LE3 .A278 2018

2018

Easy, Russell

Acadia University

Bachelor of Science

Honours

Biology

Biology

Native and managed pollinators are vital to Canada’s agriculture and biodiversity; however, these species are currently facing population declines. One of the most prominent viruses affecting the western honey bee (Apis mellifera) is Black Queen Cell Virus (BQCV), which is fatal to developing honey bee queens. Previous genomic analyses have shown that interspecies transmission of pathogens is common between managed honey bees and wild bumblebees, while the BQCV genotypes tend to be most similar within the geographic site where they were collected. The objective of this study is to trace the spread of BQCV across Apis and native bee species within Canada to better understand viral transmission in pollinators. Bees were collected from sites across Ontario, Alberta, and Nova Scotia and were tested for BQCV. Viral RNA was extracted and PCR was used to amplify viral cDNA targeting the helicase gene. PCR products were sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq Next-Generation Sequencing platform and sequences were analyzed for genetic similarity. Phylogenetic analysis revealed evidence of viral transmission across species and across collection sites. The viral sequences did not cluster neatly by province, though when compared to internationally collected sequences, they did cluster by country. These results suggest pathogen spillover between managed and native bee species across Canada, and that infected wild bees act as carriers for viral transmission even when appearing asymptomatic. Broader genomic analyses are needed to explore the transmission of BQCV across Canada, as the global data set remains limited.

The author retains copyright in this thesis. Any substantial copying or any other actions that exceed fair dealing or other exceptions in the Copyright Act require the permission of the author.

https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:3185