Impact of Protoporphyrin Lysine Derivatives on the Ability of Nosema ceranae Spores to Infect Honeybees

• Published in: Insects (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 11; no. 8; p. 504
• Main Authors: Buczek, Katarzyna, Deryło, Kamil, Kutyła, Mateusz, Rybicka-Jasińska, Katarzyna, Gryko, Dorota, Borsuk, Grzegorz, Rodzik, Beata, Trytek, Mariusz
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 05.08.2020; MDPI
• Subjects: Antibiotics; Bees; Derivatives; feed intake; Food; infected honeybees; Infections; Lysine; Microsporidia; Nosema ceranae; Parasites; Porphyrins; Protoporphyrin; Protoporphyrin IX; protoporphyrin IX amides; Spores; Sucrose; Sugar; Syrup; Syrups; United States > US; North America; Europe
• ISSN: 2075-4450; 2075-4450
• DOI: 10.3390/insects11080504

The effect of two protoporphyrin IX derivatives conjugated with single (PP[Lys(TFA)-OH)]2) or double (PP[Lys(TFA)-Lys(TFA)-OH]2) lysine moieties on the infectious capacity of Nosema ceranae spores was examined, and their efficacies were compared with those of a cationic porphyrin (H2TTMePP). Honeybees were inoculated with spores preincubated with porphyrins or with untreated spores (control). A significantly lower level of infection was observed in the bees infected with the porphyrin-treated spores than in the infected control. Porphyrins 1 and 2 reduced the infectious capability of microsporidia more efficiently than porphyrin 3, with bee mortality declining to almost 50%. Confocal analysis of the midguts of infected bees revealed distinct differences in the number of spores between the control group and the group infected with PP[Lys(TFA)-Lys(TFA)-OH]2-treated spores. Notably, bees with a reduced level of infection consumed less sucrose syrup than the control bees, indicating a reduction in digestive disorders and an improvement in food absorption.