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Subject:
From:
Aaron Morris <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 1 Aug 2001 08:51:21 -0400
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Peter Dillon asks, "why should A.m. have the genetic blueprint
for SMR ready and waiting to be used?"

I don't know.  I can't explain why the combination of genes resulting in SMR
traits exist, and John Harbo cannot explain what is behind the fact that SMR
traits result in suppressed mite reproduction.  He has however done the work
to show suppressed mite reproduction and shown this to be a heritable trait
across generations.

Stating that A. m. can't possible have genetic resistance to V.d. because
the former was never exposed to the later is a faulty assertion.  It could
possible be that whatever the gene combination that expresses SMR was there
to help A.m. combat something in it's natural environment.  It could be any
number of things.  Whatever is the reason we probably will never know.

Frankly this is all speculation.  The guy who has done the work states he
doesn't know what puts the SMR in SMR.  It has not been isolated to a single
gene and is currently being attributed to a combination of genes as I wrote
yesterday.  John did not splice genes to "create" SMR, he selectively bred
from bees that appeared back in the mid-90s to be more tolerant to varroa.
Through continued selective breeding he was able to breed bees that were
continually exhibiting more and more resistance to varroa.  He looked deeper
into this varroa resistance to discover that varroa simply were not
reproducing successfully in the bees he was selectively breeding.  That's
when he coined the mnemonic SMR and that's when he started publishing his
findings.  It's a classic case of selection for a desired trait, same as has
been done since Mendel first wrote the book.

> Taking  antibodies in the immunity system as an example,
Apples and oranges.

> ... regarding the D.N.A sequence for gene code protecting against Varroa.
> i.e. the mechanism is there (mutation) but not the actual code ready and
> waiting.
No.  Whatever is the combination of genes to exhibit SMR was already there
in some degree.  Selective breeding strengthened that trait.

Peter, you're totally leaving out coincidence.  It may be that A.m. has a
combination of genes that developed to help the fly faster and jump higher.
AND it could possible and coincidently be that the genetic combination that
helps bees fly faster and jump higher also causes SMR.  There has never been
a cause and effect claimed in SMR, there has just been observation that
something's there and whatever it is can be heritable across generation.
Period.

But don't let this stop you from speculating.

Aaron Morris - thinking better bees through better breeding!

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