University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Polyadenylation of ribosomal RNA in response to picornavirus infection in honey bees (Apis mellifera)

Yu, Johnny

Content Files
Yu_Johnny.pdf

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/34263

Description

Title
Polyadenylation of ribosomal RNA in response to picornavirus infection in honey bees (Apis mellifera)
Author(s)
Yu, Johnny
Issue Date
2012-09-18T21:08:31Z
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
  • Robinson, Gene E.
  • Hudson, Matthew E.
  • Berenbaum, May R.
Department of Study
Entomology
Discipline
Entomology
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
M.S.
Degree Level
Thesis
Date of Ingest
2012-09-18T21:08:31Z
Keyword(s)
  • Apis mellifera
  • virus
  • immunity
  • picornavirus
  • ribosomal RNA
Abstract
At least eighteen different picornaviruses can infect honey bees (Apis mellifera). The combination of the virulence of these pathogens as well as their transmissibility through Varroa destructor, an ectoparasitic mite, can cause severe declines in honey bee populations. Polyadenylated (polyA) rRNA has been associated with honey bees infected with viruses in past studies. In bacteria, yeast, and some mammals, polyA rRNA serves as a molecular marker for the degradation of rRNA. Honey bees may be utilizing polyA rRNA in the same fashion to degrade cells that are infected with picornaviruses. In this thesis, I attempted to correlate viral infection and polyA rRNA using qRT-PCR and RNA-seq. Five polyA regions were identified with RNA-seq. One region (28S 2070-2130) was weakly associated with viral infection. I used quantitative RT-PCR to more accurately measure the 28S 2070-2130 region and again found a weak association between viral infection and polyA rRNA. Also, significantly more polyA rRNA was found in the abdomen than in the head. The high expression levels of polyA rRNA in the abdomen may be a consequence of picornaviruses that infect mostly the abdomen.
Graduation Semester
2012-08
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/34263
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2012 Johnny Yu

Owning Collections

Graduate Dissertations and Theses at Illinois PRIMARY
Graduate Theses and Dissertations at Illinois
Dissertations and Theses - Entomology