美國北卡羅萊納州立大學(xué)的一項(xiàng)研究顯示,，當(dāng)蜂群感染上有害的真菌時(shí),，蜜蜂會(huì)“自我治療”，采集更多數(shù)量的抗真菌植物樹脂,，以抵擋真菌的侵襲,。
相關(guān)論文3月29日在線發(fā)表于《公共科學(xué)圖書館.綜合》（PLoS ONE），論文的主要作者北卡州立大學(xué)昆蟲系的博士后研究員邁克爾 西蒙妮-芬斯特?。∕ichael Simone-Finstrom）說,，讓工蜂耗費(fèi)精力采集這些樹脂，演化出這種行為應(yīng)該是由于其利大于弊,。
野生蜜蜂通常會(huì)在蜂巢中鋪上一層蜂膠,，這是一種有抗真菌和抗細(xì)菌作用的植物樹脂和蠟的混合物,。家養(yǎng)蜜蜂也會(huì)使用蜂膠來填補(bǔ)蜂巢中的縫隙,。研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn)，當(dāng)面對真菌威脅時(shí),，蜜蜂采集的蜂膠數(shù)量平均會(huì)急劇增長45%以上,。與此同時(shí)，蜜蜂還會(huì)移走被真菌寄生感染將會(huì)成為真菌孢子的蜜蜂幼蟲,。
研究人員知道蜂膠是一種有效的抗真菌劑,，因?yàn)樗麄儼岩恍┓淠z提取物抹在蜂巢后發(fā)現(xiàn)，蜂膠提取物能夠顯著降低真菌感染率,。
當(dāng)蜂巢感染上無害真菌時(shí),，蜂群的蜂膠采集量并沒有上漲，它們的處理辦法只是移走真菌孢子,。因此很明顯,，蜜蜂有時(shí)可以區(qū)分有害真菌和無害真菌。
不過,，這種“自我醫(yī)療”的行為仍有局限性,。當(dāng)蜂群感染上病原菌時(shí)，盡管蜂膠也有抗細(xì)菌作用,，但是它們的蜂膠采集量并沒有很大提升,。芬斯特隆表示，蜂膠數(shù)量有些許增多,，但是沒有那么顯著,。他們接下來計(jì)劃接著研究這項(xiàng)內(nèi)容。
對養(yǎng)蜂人來說,，這是一個(gè)可以學(xué)習(xí)的經(jīng)驗(yàn),。以前美國的養(yǎng)蜂人更喜歡不怎么采集蜂膠的蜂群,，因?yàn)榉淠z粘稠且不方便操作，但是我們現(xiàn)在知道了,，蜂群的這個(gè)特征值得提倡,，因?yàn)榉淠z似乎能給蜜蜂提供天然的防御。（生物谷 bioon.com）
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0034601
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Increased Resin Collection after Parasite Challenge: A Case of Self-Medication in Honey Bees?
Michael D. Simone-Finstrom, Marla Spivak
The constant pressure posed by parasites has caused species throughout the animal kingdom to evolve suites of mechanisms to resist infection. Individual barriers and physiological defenses are considered the main barriers against parasites in invertebrate species. However, behavioral traits and other non-immunological defenses can also effectively reduce parasite transmission and infection intensity. In social insects, behaviors that reduce colony-level parasite loads are termed “social immunity.” One example of a behavioral defense is resin collection. Honey bees forage for plant-produced resins and incorporate them into their nest architecture. This use of resins can reduce chronic elevation of an individual bee's immune response. Since high activation of individual immunity can impose colony-level fitness costs, collection of resins may benefit both the individual and colony fitness. However the use of resins as a more direct defense against pathogens is unclear. Here we present evidence that honey bee colonies may self-medicate with plant resins in response to a fungal infection. Self-medication is generally defined as an individual responding to infection by ingesting or harvesting non-nutritive compounds or plant materials. Our results show that colonies increase resin foraging rates after a challenge with a fungal parasite (Ascophaera apis: chalkbrood or CB). Additionally, colonies experimentally enriched with resin had decreased infection intensities of this fungal parasite. If considered self-medication, this is a particularly unique example because it operates at the colony level. Most instances of self-medication involve pharmacophagy, whereby individuals change their diet in response to direct infection with a parasite. In this case with honey bees, resins are not ingested but used within the hive by adult bees exposed to fungal spores. Thus the colony, as the unit of selection, may be responding to infection through self-medication by increasing the number of individuals that forage for resin.
