Publikationsdatenbank

The active site of the enzyme 10-formyl-THFDH in the honey bee Apis mellifera:
a key player in formic acid detoxification (2023)

Art

Zeitschriftenartikel / wissenschaftlicher Beitrag

Autoren

Mating, Moritz (WE 3)

Zou, Ye

Sharbati, Soroush (WE 3)

Einspanier, Ralf (WE 3)

Quelle

International journal of molecular sciences

Bandzählung: 24

Heftzählung: 1

Seiten: Artikel 354

ISSN: 1422-0067

Sprache

Englisch

Verweise

URL (Volltext): https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/1/354

DOI: 10.3390/ijms24010354

Pubmed: 36613799

Kontakt

Institut für Veterinär-Biochemie

Oertzenweg 19 b
14163 Berlin
+49 30 838 62225
biochemie@vetmed.fu-berlin.de

Abstract / Zusammenfassung

Honey bees are important managed pollinators that fulfill important ecological and economic functions. In recent decades, the obligate ectoparasite Varroa destructor severely affected the survival of honey bees, as it weakened them by different means. A common treatment against V. destructor is formic acid fumigation, which has been used for decades by beekeepers across the world. This treatment is known to be effective, but many beekeepers report adverse effects of formic acid on bees, which include damage to the brood, worker bee mortality, and queen loss. Little is known about the molecular mechanisms of formic acid detoxification in honey bees. Recently, we reported upregulation of the bee enzyme, 10-formyl-THFDH, under formic acid fumigation. Here, the active site of this enzyme is characterized by an interdisciplinary approach combining homology modeling and protein mutagenesis. In addition, the limitations of the 3D protein structure prediction program AlphaFold2 are shown in regard to docking studies. This study provides a more thorough understanding of the molecular detoxification mechanisms of formic acid in Apis mellifera.