شناسایی باکتری Wolbachia در زنبور عسل Apidae) ) Apis mellifera و انگل خارجی آن(Varroidea) Varroa destructor بر اساس واکنش زنجیره ای پلیمراز

Wolbachia is the most abundant genus of intracellular bacteria that infects a wide range of arthropods and causes a wide range of phenotypic effects such as cytoplasmic incompatibility, parthenogenesis, feminization, and male-killing. This bacterium is abundantly found in social insect colonies and produces destructive effects. In the case of many social insects, living in a colony leads to interactions that facilitate symbiotic dispersal. However, having only one caste responsible for reproduction (the queen) can limit infections. As one of the social insects, the honey bee is infected with this bacterium. In a research conducted during 1402-1403, honey bee workers and V. destructor mites were collected from apiaries in Kerman, Fars, Isfahan, Sistan and Baluchistan provinces. After DNA extraction from bees and mites, 16s rRNA and wsp genes were amplified and positive samples infected with Wolbachia were sequenced for identification. The results of sequencing showed that Wolbachia bacterial contamination is present in both bee populations and Varroa mites. Different results were obtained depending on whether wsp or 16s rRNA gene amplification primers were used. mites tested for infection with this bacterium using the wsp primer were infected at much lower frequencies than those tested with the 16s rRNA primer. This result is consistent with previous studies because wsp produces false negative results in some host systems, especially when the amount of bacterial contamination is low. The obtained sequences are being registered in the gene bank. This bacterium is reported for the first time from Varroa mites in Iran. The results of this research can be useful in integrated control strategies of bee pests.