Nosema or Vairimorpha: Genomic/proteomic support to a complex socio-economic issue rooted in taxonomic change
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Microsporidia are disease-causing organisms that can infect invertebrate species. In apiculture, two microsporidians of importance are Vairimorpha (=Nosema) ceranae and Vairimorpha (=Nosema) apis. The taxonomy surrounding the genus assignment of these species has been heavily debated, due to molecular systematic and socio-economic reasons. We provide an update to this debate by developing a 508-gene concatenated protein phylogeny, and a 277-gene concatenated nucleotide phylogeny, to show that these parasites show strong phylogenetic positioning with the Vairimorpha genus and its type species Vairimorpha necatrix. Despite this assignment, we suggest that the terms 'nosema-disease', 'nosemosis' and 'nosematosis' should still be viable for use within apiculture, and be named after the family Nosematidae in which V. ceranae and V. apis sit, instead of the previous genus assignment: Nosema.
Institutions: Teesside University, United States Department of Agriculture, University of Copenhagen, University of Exeter, Wageningen University & Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Institute of Apiculture Research, University of Virginia's College at Wise, Charles University, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Southwest University, Columbia University, Barnard College, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, Missouri Department of Conservation, All-Russian Institute of Plant Protection, Agricultural Research Service
Language: English
Subfield: Insect Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,760
Funders: Teesside University, Royal Society
OpenAlex ID: W4411589543