Large-Scale Application of Double-Stranded RNA Shows Potential for Reduction of Sacbrood Virus Disease in <i>Apis cerana</i> Apiaries
Mi-Sun Yoo,
A-Tai Truong,
Hana Jeong,
Do-Hyun Hahn,
Ju-Seong Lee,
Soon-Seek Yoon,
So-Youn Youn,
Yun-Sang Cho
Affiliations
Mi-Sun Yoo
Parasitic and Honey Bee Disease Laboratory, Bacterial and Parasitic Disease Division, Department of Animal and Plant Health Research, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon 39660, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Republic of Korea
A-Tai Truong
Parasitic and Honey Bee Disease Laboratory, Bacterial and Parasitic Disease Division, Department of Animal and Plant Health Research, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon 39660, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Republic of Korea
Hana Jeong
Parasitic and Honey Bee Disease Laboratory, Bacterial and Parasitic Disease Division, Department of Animal and Plant Health Research, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon 39660, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Republic of Korea
Do-Hyun Hahn
Parasitic and Honey Bee Disease Laboratory, Bacterial and Parasitic Disease Division, Department of Animal and Plant Health Research, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon 39660, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Republic of Korea
Ju-Seong Lee
Parasitic and Honey Bee Disease Laboratory, Bacterial and Parasitic Disease Division, Department of Animal and Plant Health Research, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon 39660, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Republic of Korea
Soon-Seek Yoon
Parasitic and Honey Bee Disease Laboratory, Bacterial and Parasitic Disease Division, Department of Animal and Plant Health Research, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon 39660, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Republic of Korea
So-Youn Youn
Parasitic and Honey Bee Disease Laboratory, Bacterial and Parasitic Disease Division, Department of Animal and Plant Health Research, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon 39660, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Republic of Korea
Yun-Sang Cho
Parasitic and Honey Bee Disease Laboratory, Bacterial and Parasitic Disease Division, Department of Animal and Plant Health Research, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon 39660, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Republic of Korea
Sacbrood virus (SBV) infection has emerged as a remarkable threat to Apis cerana colonies in South Korea, necessitating prompt control measures. In this study, RNA interference (RNAi) targeting the VP3 gene was developed to assess its safety and efficacy in protecting and treating SBV in vitro and in infected colonies in South Korean apiaries. The efficacy of VP3 double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) was demonstrated in laboratory-based experiments, wherein infected larvae treated with VP3 dsRNA exhibited a 32.7% increase in survival rate compared to untreated larvae. Data from a large-scale field trial indicate the efficacy of dsRNA treatment since none of the treated colonies had symptomatic SBV infections, whereas disease was observed in 43% (3/7) of the control colonies. In the 102 colonies exhibiting symptoms of SBV disease, RNAi treatment provided partial protection with weekly treatment, prolonging the survival period of colonies to 8 months compared to 2 months in colonies treated at 2- and 4-week intervals. Therefore, this study demonstrated that RNAi is a valuable tool for preventing SBV disease outbreaks in healthy and low-level SBV-infected colonies.
