Gut microbiota contribute to variations in honey bee foraging intensity

The ISME Journal, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 18(1)

Published: Jan. 1, 2024

Abstract Gut microbiomes are increasingly recognized for mediating diverse biological aspects of their hosts, including complex behavioral phenotypes. Although many studies have reported that experimental disruptions to the gut microbial community result in atypical host behavior, address how microbes contribute adaptive trait variation rare. Eusocial insects represent a powerful model test this, because simple microbiota and division labor characterized by colony-level previous report correlational differences associated with labor, here, we provide evidence play causal role defining foraging behavior between European honey bees (Apis mellifera). We found structure differed hive-based nurse leave hive forage floral resources. These were abundance individual microbes, Bifidobacterium asteroides, Bombilactobacillus mellis, Lactobacillus melliventris. Manipulations colony demography experience suggested composition task experience. Moreover, single-microbe inoculations B. L. melliventris caused effects on intensity. results demonstrate social insect, support modulating variation.

Language: Английский

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A longitudinal field study of commercial honey bees shows that non-native probiotics do not rescue antibiotic treatment, and are generally not beneficial

Scientific Reports, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 14(1)

Published: Jan. 23, 2024

Abstract Probiotics are widely used in agriculture including commercial beekeeping, but there is little evidence supporting their effectiveness. Antibiotic treatments can greatly distort the gut microbiome, reducing its protective abilities and facilitating growth of antibiotic resistant pathogens. Commercial beekeepers regularly apply antibiotics to combat bacterial infections, often followed by an application non-native probiotics advertised ease impact antibiotic-induced dysbiosis. We tested whether affect microbiome or disease prevalence, rescue negative effects induced found no difference markers probiotic recovery associated with treatment. A colony-level oxytetracycline tylosin produced immediate decrease size, over longer-term, very different persistent dysbiotic on composition membership hindgut microbiome. Our results demonstrate lack effect rescue, detail duration character states resulting from antibiotics, highlight importance for honeybee health.

Language: Английский

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The honey bee “hive” microbiota: meta-analysis reveals a native and aerobic microbiota prevalent throughout the social resource niche

Frontiers in Bee Science, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 2

Published: July 5, 2024

The microbiome of the honey bee worker hindgut has been explored thoroughly with culturing and next-generation sequencing revealing both composition function. However, less effort devoted to aerobic social niches associated hive environment colony process. We performed a meta-analysis 3,800+ publicly available 16S rRNA gene sequence libraries examining hypothesis native microbiota interaction resources. selected high-throughput studies represent tissue-specific samples, including nine distinct throughout hive, defined by nutrient processing. These included queen gut tissues, foregut, midgut, ileum, rectum, mouthparts, glands, developing larvae, secreted stored nutrition. found that foregut midgut queens workers share significant portion their larval rearing secretion storage, defining resource niche. Characterized species dominance rapid growth, functions primarily in disease prevention at individual level may also function communication resilience. Defining contributes systems-level understanding host–microbial interactions bee.

Language: Английский

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Metagenomic analysis of the honey bee queen microbiome reveals low bacterial diversity and Caudoviricetes phages

mSystems, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 9(2)

Published: Jan. 23, 2024

The queen caste plays a central role in colony success eusocial insects, as queens lay eggs and regulate behavior development. Queen failure can cause colonies to collapse, which is one of the major concerns beekeepers. Thus, understanding biology behind queen’s health pressing issue. Previous studies have shown that bee microbiome an important worker health, but little known about its function vivo . Here, we characterized microbiome, identifying for first time present species their putative functions. We show has predicted nutritional protective roles association comprises only four consistently bacterial species. Additionally, bring attention spread phages increased abundance failing may impact fate colony.

Language: Английский

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The floral interface: a playground for interactions between insect pollinators, microbes, and plants

New Zealand Journal of Zoology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. 1 - 20

Published: May 23, 2024

Insect pollinators acquire microorganisms when they visit flowers for nutrients. The interactions that occur at the floral interface are complex with three participants – pollinators, plants and microorganisms. majority of insect pollinator's microbiome is shaped by their behaviour, diet environment. At present bee (Apidae family) best documented contributes to our understanding bi-directional exchange microbes between flowers. transferred may be mutualistic, commensal or pathogenic. We identify a lack information due limited studies concerning diversity focus on pathogenic gut influence health. Each candidate, insect, plant microbe, makes own contribution which aids interaction, but some benefit more than others. benefits include enhanced acquisition nutritional resources; dispersal 'new' habitat colonise pollination outcome. Finally, we explore novel concept whether fruit acts as potential vector hibernate extend lifecycle in absence pollinator host.

Language: Английский

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Bleomycin reduces Vairimorpha (Nosema) ceranae infection in honey bees with some evident host toxicity

Microbiology Spectrum, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 12(2)

Published: Jan. 5, 2024

ABSTRACT Microsporidia cause disease in many beneficial insects, including honey bees, yet few pathogen control tools are available for protecting these important organisms against infection. Some evidence suggests that microsporidia possess a reduced number of genes encoding DNA repair proteins. We hypothesized would thus be susceptible to treatment with DNA-damaging agents and tested this hypothesis using novel, rapid method achieving robust homogenous experimental infection large numbers newly emerged bees one its pathogens, Vairimorpha ( Nosema ) ceranae . In carrying out experiments, we found novel V. inoculation have similar efficacy as other traditional methods. show the agent bleomycin reduces levels, minimal but measurable effects on bee survival increased expression midgut cellular stress genes, those SHSP. Increased UpdlC occurrence epithelial regeneration, which may contribute host resistance treatment. While does reduce toxicity issues preclude use field. However, further work, provide useful tool research setting potential selection genetic modification microsporidia. IMPORTANCE there field or laboratory. Based reported paucity enzymes genomes, obligate intracellular parasites sensitive damage. support this, observed well-characterized damage can levels infections bees. Observation slightly sublethal likely work identifies compound merits exploration laboratories generating genetically modified

Language: Английский

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Temporospatial dynamics and host specificity of honeybee gut bacteria

Cell Reports, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 43(7), P. 114408 - 114408

Published: June 26, 2024

Honeybees are important pollinators worldwide, with their gut microbiota playing a crucial role in maintaining health. The bacteria of honeybees consist primarily five core lineages that spread through social interactions. Previous studies have provided basic understanding the composition and function honeybee microbiota, recent advancements focusing on analyzing diversity at strain level changes bacterial functional genes. Research across different regions globally has insights into microbial ecology. Additionally, findings shed light mechanisms host specificity bacteria. This review explores temporospatial dynamics discussing reasons behind these fluctuations. synopsis provides host-microbe interactions is invaluable for

Language: Английский

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Changes in gut microbiota and metabolism associated with phenotypic plasticity in the honey bee Apis mellifera

Frontiers in Microbiology, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 13

Published: Dec. 9, 2022

Honey bees exhibit an elaborate social structure based in part on age-related division of labor. Young workers perform tasks inside the hive, while older forage outside associated with distinct diets and metabolism. Critical to colony fitness, work force can respond rapidly changes environment or demography assume emergency tasks, resulting young foragers old nurses. We hypothesized that both task age affect gut microbiota consistent host diet physiology. performed two experiments inducing precocious reverted nurses, then quantified tissue-specific metabolic state nutrition, immunity oxidative stress. In forager experiment, ontogeny explained differences midgut ileum microbiota, but gene expression was best by interaction these factors. Precocious were nutritionally deficient, incurred higher levels damage relative age-matched oldest workers, past foraging compensated high Vitellogenin expression, which exceeded Host-microbial interactions evident throughout dataset, highlighted age-based increase Gilliamella abundance diversity concurrent increased carbonyl accumulation CuZnSOD expression. The results general contribute understanding ecological succession worker defining species-level transition from nurse forager.

Language: Английский

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Environment or genetic isolation? An atypical intestinal microbiota in the Maltese honey bee Apis mellifera spp. ruttneri

Frontiers in Microbiology, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 14

Published: Feb. 23, 2023

Apis mellifera evolved mainly in African, Asian, and European continents over thousands of years, leading to the selection a considerable number honey bees subspecies that have adapted various environments such as hot semi-desert zones cold temperate zones. With evolution bee subspecies, it is possible environmental conditions, food sources, microbial communities typical colonized areas shaped gut microbiota.In this study microbiota two distinct lineages (mitochondrial haplotypes) ruttneri (lineage A) ligustica carnica (both lineage C) were compared. Honey guts collected dry period respective breeding (the island Malta regions Emilia-Romagna South Tyrol Italy). Microbial DNA from was extracted amplified for V3-V4 16S rRNA gene bacteria ITS2 fungi.The analyses carried out show Maltese A distinctive when compared Italian C bees, with most abundant genera being Bartonellaceae Lactobacillaceae, respectively. Lactobacillaceae Lineage consist Apilactobacillus instead Lactobacillus Bombilactobacillus C. also harbors higher proportions Arsenophonus, Bombella, Commensalibacter, Pseudomonas C.The environment seems be main driver acquisition these marked differences microbiota. However, influence other factors host genetics, seasonality or geography may still play significant role microbiome shaping, synergy aspects.

Language: Английский

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Host specificity of gut microbiota associated with social bees: patterns and processes

Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: March 20, 2025

SUMMARYGut microbes provide benefits to some animals, but their distribution and effects across diverse hosts are still poorly described. There is accumulating evidence for host specificity (i.e., a pattern where different tend associate with distinct lineages), the causes consequences of this unclear. Combining experimental tests in laboratory broad surveys wild promising approach gaining comprehensive mechanistic understanding prevalence, origin, importance. Social bees represent an ideal testbed endeavor because they phylogenetically functionally diverse, host-specific, stable, tractable gut microbiota. Furthermore, western honeybee (Apis mellifera) emerging model system studying microbiota-host interactions. In review, we summarize data on prevalence strength social bee microbiota (bumblebees, stingless bees, honeybees), as well potential proven ecological molecular mechanisms that maintain specificity. Overall, found relatively strong likely results from several processes, including filtering mediated by immune priority effects. However, more research needed multiple species confirm these findings. To help future research, hypotheses field propose comparative tests. Finally, conclude review highlighting need understand how can influence health.

Language: Английский

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