A fluorescent method for visualization of Nosema infection in whole-mount honey bee tissues

•Method for visualization of Nosema infection in whole-mount honey bee tissues.•Adaptable for detection of microsporidian infection in non-model insects.•Allows for visualization of Nosema infection in structurally intact cells and tissues.•Useful for studies of Nosema infection biology at the cellular and tissue level.

Honey bees are critical pollinators in both agricultural and ecological settings. The Nosema species, ceranae and apis, are microsporidian parasites that are pathogenic to honey bees. While current methods for detecting Nosema infection have key merits, additional techniques with novel properties for studying the cell biology of Nosema infection are highly desirable. We demonstrate that whole-mount staining of honey bee midgut tissue with chitin-binding agent Fluorescent Brightener 28 and DNA dye Propidium Iodide allows for observation of Nosema infection in structurally intact tissue, providing a new tool for increasing our understanding of Nosema infection at the cellular and tissue level.

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