Polyadenylation of ribosomal RNA in response to picornavirus infection in honey bees (Apis mellifera)

At least eighteen different picornaviruses can infect honey bees (Apis mellifera). The combination of the virulence of these pathogens as well as their transmissibility through Varroa destructor, an ectoparasitic mite, can cause severe declines in honey bee populations. Polyadenylated (polyA) rRNA has been associated with honey bees infected with viruses in past studies. In bacteria, yeast, and some mammals, polyA rRNA serves as a molecular marker for the degradation of rRNA. Honey bees may be utilizing polyA rRNA in the same fashion to degrade cells that are infected with picornaviruses. In this thesis, I attempted to correlate viral infection and polyA rRNA using qRT-PCR and RNA-seq. Five polyA regions were identified with RNA-seq. One region (28S 2070-2130) was weakly associated with viral infection. I used quantitative RT-PCR to more accurately measure the 28S 2070-2130 region and again found a weak association between viral infection and polyA rRNA. Also, significantly more polyA rRNA was found in the abdomen than in the head. The high expression levels of polyA rRNA in the abdomen may be a consequence of picornaviruses that infect mostly the abdomen.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Entomology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2012

Author dc:creator

• Yu, Johnny

Contributors dc:contributor

• Robinson, Gene E.
• Hudson, Matthew E.
• Berenbaum, May R.

• Apis mellifera
• virus
• immunity
• picornavirus
• ribosomal RNA

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2012 Johnny Yu

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/34263

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/34263