Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus
A Viral Biorealm page on the family Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus
Chronic bee paralysis virus (often abbreviated CBPV or CPV) causes chronic bee paralysis disease in honeybees around the world[1]. This virus is one of many bee viruses that are becoming an increasing problem in the bee community.
Baltimore Classification
Group IV: (+) ssRNA virus
Higher order categories
Virus; Positive single-stranded RNA virus.
Although CBPV shares several characteristics with the Nodaviridae and Tombusviridae virus families, CBPV is considered a new family of positive single-stranded RNA viruses [3]. The virus is not fully classified.
Description and Significance
The common host for the chronic bee paralysis virus is the honeybee, of which Apis mellifera is the most common species. This virus has been found in various species around the world and is a problem because it causes large numbers of honeybee deaths. Honeybees play and important role as pollinators to a large variety of plants, thus they hold an important role in agriculture. With higher rates of CBPV comes more bee deaths and lower plant production. This can have huge impacts on agriculture, both on the large and small scale. Keeping track of such viruses is important in foreign trade. In some cases, infected bees were passed through undetected to other countries during trade and infected colonies in that country with CBPV[3]. Proper detection and management techniques are key in preventing of further spread of CBPV.
Symptoms of CBPV include severe trembling of the wings and body, crawling on the ground, loss of hair and a darker appearance. Most infected bees die within a few days of infection. However, it has also been seen that the virus can infect seemingly healthy bees [3].
CBPV has also more recently been found in ants and mites[2].
Genome Structure
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 [1]. The amino acid information obtained from the ORF 3 on RNA 1 shared the conserved motifs of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) sequence and presented similarities with other known families (Nodaviridae and Tombusviridae). However, no similarities were found between the other CBPV amino acid sequences and sequences in the NCBI databases, suggesting that CBPV is a new family of positive single-stranded RNA viruses [1].
Virion Structure
CBPV is an ellipsoid with a size of 20 X 30 to 60 nm.
Reproductive Cycle in a Host Cell
Some studies show that the virus may be transmitted via bee feces [4]. “Detection of Chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV) genome and its replicative RNA form in various hosts and possible ways of spread.” [5].
Viral Ecology & Pathology
Studies have shown that CBPV remains viral when found in the feces of infected bees. CBPV was even passed on to healthy bees by being in the presence of infected bee feces alone [4]. Symptoms of CBPV include severe trembling of the wings and body, crawling on the ground, hairlessness, darker or shinier appearance, death, etc. However, it has also been discovered that seemingly healthy bees were infected and carried CBPV [3].
References
[1] Olivier, V.; Blanchard, P.; Chaouch, S.; Lallemand, P.; Schurr, F.; Celle, O.; Dubois, E.; Tordo, N.; Thiéry, R.; Houlgatte, R.; Ribière, M. Molecular characterisation and phylogenetic analysis of Chronic bee paralysis virus, a honeybee virus. Virus Research. 2008 March, Vol. 132 Issue 1/2, p59-68. DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2007.10.014.
[2] Celle, O; Blanchard, P,; Olivier, V.; Schurr, F.; Cougoule, N.; Faucon, J-P.; Ribière, M. Detection of Chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV) genome and its replicative RNA form in various hosts and possible ways of spread, Virus Research, Volume 133, Issue 2, May 2008, Pages 280-284, ISSN 0168-1702. DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2007.12.011.
[3] Morimoto, T.; Kojima, Y.; Yoshiyama, M.; Kimura, K.; Yang, B.; Kadowaki, T. Molecular Identification of Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus Infection in Apis mellifera Colonies in Japan. Viruses. July, 2012. Vol. 4 Issue 7, p1093-1103. DOI: 10.3390/v4071093.
[4] Ribière, M. M., Lallemand, P. P., Iscache, A. L., Schurr, F. F., Celle, O., Blanchard, P. P., Olivier, V; Faucon, J. P. (2007). Spread of Infectious Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus by Honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) Feces. Applied & Environmental Microbiology, 73(23), 7711-7716. doi:10.1128/AEM.01053-07
[5]
Edited by Naomi Chouinard of Dr. Lisa R. Moore, University of Southern Maine, Department of Biological Sciences, http://www.usm.maine.edu/bio
