Projects / Programmes
Definition of molecular parameters for protection of Carniolan honeybee
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 4.02.01 |
Biotechnical sciences |
Animal production |
Genetics and selection |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| B400 |
Biomedical sciences |
Zootechny, animal husbandry, breeding |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 4.02 |
Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences |
Animal and Dairy science |
Apis mellifera carnica, SNP, proteomics, dance communication, honey yield, resistance, wing morphology, genetic diversity, hemolymph, bee venom, royal jelly, candidate genes.
Researchers (14)
Organisations (4)
Abstract
The project integrates a variety of approaches, including genomics, proteomics and bioinformatics and connects them with the traditional methods being applied for the study of honey bees such as morphology, ethology and monitoring of production traits. This approach will allow us to connect different types of information into a system, which will serve for detailed description the characteristics of the Carniolan bee and will offer the criteria for its separation from other subspecies Apis mellifera and hybrids with the Carniolan bee. Insight into the genetic base of the population of the Carniolan bee will allow the assessment of genetic diversity within the population and the identification of genetic variants which may facilitate the improvement of production and health traits in Carniolan bees. Because the systematic efforts to identify local varieties of Carniolan bees were not successful so far, we hope that this project, based on integrated approach will enable the identification of quantitative differences between the Carniolan bees from different geographical locations. The objectives of the project are in line with the priorities of the National programme for the protection of the Carniolan bee.
Significance for science
Project's contribution to the development of science is mainly in the complexity of the approach and in integration of various scientific approachesfor the complex characterization of the honeybee populations. This approach allowed until now the most complete characterisation of Carniolan bee population and its comparison with the neighboring populations. Of special importance is the inclusion of bioinformatics approach, which will continue to be an indispensable part of any subsequent population analysis. Cooperation with research group with long lasting experience in the field of proteomic analysis, especially in the field of analysis of toxins has allowed new insights into the composition of bee venom, which will be in the future, with improved extraction technology of bee venom, a novel tool for defining the population structure. Linking proteomic, genetic and behavioral approaches in the analysis of the population is essential novelty of our research and will in the future become the standard methodology for further research. Despite concerns over the existence of ecotypes, our research has shown that in a small, geographically limited population without any restrictions for migrations within the population and where the distribution of breeding material strongly depends on relatively small number of quin breeders, the existence of regional specific genetic population structure can not be expected.
Significance for the country
Project results are extremely important for the Slovenian beekeeping and preservation of Carniolan bee population. Project results show the complexity of the genetic structure of the Carniolan bee population and define it in the context of neighboring populations in Austria, Italy and Croatia. The information about genetic diversity within population is extremely important for planning of protective measures and to monitor the consequences of breeding work. Our results indicate that the proposed methodology allows the identification of introduction of genetic material from neighboring populations in the population of Carniolan bee. The complexity of our approach will in the future enable research towards epigenetic and environmental-related differences in bee phenotype and proteome, which would eventually lead to the specification of individual ecotypes within population of Carniolan bee. A further extension of the range of analysis tools (DNA sequencing and use SNP chips when they become available) will substantially contribute to the planning and monitoring of the breeding work for improvement of production and health traits of Carniolan bee. For Slovenia, beekeeping and the existence of native bee population is of great importance from a historical, biological as well as economic perspective. In a world were for the quins of Carniolan bees always was a demand, this increasingly also depends on how much research is invested in this population and how well this prized and often used traditional genetic resource is described.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2015,
final report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2015,
final report
