根据一项研究，自从2006年起在美国导致蜜蜂蜂巢毁灭的神秘的蜂群崩溃失调病（CCD）可能部分是由于破坏了基因翻译的病毒造成的。此前的一些研究发现了CCD与蜜蜂畸翅病毒与以色列急性麻痹病毒等病毒之间的联系，而其他一些研究提到了杀虫剂的作用，但是这些研究都没有确定一个直接的原因。
May Berenbaum及其同事分析了蜜蜂肠道的基因表达。蜜蜂的肠道是杀虫剂解毒和免疫防御的主要地点。这组科学家比较了美国东海岸和西海岸CCD蜂群的蜜蜂和来自健康蜂巢的蜜蜂，结果发现CCD蜜蜂拥有大量不寻常的核糖体RNA片段。由于核糖体属于细胞制造蛋白质的一部分，这项发现提示CCD蜂群的蜜蜂的蛋白质生产很可能受到了损害。这组科学家提出，这些片断可能来自于已经确定与CCD有关联的病毒的多重感染，这些病毒以核糖体为目标。这组作者说，无论病毒过量是不是蜂群崩溃的根本原因，测试核糖体片段可能成为CCD的一个有用的诊断标记。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推荐原始出处：
PNAS August 24, 2009, doi: 10.1073/pnas.0906970106
Changes in transcript abundance relating to colony collapse disorder in honey bees (Apis mellifera)
Reed M. Johnsona,1, Jay D. Evansb, Gene E. Robinsona and May R. Berenbauma,2
aDepartment of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801; and
bBee Research Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD 20705
Colony collapse disorder (CCD) is a mysterious disappearance of honey bees that has beset beekeepers in the United States since late 2006. Pathogens and other environmental stresses, including pesticides, have been linked to CCD, but a causal relationship has not yet been demonstrated. Because the gut acts as a primary interface between the honey bee and its environment as a site of entry for pathogens and toxins, we used whole-genome microarrays to compare gene expression between guts of bees from CCD colonies originating on both the east and west coasts of the United States and guts of bees from healthy colonies sampled before the emergence of CCD. Considerable variation in gene expression was associated with the geographical origin of bees, but a consensus list of 65 transcripts was identified as potential markers for CCD status. Overall, elevated expression of pesticide response genes was not observed. Genes involved in immune response showed no clear trend in expression pattern despite the increased prevalence of viruses and other pathogens in CCD colonies. Microarray analysis revealed unusual ribosomal RNA fragments that were conspicuously more abundant in the guts of CCD bees. The presence of these fragments may be a possible consequence of picorna-like viral infection, including deformed wing virus and Israeli acute paralysis virus, and may be related to arrested translation. Ribosomal fragment abundance and presence of multiple viruses may prove to be useful diagnostic markers for colonies afflicted with CCD.
