Epithelial cells infected with different developmental stages of Nosema ceranae. The developmental stages include meront (M), sporont (ST), sporoblast (SB), and mature spore (MS). MB, membrane of the infected host cell; ES, empty shell of the hatched spore. Photo by Jay Evans

The genome sequence and gene predictions of Nosema ceranae were not determined by the JGI, but were downloaded from NCBI and have been published (R. Scott Cornman et al., 2009). Please note that this copy of the genome is not maintained by the author and is therefore not automatically updated.

Nosema ceranae is a gut parasite of adult honey bees that enters cells of the midgut lumen. N. ceranae is  thought to diminish the ability of bees to digest food and, arguably, to enable infection by viruses and other pathogens. Virulence of N. ceranae varies across its range, in some cases leading to colony declines while in other cases infected bees and colonies prosper. N. ceranae has become the predominant microsporidial species infecting honey bees, and this species has apparently spread rapidly after moving to Apis mellifera (the western or domesticated honey bee) from the Asian honey bee Apis cerana.