Araştırma Makalesi

In silico simulation of pathogen interaction with bee probiotics

Cilt: 15 Sayı: 4 15 Aralık 2025
Mehtap Usta *
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Gümüşhane Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Dergisi Kapak Gümüşhane Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Dergisi
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In silico simulation of pathogen interaction with bee probiotics

Abstract

Honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies face serious biological threats from bacterial pathogens such as Paenibacillus larvae and Melissococcus plutonius. This study evaluated the inhibitory potential of bacteriocins derived from Apilactobacillus kunkeei strains against multiple virulence factors of these pathogens using in silico methods. Bacteriocins identified by BAGEL4, including Ak-Bac1 (class IIa) and Ak-Bac2 (class III), were subjected to protein–protein docking analyses using ClusPro and HDOCK platforms with three virulence-associated proteins: the amidase enzyme and spore coat protein CotE from P. larvae, and the surface adhesin protein from M. plutonius. The docking results revealed strong binding affinities, particularly between Ak-Bac2 and the P. larvae amidase enzyme, as well as between Ak-Bac1 and the CotE spore protein, suggesting both enzymatic inhibition and spore suppression effects. These findings indicate that A. kunkeei bacteriocins exhibit broad-spectrum antagonistic potential against honeybee pathogens, providing a molecular basis for the development of probiotic-based biocontrol strategies to support honeybee health.

Keywords

Apilactobacillus kunkeei , Bacteriocin , Bee health , in silico docking , Paenibacillus larvae

Kaynakça

  1. Aziz, T., Naveed, M., Makhdoom, S. I., Ali, U., Mughal, M. S., Sarwar, A., & Alhomrani, M. (2023). Genome investigation and functional annotation of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum YW11 revealing streptin and ruminococcin-A as potent nutritive bacteriocins against gut symbiotic pathogens. Molecules, 28(2), 491. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28020491
  2. Dang, T., Loll, B., Müller, S., Skobalj, R., Ebeling, J., Bulatov, T., & Süssmuth, R. D. (2022). Molecular basis of antibiotic self-resistance in a bee larvae pathogen. Nature Communications, 13(1), 2349. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-29829-w
  3. Endo, A., & Salminen, S. (2013). Honeybees and beehives are rich sources for fructophilic lactic acid bacteria. Systematic and Applied Microbiology, 36(6), 444–448. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.syapm.2013.06.002
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Ayrıntılar

Birincil Dil

İngilizce

Konular

Biyoinformatik ve Hesaplamalı Biyoloji (Diğer)

Bölüm

Araştırma Makalesi

Yazarlar

Yayımlanma Tarihi

15 Aralık 2025

Gönderilme Tarihi

28 Temmuz 2025

Kabul Tarihi

17 Kasım 2025

Yayımlandığı Sayı

Yıl 2025 Cilt: 15 Sayı: 4

DOI

https://doi.org/10.17714/gumusfenbil.1752884

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA78DP48BC

Kaynak Göster

RIS / Bibtex
APA
Usta, M. (2025). In silico simulation of pathogen interaction with bee probiotics. Gümüşhane Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Dergisi, 15(4), 1125-1132. https://doi.org/10.17714/gumusfenbil.1752884

e-ISSN: 2146-538X   Yayın Modeli: Sürekli Yayın   Atıf Dizinleri: TR Dizin , SCOPUS