, no similar peptide could be identified in other insects, nor could its prohormone be cloned, or its physiological actions be established. here, we report that the recently sequenced genome from the red flour b ... | 2008 | 18316733 |
| differential gene expression in the honeybee head after a bacterial challenge. | bidirectional interactions between the immune and nervous systems are well established in vertebrates. insects show similar neuro-immune-behavioral interactions to those seen in vertebrates. using quantitative real-time pcr, we present evidence that gene expression in the honeybee head is influenced by activation of the immune system 8h after a bacterial challenge with escherichia coli. seven genes were selected for quantitative analysis in order to cover both typical functions of the head such ... | 2008 | 18329098 |
| roles of peripheral mitogen-activated protein kinases in melittin-induced nociception and hyperalgesia. | recently, we have reported that melittin, a major toxic peptide of the whole bee venom, plays a central role in production of local inflammation, nociception and hyperalgesia following the experimental honeybee's sting. however, the exact peripheral mechanisms underlying melittin-induced multiple pain-related behaviors are still less characterized. in the present study, we sought to investigate the potential roles of peripheral mitogen-activated protein kinases (mapks) in melittin-induced nocice ... | 2008 | 18329815 |
| nisin-controlled extracellular production of apidaecin in lactococcus lactis. | apidaecins are heat-stable, nonhelical antibacterial peptides isolated from lymph fluid of the honeybee (apis mellifera). these peptides are active against a wide range of gram-negative bacteria and they are the most prominent components of the honeybee humoral defense against microbial invasion. in the present study, one isoform of apidaecin, apidaecin ho, was expressed extracellularly in the food-grade bacterium lactococcus lactis. results showed that expression driven by the lactococcal nisa ... | 2008 | 18286279 |
| fluorescence in situ hybridization (fish) analysis of the interactions between honeybee larvae and paenibacillus larvae, the causative agent of american foulbrood of honeybees (apis mellifera). | american foulbrood (afb) is a bacterial disease of honeybee larvae caused by the spore-forming bacterium paenibacillus larvae. although afb and its aetiological agent are described now for more than a century, the general and molecular pathogenesis of this notifiable disease is poorly understood. we used fluorescence in situ hybridization (fish) performed with p. larvae-specific, 16s rrna-targeted oligonucleotide probes to analyse the early steps in the pathogenesis of american foulbrood. the fo ... | 2008 | 18331334 |
| selection on spur shape in impatiens capensis. | rapid speciation within some plant families has been attributed to the evolution of floral spurs and to the effect of spur length on plant reproductive success. the flowers of impatiens capensis (jewelweed) possess a long, curved spur in which nectar is produced and stored. spur length and curvature varies among plants within one population. here i document that spur shape is variable in natural populations, variation within plants is less than variation among plants, and spur shape is correlate ... | 2008 | 18335248 |
| [effect of mexican propolis extracts from apis mellifera on candida albicans in vitro growth]. | propolis is a resinous substance collected by bees (apis mellifera) from different trees and bushes. due to its antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral and antiparasitic properties, it has continued to be very popular throughout the time showing variable activity depending on its geographical origin. in mexico, information about this product is very limited. the aim of this work was to evaluate the antifungal activity of four propolis ethanolic extracts from three different mexican states, and four ... | 2008 | 18338923 |
| the snmp/cd36 gene family in diptera, hymenoptera and coleoptera: drosophila melanogaster, d. pseudoobscura, anopheles gambiae, aedes aegypti, apis mellifera, and tribolium castaneum. | sensory neuron membrane proteins (snmps) are membrane bound proteins initially identified in olfactory receptor neurons of lepidoptera and are thought to play a role in odor detection; snmps belong to a larger gene family characterized by the human protein cd36. we have identified 12-14 candidate snmp/cd36 homologs from each of the genomes of drosophila melanogaster, d. pseudoobscura, anopheles gambiae and aedes aegypti (diptera), eight candidate homologs from apis mellifera (hymenoptera), and 1 ... | 2008 | 18342246 |
| domain organization and phylogenetic analysis of proteins from the chitin deacetylase gene family of tribolium castaneum and three other species of insects. | a bioinformatics investigation of four insect species with annotated genome sequences identified a family of genes encoding chitin deacetylase (cda)-like proteins, with five to nine members depending on the species. cdas (ec 3.5.1.41) are chitin-modifying enzymes that deacetylate the beta-1,4-linked n-acetylglucosamine homopolymer. partial deacetylation forms a heteropolysaccharide that also contains some glucosamine residues, while complete deacetylation produces the homopolymer chitosan, consi ... | 2008 | 18342249 |
| the effects of bee (apis mellifera) venom phospholipase a2 on trypanosoma brucei brucei and enterobacteria. | the potential role of phospholipases in trypanosomiasis was investigated using bee venom phospholipase a2 (bvpla2) as a model. the effects of bvpla2 on the survival of trypanosoma brucei brucei, 2h and 12h cultures of enterobacter cloacae, escherichia coli, citrobacter freundii were studied. about 1 mg ml(-1) bvpla2 was trypanocidal after 30 min. some growth occurred at lower concentrations up to 2h after treatment but viability decreased up to 8h. even very low concentrations of bvpla2 (10(-12) ... | 2008 | 18343372 |
| bracovirus gene products are highly divergent from insect proteins. | recently, several polydnavirus (pdv) genomes have been completely sequenced. the dsdna circles enclosed in virus particles and injected by wasps into caterpillars appear to mainly encode virulence factors potentially involved in altering host immunity and/or development, thereby allowing the survival of the parasitoid larvae within the host tissues. parasitoid wasps generally inject virulence factors produced in the venom gland. as pdv genomes are inherited vertically by wasps through a proviral ... | 2008 | 18348209 |
| expression of a mutated phospholipase a2 in transgenic aedes fluviatilis mosquitoes impacts plasmodium gallinaceum development. | the genetic manipulation of mosquito vectors is an alternative strategy in the fight against malaria. it was previously shown that bee venom phospholipase a2 (pla2) inhibits ookinete invasion of the mosquito midgut although mosquito fitness was reduced. to maintain the pla2 blocking ability without compromising mosquito biology, we mutated the protein-coding sequence to inactivate the enzyme while maintaining the protein's structure. dna encoding the mutated pla2 (mpla2) was placed downstream of ... | 2008 | 18353106 |
| molecular cloning and characterization of cdnas encoding dopamine receptor-1 and -2 from brain-suboesophageal ganglion of the silkworm, bombyx mori. | in order to better understand the relationship between dopamine and the release of diapause hormone into the blood, we cloned and characterized cdnas encoding bombyx mori dopamine receptor-1 and -2 (bmdopr1 and 2) from the pupal brain-suboesophageal ganglion. bmdopr1 and 2 had high similarities to group 1 (drosophila melanogaster dop1 and apis mellifera dop1) and group 2 (d. melanogaster dopr99b, a. mellifera dop2 and papilio xuthus dop1), respectively. when bmdopr1 and 2 were expressed in human ... | 2008 | 18353107 |
| venereal and vertical transmission of deformed wing virus in honeybees (apis mellifera l.). | deformed wing virus (dwv) infected semen was used for artificial insemination of dwv-free virgin queens. high titres of dwv could subsequently be detected not only in the spermatheca, but also in the ovaries, demonstrating venereal transmission of dwv in honey bees. subsequent vertical transmission of the virus to the progeny of dwv infected queens was also demonstrated. neither transmission route is 100% effective. whether venereal transmission of dwv occurs during natural mating remains to be ... | 2008 | 18358488 |
| occurrence and genetic analysis of picorna-like viruses infecting worker bees of apis mellifera l. populations in devon, south west england. | viruses of the european honeybee, apis mellifera l. are known to reside at low levels in colonies, typically showing no apparent signs of infection. using reverse transcription-pcr (rt-pcr), 23 apiaries in devon were screened for the presence of 6 honeybee viruses, with positive colonies being analysed for viral genetic diversity. ninety-seven percent of the colonies were positive for deformed wing virus (dwv), 29% were positive for acute bee paralysis virus (abpv) and 1.4% were positive for bot ... | 2008 | 18359042 |
| inhibitory effect of honeybee-collected pollen on mast cell degranulation in vivo and in vitro. | bee-collected pollen (bee pollen [bp]) has been used as a folk medicine for centuries against various diseases, including allergy. there is no study elucidating how bp exerts such an anti-allergic effect. since mast cells play a central role in the pathogenesis of various allergic diseases, we investigated the effect of bp on mast cell activation elicited by the fc immunoglobulin e (ige) receptor (fc epsilon ri)-mediated pathways. the in vivo effect of orally administered bp on cutaneous mast ce ... | 2008 | 18361733 |
| in vitro antileishmanial activity of adana propolis samples on leishmania tropica: a preliminary study. | propolis (bee glue) is a natural resinous hive product, collected from various plant sources. it has attracted much attention as a useful substance applied in medicine due to its pharmacological activities. it was aimed to investigate the in vitro effects of an ethanolic extract of adana propolis samples on the growth of leishmania tropica. parasite cells were treated with five concentrations (25, 50, 100, 50, 500, and 750 microg/ml) of the propolis. the number of promastigotes in each concentra ... | 2008 | 18264819 |
| effects of bee venom on cholecystokinin octapeptide-induced acute pancreatitis in rats. | bee venom (bv) has frequently been used as a remedy for inflammatory diseases. the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of bv on cholecystokinin octapeptide (cck-8)-induced acute pancreatitis (ap) in rats. | 2008 | 18376296 |
| identification, recombinant production and structural characterization of four silk proteins from the asiatic honeybee apis cerana. | unlike silkworm and spider silks assembled from very large and repetitive fibrous proteins, the bee and ant silks were recently demonstrated to consist of four small and non-repetitive coiled-coil proteins. the design principle for this silk family remains largely unknown and so far no structural study is available on them in solution. the present study aimed to identify, express and characterize the asiatic honeybee silk proteins using dls, cd and nmr spectroscopy. consequently, (1) four silk p ... | 2008 | 18394700 |
| cloning and characterization of nanos gene in silkworm bombyx mori. | gene nanos is a maternal posterior group gene required for normal development of abdominal segments and the germ line in drosophila. expression of nanos-related genes is associated with the germ line in a broad variety of other taxa. in this study, the 5'-race method and the in silico cloning method are used to isolate the new nanos-like gene of bombyx mori and the gene obtained is analyzed with bioinformatics tools. the putative protein is expressed in escherichia coli and the antiserum has bee ... | 2008 | 18407054 |
| suppressive effects of bee venom on the immune responses in collagen-induced arthritis in rats. | the effect of bee venom (bva) on the development of type ii collagen (cii)-induced arthritis (cia) in rats has been studied. male rats were immunized with an emulsion of 200 microg of cii and complete freund's adjuvant (cfa). the rats were then given intraperitoneally (i.p.) injection of a suspension of bva or saline during the experiment. the effect of bva on cellular responses to cii was examined. in the control rats, the onset of arthritis was observed at the 24th day after the cii-immunizati ... | 2008 | 18424106 |
| potential cytoprotection: antioxidant defence by caffeic acid phenethyl ester against free radical-induced damage of lipids, dna, and proteins. | oxidative stress is considered to be a major cause of cellular injuries in a variety of chronic health problems, such as carcinogenesis and neurodegenerative disorders. caffeic acid phenethyl ester (cape), derived from the propolis of honeybee hives, possesses a variety of biological and pharmacological properties including antioxidant and anticancer activity. in the present study, we focused on the diverse antioxidative functionalities of cape and its related polyphenolic acid esters on cellula ... | 2008 | 18432289 |
| evolution of the insect sox genes. | the sox gene family of transcriptional regulators have essential roles during development and have been extensively studied in vertebrates. the mouse, human and fugu genomes contain at least 20 sox genes, which are subdivided into groups based on sequence similarity of the highly conserved hmg domain. in the well-studied insect drosophila melanogaster, eight sox genes have been identified and are involved in processes such as neurogenesis, dorsal-ventral patterning and segmentation. | 2008 | 18439299 |
| differential activation of p38 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase in spinal cord in a model of bee venom-induced inflammation and hyperalgesia. | honeybee's sting on human skin can induce ongoing pain, hyperalgesia and inflammation. injection of bee venom (bv) into the intraplantar surface of the rat hindpaw induces an early onset of spontaneous pain followed by a lasting thermal and mechanical hypersensitivity in the affected paw. the underlying mechanisms of bv-induced thermal and mechanical hypersensitivity are, however, poorly understood. in the present study, we investigated the role of mitogen-activated protein kinase (mapk) in the ... | 2008 | 18445299 |
| propolis reverses acetaminophen induced acute hepatorenal alterations: a biochemical and histopathological approach. | the present study has been conducted to evaluate the curative effect of propolis extract, a honey bee-hive product, against acetaminophen (apap) induced oxidative stress and dysfunction in liver and kidney. animals were challenged with apap (2 g/kg, p.o.) followed by treatment of propolis extract (100 and 200 mg/kg, p.o.) once only after 24 h. release of transaminases, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, and serum bilirubin were increased, whereas hemoglobin and blood sugar were decreas ... | 2008 | 18449502 |
| genes that encode botulism neurotoxins a, b, e and f in neotropical bee honey identified with the polymerase chain reaction. | honey can be used for the treatment of wounds, sores and skin bums, but it might be contaminated with clostridium botulinum spores. in order to evaluate costa rican raw honey samples, the detection of neurotoxin gene sequences (corresponding to the bacterium) c. botulinum a, b, e and f was done with the polymerase chain reaction. a total of 64 raw honey samples, coming from different costa rican sites were analyzed. reference c. botulinum strains type a (atcc 19397), type b (atcc 7949), type e ( ... | 2006 | 18457171 |
| short-term fumigation of honey bee (hymenoptera: apidae) colonies with formic and acetic acids for the control of varroa destructor (acari: varroidae). | controlling populations of varroa mites is crucial for the survival of the beekeeping industry. many treatments exist, and all are designed to kill mites on adult bees. because the majority of mites are found under capped brood, most treatments are designed to deliver active ingredients over an extended period to control mites on adult bees, as developing bees and mites emerge. in this study, a 17-h application of 50% formic acid effectively killed mites in capped worker brood and on adult bees ... | 2008 | 18459386 |
| population genetics of commercial and feral honey bees in western australia. | due to the introduction of exotic honey bee (apis mellifera l.) diseases in the eastern states, the borders of the state of western australia were closed to the import of bees for breeding and other purposes > 25 yr ago. to provide genetically improved stock for the industry, a closed population breeding program was established that now provides stock for the majority of western australian beekeepers. given concerns that inbreeding may have resulted from the closed population breeding structure, ... | 2008 | 18459388 |
| trapping of aethina tumida murray (coleoptera: nitidulidae) from apis mellifera l. (hymenoptera: apidae) colonies with an in-hive baited trap. | the effectiveness of two lures for trapping the small hive beetle, aethina tumida, by means of in-hive traps was tested by field trials in apiaries located in florida, delaware, and pennsylvania during 2003-2005. both lures included a mixture (pollen dough) consisting of bee pollen and commercial pollen substitute formulated with or without glycerol and honey. before it was used in the traps, the dough was conditioned either by the feeding of adult small hive beetles or by inoculation with the y ... | 2007 | 18284723 |
| virus infections in brazilian honey bees. | this work describes the first molecular-genetic evidence for viruses in brazilian honey bee samples. three different bee viruses, acute bee paralysis virus (abpv), black queen cell virus (bqcv), and deformed wing virus (dwv) were identified during a screening of rnas from 1920 individual adult bees collected in a region of southeastern brazil that has recently shown unusual bee declines. abpv was detected in 27.1% of colony samples, while bqcv and dwv were found in 37% and 20.3%, respectively. t ... | 2008 | 18471826 |
| arachidonic acid and calcium metabolism in rnelittin stimulated neutrophils. | melittin, the predominant fraction of bee venom proteins, was studied in an experimental model of human neutrophil granulocytes to reveal its influence on eicosanoid release, metabolism and receptor function in relation to intracellular calcium metabolism. melittin (2 mumol/l) was as potent as the calcium ionophore a23187 (10 mumol/l) for activation of 5-lipoxygenase, releasing arachidonate only from phosphatidyl-choline and phosphatidyl-ethanolamine of cellular membranes, as judged from the dec ... | 1992 | 18475477 |
| bees wax polyphenols as suppressor of cc1--induced oxidative stress in rats. | bee's wax produced by honeybees is rich in polyphenols. as the polyphenols are thought to protect cell constituents against oxidative damage through scavenging of free radicals, the present work was undertaken to evaluate the effects of polyphenols extracted from bees wax on the oxidative stress induced by carbon tetrachloride (ccl4) in rats. the polyphenols extracted by 80% methanol from bee wax (pbw) were fed to wistar rats at 100 mg/kg body weight and 200 mg/kg body weight for 14 days in orde ... | 2007 | 18476390 |
| landscape constraints on functional diversity of birds and insects in tropical agroecosystems. | in this paper, we analyze databases [corrected] on birds and insects to assess patterns of functional diversity in human-dominated landscapes in the tropics. a perspective from developed landscapes is essential for understanding remnant natural ecosystems, because most species experience their surroundings at spatial scales beyond the plot level, and spillover between natural and managed ecosystems is common. agricultural bird species have greater habitat and diet breadth than forest species. ba ... | 2008 | 18481519 |
| protective effect of caffeic acid phenethyl ester on tert-butyl hydroperoxide-induced oxidative hepatotoxicity and dna damage. | increased oxidative stress and associated high levels of free radical generation have been described to occur during the pathogeneses of various diseases in animal models. in the present work, we investigated the protective effects of the phenethyl ester of caffeic acid (cape), an active component of honeybee propolis, on tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-bhp)-induced hepatotoxicity in a cultured hepg2 cell line and in rat liver. cape was found to significantly reduce t-bhp-induced oxidative injury in ... | 2008 | 18485557 |
| antibacterial activity of honey from the australian stingless bee trigona carbonaria. | | 2008 | 18495440 |
| distinct roles of the anterior cingulate cortex in spinal and supraspinal bee venom-induced pain behaviors. | a wide variety of human and animal experiments suggest that the anterior cingulate cortex (acc) is one of the key brain substrates subserving higher order processing of noxious information. however, no sufficient data are now available regarding the mediation by acc of different levels of pain processing as well as its potential descending modulation of spinal nociception. using the well-developed rat bee venom (bv) model, the present study evaluated the effect of lesions of bilateral acc on two ... | 2008 | 18367341 |
| evolutionary analysis and molecular dissection of caveola biogenesis. | caveolae are an abundant feature of mammalian cells. integral membrane proteins called caveolins drive the formation of caveolae but the precise mechanisms underlying caveola formation, and the origin of caveolae and caveolins during evolution, are unknown. systematic evolutionary analysis shows conservation of genes encoding caveolins in metazoans. we provide evidence for extensive and ancient, local and genomic gene duplication, and classify distinct caveolin gene families. vertebrate caveolin ... | 2008 | 18505796 |
| the role of mitochondria in bee venom-induced apoptosis in human breast cancer mcf7 cells. | our previous studies have shown that bee venom (bv) can induce apoptosis in human cervical cancer ca ski cells, but it can also affect human breast cancer cells, though its molecular mechanisms are not precisely known. in this study, the molecular mechanisms of apoptosis induced by bv in human breast cancer mcf7 cells were investigated. bv induced morphological changes (examined by phase-contrast microscopy) and inhibited the proliferation (examined by mtt assay) of mcf7 cells; both effects occu ... | 2008 | 18468409 |
| comparative efficiency of nannotrigona perilampoides, bombus impatiens (hymenoptera: apoidea), and mechanical vibration on fruit production of enclosed habanero pepper. | the native bee nannotrigona perilampoides cresson (apidae: meliponini) has been evaluated with promising results in greenhouse pollination of solanaceae in mexico. however, no comparison has been done with imported bumble bees (apidae: bombini), which are the most common bees used for greenhouse pollination. we compared the foraging activity and fruit production of habanero pepper. capsicum chinense jacquin, by using n. perilampoides and bombus impatiens cresson in pollination cages. both bee sp ... | 2008 | 18330127 |
| impact of two treatments of a formulation of beauveria bassiana (deuteromycota: hyphomycetes) conidia on varroa mites (acari: varroidae) and on honeybee (hymenoptera: apidae) colony health. | bee colonies in southern france were treated with conidia (asexual spores) from two strains of beauveria bassiana, an entomopathogenic fungus. one strain was commercial (gha) and the other had been isolated from varroa mites in the region (bb05002). objectives were to evaluate treatment effect on colony weight, adult bee mass, capped brood, and on varroa fall onto sticky boards. treatments included conidia formulated with either carnauba or candelilla wax powder, candelilla wax powder alone, or ... | 2008 | 18506583 |
| jnk pathway is involved in the inhibition of inflammatory target gene expression and nf-kappab activation by melittin. | abstract: | 2008 | 18507870 |
| structural basis of the honey bee pbp pheromone and ph-induced conformational change. | the behavior of insects and their perception of their surroundings are driven, in a large part, by odorants and pheromones. this is especially true for social insects, such as the honey bee, where the queen controls the development and the caste status of the other individuals. pheromone perception is a complex phenomenon relying on a cascade of recognition events, initiated in antennae by pheromone recognition by a pheromone-binding protein and finishing with signal transduction at the axon mem ... | 2008 | 18508083 |
| characterization of structural proteins of solenopsis invicta virus 1. | purification of solenopsis invicta virus 1 (sinv-1) from its host, s. invicta, and subsequent examination by electron microscopy revealed a homogeneous fraction of spherical particles with a diameter of 30-35 nm. quantitative pcr with sinv-1-specific oligonucleotide primers verified that this fraction contained high copy numbers of the sinv-1 genome. sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the sinv-1 purified fraction revealed three major and one minor protein bands. the pro ... | 2008 | 18514347 |
| east learns from west: asiatic honeybees can understand dance language of european honeybees. | the honeybee waggle dance, through which foragers advertise the existence and location of a food source to their hive mates, is acknowledged as the only known form of symbolic communication in an invertebrate. however, the suggestion, that different species of honeybee might possess distinct 'dialects' of the waggle dance, remains controversial. furthermore, it remains unclear whether different species of honeybee can learn from and communicate with each other. this study reports experiments usi ... | 2008 | 18523550 |
| effectiveness of tilmicosin against paenibacillus larvae, the causal agent of american foulbrood disease of honeybees. | american foulbrood (afb) of honeybees (apis mellifera l.), caused by the gram-positive bacterium paenibacillus larvae is one of the most serious diseases affecting the larval and pupal stages of honeybees (a. mellifera l.). the aim of the present work was to asses the response of 23 strains of p. larvae from diverse geographical origins to tilmicosin, a macrolide antibiotic developed for exclusive use in veterinary medicine, by means of the minimal inhibitory concentration (mic) and the agar dif ... | 2008 | 18539412 |
| the cardiovascular depression caused by bee venom in sprague-dawley rats associated with a decrease of developed pressure in the left ventricular and the ratio of ionized calcium/ionized magnesium. | bee venom (bv) has been used in oriental medicine to treat inflammatory diseases, such as tendonitis, bursitis, and rheumatoid arthritis, despite the sensitivity of the victims and toxicity of the venom. this study examined the mechanisms for the effects of bv on the cardiovascular system in rats. the arterial pressure and heart rate (hr) were measured in anesthetized rats. in addition, the left ventricular development pressure (lvdp) and total magnesium efflux ([mg]e) in isolated perfused heart ... | 2008 | 18543385 |
| anti-tumor effects of water-soluble propolis on a mouse sarcoma cell line in vivo and in vitro. | the honeybee product propolis and its extracts are known to have biological effects such as antibiotic, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor activities. this study was designed to investigate whether water-soluble propolis (wsp) inhibits tumor growth. the tumor cell line used was mouse sarcoma 180 (s-180), and its growth was determined in vitro and in vivo with exposure to different concentrations of wsp. the effects of wsp on tumor cells in vitro were evaluated by measuring the intracel ... | 2008 | 18543394 |
| perceptual accuracy and conflicting effects of certainty on risk-taking behaviour. | the 'certainty effect' is a notable violation of expected utility theory by decision makers. it shows that people's tendency to select the safer of two prospects increases when this prospect provides a good outcome with certainty (for example, people prefer a monetary gain of 3 with certainty over 4 with a probability of 0.8, but do not prefer 3 with a probability of 0.25 over 4 with a probability of 0.2). subsequent work on experience-based decision making in rats extended the certainty effect ... | 2008 | 18548069 |
| melittin prevents liver cancer cell metastasis through inhibition of the rac1-dependent pathway. | melittin, a water-soluble toxic peptide derived from bee venom of apis mellifera was reported to have inhibitory effects on hepatocellular carcinoma (hcc). however, its role in antimetastasis and the underlying mechanism remains elusive. by utilizing both hcc cell lines and an animal model based assay system, we found that rac1, which has been shown to be involved in cancer cell metastasis, is highly expressed in aggressive hcc cell lines and its activity correlated with cell motility and cytosk ... | 2008 | 18506888 |
| hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids in pollen and drying-related implications for commercial processing of bee pollen. | using hplc-esi-ms, several saturated and 1,2-dehydropyrrolizidine alkaloids were detected, mainly as their n-oxides, in fresh pollen collected from flowers of the pyrrolizidine alkaloid-producing plants echium vulgare, e. plantagineum, senecio jacobaea, s. ovatus, and eupatorium cannabinum, and/or pollen loads from bees (bee pollen) that foraged on those plants. a major alkaloidal metabolite in s. ovatus was tentatively identified, using its mass spectrometric data and biogenic considerations, a ... | 2008 | 18553916 |
| acute anterior myocardial infarction after multiple bee stings. a case of kounis syndrome. | a 58-year-old man with no history of cardiac diseases or cardiovascular risk factors was stung by honeybees. soon after, he gradually developed signs of an allergic reaction followed by severe retrosternal pain. electrocardiographic, echocardiographic evidence and positive biochemical markers were consistent with an acute anterolateral myocardial infarction. coronary arteriography showed a left anterior descending artery thrombotic lesion. this is a case of kounis syndrome, which is the concurre ... | 2009 | 18554734 |
| visitation by wild and managed bees (hymenoptera: apoidea) to eastern u.s. native plants for use in conservation programs. | addition of floral resources to agricultural field margins has been shown to increase abundance of beneficial insects in crop fields, but most plants recommended for this use are non-native annuals. native perennial plants with different bloom periods can provide floral resources for bees throughout the growing season for use in pollinator conservation projects. to identify the most suitable plants for this use, we examined the relative attractiveness to wild and managed bees of 43 eastern u.s. ... | 2008 | 18559176 |
| assessing the risk to nontarget organisms from bt corn resistant to corn rootworms (coleoptera: chrysomelidae): tier-i testing with orius insidiosus (heteroptera: anthocoridae). | a 14-d continuous dietary exposure bioassay using nymphs of the insidious flower bug, orius insidiosus (say) (heteroptera: anthocoridae), was conducted to assess nontarget impacts of genetically modified corn event mon 863 expressing the cry3bb1 protein for management of corn rootworms, diabrotica spp. (coleoptera: chrysomelidae). nymphs of o. insidiosus were continuously fed a bee pollen diet inoculated with a maximum hazard exposure dose (930 microg/g of diet) of the cry3bb1 protein for 14 d. ... | 2008 | 18559191 |
| manganese transport in eukaryotes: the role of dmt1. | manganese (mn) is a transition metal that is essential for normal cell growth and development, but is toxic at high concentrations. while mn deficiency is uncommon in humans, mn toxicity is known to be readily prevalent due to occupational overexposure in miners, smelters and possibly welders. excessive exposure to mn can cause parkinson's disease-like syndrome; patients typically exhibit extrapyramidal symptoms that include tremor, rigidity and hypokinesia [calne db, chu ns, huang cc, lu cs, ol ... | 2008 | 18565586 |
| complement activation on b lymphocytes opsonized with rituximab or ofatumumab produces substantial changes in membrane structure preceding cell lysis. | binding of the cd20 mab rituximab (rtx) to b lymphocytes in normal human serum (nhs) activates complement (c) and promotes c3b deposition on or in close proximity to cell-bound rtx. based on spinning disk confocal microscopy analyses, we report the first real-time visualization of c3b deposition and c-mediated killing of rtx-opsonized b cells. c activation by rtx-opsonized daudi b cells induces rapid membrane blebbing and generation of long, thin structures protruding from cell surfaces, which w ... | 2008 | 18566448 |
| a-to-i rna editing alters less-conserved residues of highly conserved coding regions: implications for dual functions in evolution. | the molecular mechanism and physiological function of recoding by a-to-i rna editing is well known, but its evolutionary significance remains a mystery. we analyzed the rna editing of the kv2 k(+) channel from different insects spanning more than 300 million years of evolution: drosophila melanogaster, culex pipiens (diptera), pulex irritans (siphonaptera), bombyx mori (lepidoptera), tribolium castaneum (coleoptera), apis mellifera (hymenoptera), pediculus humanus (phthiraptera), and myzus persi ... | 2008 | 18567816 |
| distribution of paenibacillus larvae spores inside honey bee colonies and its relevance for diagnosis. | one of the most important factors affecting the development of honey bee colonies is infectious diseases such as american foulbrood (afb) caused by the spore forming gram-positive bacterium paenibacillus larvae. colony inspections for afb clinical symptoms are time consuming. moreover, diseased cells in the early stages of the infection may easily be overlooked. in this study, we investigated whether it is possible to determine the sanitary status of a colony based on analyses of different mater ... | 2008 | 18573258 |
| bumble bees heat up for high quality pollen. | thermoregulation plays a key role in bee foraging, allowing some species to forage in suboptimal temperatures. recently, bumble bee thoracic temperature (t(th)) has been shown to increase with nectar carbohydrate content. however, pollen is also vital to bees and exhibits a greater than 20-fold range in protein quality. we provide the first demonstration that bee t(th) is also correlated with pollen quality. we allowed bumble bee, bombus impatiens, foragers from two colonies to collect pollen va ... | 2008 | 18587118 |
| anti-allergic effect of bee pollen phenolic extract and myricetin in ovalbumin-sensitized mice. | the bee pollen is used in folk medicine to alleviate allergic reactions. the bee pollen phenolic extract (bppe) consists in phenolic compounds (flavonoids) from plants picked by apis mellifera bee. | 2008 | 18588965 |
| hysteresis of insect acetylcholinesterase. | pre-steady-state catalytic properties of insect acetylcholinesterase (ache, ec 3.1.1.7) were studied with the neutral substrate n-methylindoxylacetate. kinetics of soluble apis mellifera and drosophila melanogaster ache forms showed lags (v(i)=0) before reaching the steady-state. results were interpreted in terms of slow equilibrium between two conformational states e and e' of insect ache. hysteresis of insect ache has been pointed out for the first time. the hysteretic behaviour was found to d ... | 2008 | 18602377 |