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Iorizzo M, Albanese G, Letizia F, Testa B, Di Criscio D, Petrarca S, Di Martino C, Ganassi S, Avino P, Pannella G, Aturki Z, Tedino C, De Cristofaro A. Diversity of plant pollen sources, microbial communities, and phenolic compounds present in bee pollen and bee bread. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024:10.1007/s11356-024-34517-x. [PMID: 39073714 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-34517-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
The pollination of several crops, as well as wild plants, depends on honeybees. To get the nutrients required for growth and survival, honeybee colonies are dependent on pollen supply. Bee pollen (BP) is partially packed in honeycomb cells and processed into beebread (BB) by microbial metabolism. The composition of pollen is highly variable and is mainly dependent on ecological habitat, geographical origin, honey plants, climatic conditions, and seasonal variations. Although there are important differences between the BP and the BB, little comparative chemical and microbiological data on this topic exists in the literature, particularly for samples with the same origin. In this study, BP and BB pollen samples were collected from two apiaries located in the Campania and Molise regions of Southern Italy. Phenolic profiles were detected via HPLC, while antioxidant activity was determined by ABTS·+ and DPPH· assay. The next-generation sequencing (NGS) based on RNA analysis of 16S (rRNA) and internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) regions were used to investigate the microbial community (bacteria and fungi) and botanical origin of the BP and BB. Chemical analysis showed a higher content of flavonols in BP (rutin, myricetin, quercetin, and kaempferol), while in BB there was a higher content of phenolic acids. The NGS analysis revealed that the microbial communities and pollen sources are dependent on the geographical location of apiaries. In addition, diversity was highlighted between the microbial communities present in the BP and BB samples collected from each apiary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimo Iorizzo
- Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, 86100, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Gianluca Albanese
- Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, 86100, Campobasso, Italy.
| | - Francesco Letizia
- Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, 86100, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Bruno Testa
- Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, 86100, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Dalila Di Criscio
- Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, 86100, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Sonia Petrarca
- Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, 86100, Campobasso, Italy
- CONAPROA, Consorzio Nazionale Produttori Apistici, 86100, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Catello Di Martino
- Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, 86100, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Sonia Ganassi
- Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, 86100, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Pasquale Avino
- Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, 86100, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Gianfranco Pannella
- Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, 86100, Campobasso, Italy
- Department of Science and Technology for Sustainable Development and One Health, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, 00159, Rome, Italy
| | - Zeineb Aturki
- Istituto Per I Sistemi Biologici, Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche, Area Della Ricerca Di Roma I, Via Salaria Km 29.300, 00015, Monterotondo, Rome, Italy
| | - Cosimo Tedino
- Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, 86100, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Antonio De Cristofaro
- Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, 86100, Campobasso, Italy
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Mohamadzade Namin S, Son M, Jung C. Uncovering floral composition of paper wasp nests (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistes) through DNA metabarcoding. Sci Rep 2024; 14:2830. [PMID: 38310136 PMCID: PMC10838270 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52834-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024] Open
Abstract
As the social organism, Polistes wasps build a communal nest using woody fibers with saliva for sustaining brood and adult population throughout the season. Limited information exists regarding the identification specific plant materials employed in wasp nest building. Thus, we firstly tested if the DNA metabarcoding approach utilizing rbcL and trnL molecular markers could identify the plant species quantitatively and qualitatively inform the mixed-origin woody samples. A threshold of 0.01 proportion of reads was applied for rbcL and trnL molecular markers, while this threshold for median proportion was 0.0025. In assessing taxa richness, the median proportion demonstrated superior performance, exhibiting higher taxa detection power, however, rbcL marker outperformed in quantitative analysis. Subsequently, we applied DNA metabarcoding to identify the plant materials from the nests of two Polistes species, P. mandarinus and P. rothneyi. The results showed that higher preference of Quercus and Robinia as the major nest building materials regardless of the surrounding plant communities, by two wasp species. Material diversity was higher for P. rothneyi than P. mandarinus, which may explain the abundance of this species possibly with heightened adaptive capacities in their nesting behavior. This study demonstrated that DNA metabarcoding could identify the complex nest-building plant materials of paper wasps and provide insights into their ecological interactions in the natural ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saeed Mohamadzade Namin
- Agricultural Science and Technology Institute, Andong National University, Andong, Republic of Korea
| | - Minwoong Son
- Rural Development Administration (RDA), Jeonju, Republic of Korea
| | - Chuleui Jung
- Agricultural Science and Technology Institute, Andong National University, Andong, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Plant Medicals, Andong National University, Andong, Republic of Korea.
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Guo M, Zhang J, Wang Y, Chen H, Lv J, Kong D, Jin Z, Ke T, Zhang H, Luo J, Yang M. Determination of mycobiota and aflatoxin contamination in commercial bee pollen from eight provinces and one autonomous region of China. Int J Food Microbiol 2024; 411:110511. [PMID: 38043476 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2023.110511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
The co-occurrence of fungi and mycotoxins in various foods has been frequently reported in many countries, posing a serious threat to the health and safety of consumers. In this study, the mycobiota in five types of commercial bee pollen samples from China were first revealed by DNA metabarcoding. Meanwhile, the content of total aflatoxins in each sample was investigated by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. The results demonstrated that Cladosporium (0.16 %-89.29 %) was the most prevalent genus in bee pollen, followed by Metschnikowia (0-81.12 %), unclassified genus in the phylum Ascomycota (0-81.13 %), Kodamaea (0-73.57 %), and Penicillium (0-36.13 %). Meanwhile, none of the assayed aflatoxins were determined in the 18 batches of bee pollen samples. In addition, the fungal diversity, community composition, and trophic mode varied significantly among five groups. This study provides comprehensive information for better understanding the fungal communities and aflatoxin residues in bee pollen from different floral origins in China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengyue Guo
- Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Resources Utilization of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Resources Utilization of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yunyun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Resources Utilization of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Hubiao Chen
- School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, 999077, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jianxin Lv
- Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Resources Utilization of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Dandan Kong
- Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Resources Utilization of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Ziyue Jin
- Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Resources Utilization of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Tongwei Ke
- Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Resources Utilization of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Hongkun Zhang
- Sichuan Haoyun Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Guangyuan 628000, China
| | - Jiaoyang Luo
- Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Resources Utilization of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China.
| | - Meihua Yang
- Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Resources Utilization of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Control of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Chinese Materia Medica and Prepared Slices), Lanzhou 730070, China.
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Wasti QZ, Sabar MF, Farooq A, Khan MU. Stepping towards pollen DNA metabarcoding: A breakthrough in forensic sciences. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 2023:10.1007/s12024-023-00770-8. [PMID: 38147285 DOI: 10.1007/s12024-023-00770-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
This review is engaged in determining the capability of plant pollen as a significant source of evidence for the linkage between suspects and crime location in forensic sciences. Research and review articles were collected from Google Scholar, the Web of Science, and PubMed. Articles were searched using specific keywords such as "Forensic Palynology," "Pollen metabarcoding," "Plant forensics," and "Pollen" AND "criminal investigation." Boolean logic was also utilized to narrow the articles to be included in this review article. Through the literature and exploratory research, it has been observed in the current study that with advancements in technology, forensic palynology has found its application in creating an association between the crime scene and suspected individuals to have a link to it, as pollen DNA is a long-lasting investigative tool that can effectively help forensic investigations. Moreover, the literature shows that the DNA of pollen and spores has helped forensic scientists link suspects to crime scenes, and the introduction of pollen DNA metabarcoding tools has eased the efforts of palynologists to analyze pollen DNA. The introduction of DNA metabarcoding techniques to analyze pollen from plants has helped identify the geological locations of the plants and ultimately identify the culprit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qandeel Zaineb Wasti
- Centre for Applied Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | | | - Abeera Farooq
- Punjab University College of Pharmacy, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Umer Khan
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan.
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Zhou X, Jia H, Zhang H, Wu K. Cross-Regional Pollination Behavior of Trichoplusia ni between China and the Indo-China Peninsula. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:3778. [PMID: 37960134 PMCID: PMC10648395 DOI: 10.3390/plants12213778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Noctuid moths, a group of "non-bee" pollinators, are essential but frequently underappreciated. To elucidate their roles in cross-regional pollination, this study selected the agriculturally significant species, cabbage looper (CL) Trichoplusia ni, as a representative model. From 2017 to 2021, this study was conducted on Yongxing Island, situated at the center of the South China Sea. We investigated the flower-visiting activities of CL, including its occurrence, potential host species, and geographic distribution in the surrounding areas of the South China Sea. First, the potential transoceanic migratory behavior and regional distribution of CL were systematically monitored through a comprehensive integration of the data obtained from a searchlight trap. The transoceanic migratory behavior of CL was characterized by intermittent occurrence, with the major migratory periods and the peak outbreak yearly. Furthermore, trajectory analysis confirmed the ability of CL to engage in periodic, round-trip, migratory flights between Southeast Asian countries and China. More importantly, an observation of pollen on the body surface demonstrated that 95.59% (130/136) of the migrating individuals carried pollen. The proboscis and compound eyes were identified as the primary pollen-carrying parts, with no observable gender-based differences in pollen-carrying rates. Further, identifying the pollen carried by CL using morphological and molecular methods revealed a diverse range of pollen types from at least 17 plant families and 31 species. Notably, CL predominantly visited eudicot and herbaceous plants. In conclusion, this pioneering study has not only revealed the long-distance migration activities of these noctuid moths in the East Asian region but also provided direct evidence supporting their role as potential pollinators. These findings offer a critical theoretical basis to guide the development of scientific management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianyong Zhou
- Xianghu Lab, Hangzhou 311258, China;
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Huiru Jia
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; (H.J.); (H.Z.)
| | - Haowen Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; (H.J.); (H.Z.)
| | - Kongming Wu
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; (H.J.); (H.Z.)
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Frisk CA, Apangu GP, Petch GM, Creer S, Hanson M, Adams-Groom B, Skjøth CA. Microscale pollen release and dispersal patterns in flowering grass populations. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 880:163345. [PMID: 37028666 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Characterizing pollen release and dispersion processes is fundamental for knowledge advancement in ecological, agricultural and public health disciplines. Understanding pollen dispersion from grass communities is especially relevant due to their high species-specific allergenicity and heterogeneously distributed source areas. Here, we aimed to address questions concerning fine level heterogeneity in grass pollen release and dispersion processes, with a focus on characterizing the taxonomic composition of airborne grass pollen over the grass flowering season using eDNA and molecular ecology methods. High resolution grass pollen concentrations were compared between three microscale sites (<300 m apart) in a rural area in Worcestershire, UK. The grass pollen was modelled with local meteorology in a MANOVA (Multivariate ANOVA) approach to investigate factors relevant to pollen release and dispersion. Simultaneously, airborne pollen was sequenced using Illumina MySeq for metabarcoding, analysed against a reference database with all UK grasses using the R packages DADA2 and phyloseq to calculate Shannon's Diversity Index (α-diversity). The flowering phenology of a local Festuca rubra population was observed. We found that grass pollen concentrations varied on a microscale level, likely attributed to local topography and the dispersion distance of pollen from flowering grasses in local source areas. Six genera (Agrostis, Alopecurus, Arrhenatherum, Holcus, Lolium and Poa) dominated the pollen season, comprising on average 77 % of the relative abundance of grass species reads. Temperature, solar radiation, relative humidity, turbulence and wind speeds were found to be relevant for grass pollen release and dispersion processes. An isolated flowering Festuca rubra population contributed almost 40 % of the relative pollen abundance adjacent to the nearby sampler, but only contributed 1 % to samplers situated 300 m away. This suggests that most emitted grass pollen has limited dispersion distance and our results show substantial variation in airborne grass species composition over short geographical scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl A Frisk
- School of Science and the Environment, University of Worcester, Henwick Grove, WR2 6AJ Worcester, UK.
| | - Godfrey P Apangu
- School of Science and the Environment, University of Worcester, Henwick Grove, WR2 6AJ Worcester, UK
| | - Geoffrey M Petch
- School of Science and the Environment, University of Worcester, Henwick Grove, WR2 6AJ Worcester, UK
| | - Simon Creer
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution Group, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, LL57 2UW Bangor, UK
| | - Mary Hanson
- School of Science and the Environment, University of Worcester, Henwick Grove, WR2 6AJ Worcester, UK
| | - Beverley Adams-Groom
- School of Science and the Environment, University of Worcester, Henwick Grove, WR2 6AJ Worcester, UK
| | - Carsten A Skjøth
- School of Science and the Environment, University of Worcester, Henwick Grove, WR2 6AJ Worcester, UK
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7
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Prudnikow L, Pannicke B, Wünschiers R. A primer on pollen assignment by nanopore-based DNA sequencing. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1112929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The possibility to identify plants based on the taxonomic information coming from their pollen grains offers many applications within various biological disciplines. In the past and depending on the application or research in question, pollen origin was analyzed by microscopy, usually preceded by chemical treatment methods. This procedure for identification of pollen grains is both time-consuming and requires expert knowledge of morphological features. Additionally, these microscopically recognizable features usually have a low resolution at species-level. Since a few decades, DNA has been used for the identification of pollen taxa, as sequencing technologies evolved both in their handling and affordability. We discuss advantages and challenges of pollen DNA analyses compared to traditional methods. With readers with little experience in this field in mind, we present a hands-on primer for genetic pollen analysis by nanopore sequencing. As our lab mainly works with pollen collected within agroecological research projects, we focus on pollen collected by pollinating insects. We briefly consider sample collection, storage and processing in the laboratory as well as bioinformatic aspects. Currently, pollen metabarcoding is mostly conducted with next-generation sequencing methods that generate short sequence reads (<1 kb). Increasingly, however, pollen DNA analysis is carried out using the long-read generating (several kb), low-budget and mobile MinION nanopore sequencing platform by Oxford Nanopore Technologies. Therefore, we are focusing on aspects for palynology with the MinION DNA sequencing device.
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McKinnon AC, Collins L, Wood JL, Murphy N, Franks AE, Steinbauer MJ. Precision Monitoring of Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Activity and Pollen Diversity during Pollination to Evaluate Colony Health. INSECTS 2023; 14:95. [PMID: 36662023 PMCID: PMC9865544 DOI: 10.3390/insects14010095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Certain crops depend upon pollination services for fruit set, and, of these, almonds are of high value for Australia. Stressors, such as diseases, parasites, pesticides, and nutrition, can contribute to honey bee Apis mellifera L. colony decline, thereby reducing bee activity and pollination efficiency. In Australia, field studies are required to monitor honey bee health and to ascertain whether factors associated with colony decline are impacting hives. We monitored honey bee colonies during and after pollination services of almond. Video surveillance technology was used to quantify bee activity, and bee-collected pollen was periodically tested for pesticide residues. Plant species diversity was also assessed using DNA metabarcoding of the pollen. Results showed that bee activity increased in almond but not in bushland. Residues detected included four fungicides, although the quantities were of low risk of oral toxicity to bees. Floral diversity was lower in the pollen collected by bees from almonds compared to bushland. However, diversity was higher at the onset and conclusion of the almond bloom, suggesting that bees foraged more widely when availability was low. Our findings suggest that commercial almond orchards may sustain healthier bee colonies compared to bushland in early spring, although the magnitude of the benefit is likely landscape-dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aimee C. McKinnon
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Luke Collins
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Jennifer L. Wood
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
- Research Centre for Future Landscapes, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Nick Murphy
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
- Research Centre for Future Landscapes, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Ashley E. Franks
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
- Research Centre for Future Landscapes, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Martin J. Steinbauer
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
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Kueneman JG, Gillung J, Van Dyke MT, Fordyce RF, Danforth BN. Solitary bee larvae modify bacterial diversity of pollen provisions in the stem-nesting bee, Osmia cornifrons (Megachilidae). Front Microbiol 2023; 13:1057626. [PMID: 36699601 PMCID: PMC9868615 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1057626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbes, including diverse bacteria and fungi, play an important role in the health of both solitary and social bees. Among solitary bee species, in which larvae remain in a closed brood cell throughout development, experiments that modified or eliminated the brood cell microbiome through sterilization indicated that microbes contribute substantially to larval nutrition and are in some cases essential for larval development. To better understand how feeding larvae impact the microbial community of their pollen/nectar provisions, we examine the temporal shift in the bacterial community in the presence and absence of actively feeding larvae of the solitary, stem-nesting bee, Osmia cornifrons (Megachilidae). Our results indicate that the O. cornifrons brood cell bacterial community is initially diverse. However, larval solitary bees modify the microbial community of their pollen/nectar provisions over time by suppressing or eliminating rare taxa while favoring bacterial endosymbionts of insects and diverse plant pathogens, perhaps through improved conditions or competitive release. We suspect that the proliferation of opportunistic plant pathogens may improve nutrient availability of developing larvae through degradation of pollen. Thus, the health and development of solitary bees may be interconnected with pollen bacterial diversity and perhaps with the propagation of plant pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan G. Kueneman
- Danforth Lab, Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States,*Correspondence: Jordan G. Kueneman, ✉
| | - Jessica Gillung
- Danforth Lab, Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States,Lyman Entomological Museum, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada
| | - Maria T. Van Dyke
- Danforth Lab, Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Rachel F. Fordyce
- Danforth Lab, Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Bryan N. Danforth
- Danforth Lab, Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
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Leroy C, Brunet JL, Henry M, Alaux C. Using physiology to better support wild bee conservation. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 11:coac076. [PMID: 36632323 PMCID: PMC9825782 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coac076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
There is accumulating evidence that wild bees are experiencing a decline in terms of species diversity, abundance or distribution, which leads to major concerns about the sustainability of both pollination services and intrinsic biodiversity. There is therefore an urgent need to better understand the drivers of their decline, as well as design conservation strategies. In this context, the current approach consists of linking observed occurrence and distribution data of species to environmental features. While useful, a highly complementary approach would be the use of new biological metrics that can link individual bee responses to environmental alteration with population-level responses, which could communicate the actual bee sensitivity to environmental changes and act as early warning signals of bee population decline or sustainability. We discuss here through several examples how the measurement of bee physiological traits or performance can play this role not only in better assessing the impact of anthropogenic pressures on bees, but also in guiding conservation practices with the help of the documentation of species' physiological needs. Last but not least, because physiological changes generally occur well in advance of demographic changes, we argue that physiological traits can help in predicting and anticipating future population trends, which would represent a more proactive approach to conservation. In conclusion, we believe that future efforts to combine physiological, ecological and population-level knowledge will provide meaningful contributions to wild bee conservation-based research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jean-Luc Brunet
- INRAE, UR 406 Abeilles et Environnement, 84 914 Avignon, France
| | - Mickael Henry
- INRAE, UR 406 Abeilles et Environnement, 84 914 Avignon, France
| | - Cedric Alaux
- INRAE, UR 406 Abeilles et Environnement, 84 914 Avignon, France
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11
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Comparing the melissopalynological and next generation sequencing (NGS) methods for the determining of botanical origin of honey. Food Control 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2023.109630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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12
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Chavan D, Adolacion JRT, Crum M, Nandy S, Lee KH, Vu B, Kourentzi K, Sabo A, Willson RC. Isolation and Barcoding of Trace Pollen-free DNA for Authentication of Honey. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2022; 70:14084-14095. [PMID: 36279293 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c04309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Adulteration and mislabeling of honey to mask its true origin have become a global concern. Pollen microscopy, the current gold standard for identifying honey's geographical and plant origins, is laborious, requires extensive training, and fails to identify filtered honey and honey spiked with pollen from a more favorable plant to disguise its origins. We successfully isolated pollen-free DNA from filtered honey using three types of adsorbents: (i) anti-dsDNA antibodies coupled to magnetic microspheres; (ii) anion-exchange adsorbent; and (iii) ceramic hydroxyapatite. The internal transcribed spacer 2 region of the captured pollen-free DNA was polymerase chain reaction-amplified and subjected to next-generation sequencing. Using an in-house bioinformatics pipeline, initial experiments showed that anion exchange had the greatest capacity to capture trace pollen-free DNA, and it was successfully applied to isolate DNA from five honey samples. Enrichment of trace pollen-free DNA from filtered honey samples opens a new approach for identifying the true origins of honey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimple Chavan
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas77204, United States
| | - Jay R T Adolacion
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas77204, United States
| | - Mary Crum
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas77204, United States
| | - Suman Nandy
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas77204, United States
| | - Kyung Hyun Lee
- Center for Clinical Research & Evidence-Based Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas77030, United States
| | - Binh Vu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas77204, United States
| | - Katerina Kourentzi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas77204, United States
| | - Aniko Sabo
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas77030, United States
| | - Richard C Willson
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas77204, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas77204, United States
- Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud ITESM, Monterrey, Nuevo León64710, Mexico
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Ocaña-Cabrera JS, Liria J, Vizuete K, Cholota-Iza C, Espinoza-Zurita F, Saegerman C, Martin-Solano S, Debut A, Ron-Román J. Pollen preferences of stingless bees in the Amazon region and southern highlands of Ecuador by scanning electron microscopy and morphometry. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0272580. [PMID: 36126058 PMCID: PMC9488792 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Stingless bees are effective pollinators of native tropical flora. Their environmental service maintains flow of pollen through pollination, increase reproductive success and influence genetic structure in plants. The management of stingless bees “meliponiculture”, is an activity limited to the countryside in Ecuador. The lack of knowledge of their managers about pollen resources can affect the correct maintenance/production of nests. The objective is to identify botanical families and genera of pollen grains collected by stingless bees by morphological features and differentiate potential species using geometric morphometry. Thirty-six pot pollen samples were collected from three Ecuadorian provinces located in two climatically different zones. Pollen type identification was based on the Number, Position, Character system. Using morphological features, the families and genera were established. Morphometry landmarks were used to show variation for species differentiation. Abundance, diversity, similarity and dominance indices were established by counting pollen grains, as well as spatial distribution relationships by means of Poisson regression. Forty-six pollen types were determined in two study areas, classified into 27 families and 18 genera. In addition, it was possible to identify more than one species, classified within the same family and genus, thanks to morphometric analysis. 1148 ± 799 (max 4211; min 29) pollen grains were counting in average. The diversity showed a high richness, low dominance and similarity between pollen resources. Families Melastomataceae and Asteraceae, genera Miconia and Bidens, were found as the main pollen resources. The stingless bee of this study are mostly generalist as shown the interaction network. The results of the present survey showed that stingless bees do not collect pollen from a single species, although there is evidence of a predilection for certain plant families. The diversity indexes showed high richness but low uniformity in the abundance of each family identified. The results of the study are also meaningful to the meliponiculture sector as there is a need to improve management practices to preserve the biodiversity and the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseline Sofía Ocaña-Cabrera
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Animal, Carrera de Ingeniería en Biotecnología, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida y de la Agricultura, Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas ESPE, Sangolquí, Pichincha, Ecuador
- Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Humana (GISAH), Carrera de Ingeniería en Biotecnología, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida y de la Agricultura, Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas ESPE, Sangolquí, Pichincha, Ecuador
- Research Unit of Epidemiology and Risk analysis applied to Veterinary Sciences (UREAR- ULg), Fundamental and Applied Research for Animal and Health (FARAH) Center, Department of Infections and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liege, Liege, Province of Liège, Belgium
| | - Jonathan Liria
- Grupo de Investigación en Población y Ambiente, Universidad Regional Amazónica IKIAM, Tena, Napo, Ecuador
| | - Karla Vizuete
- Laboratorio de Caracterización de Nanomateriales, Centro de Nanociencia y Nanotecnología, Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas ESPE, Sangolquí, Pichincha, Ecuador
| | - Cristina Cholota-Iza
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Animal, Carrera de Ingeniería en Biotecnología, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida y de la Agricultura, Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas ESPE, Sangolquí, Pichincha, Ecuador
- Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Humana (GISAH), Carrera de Ingeniería en Biotecnología, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida y de la Agricultura, Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas ESPE, Sangolquí, Pichincha, Ecuador
| | - Fernando Espinoza-Zurita
- Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Humana (GISAH), Carrera de Ingeniería en Biotecnología, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida y de la Agricultura, Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas ESPE, Sangolquí, Pichincha, Ecuador
| | - Claude Saegerman
- Research Unit of Epidemiology and Risk analysis applied to Veterinary Sciences (UREAR- ULg), Fundamental and Applied Research for Animal and Health (FARAH) Center, Department of Infections and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liege, Liege, Province of Liège, Belgium
- * E-mail:
| | - Sarah Martin-Solano
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Animal, Carrera de Ingeniería en Biotecnología, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida y de la Agricultura, Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas ESPE, Sangolquí, Pichincha, Ecuador
- Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Humana (GISAH), Carrera de Ingeniería en Biotecnología, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida y de la Agricultura, Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas ESPE, Sangolquí, Pichincha, Ecuador
| | - Alexis Debut
- Laboratorio de Caracterización de Nanomateriales, Centro de Nanociencia y Nanotecnología, Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas ESPE, Sangolquí, Pichincha, Ecuador
| | - Jorge Ron-Román
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Animal, Carrera de Ingeniería en Biotecnología, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida y de la Agricultura, Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas ESPE, Sangolquí, Pichincha, Ecuador
- Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Humana (GISAH), Carrera de Ingeniería Agropecuaria, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida y de la Agricultura, Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas ESPE, Sangolquí, Pichincha, Ecuador
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14
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Fernandes K, Prendergast K, Bateman PW, Saunders BJ, Gibberd M, Bunce M, Nevill P. DNA metabarcoding identifies urban foraging patterns of oligolectic and polylectic cavity-nesting bees. Oecologia 2022; 200:323-337. [PMID: 36098815 PMCID: PMC9675668 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05254-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Urbanisation modifies natural landscapes resulting in built-up space that is covered by buildings or hard surfaces and managed green spaces that often substitute native plant species with exotics. Some native bee species have been able to adapt to urban environments, foraging and reproducing in these highly modified areas. However, little is known on how the foraging ecology of native bees is affected by urbanised environments, and whether impacts vary among species with different degrees of specialisation for pollen collection. Here, we aim to investigate the responses of native bee foraging behaviour to urbanisation, using DNA metabarcoding to identify the resources within nesting tubes. We targeted oligolectic (specialist) and polylectic (generalist) cavity-nesting bee species in residential gardens and remnant bushland habitats. We were able to identify 40 families, 50 genera, and 23 species of plants, including exotic species, from the contents of nesting tubes. Oligolectic bee species had higher diversity of plant pollen in their nesting tubes in residential gardens compared to bushland habitats, along with significantly different forage composition between the two habitats. This result implies a greater degree of forage flexibility for oligolectic bee species than previously thought. In contrast, the diversity and composition of plant forage in polylectic bee nesting tubes did not vary between the two habitat types. Our results suggest a complex response of cavity-nesting bees to urbanisation and support the need for additional research to understand how the shifts in foraging resources impact overall bee health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen Fernandes
- Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Laboratory, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia. .,Section for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen K, Denmark. .,Food Agility CRC Ltd, 175 Pitt St, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia.
| | - Kit Prendergast
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia
| | - Philip W Bateman
- Behavioural Ecology Lab, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia.,MBioMe - Mine Site Biomonitoring using eDNA Research Group, Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Laboratory, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia
| | - Benjamin J Saunders
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia
| | - Mark Gibberd
- Centre for Crop and Disease Management, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia
| | - Michael Bunce
- Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Laboratory, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia.,The Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR), Kenepuru, Porirua, 5022, New Zealand
| | - Paul Nevill
- Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Laboratory, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia.,MBioMe - Mine Site Biomonitoring using eDNA Research Group, Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Laboratory, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia
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15
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Sartori AGDO, Cesar ASM, Woitowicz FCG, Saliba ASMC, Ikegaki M, Rosalen PL, Coutinho LL, Alencar SMD. Plant genetic diversity by DNA barcoding to investigate propolis origin. PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2022; 200:113226. [PMID: 35605810 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2022.113226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Identify the botanical origins of a certain type of propolis may be challenging and time demanding, since it involves bee's behavior observation, plant resins collection and chemical analysis. Thus, this study aimed to determine the plant genetic materials in propolis from southern Brazil using the DNA barcoding to investigate their botanical origins, as well as to compare it with the phytochemical composition determined by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) and with the pollinic profile. As principal results, non-native Populus carolinensis Moench (Salicaceae) was almost the only DNA source in some propolis samples, which coincided with the presence of flavonoids typical from poplar exudates. Conversely, other propolis samples had DNA material coming mainly from native plant species, most of them characterized to the species level, although no specific chemical markers from those plants could be identified by UHPLC-HRMS. However, pollen from several plants identified by the DNA barcoding were extracted from some propolis samples. Despite the identification of typical diterpenes, DNA material from Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) Kuntze (Araucariaceae), which have been indicated as a major resin source for propolis from preservation areas in southern Brazil, was found in very small abundancies, likely because bees do not drag tissue material containing DNA when collecting resin from this native species. In conclusion, DNA barcoding analysis successfully provided information about the provenance of propolis, although, depending on the plant resin sources, this information is likely to come from pollen.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aline Silva Mello Cesar
- Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, CEP: 13418-900, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
| | | | | | - Masaharu Ikegaki
- Federal University of Alfenas, CEP: 37130-001, Alfenas, MG, Brazil
| | | | - Luiz Lehmann Coutinho
- Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, CEP: 13418-900, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
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16
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Dawan J, Ahn J. Application of DNA barcoding for ensuring food safety and quality. Food Sci Biotechnol 2022; 31:1355-1364. [PMID: 36060568 PMCID: PMC9433498 DOI: 10.1007/s10068-022-01143-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
With increasing international food trade, food quality and safety are high priority worldwide. The consumption of contaminated and adulterated food can cause serious health problems such as infectious diseases and allergies. Therefore, the authentication and traceability systems are needed to improve food safety. The mitochondrial DNA can be used for species authentication of food and food products. Effective DNA barcode markers have been developed to correctly identify species. The US FDA approved to the use of DNA barcoding for various food products. The DNA barcoding technology can be used as a regulatory tool for identification and authenticity. The application of DNA barcoding can reduce the microbiological and toxicological risks associated with the consumption of food and food products. DNA barcoding can be a gold-standard method in food authenticity and fraud detection. This review describes the DNA barcoding method for preventing food fraud and adulteration in meat, fish, and medicinal plants.
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17
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Jones L, Lowe A, Ford CR, Christie L, Creer S, de Vere N. Temporal Patterns of Honeybee Foraging in a Diverse Floral Landscape Revealed Using Pollen DNA Metabarcoding of Honey. Integr Comp Biol 2022; 62:199-210. [PMID: 35536572 PMCID: PMC9405717 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the plants pollinators use through the year is vital to support pollinator populations and mitigate for declines in floral resources due to habitat loss. DNA metabarcoding allows the temporal picture of nectar and pollen foraging to be examined in detail. Here, we use DNA metabarcoding to examine the forage use of honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) within a florally diverse landscape within the UK, documenting the key forage plants used and seasonal progression over two years. The total number of plant taxa detected in the honey was 120, but only 16 of these were found with a high relative read abundance of DNA, across the main foraging months (April-September). Only a small proportion of the available flowering genera in the landscape were used by the honeybees. The greatest relative read abundance came from native or near-native plants, including Rubus spp., Trifolium repens, the Maleae tribe including Crataegus, Malus and Cotoneaster, and Hedera helix. Tree species were important forage in the spring months, followed by increased use of herbs and shrubs later in the foraging season. Garden habitat increased the taxon richness of native, near-native and horticultural plants found in the honey. Although horticultural plants were rarely found abundantly within the honey samples, they may be important for increasing nutritional diversity of the pollen forage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Jones
- National Botanic Garden of Wales, Llanarthne, UK
| | - Abigail Lowe
- National Botanic Garden of Wales, Llanarthne, UK
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution Group, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK
| | - Col R Ford
- Spirent Communications, Positioning Technology, Crawley, West Sussex, UK
| | | | - Simon Creer
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution Group, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK
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18
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Carneiro de Melo Moura C, Setyaningsih CA, Li K, Merk MS, Schulze S, Raffiudin R, Grass I, Behling H, Tscharntke T, Westphal C, Gailing O. Biomonitoring via DNA metabarcoding and light microscopy of bee pollen in rainforest transformation landscapes of Sumatra. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:51. [PMID: 35473550 PMCID: PMC9040256 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-02004-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intense conversion of tropical forests into agricultural systems contributes to habitat loss and the decline of ecosystem functions. Plant-pollinator interactions buffer the process of forest fragmentation, ensuring gene flow across isolated patches of forests by pollen transfer. In this study, we identified the composition of pollen grains stored in pot-pollen of stingless bees, Tetragonula laeviceps, via dual-locus DNA metabarcoding (ITS2 and rbcL) and light microscopy, and compared the taxonomic coverage of pollen sampled in distinct land-use systems categorized in four levels of management intensity (forest, shrub, rubber, and oil palm) for landscape characterization. RESULTS Plant composition differed significantly between DNA metabarcoding and light microscopy. The overlap in the plant families identified via light microscopy and DNA metabarcoding techniques was low and ranged from 22.6 to 27.8%. Taxonomic assignments showed a dominance of pollen from bee-pollinated plants, including oil-bearing crops such as the introduced species Elaeis guineensis (Arecaceae) as one of the predominant taxa in the pollen samples across all four land-use types. Native plant families Moraceae, Euphorbiaceae, and Cannabaceae appeared in high proportion in the analyzed pollen material. One-way ANOVA (p > 0.05), PERMANOVA (R² values range from 0.14003 to 0.17684, for all tests p-value > 0.5), and NMDS (stress values ranging from 0.1515 to 0.1859) indicated a lack of differentiation between the species composition and diversity of pollen type in the four distinct land-use types, supporting the influx of pollen from adjacent areas. CONCLUSIONS Stingless bees collected pollen from a variety of agricultural crops, weeds, and wild plants. Plant composition detected at the family level from the pollen samples likely reflects the plant composition at the landscape level rather than the plot level. In our study, the plant diversity in pollen from colonies installed in land-use systems with distinct levels of forest transformation was highly homogeneous, reflecting a large influx of pollen transported by stingless bees through distinct land-use types. Dual-locus approach applied in metabarcoding studies and visual pollen identification showed great differences in the detection of the plant community, therefore a combination of both methods is recommended for performing biodiversity assessments via pollen identification.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christina A Setyaningsih
- Department of Palynology and Climate Dynamics, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Göttingen, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Kevin Li
- Agroecology, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Göttingen, Grisebachstrasse 6, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Miryam Sarah Merk
- Statistics and Econometrics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sonja Schulze
- Agroecology, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Göttingen, Grisebachstrasse 6, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Rika Raffiudin
- Department of Biology, IPB University ID, Bogor, West Java, 16880, Indonesia
| | - Ingo Grass
- Department of Ecology of Tropical Agricultural Systems, University of Hohenheim, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Hermann Behling
- Department of Palynology and Climate Dynamics, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Göttingen, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Teja Tscharntke
- Agroecology, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Göttingen, Grisebachstrasse 6, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Catrin Westphal
- Functional Agrobiodiversity, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Göttingen, Grisebachstrasse 6, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Oliver Gailing
- Department of Forest Genetics and Forest Tree Breeding, University of Göttingen, 37077, Göttingen, Germany. .,Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use, University of Göttingen, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
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19
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Guo J, Liu Y, Jia H, Chang H, Wu K. Visiting Plants of Mamestra brassicae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Inferred From Identification of Adhering Pollen Grains. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 51:505-512. [PMID: 35024800 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvab145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Numerous lepidopteran adults frequently pick up plant pollen when feeding. Identifying plant species visited by Mamestra brassicae moths could further strengthen our knowledge of their migratory trajectory and the interactions of M. brassicae moths with these plant species. Here, with morphological analysis and DNA metabarcoding of pollen carried by the moths, we determined these plant species visited by M. brassicae during 2015-2018. Pollen grains removed from M. brassicae moths were identified from 25 species (18 were identified to genus), representing at least 19 families, including Pinaceae, Oleaceae, Rosaceae, and Asteraceae, but mainly belonging to Angiospermae, Dicotyledoneae. There were noticeable interannual differences (maximum value: 35.31% in 2018) and seasonal differences (maximum value: 33.28% in April-(including May)-June) in the frequency of M. brassicae moths with adhering pollen, but no noticeable difference based on sex. Meanwhile, we also found pollen from some species such as Citrus sinensis (Rutales: Rutaceae) and Melia azedarach (Rutales: Meliaceae) that grow in southern China, indicating that M. brassicae moths might migrate northward in spring. Our results demonstrate that the M. brassicae moth visits a variety of plant species during migration, and these findings promote our understanding of the interaction between moths and these plant species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianglong Guo
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Crops in Northern Region of North China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, IPM Center of Hebei Province, Plant Protection Institute, Hebei Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Baoding, China
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yongqiang Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Huiru Jia
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hong Chang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
- Institute of Plant Protection, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of High Technology for Plant Protection, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kongming Wu
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
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Baksay S, Andalo C, Galop D, Burrus M, Escaravage N, Pornon A. Using Metabarcoding to Investigate the Strength of Plant-Pollinator Interactions From Surveys of Visits to DNA Sequences. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.735588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The ongoing decline in pollinators and increasing concerns about pollination services require a better understanding of complex pollination networks, particularly their response to global climate change. While metabarcoding is increasingly used for the identification of taxa in DNA mixtures, its reliability in providing quantitative information on plant-pollinator interactions is still the subject of debate. Combining metabarcoding and microscopy, we investigated the relationships between the number and composition of sequences and the abundance and composition of pollen in insect pollen loads (IPL) and how the two are linked to insect visits. Our findings confirm that metabarcoding is more effective than microscopy in identifying plant species in IPL. For a given species, we found a strong positive relationship between the amount of pollen in IPL and the number of sequences. The relationship was stable across species even if the abundance of co-occurring species in IPL (hereafter “co-occurring pollen”) tended to reduce the sequence yield (number of sequences obtained from one pollen grain) of a given species. We also found a positive relationship between the sequence count and the frequency of visits, and between the frequency and the amounts of pollen in IPL. Our results demonstrate the reliability of metabarcoding in assessing the strength of plant-pollinator interactions and in providing a broader perspective for the analyses of plant-pollinator interactions and pollination networks.
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The Honey Bee Apis mellifera: An Insect at the Interface between Human and Ecosystem Health. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11020233. [PMID: 35205099 PMCID: PMC8869587 DOI: 10.3390/biology11020233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Simple Summary Apis mellifera Linnaeus (1758), a honey bee, is a eusocial insect widely known for its role in pollination, an essential ecosystem service for plant biodiversity, and quality of vegetables and fruit products. In addition, honey bees and bee products are valuable bioindicators of pollutants, such as airborne particulate matter, heavy metals, and pesticides. In this review, we explore the provisioning, regulating, and cultural services provided by the honey bee, an insect at the interface between human and ecosystem health. Abstract The concept of ecosystem services is widely understood as the services and benefits thatecosystems provide to humans, and they have been categorised into provisioning, regulating, supporting, and cultural services. This article aims to provide an updated overview of the benefits that the honey bee Apis mellifera provides to humans as well as ecosystems. We revised the role of honey bees as pollinators in natural ecosystems to preserve and restore the local biodiversity of wild plants; in agro-ecosystems, this species is widely used to enhance crop yield and quality, meeting the increasing food demand. Beekeeping activity provides humans not only with high-quality food but also with substances used as raw materials and in pharmaceuticals, and in polluted areas, bees convey valuable information on the environmental presence of pollutants and their impact on human and ecosystem health. Finally, the role of the honey bee in symbolic tradition, mysticism, and the cultural values of the bee habitats are also presented. Overall, we suggest that the symbolic value of the honey bee is the most important role played by this insect species, as it may help revitalise and strengthen the intimate and reciprocal relationship between humans and the natural world, avoiding the inaccuracy of considering the ecosystems as mere providers of services to humans.
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22
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Pragmatic Applications and Universality of DNA Barcoding for Substantial Organisms at Species Level: A Review to Explore a Way Forward. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 2022:1846485. [PMID: 35059459 PMCID: PMC8766189 DOI: 10.1155/2022/1846485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
DNA barcodes are regarded as hereditary succession codes that serve as a recognition marker to address several queries relating to the identification, classification, community ecology, and evolution of certain functional traits in organisms. The mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase 1 (CO1) gene as a DNA barcode is highly efficient for discriminating vertebrate and invertebrate animal species. Similarly, different specific markers are used for other organisms, including ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase (rbcL), maturase kinase (matK), transfer RNA-H and photosystem II D1-ApbsArabidopsis thaliana (trnH-psbA), and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) for plant species; 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA), elongation factor Tu gene (Tuf gene), and chaperonin for bacterial strains; and nuclear ITS for fungal strains. Nevertheless, the taxon coverage of reference sequences is far from complete for genus or species-level identification. Applying the next-generation sequencing approach to the parallel acquisition of DNA barcode sequences could greatly expand the potential for library preparation or accurate identification in biodiversity research. Overall, this review articulates on the DNA barcoding technology as applied to different organisms, its universality, applicability, and innovative approach to handling DNA-based species identification.
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Chiara B, Francesco C, Fulvio B, Paola M, Annalisa G, Stefania S, Luigi AP, Simone P. Exploring the botanical composition of polyfloral and monofloral honeys through DNA metabarcoding. Food Control 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2021.108175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Paula DP. Next-Generation Sequencing and Its Impacts on Entomological Research in Ecology and Evolution. NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 50:679-696. [PMID: 34374956 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-021-00895-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The advent of NGS-based methods has been profoundly transforming entomological research. Through continual development and improvement of different methods and sequencing platforms, NGS has promoted mass elucidation of partial or whole genetic materials associated with beneficial insects, pests (of agriculture, forestry and animal, and human health), and species of conservation concern, helping to unravel ecological and evolutionary mechanisms and characterizing survival, trophic interactions, and dispersal. It is shifting the scale of biodiversity and environmental analyses from individuals and biodiversity indicator species to the large-scale study of communities and ecosystems using bulk samples of species or a mixed "soup" of environmental DNA. As the NGS-based methods have become more affordable, complexity demystified, and specificity and sensitivity proven, their use in entomological research has spread widely. This article presents several examples on how NGS-based methods have been used in entomology to provide incentives to apply them when appropriate and to open our minds to the expected advances in entomology that are yet to come.
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25
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Harnessing the Power of Metabarcoding in the Ecological Interpretation of Plant-Pollinator DNA Data: Strategies and Consequences of Filtering Approaches. DIVERSITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/d13090437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Although DNA metabarcoding of pollen mixtures has been increasingly used in the field of pollination biology, methodological and interpretation issues arise due to its high sensitivity. Filtering or maintaining false positives, contaminants, and rare taxa or molecular features could lead to different ecological results. Here, we reviewed how this choice has been addressed in 43 studies featuring pollen DNA metabarcoding, which highlighted a very high heterogeneity of filtering methods. We assessed how these strategies shaped pollen assemblage composition, species richness, and interaction networks. To do so, we compared four processing methods: unfiltering, filtering with a proportional 1% of sample reads, a fixed threshold of 100 reads, and the ROC approach (Receiver Operator Characteristic). The results indicated that filtering impacted species composition and reduced species richness, with ROC emerging as a conservative approach. Moreover, in contrast to unfiltered networks, filtering decreased network Connectance and Entropy, and it increased Modularity and Connectivity, indicating that using cut-off thresholds better describes interactions. Overall, unfiltering might compromise reliable ecological interpretations, unless a study targets rare species. We discuss the suitability of each filtering type, plead for justifying filtering strategies on biological or methodological bases and for developing shared approaches to make future studies more comparable.
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26
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Pospiech M, Javůrková Z, Hrabec P, Štarha P, Ljasovská S, Bednář J, Tremlová B. Identification of pollen taxa by different microscopy techniques. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256808. [PMID: 34469471 PMCID: PMC8409677 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Melissopalynology is an important analytical method to identify botanical origin of honey. Pollen grain recognition is commonly performed by visual inspection by a trained person. An alternative method for visual inspection is automated pollen analysis based on the image analysis technique. Image analysis transfers visual information to mathematical descriptions. In this work, the suitability of three microscopic techniques for automatic analysis of pollen grains was studied. 2D and 3D morphological characteristics, textural and colour features, and extended depth of focus characteristics were used for the pollen discrimination. In this study, 7 botanical taxa and a total of 2482 pollen grains were evaluated. The highest correct classification rate of 93.05% was achieved using the phase contrast microscopy, followed by the dark field microscopy reaching 91.02%, and finally by the light field microscopy reaching 88.88%. The most significant discriminant characteristics were morphological (2D and 3D) and colour characteristics. Our results confirm the potential of using automatic pollen analysis to discriminate pollen taxa in honey. This work provides the basis for further research where the taxa dataset will be increased, and new descriptors will be studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matej Pospiech
- Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, Department of Plant Origin Food Sciences, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Zdeňka Javůrková
- Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, Department of Plant Origin Food Sciences, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
- * E-mail:
| | - Pavel Hrabec
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Statistics and Optimization, Brno University of Technology, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Štarha
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Computer Graphics and Geometry, Brno University of Technology, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Simona Ljasovská
- Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, Department of Plant Origin Food Sciences, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Josef Bednář
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Statistics and Optimization, Brno University of Technology, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Bohuslava Tremlová
- Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, Department of Plant Origin Food Sciences, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
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27
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Barascou L, Sene D, Barraud A, Michez D, Lefebvre V, Medrzycki P, Di Prisco G, Strobl V, Yañez O, Neumann P, Le Conte Y, Alaux C. Pollen nutrition fosters honeybee tolerance to pesticides. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:210818. [PMID: 34540259 PMCID: PMC8437229 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/10/2021] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
A reduction in floral resource abundance and diversity is generally observed in agro-ecosystems, along with widespread exposure to pesticides. Therefore, a better understanding on how the availability and quality of pollen diets can modulate honeybee sensitivity to pesticides is required. For that purpose, we evaluated the toxicity of acute exposure and chronic exposures to field realistic and higher concentrations of azoxystrobin (fungicide) and sulfoxaflor (insecticide) in honeybees provided with pollen diets of differing qualities (named S and BQ pollens). We found that pollen intake reduced the toxicity of the acute doses of pesticides. Contrary to azoxystrobin, chronic exposures to sulfoxaflor increased by 1.5- to 12-fold bee mortality, which was reduced by pollen intake. Most importantly, the risk of death upon exposure to a high concentration of sulfoxaflor was significantly lower for the S pollen diet when compared with the BQ pollen diet. This reduced pesticide toxicity was associated with a higher gene expression of vitellogenin, a glycoprotein that promotes bee longevity, a faster sulfoxaflor metabolization and a lower concentration of the phytochemical p-coumaric acid, known to upregulate detoxification enzymes. Thus, our study revealed that pollen quality can influence the ability of bees to metabolize pesticides and withstand their detrimental effects, providing another strong argument for the restoration of suitable foraging habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Deborah Sene
- INRAE, Abeilles et Environnement, Avignon, France
| | - Alexandre Barraud
- Research Institute for Biosciences, Laboratory of Zoology, University of Mons, Place du Parc 20, 7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Denis Michez
- Research Institute for Biosciences, Laboratory of Zoology, University of Mons, Place du Parc 20, 7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Victor Lefebvre
- Research Institute for Biosciences, Laboratory of Zoology, University of Mons, Place du Parc 20, 7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Piotr Medrzycki
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics—Agriculture and Environment Research Centre, Via di Corticella 133, 40128 Bologna, Italy
| | - Gennaro Di Prisco
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics—Agriculture and Environment Research Centre, Via di Corticella 133, 40128 Bologna, Italy
- Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, National Research-Council, Piazzale Enrico Fermi 1, 80055 Portici, Naples, Italy
| | - Verena Strobl
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Orlando Yañez
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Peter Neumann
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Cedric Alaux
- INRAE, Abeilles et Environnement, Avignon, France
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28
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Arstingstall KA, DeBano SJ, Li X, Wooster DE, Rowland MM, Burrows S, Frost K. Capabilities and limitations of using DNA metabarcoding to study plant-pollinator interactions. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:5266-5297. [PMID: 34390062 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Many pollinator populations are experiencing declines, emphasizing the need for a better understanding of the complex relationship between bees and flowering plants. Using DNA metabarcoding to describe plant-pollinator interactions eliminates many challenges associated with traditional methods and has the potential to reveal a more comprehensive understanding of foraging behavior and pollinator life history. Here we use DNA metabarcoding of ITS2 and rbcL gene regions to identify plant species present in pollen loads of 404 bees from three habitats in eastern Oregon. Our specific objectives were to 1) determine whether plant species identified using DNA metabarcoding are consistent with plant species identified using observations, 2) compare characterizations of diet breadth derived from foraging observations to those based on plant species assignments obtained using DNA metabarcoding, and 3) compare plant species assignments produced by DNA metabarcoding using a "regional" reference database to those produced using a "local" database. At the three locations, 31-86% of foraging observations were consistent with DNA metabarcoding data, 8-50% of diet breadth characterizations based on observations differed from those based on DNA metabarcoding data, and 22-25% of plant species detected using the regional database were not known to occur in the study area in question. Plant-pollinator networks produced from DNA metabarcoding data had higher sampling completeness and significantly lower specialization than networks based on observations. Here, we examine some strengths and limitations of using DNA metabarcoding to identify plant species present in bee pollen loads, make ecological inferences about foraging behavior, and provide guidance for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sandra J DeBano
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis.,Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Oregon State University, Hermiston
| | - Xiaoping Li
- Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Oregon State University, Hermiston
| | - David E Wooster
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis.,Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Oregon State University, Hermiston
| | - Mary M Rowland
- United States Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, La Grande
| | - Skyler Burrows
- Bee Biology and Systematics Lab, Utah State University, Logan
| | - Kenneth Frost
- Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Oregon State University, Hermiston.,Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis
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29
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James ARM, Geber MA, Toews DPL. Molecular assays of pollen use consistently reflect pollinator visitation patterns in a system of flowering plants. Mol Ecol Resour 2021; 22:361-374. [PMID: 34260821 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Determining how pollinators visit plants vs. how they carry and transfer pollen is an ongoing project in pollination ecology. The current tools for identifying the pollens that bees carry have different strengths and weaknesses when used for ecological inference. In this study we use three methods to better understand a system of congeneric, coflowering plants in the genus Clarkia and their bee pollinators: observations of plant-pollinator contact in the field, and two different molecular methods to estimate the relative abundance of each Clarkia pollen in samples collected from pollinators. We use these methods to investigate if observations of plant-pollinator contact in the field correspond to the pollen bees carry; if individual bees carry Clarkia pollens in predictable ways, based on previous knowledge of their foraging behaviors; and how the three approaches differ for understanding plant-pollinator interactions. We find that observations of plant-pollinator contact are generally predictive of the pollens that bees carry while foraging, and network topologies using the three different methods are statistically indistinguishable from each other. Results from molecular pollen analysis also show that while bees can carry multiple species of Clarkia at the same time, they often carry one species of pollen. Our work contributes to the growing body of literature aimed at resolving how pollinators use floral resources. We suggest our novel relative amplicon quantification method as another tool in the developing molecular ecology and pollination biology toolbox.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aubrie R M James
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Monica A Geber
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - David P L Toews
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.,Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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30
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Milla L, Sniderman K, Lines R, Mousavi‐Derazmahalleh M, Encinas‐Viso F. Pollen DNA metabarcoding identifies regional provenance and high plant diversity in Australian honey. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:8683-8698. [PMID: 34257922 PMCID: PMC8258210 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Accurate identification of the botanical components of honey can be used to establish its geographical provenance, while also providing insights into honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) diet and foraging preferences. DNA metabarcoding has been demonstrated as a robust method to identify plant species from pollen and pollen-based products, including honey. We investigated the use of pollen metabarcoding to identify the floral sources and local foraging preferences of honeybees using 15 honey samples from six bioregions from eastern and western Australia. We used two plant metabarcoding markers, ITS2 and the trnL P6 loop. Both markers combined identified a total of 55 plant families, 67 genera, and 43 species. The trnL P6 loop marker provided significantly higher detection of taxa, detecting an average of 15.6 taxa per sample, compared to 4.6 with ITS2. Most honeys were dominated by Eucalyptus and other Myrtaceae species, with a few honeys dominated by Macadamia (Proteaceae) and Fabaceae. Metabarcoding detected the nominal primary source provided by beekeepers among the top five most abundant taxa for 85% of samples. We found that eastern and western honeys could be clearly differentiated by their floral composition, and clustered into bioregions with the trnL marker. Comparison with previous results obtained from melissopalynology shows that metabarcoding can detect similar numbers of plant families and genera, but provides significantly higher resolution at species level. Our results show that pollen DNA metabarcoding is a powerful and robust method for detecting honey provenance and examining the diet of honeybees. This is particularly relevant for hives foraging on the unique and diverse flora of the Australian continent, with the potential to be used as a novel monitoring tool for honeybee floral resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liz Milla
- Centre for Australian National Biodiversity ResearchCSIROCanberraACTAustralia
| | - Kale Sniderman
- School of Earth SciencesThe University of MelbourneMelbourneVic.Australia
| | - Rose Lines
- eDNA Frontiers LaboratoryCurtin UniversityPerthWAAustralia
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31
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Suanno C, Aloisi I, Fernández-González D, Del Duca S. Monitoring techniques for pollen allergy risk assessment. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 197:111109. [PMID: 33848553 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Understanding airborne pollen allergens trends is of great importance for the high prevalence and the socio-economic impact that pollen-related respiratory diseases have on a global scale. Pursuing this aim, aeropalynology evolved as a broad and complex field, that requires multidisciplinary knowledge covering the molecular identity of pollen allergens, the nature of allergen-bearing particles (pollen grains, pollen sub-particles, and small airborne particles), and the distribution of their sources. To estimate the health hazard that urban vegetation and atmospheric pollen concentrations pose to allergic subjects, it is pivotal to develop efficient and rapid monitoring systems and reliable allergic risk indices. Here, we review different pollen allergens monitoring approaches, classifying them into I) vegetation-based, II) pollen-based, and III) allergen-based, and underlining their advantages and limits. Finally, we discuss the outstanding issues and directions for future research that will further clarify our understanding of pollen aeroallergens dynamics and allergen avoidance strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Suanno
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Irnerio 42, 40126, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Iris Aloisi
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Irnerio 42, 40126, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Delia Fernández-González
- Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, ISAC-CNR, Via Piero Gobetti 101, 40129, Bologna, Italy; Department Biodiversity and Environmental Management, University of León, 24071, Callejón Campus Vegazana, S/n, 24007, León, Spain
| | - Stefano Del Duca
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Irnerio 42, 40126, Bologna, Italy
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32
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De Jesus Inacio L, Merlanti R, Lucatello L, Bisutti V, Carraro L, Larini I, Vitulo N, Cardazzo B, Capolongo F. Natural contaminants in bee pollen: DNA metabarcoding as a tool to identify floral sources of pyrrolizidine alkaloids and fungal diversity. Food Res Int 2021; 146:110438. [PMID: 34119245 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2021.110438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The use of bee pollen as a food supplement has increased in recent years as it contains several nutrients and phytochemicals. However, depending on floral composition, bee pollen can be contaminated by pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), PA N-oxides (PANOs) and toxigenic fungi found in plants, which may pose a potential health risk for consumers. Thus, a DNA metabarcoding approach based on internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region was used to identify the plant sources of 17 PAs/PANOs detected by a validated method in liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), as well as floral and fungal diversity in 61 bee pollen samples. According to LC-MS/MS analysis, 67% of the samples contained PAs/PANOs with mean concentration of 339 µg/kg. The contamination pattern was characterised by lycopsamine- and senecionine-type PAs/PANOs. PA/PANO-producing plants were identified in 54% of the PA/PANO-contaminated samples analysed by DNA metabarcoding, which also allowed identifying the overall floral and fungal composition of 56 samples. To evaluate the performance of the molecular approach, a subset of 25 samples was analysed by classical palynology. Palynological analysis partially confirmed the results of DNA metabarcoding, which had a better performance in distinguishing pollens of different genera from Asteraceae (76%) and Brassicaceae (88%). However, the molecular analysis did not identify pollens from Castanea, Eucalyptus, Hedera and Salix, which were abundant in 11 samples according to palynology. On the other hand, the molecular analysis allowed identifying several fungal genera in 33 samples, including the toxigenic fungi Alternaria and Aspergillus, which were positively correlated to the plant genus Hypericum. Despite limitations in identifying some pollen types, these preliminary results suggest that the DNA metabarcoding could be applied in a multidisciplinary approach to give a picture of floral and fungal diversity, which can be sources of natural contaminants in bee pollen and would help to control its safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciana De Jesus Inacio
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Legnaro, PD, Italy
| | - Roberta Merlanti
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Legnaro, PD, Italy
| | - Lorena Lucatello
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Legnaro, PD, Italy
| | - Vittoria Bisutti
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Legnaro, PD, Italy
| | - Lisa Carraro
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Legnaro, PD, Italy
| | - Ilaria Larini
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Nicola Vitulo
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Barbara Cardazzo
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Legnaro, PD, Italy.
| | - Francesca Capolongo
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Legnaro, PD, Italy
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33
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Lobaton J, Andrew R, Duitama J, Kirkland L, Macfadyen S, Rader R. Using RNA-seq to characterize pollen-stigma interactions for pollination studies. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6635. [PMID: 33758263 PMCID: PMC7988043 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-85887-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Insects are essential for the reproduction of pollinator-dependent crops and contribute to the pollination of 87% of wild plants and 75% of the world’s food crops. Understanding pollen flow dynamics between plants and pollinators is thus essential to manage and conserve wild plants and ensure yields are maximized in food crops. However, the determination of pollen transfer in the field is complex and laborious. We developed a field experiment in a pollinator-dependent crop and used high throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to quantify pollen flow by measuring changes in gene expression between pollination treatments across different apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) cultivars. We tested three potential molecular indicators of successful pollination and validated these results with field data by observing single and multiple visits by honey bees (Apis mellifera) to apple flowers and measured fruit set in a commercial apple orchard. The first indicator of successful outcrossing was revealed via differential gene expression in the cross-pollination treatments after 6 h. The second indicator of successful outcrossing was revealed by the expression of specific genes related to pollen tube formation and defense response at three different time intervals in the stigma and the style following cross-pollination (i.e. after 6, 24, and 48 h). Finally, genotyping variants specific to donor pollen could be detected in cross-pollination treatments, providing a third indicator of successful outcrossing. Field data indicated that one or five flower visits by honey bees were insufficient and at least 10 honey bee flower visits were required to achieve a 25% probability of fruit set under orchard conditions. By combining the genotyping data, the differential expression analysis, and the traditional fruit set field experiments, it was possible to evaluate the pollination effectiveness of honey bee visits under orchards conditions. This is the first time that pollen-stigma-style mRNA expression analysis has been conducted after a pollinator visit (honey bee) to a plant (in vivo apple flowers). This study provides evidence that mRNA sequencing can be used to address complex questions related to stigma–pollen interactions over time in pollination ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Lobaton
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, Australia. .,CSIRO, Clunies Ross St., Acton, ACT, Australia.
| | - Rose Andrew
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, Australia
| | - Jorge Duitama
- Systems and Computing, Engineering Department, Universidad de Los Andes, Bogota, Colombia
| | - Lindsey Kirkland
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, Australia
| | | | - Romina Rader
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, Australia
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34
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Wang Z, Ren P, Wu Y, He Q. Recent advances in analytical techniques for the detection of adulteration and authenticity of bee products - A review. Food Addit Contam Part A Chem Anal Control Expo Risk Assess 2021; 38:533-549. [PMID: 33705260 DOI: 10.1080/19440049.2020.1871081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Bee products have been considered as functional foods for a long time in China because of their wide range of biological activity. China has the largest number of bee colonies and the highest production of bee products in the world. Major bee products include honey, royal jelly, propolis and bee pollen. In recent years, consumption of bee products in China has been increasing due to an increased public awareness of their nutritional and health benefits. With the development of the Chinese economy and the improvement of people's living standards, high-end and gift-oriented products have become more popular and bee products are one of the options. However, the production of bee products cannot increase rapidly in short term and this is a driver for substantial economic-motivated adulteration. This is compounded by globalisation of supply chains which has also resulted in a rise in bee products fraud. These illicit products are eroding market prices and consumer trust, causing significant damage to the beekeeping industry. In order to provide information or solutions for regulators and consumers, in this article, we review he characteristics of bee products in China and the current situation regarding adulteration and authenticity of bee products. Moreover, advances in analytical techniques for detection of adulteration and authenticity of bee products including sensory techniques, DNA methods, isotope ratio mass spectrometry, spectroscopic techniques and mass spectrometry are reviewed. Finally, the applications and limitations of analytical methods in authentication are critically assessed. Suggestions are also put forward for the future management of China's bee products industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziying Wang
- Department of Food Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Pingping Ren
- Applied, Industrial and Clinical Division, Bruker Biospin GmbH, Rheinstetten, Germany
| | - Yongning Wu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing, China
| | - Qinghua He
- Department of Food Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
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35
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Swenson SJ, Gemeinholzer B. Testing the effect of pollen exine rupture on metabarcoding with Illumina sequencing. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0245611. [PMID: 33529182 PMCID: PMC7853484 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Pollen metabarcoding has received much attention recently for its potential to increase taxonomic resolution of the identifications of pollen grains necessary for various public health, ecological and environmental inquiry. However, methodologies implemented are widely varied across studies confounding comparisons and casting uncertainty on the reliability of results. In this study, we investigated part of the methodology, the effects of level of exine rupture and lysis incubation time, on the performance of DNA extraction and Illumina sequencing. We examined 15 species of plants from 12 families with pollen that varies in size, shape, and aperture number to evaluate effort necessary for exine rupture. Then created mock communities of 14 of the species from DNA extractions at 4 levels of exine rupture (0, 33, 67, and 100%) and two levels of increased lysis incubation time without exine rupture (2 or 24 hours). Quantities of these DNA extractions displayed a positive correlation between increased rupture and DNA yield, however increasing time of lysis incubation was associated with decreased DNA yield. Illumina sequencing was performed with these artificial community treatments with three common plant DNA barcode regions (rbcL, ITS1, ITS2) with two different primer pairings for ITS2 and rbcL. We found decreased performance in treatments with 0% or 100% exine rupture compared to 33% and 67% rupture, based on deviation from expected proportions and species retrieval, and increased lysis incubation was found to be detrimental to results.
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36
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Tanaka K, Nozaki A, Nakadai H, Shiwa Y, Shimizu-Kadota M. Using pollen DNA metabarcoding to profile nectar sources of urban beekeeping in Kōtō-ku, Tokyo. BMC Res Notes 2020; 13:515. [PMID: 33168068 PMCID: PMC7653823 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-020-05361-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Apis mellifera is a species of honeybee that has been introduced around the world as an industrial beekeeping species. Recently, urban beekeeping has attracted attention as a means of ecosystem protection and urban greening. This study aimed to investigate nectar sources of urban beekeeping in Kōtō-ku, Tokyo using pollen DNA metabarcoding. Results We extracted DNA from pollen collected by the honeybees of a local urban beekeeping operation. DNA metabarcoding analysis was carried out by sequencing a part of the rbcL region of the chloroplast genome. A total of 31 samples collected between mid-March, 2018 and mid-October, 2018 yielded 54 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) comprising 14 families, 32 genera, and 8 species. Whereas 5 OTUs were profiled throughout all seasons, 38 OTUs were season-specific (spring, summer, or autumn). Therefore, we were able to infer seasonal nectar sources for the beekeeping operation at the family or genus level, as well as at the species level to a lesser extent. Our pollen-sampling strategy was effective for profiling season-specific nectar sources, with the exception of a few anomalies that can be accounted for by out-of-season flowering associated with artificial gardening and/or pollen accumulation over multiple seasons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keisuke Tanaka
- NODAI Genome Research Center, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Setagaya, Tokyo, 156-8502, Japan
| | - Akinobu Nozaki
- Graduate School of Environmental Sciences, Musashino University, Kōtō-ku, Tokyo, 135-8181, Japan
| | - Hazuki Nakadai
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Musashino University, Kōtō-ku, Tokyo, 135-8181, Japan
| | - Yuh Shiwa
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Setagaya, Tokyo, 156-8502, Japan
| | - Mariko Shimizu-Kadota
- Department of Environmental Systems Sciences, Faculty of Engineering, Musashino University, Kōtō-ku, Tokyo, 135-8181, Japan. .,Musashino University Creating Happiness Incubation, Musashino University, Kōtō-ku, Tokyo, 135-8181, Japan.
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Young JM, Linacre A. Massively parallel sequencing is unlocking the potential of environmental trace evidence. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2020; 50:102393. [PMID: 33157385 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2020.102393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Massively parallel sequencing (MPS) has revolutionised the field of genomics enabling substantial advances in human DNA profiling. Further, the advent of MPS now allows biological signatures to be obtained from complex DNA mixtures and trace amounts of low biomass samples. Environmental samples serve as ideal forms of contact trace evidence as detection at a scene can establish a link between a suspect, location and victim. Many studies have applied MPS technology to characterise the biodiversity within high biomass environmental samples (such as soil and water) to address questions related to ecology, conservation, climate change and human health. However, translation of these tools to forensic science remains in its infancy, due in part to the merging of traditional forensic ecology practices with unfamiliar DNA technologies and complex datasets. In addition, people and objects also carry low biomass environmental signals which have recently been shown to reflect a specific individual or location. The sensitivity, and reducing cost, of MPS is now unlocking the power of both high and low biomass environmental DNA (eDNA) samples as useful sources of genetic information in forensic science. This paper discusses the potential of eDNA to forensic science by reviewing the most explored applications that are leading the integration of this technology into the field. We introduce novel areas of forensic ecology that could also benefit from these tools with a focus on linking a suspect to a scene or establishing provenance of an unknown sample and discuss the current limitations and validation recommendations to achieve translation of eDNA into casework.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Young
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
| | - A Linacre
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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38
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Evans DM, Kitson JJ. Molecular ecology as a tool for understanding pollination and other plant-insect interactions. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2020; 38:26-33. [PMID: 32087411 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2020.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Advances in molecular ecology offer unprecedented opportunities to understand the ecology and evolution of insects, the complex ways in which they interact and their role in ecosystem functioning. Rapidly developing DNA sequencing technologies are resolving previously intractable questions in taxonomic and functional biodiversity and provide significant potential to determine formerly difficult to observe plant-insect interactions. We provide an overview of the state-of-the-art and critically appraise the range of molecular approaches currently available for the study of insect pollination, host-parasitoid interactions and/or wider food-web studies. Species-interaction data are increasingly being incorporated into ecological network analyses. DNA metabarcoding offers opportunities to scale-up efforts to create large, highly resolved, phylogenetically structured networks within an exciting framework to study pressing questions in ecology and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darren M Evans
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 7RU, United Kingdom.
| | - James Jn Kitson
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 7RU, United Kingdom
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Baksay S, Pornon A, Burrus M, Mariette J, Andalo C, Escaravage N. Experimental quantification of pollen with DNA metabarcoding using ITS1 and trnL. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4202. [PMID: 32144370 PMCID: PMC7060345 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61198-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the use of metabarcoding to identify taxa in DNA mixtures is widely approved, its reliability in quantifying taxon abundance is still the subject of debate. In this study we investigated the relationships between the amount of pollen grains in mock solutions and the abundance of high-throughput sequence reads and how the relationship was affected by the pollen counting methodology, the number of PCR cycles, the type of markers and plant species whose pollen grains have different characteristics. We found a significant positive relationship between the number of DNA sequences and the number of pollen grains in the mock solutions. However, better relationships were obtained with light microscopy as a pollen grain counting method compared with flow cytometry, with the chloroplastic trnL marker compared with ribosomal ITS1 and with 30 when compared with 25 or 35 PCR cycles. We provide a list of recommendations to improve pollen quantification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Baksay
- Laboratoire Evolution and Diversité Biologique EDB, CNRS, UMR 5174, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, F-31062, Toulouse, France.
| | - André Pornon
- Laboratoire Evolution and Diversité Biologique EDB, CNRS, UMR 5174, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, F-31062, Toulouse, France
| | - Monique Burrus
- Laboratoire Evolution and Diversité Biologique EDB, CNRS, UMR 5174, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, F-31062, Toulouse, France
| | - Jérôme Mariette
- Plate-forme Bio-informatique Genotoul, Mathématiques et Informatique Appliqués INRA, UR875, Toulouse, F-31320, Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | - Christophe Andalo
- Laboratoire Evolution and Diversité Biologique EDB, CNRS, UMR 5174, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, F-31062, Toulouse, France
| | - Nathalie Escaravage
- Laboratoire Evolution and Diversité Biologique EDB, CNRS, UMR 5174, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, F-31062, Toulouse, France
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40
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Alotaibi SS, Sayed SM, Alosaimi M, Alharthi R, Banjar A, Abdulqader N, Alhamed R. Pollen molecular biology: Applications in the forensic palynology and future prospects: A review. Saudi J Biol Sci 2020; 27:1185-1190. [PMID: 32346322 PMCID: PMC7182995 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2020.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Revised: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Palynology, which is the study of pollen and spores in an archaeological or geological context, has become a well-established research tool leading to many significant scientific developments. The term palynomorph includes pollen of spermatophytes, spores of fungi, ferns, and bryophytes, as well as other organic-walled microfossils, such as dinoflagellates and acritarches. Advances in plant genomics have had a high impact on the field of forensic botany. Forensic palynology has also been used and applied more recently to criminal investigation in a meaningful way. However, the use of pollen DNA profiling in forensic investigations has yet to be applied. There were earlier uses of dust traces in some forensic analyses that considered pollen as a type of botanical dust debris. Pollen grains can be studied for comparative morphological data, clues to unexpected aspects relating to breeding systems, pollination biology and hybridization. This can provide a better understanding of the entire biology of the group under investigation. Forensic palynology refers to the use of pollen and other spores when it is used as evidence in legal cases to resolve criminal issues by proving or disproving relationships between people and crime scenes. This overview describes the various contributions and the significance of palynology, its applications, different recent approaches and how it could be further employed in solving criminal investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saqer S Alotaibi
- Biotechnology Department, College of Science, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
| | - Samy M Sayed
- Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza 12613, Egypt
| | - Manal Alosaimi
- Biotechnology Department, College of Science, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
| | - Raghad Alharthi
- Biotechnology Department, College of Science, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
| | - Aseel Banjar
- Biotechnology Department, College of Science, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nosaiba Abdulqader
- Biotechnology Department, College of Science, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
| | - Reem Alhamed
- Biotechnology Department, College of Science, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
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41
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Pornon A, Baksay S, Escaravage N, Burrus M, Andalo C. Pollinator specialization increases with a decrease in a mass-flowering plant in networks inferred from DNA metabarcoding. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:13650-13662. [PMID: 31938472 PMCID: PMC6953672 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
How native mass-flowering plants affect the specialization of insects at individual and species levels and the consequences for pollination networks have received much less attention than for mass-flowering crops or alien species and basically remain unexplored.Using existing DNA metabarcoding data on the pollen loads of 402 flower-visiting insects, we assessed the effects of a native mass-flowering plant of high reward quality, the shrub Rhododendron ferrugineum, on pollination networks by investigating: (a) the food niches of individual pollinators and pollinator species and (b) the structure of individual and species networks in subalpine heathland patches with extremely contrasted densities of R. ferrugineum.Relative to its high abundance in high-density patches, the shrub was greatly underrepresented and did not dominate individual's or species' generalized networks, rather individual and species specialization increased with a decrease in R. ferrugineum density. Furthermore, individuals of the more generalist dipteran Empididae species tended to extend exclusive interactions with rare plant species in low-density networks. The same trend was observed in the more specialist Apidea but toward rare species in high-density networks. Our results reveal a quite paradoxical view of pollination and a functional complementarity within networks. Niche and network indices mostly based on the occurrence of links showed that individual pollinators and pollinator species and networks were highly generalized, whereas indices of link strength revealed that species and above all individuals behave as quite strict specialists. Synthesis. Our study provides insights into the status of a native mass-flowering plant in individual's and insect species' food niches and pollination networks. It revealed that a generalist pollinator species can be highly specialized at the individual level and how rare plant species coexisting with mass-flowering plants may nevertheless be visited.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Pornon
- Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité BiologiqueUMR 5174CNRSIRDUniversité Toulouse III Paul SabatierToulouseFrance
| | - Sandra Baksay
- Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité BiologiqueUMR 5174CNRSIRDUniversité Toulouse III Paul SabatierToulouseFrance
| | - Nathalie Escaravage
- Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité BiologiqueUMR 5174CNRSIRDUniversité Toulouse III Paul SabatierToulouseFrance
| | - Monique Burrus
- Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité BiologiqueUMR 5174CNRSIRDUniversité Toulouse III Paul SabatierToulouseFrance
| | - Christophe Andalo
- Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité BiologiqueUMR 5174CNRSIRDUniversité Toulouse III Paul SabatierToulouseFrance
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42
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Foraging strategies are maintained despite workforce reduction: A multidisciplinary survey on the pollen collected by a social pollinator. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0224037. [PMID: 31693676 PMCID: PMC6834249 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The way pollinators gather resources may play a key role for buffering their population declines. Social pollinators like bumblebees could adjust their foraging after significant workforce reductions to keep provisions to the colony optimal, especially in terms of pollen diversity and quantity. To test what effects a workforce reduction causes on the foraging for pollen, commercially-acquired colonies of the bumblebee Bombus terrestris were allowed to forage in the field and they were experimentally manipulated by removing half the number of workers. For each bumblebee, the pollen pellets were taxonomically identified with DNA metabarcoding of the ITS2 region followed by a statistical filtering based on ROC curves to filter out underrepresented OTUs. Video cameras and network analyses were employed to investigate changes in foraging strategies and behaviour. After filtering out the false-positives, HTS metabarcoding yielded a high plant diversity in the pollen pellets; for plant identity and pollen quantity traits no differences emerged between samples from treated and from control colonies, suggesting that plant choice was influenced mainly by external factors such as the plant phenology. The colonies responded to the removal of 50% of their workers by increasing the foraging activity of the remaining workers, while only negligible changes were found in diet breadth and indices describing the structure of the pollen transport network. Therefore, a consistency in the bumblebees’ feeding strategies emerges in the short term despite the lowered workforce.
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43
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Lang D, Tang M, Hu J, Zhou X. Genome-skimming provides accurate quantification for pollen mixtures. Mol Ecol Resour 2019; 19:1433-1446. [PMID: 31325909 PMCID: PMC6900181 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Revised: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Studies on foraging partitioning in pollinators can provide critical information to the understanding of food-web niche and pollination functions, thus aiding conservation. Metabarcoding based on PCR amplification and high-throughput sequencing has seen increasing applications in characterizing pollen loads carried by pollinators. However, amplification bias across taxa could lead to unpredictable artefacts in estimation of pollen compositions. We examined the efficacy of a genome-skimming method based on direct shotgun sequencing in quantifying mixed pollen, using mock samples (five and 14 mocks of flower and bee pollen, respectively). The results demonstrated a high level of repeatability and accuracy in identifying pollen from mixtures of varied species ratios. All pollen species were detected in all mocks, and pollen frequencies estimated from the number of sequence reads of each species were significantly correlated with pollen count proportions (linear model, R2 = 86.7%, p = 2.2e-16). For >97% of the mixed taxa, pollen proportion could be quantified by sequencing to the correct order of magnitude, even for species which constituted only 0.2% of the total pollen. In addition, DNA extracted from pollen grains equivalent to those collected from a single honeybee corbicula was sufficient for genome-skimming. We conclude that genome-skimming is a feasible approach to identifying and quantifying mixed pollen samples. By providing reliable and sensitive taxon identification and relative abundance, this method is expected to improve our understanding in studies that involve plant-pollinator interactions, such as pollen preference in corbiculate bees, pollen diet analyses and identification of landscape pollen resource use from beehives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Lang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Min Tang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiahui Hu
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Zhou
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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Saravanan M, Mohanapriya G, Laha R, Sathishkumar R. DNA barcoding detects floral origin of Indian honey samples. Genome 2019; 62:341-348. [DOI: 10.1139/gen-2018-0058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The unique medicinal and nutritional properties of honey are determined by its chemical composition. To evaluate the quality of honey, it is essential to study the surrounding vegetation where honeybees forage. In this study we used conventional melissopalynological and DNA barcoding techniques to determine the floral source of honey samples collected from different districts of the state of Mizoram, India. Pollen grains were isolated and genomic DNA was extracted from the honey samples. PCR amplification was carried out using universal barcode candidates ITS2 and rbcL to identify the plant species. Furthermore, TA cloning was carried out to screen the PCR amplicon libraries to identify the presence of multiple plant species. Results from both the melissopalynological and DNA barcoding analyses identified almost exactly the same 22 species, suggesting that both methods are suitable for analysis. However, DNA barcoding is easier and widely practiced. Hence, it can be concluded that DNA barcoding is a useful tool in determining the medicinal and commercial value of honey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohanasundaram Saravanan
- Plant Genetic Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore - 641046, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Gunasekaran Mohanapriya
- Plant Genetic Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore - 641046, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Ramachandra Laha
- Department of Botany, Mizoram University, Aizawl - 796004, Mizoram, India
| | - Ramalingam Sathishkumar
- Plant Genetic Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore - 641046, Tamil Nadu, India
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45
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Gous A, Swanevelder DZH, Eardley CD, Willows‐Munro S. Plant-pollinator interactions over time: Pollen metabarcoding from bees in a historic collection. Evol Appl 2019; 12:187-197. [PMID: 30697333 PMCID: PMC6346658 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2018] [Revised: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Pollination is a key component in agricultural food production and ecosystem maintenance, with plant-pollinator interactions an important research theme in ecological and evolutionary studies. Natural history collections provide unique access to samples collected at different spatial and temporal scales. Identification of the plant origins of pollen trapped on the bodies of pollinators in these collections provides insight into historic plant communities and pollinators' preferred floral taxa. In this study, pollen was sampled from Megachile venusta Smith bees from the National Collection of Insects, South Africa, spanning 93 years. Three barcode regions, the internal transcribed spacer 1 and 2 (ITS1 and ITS2) and ribulose-1,5-biphosphate carboxylase (rbcL), were sequenced from mixed pollen samples using a next-generation sequencing approach (MiSeq, Illumina). Sequenced reads were compared to sequence reference databases that were generated by extracting sequence and taxonomic data from GenBank. ITS1 and ITS2 were amplified successfully across all (or most) samples, while rbcL performed inconsistently. Age of sample had no impact on sequencing success. Plant classification was more informative using ITS2 than ITS1 barcode data. This study also highlights the need for comprehensive reference databases as limited local plant sequence representation in reference databases resulted in higher-level taxon classifications being more confidently interpreted. The results showed that small, insect-carried pollen samples from historic bee specimens collected from as early as 1914 can be used to obtain pollen metabarcodes. DNA metabarcoding of mixed origin pollen samples provided a faster, more accurate method of determining pollen provenance, without the need for expert palynologists. The use of historic collections to sample pollen directly from pollinators provided additional value to these collections. Sampling pollen from historic collections can potentially provide the spatial and temporal scales for investigations into changes in plant community structure or pollinator floral choice in the face of global climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annemarie Gous
- Biotechnology PlatformAgricultural Research CouncilPretoriaSouth Africa
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of KwaZulu‐NatalScottsville, PietermaritzburgSouth Africa
| | - Dirk Z. H. Swanevelder
- Biotechnology PlatformAgricultural Research CouncilPretoriaSouth Africa
- College of Agriculture and Environmental SciencesUniversity of South AfricaFloridaSouth Africa
| | - Connal D. Eardley
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of KwaZulu‐NatalScottsville, PietermaritzburgSouth Africa
- Plant Protection Research InstituteAgricultural Research InstitutePretoriaSouth Africa
| | - Sandi Willows‐Munro
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of KwaZulu‐NatalScottsville, PietermaritzburgSouth Africa
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Suchan T, Talavera G, Sáez L, Ronikier M, Vila R. Pollen metabarcoding as a tool for tracking long-distance insect migrations. Mol Ecol Resour 2018; 19:149-162. [PMID: 30267472 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.12948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2018] [Revised: 07/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Insects account for a large portion of Earth's biodiversity and are key players for ecosystems, notably as pollinators. While insect migration is suspected to represent a natural phenomenon of major importance, remarkably little is known about it, except for a few flagship species. The reason for this situation is mainly due to technical limitations in the study of insect movement. Here, we propose using metabarcoding of pollen carried by insects as a method for tracking their migrations. We developed a flexible and simple protocol allowing efficient multiplexing and not requiring DNA extraction, one of the most time-consuming part of metabarcoding protocols, and apply this method to the study of the long-distance migration of the butterfly Vanessa cardui, an emerging model for insect migration. We collected 47 butterfly samples along the Mediterranean coast of Spain in spring and performed metabarcoding of pollen collected from their bodies to test for potential arrivals from the African continent. In total, we detected 157 plant species from 23 orders, most of which (82.8%) were insect-pollinated. Taxa present in Africa-Arabia represented 73.2% of our data set, and 19.1% were endemic to this region, strongly supporting the hypothesis that migratory butterflies colonize southern Europe from Africa in spring. Moreover, our data suggest that a northwards trans-Saharan migration in spring is plausible for early arrivals (February) into Europe, as shown by the presence of Saharan floristic elements. Our results demonstrate the possibility of regular insect-mediated transcontinental pollination, with potential implications for ecosystem functioning, agriculture and plant phylogeography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Suchan
- W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| | - Gerard Talavera
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain.,Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Llorenç Sáez
- Systematics and Evolution of Vascular Plants, Associated Unit to CSIC, Unitat de Botànica, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Michał Ronikier
- W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| | - Roger Vila
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
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47
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Bell KL, Burgess KS, Botsch JC, Dobbs EK, Read TD, Brosi BJ. Quantitative and qualitative assessment of pollen
DNA
metabarcoding using constructed species mixtures. Mol Ecol 2018; 28:431-455. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2018] [Revised: 07/20/2018] [Accepted: 07/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Karen L. Bell
- Department of Environmental Sciences Emory University Atlanta Georgia
| | - Kevin S. Burgess
- Columbus State University Department of Biology Columbus Georgia
| | | | - Emily K. Dobbs
- Department of Environmental Sciences Emory University Atlanta Georgia
| | - Timothy D. Read
- Division of Infectious Diseases Department of Human Genetics School of Medicine Emory University Atlanta Georgia
| | - Berry J. Brosi
- Department of Environmental Sciences Emory University Atlanta Georgia
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48
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Non-native plants are a seasonal pollen source for native honeybees in suburban ecosystems. Urban Ecosyst 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-018-0793-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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49
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Gresty CEA, Clare E, Devey DS, Cowan RS, Csiba L, Malakasi P, Lewis OT, Willis KJ. Flower preferences and pollen transport networks for cavity-nesting solitary bees: Implications for the design of agri-environment schemes. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:7574-7587. [PMID: 30151172 PMCID: PMC6106195 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Revised: 04/22/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Floral foraging resources are valuable for pollinator conservation on farmland, and their provision is encouraged by agri-environment schemes in many countries. Across Europe, wildflower seed mixtures are widely sown on farmland to encourage pollinators, but the extent to which key pollinator groups such as solitary bees exploit and benefit from these resources is unclear. We used high-throughput sequencing of 164 pollen samples extracted from the brood cells of six common cavity-nesting solitary bee species (Osmia bicornis, Osmia caerulescens, Megachile versicolor, Megachile ligniseca, Megachile centuncularis and Hylaeus confusus) which are widely distributed across the UK and Europe. We documented their pollen use across 19 farms in southern England, UK, revealing their forage plants and examining the structure of their pollen transport networks. Of the 32 plant species included currently in sown wildflower mixes, 15 were recorded as present within close foraging range of the bees on the study farms, but only Ranunculus acris L. was identified within the pollen samples. Rosa canina L. was the most commonly found of the 23 plant species identified in the pollen samples, suggesting that, in addition to providing a nesting resource for Megachile leafcutter bees, it may be an important forage plant for these species. Higher levels of connectance and nestedness were characteristic of pollen transport networks on farms with abundant floral resources, which may increase resilience to species loss. Our data suggest that plant species promoted currently by agri-environment schemes are not optimal for solitary bee foraging. If a diverse community of pollinators is to be supported on UK and European farmland, additional species such as R. canina should be encouraged to meet the foraging requirements of solitary bees.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elizabeth Clare
- School of Biological and Chemical SciencesQueen Mary University of LondonLondonUK
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Katherine J. Willis
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
- Royal Botanic Gardens, KewRichmondUK
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Entomological signatures in honey: an environmental DNA metabarcoding approach can disclose information on plant-sucking insects in agricultural and forest landscapes. Sci Rep 2018; 8:9996. [PMID: 29968727 PMCID: PMC6030050 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-27933-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2017] [Accepted: 06/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Honeydew produced from the excretion of plant-sucking insects (order Hemiptera) is a carbohydrate-rich material that is foraged by honey bees to integrate their diets. In this study, we used DNA extracted from honey as a source of environmental DNA to disclose its entomological signature determined by honeydew producing Hemiptera that was recovered not only from honeydew honey but also from blossom honey. We designed PCR primers that amplified a fragment of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene of Hemiptera species using DNA isolated from unifloral, polyfloral and honeydew honeys. Ion Torrent next generation sequencing metabarcoding data analysis assigned Hemiptera species using a customized bioinformatic pipeline. The forest honeydew honeys reported the presence of high abundance of Cinara pectinatae DNA, confirming their silver fir forest origin. In all other honeys, most of the sequenced reads were from the planthopper Metcalfa pruinosa for which it was possible to evaluate the frequency of different mitotypes. Aphids of other species were identified from honeys of different geographical and botanical origins. This unique entomological signature derived by environmental DNA contained in honey opens new applications for honey authentication and to disclose and monitor the ecology of plant-sucking insects in agricultural and forest landscapes.
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