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Kim H, Maigoro AY, Lee JH, Frunze O, Kwon HW. The Improving Effects of Probiotic-Added Pollen Substitute Diets on the Gut Microbiota and Individual Health of Honey Bee ( Apis mellifera L.). Microorganisms 2024; 12:1567. [PMID: 39203409 PMCID: PMC11356693 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12081567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2024] [Revised: 07/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 09/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) health is crucial for honey bee products and effective pollination, and it is closely associated with gut bacteria. Various factors such as reduced habitat, temperature, disease, and diet affect the health of honey bees by disturbing the homeostasis of the gut microbiota. In this study, high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to analyze the gut microbiota of honey bees subjected to seven diets over 5 days. Lactobacillus dominated the microbiota in all diets. Cage experiments (consumption, head protein content, and vitellogenin gene expression level) were conducted to verify the effect of the diet. Through a heatmap, the Diet2 (probiotic-supplemented) group was clustered together with the Beebread and honey group, showing high consumption (177.50 ± 26.16 mg/bee), moderately higher survival duration (29.00 ± 2.83 days), protein content in the head (312.62 ± 28.71 µg/mL), and diet digestibility (48.41 ± 1.90%). Additionally, we analyzed the correlation between gut microbiota and health-related indicators in honey bees fed each diet. Based on the overall results, we identified that probiotic-supplemented diets increased gut microbiota diversity and positively affected the overall health of individual honey bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyunjee Kim
- Convergence Research Center for Insect Vectors, 119 Academy-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 22012, Republic of Korea; (H.K.); (A.Y.M.); (J.-H.L.); (O.F.)
| | - Abdulkadir Yusif Maigoro
- Convergence Research Center for Insect Vectors, 119 Academy-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 22012, Republic of Korea; (H.K.); (A.Y.M.); (J.-H.L.); (O.F.)
| | - Jeong-Hyeon Lee
- Convergence Research Center for Insect Vectors, 119 Academy-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 22012, Republic of Korea; (H.K.); (A.Y.M.); (J.-H.L.); (O.F.)
- Department of Life Sciences, Incheon National University, 119 Academy-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 22012, Republic of Korea
| | - Olga Frunze
- Convergence Research Center for Insect Vectors, 119 Academy-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 22012, Republic of Korea; (H.K.); (A.Y.M.); (J.-H.L.); (O.F.)
| | - Hyung-Wook Kwon
- Convergence Research Center for Insect Vectors, 119 Academy-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 22012, Republic of Korea; (H.K.); (A.Y.M.); (J.-H.L.); (O.F.)
- Department of Life Sciences, Incheon National University, 119 Academy-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 22012, Republic of Korea
- Division of Research and Development, Insensory Inc., 119 Academy-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 22012, Republic of Korea
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Yang C, Hu J, Su Q, Zhang Z, Du Y, Wang J, Sun H, Han B, Tang J, Guo L, Li H, Cai W, Zheng H, Zhou X, Zhang X. A review on recent taxonomic updates of gut bacteria associated with social bees, with a curated genomic reference database. INSECT SCIENCE 2024. [PMID: 38594229 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Honeybees and bumblebees play a crucial role as essential pollinators. The special gut microbiome of social bees is a key factor in determining the overall fitness and health of the host. Although bees harbor relatively simple microbial communities at the genus level, recent studies have unveiled significant genetic divergence and variations in gene content within each bacterial genus. However, a comprehensive and refined genomics-based taxonomic database specific to social bee gut microbiomes remains lacking. Here, we first provided an overview of the current knowledge on the distribution and function of social bee gut bacteria, as well as the factors that influence the gut population dynamics. We then consolidated all available genomes of the gut bacteria of social bees and refined the species-level taxonomy, by constructing a maximum-likelihood core genome phylogeny and calculating genome-wide pairwise average nucleotide identity. On the basis of the refined species taxonomy, we constructed a curated genomic reference database, named the bee gut microbe genome sequence database (BGM-GDb). To evaluate the species-profiling performance of the curated BGM-GDb, we retrieved a series of bee gut metagenomic data and inferred the species-level composition using metagenomic intra-species diversity analysis system (MIDAS), and then compared the results with those obtained from a prebuilt MIDAS database. We found that compared with the default database, the BGM-GDb excelled in aligned read counts and bacterial richness. Overall, this high-resolution and precise genomic reference database will facilitate research in understanding the gut community structure of social bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengfeng Yang
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, Hainan Province, China
| | - Jiawei Hu
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Qinzhi Su
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, Department of Geriatric Dentistry, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, China
| | - Zijing Zhang
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Yating Du
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Jieni Wang
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Huihui Sun
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, Hainan Province, China
| | - Benfeng Han
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Junbo Tang
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Lizhen Guo
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Hu Li
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Wanzhi Cai
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Hao Zheng
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Zhou
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, Hainan Province, China
| | - Xue Zhang
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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Yang K, Zhang HY, Wang P, Jin GX, Chu D. Both symbionts and environmental factors contribute to shape the microbiota in a pest insect, Sogatella furcifera. Front Microbiol 2024; 14:1336345. [PMID: 38348307 PMCID: PMC10860895 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1336345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Bacterial symbionts are prevalent in arthropods globally and play a vital role in the fitness and resistance of hosts. While several symbiont infections have been identified in the white-backed planthopper Sogatella furcifera, the impact of environmental factors on the microbiota within S. furcifera remains elusive. Methods In this study, a total of 142 S. furcifera individuals from 18 populations were collected from 14 locations across six countries (China, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos) analyzed with 2bRAD-M sequencing, to examine the effects of symbionts on the microbiota in the S. furcifera population, as well as the vital effects of environmental factors on the bacterial communities. Results and discussion Based on the results, in S. furcifera, the presence of symbionts Wolbachia and Cardinium negatively influenced the abundance of other bacteria, including Enterobacter, Acinetobacter, and Lysinibacillus, while Wolbachia infection significantly decreased the diversity of the microbial community. Moreover, several environmental factors, including longitude, latitude, temperature, and precipitation, affected the abundance of symbionts and microbiota diversity in S. furcifera. These results collectively highlight the vital role of Wolbachia in S. furcifera microbiota, as well as the intricate effects of environmental factors on the bacterial communities of S. furcifera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Yang
- Shandong Engineering Research Center for Environment-friendly Agricultural Pest Management, College of Plant Health and Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
- Shandong Province Centre for Bioinvasions and Eco-security, Qingdao, China
| | - Hua-Yue Zhang
- Shandong Engineering Research Center for Environment-friendly Agricultural Pest Management, College of Plant Health and Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
- Shandong Province Centre for Bioinvasions and Eco-security, Qingdao, China
| | - Peng Wang
- Shandong Engineering Research Center for Environment-friendly Agricultural Pest Management, College of Plant Health and Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
- Shandong Province Centre for Bioinvasions and Eco-security, Qingdao, China
| | - Gui-Xiu Jin
- Linyi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Linyi, China
| | - Dong Chu
- Shandong Engineering Research Center for Environment-friendly Agricultural Pest Management, College of Plant Health and Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
- Shandong Province Centre for Bioinvasions and Eco-security, Qingdao, China
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Mills TJT, Nelson TM, Pearson LA, Neilan BA. Hive Transplantation Has Minimal Impact on the Core Gut Microbiome of the Australian Stingless Bee, Tetragonula carbonaria. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2023; 86:2086-2096. [PMID: 37088849 PMCID: PMC10497653 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-023-02222-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Bacteria residing in the guts of pollinating insects play a key role in nutrient acquisition, digestion, and resistance to pests and diseases. Imbalances in microbial flora in response to environmental change and stress can therefore impact insect health and resilience. This study is aimed at defining the core gut microbiome of the Australian native stingless bee, Tetragonula carbonaria, and exploring the impact of colony transplantation on gut health. The gut microbiomes of nine forager bees from natural (log) and manufactured (box) hives were examined via 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Some differences were observed at the ASV level between the microbiomes of log and box hive bees. However, a core microbiome, dominated by Lactobacillus spp., unclassified Acetobacteraceae spp., and Bombella spp., was maintained. Further, the inferred functional potential of the microbiomes was consistent across all individuals. This study highlights that although hive transplantation has an impact on the overall diversity of stingless bee gut microbiomes, it is unlikely to have a significant negative impact on the overall health and resilience of the colony.
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Affiliation(s)
- T J T Mills
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
| | - T M Nelson
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
| | - L A Pearson
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
| | - B A Neilan
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia.
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Hénaff E, Najjar D, Perez M, Flores R, Woebken C, Mason CE, Slavin K. Holobiont Urbanism: sampling urban beehives reveals cities' metagenomes. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOME 2023; 18:23. [PMID: 36991491 PMCID: PMC10060141 DOI: 10.1186/s40793-023-00467-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Over half of the world's population lives in urban areas with, according to the United Nations, nearly 70% expected to live in cities by 2050. Our cities are built by and for humans, but are also complex, adaptive biological systems involving a diversity of other living species. The majority of these species are invisible and constitute the city's microbiome. Our design decisions for the built environment shape these invisible populations, and as inhabitants we interact with them on a constant basis. A growing body of evidence shows us that human health and well-being are dependent on these interactions. Indeed, multicellular organisms owe meaningful aspects of their development and phenotype to interactions with the microorganisms-bacteria or fungi-with which they live in continual exchange and symbiosis. Therefore, it is meaningful to establish microbial maps of the cities we inhabit. While the processing and sequencing of environmental microbiome samples can be high-throughput, gathering samples is still labor and time intensive, and can require mobilizing large numbers of volunteers to get a snapshot of the microbial landscape of a city. RESULTS Here we postulate that honeybees may be effective collaborators in gathering samples of urban microbiota, as they forage daily within a 2-mile radius of their hive. We describe the results of a pilot study conducted with three rooftop beehives in Brooklyn, NY, where we evaluated the potential of various hive materials (honey, debris, hive swabs, bee bodies) to reveal information as to the surrounding metagenomic landscape, and where we conclude that the bee debris are the richest substrate. Based on these results, we profiled 4 additional cities through collected hive debris: Sydney, Melbourne, Venice and Tokyo. We show that each city displays a unique metagenomic profile as seen by honeybees. These profiles yield information relevant to hive health such as known bee symbionts and pathogens. Additionally, we show that this method can be used for human pathogen surveillance, with a proof-of-concept example in which we recover the majority of virulence factor genes for Rickettsia felis, a pathogen known to be responsible for "cat scratch fever". CONCLUSIONS We show that this method yields information relevant to hive health and human health, providing a strategy to monitor environmental microbiomes on a city scale. Here we present the results of this study, and discuss them in terms of architectural implications, as well as the potential of this method for epidemic surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Hénaff
- NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY USA
- Center for Urban Science and Progress, NYU, Brooklyn, NY USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Christopher E. Mason
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY USA
- Weill Cornell Medicine, The HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine, New York, NY USA
- The WorldQuant Initiative for Quantitative Prediction, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY USA
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6
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Ye M, Li X, Yang F, Zhou B. Beneficial bacteria as biocontrol agents for American foulbrood disease in honey bees (Apis mellifera). JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2023; 23:6. [PMID: 36947033 PMCID: PMC10032306 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/iead013] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
American foulbrood (AFB) is a cosmopolitan bacterial disease that affects honey bee (Apis mellifera) larvae and causes great economic losses in apiculture. Currently, no satisfactory methods are available for AFB treatment mainly due to the difficulties to eradicate the tenacious spores produced by the etiological agent of AFB, Paenibacillus larvae (Bacillales, Paenibacillaceae). This present review focused on the beneficial bacteria that displayed antagonistic activities against P. larvae and demonstrated potential in AFB control. Emphases were placed on commensal bacteria (genus Bacillus and lactic acid bacteria in particular) in the alimentary tract of honey bees. The probiotic roles lactic acid bacteria play in combating the pathogenic P. larvae and the limitations referring to the application of these beneficial bacteria were addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manhong Ye
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu Province, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agricultural & Agri-Product Safety, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xiaoyuan Li
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Fengping Yang
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu Province, China
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Guo B, Tang J, Ding G, Mashilingi SK, Huang J, An J. Gut microbiota is a potential factor in shaping phenotypic variation in larvae and adults of female bumble bees. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1117077. [PMID: 36937270 PMCID: PMC10014921 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1117077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Host symbionts are often considered an essential part of the host phenotype, influencing host growth and development. Bumble bee is an ideal model for investigating the relationship between microbiota and phenotypes. Variations in life history across bumble bees may influence the community composition of gut microbiota, which in turn influences phenotypes. In this study, we explored gut microbiota from four development stages (early-instar larvae, 1st instar; mid-instar larvae, 5th instar; late-instar larvae, 9th instar; and adults) of workers and queens in the bumble bee Bombus terrestris using the full-length 16S rRNA sequencing technology. The results showed that morphological indices (weight and head capsule) were significantly different between workers and queens from 5th instar larvae (p < 0.01). The alpha and beta diversities of gut microbiota were similar between workers and queens in two groups: early instar and mid instar larvae. However, the alpha diversity was significantly different in late instar larvae or adults. The relative abundance of three main phyla of bacteria (Cyanobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Firmicutes) and two genera (Snodgrassella and Lactobacillus) were significantly different (p < 0.01) between workers and queens in late instar larvae or adults. Also, we found that age significantly affected the microbial alpha diversity as the Shannon and ASVs indices differed significantly among the four development stages. Our study suggests that the 5th instar larval stage can be used to judge the morphology of workers or queens in bumble bees. The key microbes differing in phenotypes may be involved in regulating phenotypic variations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baodi Guo
- Key Laboratory for Insect-Pollinator Biology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiao Tang
- Key Laboratory for Insect-Pollinator Biology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Guiling Ding
- Key Laboratory for Insect-Pollinator Biology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shibonage K. Mashilingi
- Key Laboratory for Insect-Pollinator Biology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Crop Sciences and Beekeeping Technology, College of Agriculture and Food Technology, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Jiaxing Huang
- Key Laboratory for Insect-Pollinator Biology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiandong An
- Key Laboratory for Insect-Pollinator Biology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Jiandong An,
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Moharrami M, Mojgani N, Bagheri M, Toutiaee S. Role of Honey Bee Gut Microbiota in the Control of American Foulbrood and European Foulbrood Diseases. ARCHIVES OF RAZI INSTITUTE 2022; 77:1331-1339. [PMID: 36883164 PMCID: PMC9985789 DOI: 10.22092/ari.2022.358073.2146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
American foulbrood (AFB) and European foulbrood (EFB) are the two most important honey bee brood diseases which impose heavy economic losses to the apiculture industry worldwide by reducing bee population and honey production. Treatment with antibiotics has led to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains, calling for alternative safe treatment procedures that could control these diseases. Honey bee gut microbiota is known to affect the overall health of honey bees by enhancing their resistance to a number of diseases via modulation of the immune response and production of different antimicrobial metabolites. The majority of these gut resident bacteria are identified as probiotic bacteria and secure the health of these tiny insects. In the present review, we highlighted the significance of the honey bee gut microbial community and their probiotic potency for the prevention of AFB and EFB diseases in honey bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Moharrami
- Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO) Karaj, 31976-19751, Iran
| | - N Mojgani
- Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO) Karaj, 31976-19751, Iran
| | - M Bagheri
- Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO) Karaj, 31976-19751, Iran
| | - S Toutiaee
- Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO) Karaj, 31976-19751, Iran.,Department of Microbiology, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran
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Iorizzo M, Ganassi S, Albanese G, Letizia F, Testa B, Tedino C, Petrarca S, Mutinelli F, Mazzeo A, De Cristofaro A. Antimicrobial Activity from Putative Probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria for the Biological Control of American and European Foulbrood Diseases. Vet Sci 2022; 9:vetsci9050236. [PMID: 35622764 PMCID: PMC9143654 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci9050236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The balance of the gut microbiome is important for the honey bee’s growth and development, immune function and defense against pathogens. The use of a beneficial bacteria-based strategy for the prevention and biocontrol of American foulbrood (AFB) and European foulbrood (EFB) diseases in honey bees offers interesting prospects. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are common inhabitants of the gastrointestinal tract of the honey bee. Among LABs associated with bee gut microbiota, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (previously Lactobacillus plantarum) and Apilactobacillus kunkeei (formerly classified as Lactobacillus kunkeei) are two of the most abundant species. In this study, four Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strains and four Apilactobacillus kunkeei strains, isolated from the gastrointestinal tract of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) were selected for their in vitro inhibition ability of Paenibacillus larvae ATCC 9545 and Melissococccus plutonius ATCC 35311. In addition, these LABs have been characterized through some biochemical and functional characteristics: cell surface properties (hydrophobicity and auto-aggregation), carbohydrates assimilation and enzymatic activities. The antimicrobial, biochemical and cell surface properties of these LABs have been functional to their candidature as potential probiotics in beekeeping and for the biocontrol of AFB and EFB diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimo Iorizzo
- Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy; (M.I.); (S.G.); (F.L.); (B.T.); (C.T.); (S.P.); (A.M.); (A.D.C.)
| | - Sonia Ganassi
- Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy; (M.I.); (S.G.); (F.L.); (B.T.); (C.T.); (S.P.); (A.M.); (A.D.C.)
| | - Gianluca Albanese
- Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy; (M.I.); (S.G.); (F.L.); (B.T.); (C.T.); (S.P.); (A.M.); (A.D.C.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Francesco Letizia
- Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy; (M.I.); (S.G.); (F.L.); (B.T.); (C.T.); (S.P.); (A.M.); (A.D.C.)
| | - Bruno Testa
- Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy; (M.I.); (S.G.); (F.L.); (B.T.); (C.T.); (S.P.); (A.M.); (A.D.C.)
| | - Cosimo Tedino
- Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy; (M.I.); (S.G.); (F.L.); (B.T.); (C.T.); (S.P.); (A.M.); (A.D.C.)
| | - Sonia Petrarca
- Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy; (M.I.); (S.G.); (F.L.); (B.T.); (C.T.); (S.P.); (A.M.); (A.D.C.)
- Conaproa, Consorzio Nazionale Produttori Apistici, 86100 Campobasso, Italy
| | - Franco Mutinelli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie (IZSVe), National Reference Laboratory for Honey Bee Health, Viale dell’Università 10, 35020 Legnaro, Italy;
| | - Alessandra Mazzeo
- Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy; (M.I.); (S.G.); (F.L.); (B.T.); (C.T.); (S.P.); (A.M.); (A.D.C.)
| | - Antonio De Cristofaro
- Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy; (M.I.); (S.G.); (F.L.); (B.T.); (C.T.); (S.P.); (A.M.); (A.D.C.)
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Aleknavičius D, Lukša J, Strazdaitė-Žielienė Ž, Servienė E. The Bacterial Microbiota of Edible Insects Acheta domesticus and Gryllus assimilis Revealed by High Content Analysis. Foods 2022; 11:1073. [PMID: 35454659 PMCID: PMC9032608 DOI: 10.3390/foods11081073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
In the concept of novel food, insects reared under controlled conditions are considered mini livestock. Mass-reared edible insect production is an economically and ecologically beneficial alternative to conventional meat gain. Regarding food safety, insect origin ingredients must comply with food microbial requirements. House crickets (Acheta domesticus) and Jamaican field crickets (Gryllus assimilis) are preferred insect species that are used commercially as food. In this study, we examined cricket-associated bacterial communities using amplicon-based sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene region (V3-V4). The high taxonomic richness of the bacterial populations inhabiting both tested cricket species was revealed. According to the analysis of alpha and beta diversity, house crickets and Jamaican field crickets displayed significantly different bacterial communities. Investigation of bacterial amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) diversity revealed cricket species as well as surface and entire body-associated bacterial assemblages. The efficiency of crickets processing and microbial safety were evaluated based on viable bacterial counts and identified bacterial species. Among the microorganisms inhabiting both tested cricket species, the potentially pathogenic bacteria are documented. Some bacteria representing identified genera are inhabitants of the gastrointestinal tract of animals and humans, forming a normal intestinal microflora and performing beneficial probiotic functions. The novel information on the edible insect-associated microbiota will contribute to developing strategies for cricket processing to avoid bacteria-caused risks and reap the benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominykas Aleknavičius
- Laboratory of Genetics, Institute of Botany, Nature Research Centre, 08412 Vilnius, Lithuania; (D.A.); (J.L.); (Ž.S.-Ž.)
| | - Juliana Lukša
- Laboratory of Genetics, Institute of Botany, Nature Research Centre, 08412 Vilnius, Lithuania; (D.A.); (J.L.); (Ž.S.-Ž.)
| | - Živilė Strazdaitė-Žielienė
- Laboratory of Genetics, Institute of Botany, Nature Research Centre, 08412 Vilnius, Lithuania; (D.A.); (J.L.); (Ž.S.-Ž.)
| | - Elena Servienė
- Laboratory of Genetics, Institute of Botany, Nature Research Centre, 08412 Vilnius, Lithuania; (D.A.); (J.L.); (Ž.S.-Ž.)
- Department of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, 10221 Vilnius, Lithuania
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11
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Functional Properties and Antimicrobial Activity from Lactic Acid Bacteria as Resources to Improve the Health and Welfare of Honey Bees. INSECTS 2022; 13:insects13030308. [PMID: 35323606 PMCID: PMC8953987 DOI: 10.3390/insects13030308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Simple Summary Honey bees play a pivotal role in the sustainability of ecosystems and biodiversity. Many factors including parasites, pathogens, pesticide residues, forage losses, and poor nutrition have been proposed to explain honey bee colony losses. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are normal inhabitants of the gastrointestinal tract of honey bees and their role has been consistently reported in the literature. In recent years, there have been numerous scientific evidence that the intestinal microbiota plays an essential role in honey bee health. Management strategies, based on supplementation of the gut microbiota with probiotics, may be important to increase stress tolerance and disease resistance. In this review, recent scientific advances on the use of LABs as microbial supplements in the diet of honey bees are summarized and discussed. Abstract Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are agriculturally important pollinators. Over the past decades, significant losses of wild and domestic bees have been reported in many parts of the world. Several biotic and abiotic factors, such as change in land use over time, intensive land management, use of pesticides, climate change, beekeeper’s management practices, lack of forage (nectar and pollen), and infection by parasites and pathogens, negatively affect the honey bee’s well-being and survival. The gut microbiota is important for honey bee growth and development, immune function, protection against pathogen invasion; moreover, a well-balanced microbiota is fundamental to support honey bee health and vigor. In fact, the structure of the bee’s intestinal bacterial community can become an indicator of the honey bee’s health status. Lactic acid bacteria are normal inhabitants of the gastrointestinal tract of many insects, and their presence in the honey bee intestinal tract has been consistently reported in the literature. In the first section of this review, recent scientific advances in the use of LABs as probiotic supplements in the diet of honey bees are summarized and discussed. The second section discusses some of the mechanisms by which LABs carry out their antimicrobial activity against pathogens. Afterward, individual paragraphs are dedicated to Chalkbrood, American foulbrood, European foulbrood, Nosemosis, and Varroosis as well as to the potentiality of LABs for their biological control.
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12
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Honey Bee Larval and Adult Microbiome Life Stages Are Effectively Decoupled with Vertical Transmission Overcoming Early Life Perturbations. mBio 2021; 12:e0296621. [PMID: 34933445 PMCID: PMC8689520 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02966-21] [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] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbiomes provide a range of benefits to their hosts which can lead to the coevolution of a joint ecological niche. However, holometabolous insects, some of the most successful organisms on Earth, occupy different niches throughout development, with larvae and adults being physiologically and morphologically highly distinct. Furthermore, transition between the stages usually involves the loss of the gut microbiome since the gut is remodeled during pupation. Most eusocial organisms appear to have evolved a workaround to this problem by sharing their communal microbiome across generations. However, whether this vertical microbiome transmission can overcome perturbations of the larval microbiome remains untested. Honey bees have a relatively simple, conserved, coevolved adult microbiome which is socially transmitted and affects many aspects of their biology. In contrast, larval microbiomes are more variable, with less clear roles. Here, we manipulated the gut microbiome of in vitro-reared larvae, and after pupation of the larvae, we inoculated the emerged bees with adult microbiome to test whether adult and larval microbiome stages may be coupled (e.g., through immune priming). Larval treatments differed in bacterial composition and abundance, depending on diet, which also drove larval gene expression. Nonetheless, adults converged on the typical core taxa and showed limited gene expression variation. This work demonstrates that honey bee adult and larval stages are effectively microbiologically decoupled, and the core adult microbiome is remarkably stable to early developmental perturbations. Combined with the transmission of the microbiome in early adulthood, this allows the formation of long-term host-microbiome associations. IMPORTANCE This work investigated host-microbiome interactions during a crucial developmental stage-the transition from larvae to adults, which is a challenge to both, the insect host and its microbiome. Using the honey bee as a tractable model system, we showed that microbiome transfer after emergence overrides any variation in the larvae, indicating that larval and adult microbiome stages are effectively decoupled. Together with the reliable vertical transfer in the eusocial system, this decoupling ensures that the adults are colonized with a consistent and derived microbiome after eclosion. Taken all together, our data provide additional support that the evolution of sociality, at least in the honey bee system tested here, is linked with host-microbiome relationships.
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13
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In Silico and In Vitro Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Potential of Bacillus cereus Isolated from Apis dorsata Gut against Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021; 10:antibiotics10111401. [PMID: 34827339 PMCID: PMC8614935 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10111401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance is a major public health and development concern on a global scale. The increasing resistance of the pathogenic bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae to antibiotics necessitates efforts to identify potential alternative antibiotics from nature, including insects, which are already recognized as a source of natural antibiotics by the scientific community. This study aimed to determine the potential of components of gut-associated bacteria isolated from Apis dorsata, an Asian giant honeybee, as an antibacterial against N. gonorrhoeae by in vitro and in silico methods as an initial process in the stage of new drug discovery. The identified gut-associated bacteria of A. dorsata included Acinetobacter indicus and Bacillus cereus with 100% identity to referenced bacteria from GenBank. Cell-free culture supernatants (CFCS) of B. cereus had a very strong antibacterial activity against N. gonorrhoeae in an in vitro antibacterial testing. Meanwhile, molecular docking revealed that antimicrobial lipopeptides from B. cereus (surfactin, fengycin, and iturin A) had a comparable value of binding-free energy (BFE) with the target protein receptor for N. gonorrhoeae, namely penicillin-binding protein (PBP) 1 and PBP2 when compared with the ceftriaxone, cefixime, and doxycycline. The molecular dynamics simulation (MDS) study revealed that the surfactin remains stable at the active site of PBP2 despite the alteration of the H-bond and hydrophobic interactions. According to this finding, surfactin has the greatest antibacterial potential against PBP2 of N. gonorrhoeae.
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14
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Microbial communities associated with honey bees in Brazil and in the United States. Braz J Microbiol 2021; 52:2097-2115. [PMID: 34264502 DOI: 10.1007/s42770-021-00539-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Honey bee colony losses worldwide call for a more in-depth understanding of the pathogenic and mutualistic components of the honey bee microbiota and their relation with the environment. In this descriptive study, we characterized the yeast and bacterial communities that arise from six substrates associated with honey bees: corbicular pollen, beebread, hive debris, intestinal contents, body surface of nurses and forager bees, comparing two different landscapes, Minas Gerais, Brazil and Maryland, United States. The sampling of five hives in Brazil and four in the USA yielded 217 yeast and 284 bacterial isolates. Whereas the yeast community, accounted for 47 species from 29 genera, was dominated in Brazil by Aureobasidium sp. and Candida orthopsilosis, the major yeast recovered from the USA was Debaryomyces hansenii. The bacterial community was more diverse, encompassing 65 species distributed across 31 genera. Overall, most isolates belonged to Firmicutes, genus Bacillus. Among LAB, species from Lactobacillus were the most prevalent. Cluster analysis evidenced high structuration of the microbial communities, with two distinguished microbial groups between Brazil and the United States. In general, the higher difference among sites and substrates were dependents on the turnover effect (~ 93% of the beta diversity), with a more pronounced effect of nestedness (~ 28%) observed from Brazil microbiota change. The relative abundance of yeasts and bacteria also showed the dissimilarity of the microbial communities between both environments. These results provide a comprehensive view of microorganisms associated with A. mellifera, highlighting the importance of the environment in the establishment of the microbiota associated with honey bees.
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15
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Xue H, Zhu X, Wang L, Zhang K, Li D, Ji J, Niu L, Wu C, Gao X, Luo J, Cui J. Gut Bacterial Diversity in Different Life Cycle Stages of Adelphocoris suturalis (Hemiptera: Miridae). Front Microbiol 2021; 12:670383. [PMID: 34149656 PMCID: PMC8208491 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.670383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria and insects have a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship. Bacteria participate in several physiological processes such as reproduction, metabolism, and detoxification of the host. Adelphocoris suturalis is considered a pest by the agricultural industry and is now a major pest in cotton, posing a serious threat to agricultural production. As with many insects, various microbes live inside A. suturalis. However, the microbial composition and diversity of its life cycle have not been well-studied. To identify the species and community structure of symbiotic bacteria in A. suturalis, we used the HiSeq platform to perform high-throughput sequencing of the V3-V4 region in the 16S rRNA of symbiotic bacteria found in A. suturalis throughout its life stages. Our results demonstrated that younger nymphs (1st and 2nd instar nymphs) have higher species richness. Proteobacteria (87.06%) and Firmicutes (9.43%) were the dominant phyla of A. suturalis. At the genus level, Erwinia (28.98%), Staphylococcus (5.69%), and Acinetobacter (4.54%) were the dominant bacteria. We found that the relative abundance of Erwinia was very stable during the whole developmental stage. On the contrary, the relative abundance of Staphylococcus, Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, and Corynebacterium showed significant dynamic changes at different developmental stages. Functional prediction of symbiotic bacteria mainly focuses on metabolic pathways. Our findings document symbiotic bacteria across the life cycle of A. suturalis, as well as differences in both the composition and richness in nymph and adult symbiotic bacteria. Our analysis of the bacteria in A. suturalis provides important information for the development of novel biological control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China.,Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xiangzhen Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China.,Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Li Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China.,Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Kaixin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China.,Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Dongyang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China.,Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jichao Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China.,Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Lin Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China.,Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Changcai Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China.,Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xueke Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China.,Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Junyu Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China.,Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jinjie Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China.,Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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16
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Ma S, Yang Y, Fu Z, Diao Q, Wang M, Luo Q, Wang X, Dai P. A combination of Tropilaelaps mercedesae and imidacloprid negatively affects survival, pollen consumption and midgut bacterial composition of honey bee. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 268:129368. [PMID: 33360943 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.129368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Tropilaelaps mercedesae is not only a major threat to honey bees in Asia but also a potential risk to global apiculture due to trade. Imidacloprid is a systemic insecticide that negatively affects individual bees. Moreover, the health of honey bees may be threatened by imidacloprid exposure and T. mercedesae infestation. We studied the effects of T. mercedesae and imidacloprid on the survival, food consumption and midgut bacterial diversity of Apis mellifera in the laboratory. Illumina 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to determine the bacterial composition in the honey bee midgut. T. mercedesae decreased survival in parasitized honey bees compared with nonparasitized honey bees, but there was no significant difference in food consumption. The imidacloprid 50 μg/L diet significantly decreased syrup consumption of A. mellifera compared with the control diet. The combination of T. mercedesae infestation and imidacloprid 50 μg/L exposure reduced survival and increased pollen consumption of A. mellifera. T. mercedesae infestation or a combination of T. mercedesae infestation and exposure to 25 μg/L imidacloprid affected the midgut bacterial composition of honey bees. T. mercedesae infestation and imidacloprid exposure may reduce the survival and affect honey bee health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shilong Ma
- Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China; College of Bee Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Zhongmin Fu
- College of Bee Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Qingyun Diao
- Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Mengyue Wang
- Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Qihua Luo
- Miyun Apicultural Station, Beijing, 101500, China
| | - Xing Wang
- Beijing Apicultural Station, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Pingli Dai
- Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China.
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17
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Ye MH, Fan SH, Li XY, Tarequl IM, Yan CX, Wei WH, Yang SM, Zhou B. Microbiota dysbiosis in honeybee ( Apis mellifera L .) larvae infected with brood diseases and foraging bees exposed to agrochemicals. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:201805. [PMID: 33614099 PMCID: PMC7890499 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.201805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
American foulbrood (AFB) disease and chalkbrood disease (CBD) are important bacterial and fungal diseases, respectively, that affect honeybee broods. Exposure to agrochemicals is an abiotic stressor that potentially weakens honeybee colonies. Gut microflora alterations in adult honeybees associated with these biotic and abiotic factors have been investigated. However, microbial compositions in AFB- and CBD-infected larvae and the profile of whole-body microbiota in foraging bees exposed to agrochemicals have not been fully studied. In this study, bacterial and fungal communities in healthy and diseased (AFB/CBD) honeybee larvae were characterized by amplicon sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA gene and fungal internal transcribed spacer1 region, respectively. The bacterial and fungal communities in disordered foraging bees poisoned by agrochemicals were analysed. Our results revealed that healthy larvae were significantly enriched in bacterial genera Lactobacillus and Stenotrophomonas and the fungal genera Alternaria and Aspergillus. The enrichment of these microorganisms, which had antagonistic activities against the etiologic agents for AFB and CBD, respectively, may protect larvae from potential infection. In disordered foraging bees, the relative abundance of bacterial genus Gilliamella and fungal species Cystofilobasidium macerans were significantly reduced, which may compromise hosts' capacities in nutrient absorption and immune defence against pathogens. Significantly higher frequency of environmentally derived fungi was observed in disordered foraging bees, which reflected the perturbed microbiota communities of hosts. Results from PICRUSt and FUNGuild analyses revealed significant differences in gene clusters of bacterial communities and fungal function profiles. Overall, results of this study provide references for the composition and function of microbial communities in AFB- and CBD-infected honeybee larvae and foraging bees exposed to agrochemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man-Hong Ye
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Shu-Hang Fan
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Yuan Li
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Islam Mohd Tarequl
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Chun-Xiang Yan
- Chunxiang Professional Beekeeping Cooperatives, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Wan-Hong Wei
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agricultural & Agri-Product Safety, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Sheng-Mei Yang
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agricultural & Agri-Product Safety, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Bin Zhou
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
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18
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Deng Y, Zhao H, Shen S, Yang S, Yang D, Deng S, Hou C. Identification of Immune Response to Sacbrood Virus Infection in Apis cerana Under Natural Condition. Front Genet 2020; 11:587509. [PMID: 33193724 PMCID: PMC7649357 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.587509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Chinese sacbrood virus (CSBV) is a serious threat to eastern honeybees (Apis cerana), especially larvae. However, the pathological mechanism of this deadly disease remains unclear. Here, we employed mRNA and small RNA (sRNA) transcriptome approach to investigate the microRNAs (miRNAs) and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) expression changes of A. cerana larvae infected with CSBV under natural condition. We found that serine proteases involved in immune response were down-regulated, while the expression of siRNAs targeted to serine proteases were up-regulated. In addition, CSBV infection also affected the expression of larvae cuticle proteins such as larval cuticle proteins A1A and A3A, resulting in increased susceptibility to CSBV infection. Together, our results provide insights into sRNAs that they are likely to be involved in regulating honeybee immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanchun Deng
- Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs, Beijing, China.,Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hongxia Zhao
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangdong Academy of Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shuo Shen
- Qinghai Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences (Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences), Qinghai University, Xining, China
| | - Sa Yang
- Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs, Beijing, China
| | - Dahe Yang
- Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs, Beijing, China
| | - Shuai Deng
- Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs, Beijing, China
| | - Chunsheng Hou
- Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs, Beijing, China
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19
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Tola YH, Waweru JW, Hurst GDD, Slippers B, Paredes JC. Characterization of the Kenyan Honey Bee ( Apis mellifera) Gut Microbiota: A First Look at Tropical and Sub-Saharan African Bee Associated Microbiomes. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8111721. [PMID: 33153032 PMCID: PMC7692941 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8111721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Gut microbiota plays important roles in many physiological processes of the host including digestion, protection, detoxification, and development of immune responses. The honey bee (Apis mellifera) has emerged as model for gut-microbiota host interaction studies due to its gut microbiota being highly conserved and having a simple composition. A key gap in this model is understanding how the microbiome differs regionally, including sampling from the tropics and in particular from Africa. The African region is important from the perspective of the native diversity of the bees, and differences in landscape and bee management. Here, we characterized the honey bee gut microbiota in sub-Saharan Africa using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. We confirm the presence of the core gut microbiota members and highlight different compositions of these communities across regions. We found that bees from the coastal regions harbor a higher relative abundance and diversity on core members. Additionally, we showed that Gilliamella, Snodgrassella, and Frischella dominate in all locations, and that altitude and humidity affect Gilliamella abundance. In contrast, we found that Lactobacillus was less common compared temperate regions of the world. This study is a first comprehensive characterization of the gut microbiota of honey bees from sub-Saharan Africa and underscores the need to study microbiome diversity in other indigenous bee species and regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yosef Hamba Tola
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Nairobi 30772-00100, Kenya; (Y.H.T.); (J.W.W.)
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa;
| | - Jacqueline Wahura Waweru
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Nairobi 30772-00100, Kenya; (Y.H.T.); (J.W.W.)
| | - Gregory D. D. Hurst
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK;
| | - Bernard Slippers
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa;
| | - Juan C. Paredes
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Nairobi 30772-00100, Kenya; (Y.H.T.); (J.W.W.)
- Correspondence:
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20
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Kafantaris I, Amoutzias GD, Mossialos D. Foodomics in bee product research: a systematic literature review. Eur Food Res Technol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00217-020-03634-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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21
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Kačániová M, Terentjeva M, Žiarovská J, Kowalczewski PŁ. In Vitro Antagonistic Effect of Gut Bacteriota Isolated from Indigenous Honey Bees and Essential Oils against Paenibacillus Larvae. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21186736. [PMID: 32937902 PMCID: PMC7555715 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21186736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of study was to isolate and identify the gut bacteria of Apis mellifera and to evaluate antagonistic effect of the bacteriota against Paenibacillus larvae, which causes American foulbrood (AFB) in honeybees. The dilution plating method was used for the quantification of selected microbial groups from digestive tract of bees, with an emphasis on the bacteriota of the bees' intestines. Bacteria were identified using mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS Biotyper). Overall, five classes, 27 genera and 66 species of bacteria were identified. Genera Lactobacillus (10 species) and Bacillus (8 species) were the most abundant. Gram-negative bacteria were represented with 16 genera, whereas Gram-positive with 10 genera. Delftia acidovorans and Escherichia coli were the most abundant in the digestive tract of honey bee. Resistance to a selection of antimicrobials was assessed for the bacterial isolates from bee gut and confirmed against all antimicrobials included in the study, with the exception of cefepime. Lactobacillus spp., especially L. kunkeei, L. crispatus and L. acidophilus. showed the strongest antimicrobial activity against P. larvae, the causal pathogen of AFB. Antimicrobial activity of essential oils against isolated bacteria and two isolates of P. larvae were assessed. Application of a broad selection of plant essential oils indicated that Thymus vulgaris had the highest antimicrobial activity against P. larvae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miroslava Kačániová
- Department of Fruit Science, Viticulture and Enology, Faculty of Horticulture and Landscape Engineering, Slovak University of Agriculture, Tr. A. Hlinku 2, 94976 Nitra, Slovakia
- Department of Bioenergetics, Food Analysis and Microbiology, Institute of Food Technology and Nutrition, University of Rzeszow, Cwiklinskiej 1, 35-601 Rzeszow, Poland
- Correspondence: (M.K.); (P.Ł.K.); Tel.: +421-641-4715 (M.K.); +48-61-848-7297 (P.Ł.K.)
| | - Margarita Terentjeva
- Institute of Food and Environmental Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, K. Helmaņaiela 8, LV-3004 Jelgava, Latvia;
| | - Jana Žiarovská
- Department of Plant Genetics and Breeding, Faculty of Agrobiology and Food Resources, Slovak University of Agriculture, Tr. A. Hlinku 2, 94976 Nitra, Slovakia;
| | - Przemysław Łukasz Kowalczewski
- Department of Food Technology of Plant Origin, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 31 Wojska Polskiego St., 60-624 Poznań, Poland
- Correspondence: (M.K.); (P.Ł.K.); Tel.: +421-641-4715 (M.K.); +48-61-848-7297 (P.Ł.K.)
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Khan S, Somerville D, Frese M, Nayudu M. Environmental gut bacteria in European honey bees (Apis mellifera) from Australia and their relationship to the chalkbrood disease. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0238252. [PMID: 32857797 PMCID: PMC7455043 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0238252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
We report on aerobic “environmental” bacteria isolated from European honey bees (Apis mellifera). We determined the number of culturable aerobic bacteria in the gut of nurse bees sampled from locations around Australia. Bees from healthy colonies had 107–108 aerobic bacteria per g of bee gut, while bees from colonies with chalkbrood consistently had significantly fewer bacteria (104–105 bacteria per g). When colonies recovered from chalkbrood, bacterial numbers returned to normal levels, suggesting that counting aerobic bacteria in the gut could be used to predict an outbreak of the disease. Furthermore, Western Australian bees from the “Better Bees” program (bred to promote hygienic behaviour) had significantly higher numbers of aerobic gut bacteria compared to regular bees from healthy colonies. Bacteria with the ability to inhibit the chalkbrood pathogen were found in most bees from regular colonies (> 60%) but only in a few “Better Bees” (10%). Phylogenetic analysis of aerobic bacterial isolates that inhibited the chalkbrood pathogen revealed a close relationship (>97% sequence identity) to the genera Bacillus, Klebsiella, Pantoea, Hafnia, and Enterobacter (bacteria that have previously been isolated from honey bees), but we also isolated Maccrococcus and Frigoribacterium species (bacteria that were not previously identified in bees). Finally, we investigated the ability of bacteria to inhibit the chalkbrood fungus Ascosphaera apis. Mass spectroscopy analysis revealed that the bee gut isolates Frigoribacterium sp. and Bacillus senegalensis produce gluconic acid. We further found that this simple sugar is involved in chalkbrood fungal hyphal lysis and cytoplasmic leakage. Our findings suggest that “environmental” gut bacteria may help bees to control the chalkbrood pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheba Khan
- Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia
| | - Doug Somerville
- NSW Department of Primary Industries, Goulburn, NSW, Australia
| | - Michael Frese
- Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia
| | - Murali Nayudu
- Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia
- * E-mail:
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Fukuda TTH, Cassilly CD, Gerdt JP, Henke MT, Helfrich EJN, Mevers E. Research Tales from the Clardy Laboratory: Function-Driven Natural Product Discovery. JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2020; 83:744-755. [PMID: 32105475 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.9b01086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Over the past 70 years, the search for small molecules from nature has transformed biomedical research: natural products are the basis for half of all pharmaceuticals; the quest for total synthesis of natural products fueled development of methodologies for organic synthesis; and their biosynthesis presented unprecedented biochemical transformations, expanding our chemo-enzymatic toolkit. Initially, the discovery of small molecules was driven by bioactivity-guided fractionation. However, this approach yielded the frequent rediscovery of already known metabolites. As a result, focus shifted to identifying novel scaffolds through either structure-first methods or genome mining, relegating function as a secondary concern. Over the past two decades, the laboratory of Jon Clardy has taken an alternative route and focused on an ecology-driven, function-first approach in pursuit of uncovering bacterial small molecules with biological activity. In this review, we highlight several examples that showcase this ecology-first approach. Though the highlighted systems are diverse, unifying themes are (1) to understand how microbes interact with their host or environment, (2) to gain insights into the environmental roles of microbial metabolites, and (3) to explore pharmaceutical potential from these ecologically relevant metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taise T H Fukuda
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida do Café, s/n, 14040-903, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Chelsi D Cassilly
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Joseph P Gerdt
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
| | - Matthew T Henke
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Eric J N Helfrich
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Emily Mevers
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
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Wang H, Liu C, Liu Z, Wang Y, Ma L, Xu B. The different dietary sugars modulate the composition of the gut microbiota in honeybee during overwintering. BMC Microbiol 2020; 20:61. [PMID: 32183692 PMCID: PMC7076957 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-020-01726-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The health of honeybee colonies is critical for bee products and agricultural production, and colony health is closely associated with the bacteria in the guts of honeybees. Although colony loss in winter is now the primary restriction in beekeeping, the effects of different sugars as winter food on the health of honeybee colonies are not well understood. Therefore, in this study, the influence of different sugar diets on honeybee gut bacteria during overwintering was examined. RESULTS The bacterial communities in honeybee midguts and hindguts before winter and after bees were fed honey, sucrose, and high-fructose syrup as winter-food were determined by targeting the V3-V4 region of 16S rDNA using the Illumina MiSeq platform. The dominant microbiota in honeybee guts were the phyla Proteobacteria (63.17%), Firmicutes (17.61%; Lactobacillus, 15.91%), Actinobacteria (4.06%; Bifidobacterium, 3.34%), and Bacteroidetes (1.72%). The dominant taxa were conserved and not affected by season, type of overwintering sugar, or spatial position in the gut. However, the relative abundance of the dominant taxa was affected by those factors. In the midgut, microbial diversity of the sucrose group was higher than that of the honey and high-fructose syrup groups, but in the hindgut, microbial diversity of the honey and high-fructose groups was higher than that in the sucrose group. Sucrose increased the relative abundance of Actinobacteria (Bifidobacteriales Bifidobacteriaceae) and Alphaproteobacteria (Rhizobiales and Mitochondria) of honeybee midgut, and honey enriched the Bacteroidetes and Gammaproteobacteria (Pasteurellales) in honeybee hindgut. High-fructose syrup increased the relative abundance of Betaproteobacteria (Neisseriales: Neisseriaceae) of the midgut. CONCLUSION The type of sugar used as winter food affected the relative abundance of the dominant bacterial communities in honeybee guts, not the taxa, which could affect the health and safety of honeybee colonies during overwintering. The presence of the supernal Alphaproteobacteria, Bifidobacteriales, and Lactobacillaceae in the gut of honeybees fed sucrose and cheaper than honey both indicate that sucrose is very suitable as the overwintering food for honeybees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongfang Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, Shandong, China
| | - Chunlei Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, Shandong, China
| | - Zhenguo Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, Shandong, China
| | - Ying Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, Shandong, China
| | - Lanting Ma
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, Shandong, China
| | - Baohua Xu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, Shandong, China.
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25
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Chmiel JA, Daisley BA, Pitek AP, Thompson GJ, Reid G. Understanding the Effects of Sublethal Pesticide Exposure on Honey Bees: A Role for Probiotics as Mediators of Environmental Stress. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
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26
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Structural diversity and functional variability of gut microbial communities associated with honey bees. Microb Pathog 2020; 138:103793. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2019.103793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2019] [Revised: 10/06/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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27
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Segers FHID, Kaltenpoth M, Foitzik S. Abdominal microbial communities in ants depend on colony membership rather than caste and are linked to colony productivity. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:13450-13467. [PMID: 31871657 PMCID: PMC6912891 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Revised: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gut bacteria aid their host in digestion and pathogen defense, and bacterial communities that differ in diversity or composition may vary in their ability to do so. Typically, the gut microbiomes of animals living in social groups converge as members share a nest environment and frequently interact. Social insect colonies, however, consist of individuals that differ in age, physiology, and behavior, traits that could affect gut communities or that expose the host to different bacteria, potentially leading to variation in the gut microbiome within colonies. Here we asked whether bacterial communities in the abdomen of Temnothorax nylanderi ants, composed largely of the gut microbiome, differ between different reproductive and behavioral castes. We compared microbiomes of queens, newly eclosed workers, brood carers, and foragers by high-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing. Additionally, we sampled individuals from the same colonies twice, in the field and after 2 months of laboratory housing. To disentangle the effects of laboratory environment and season on microbial communities, additional colonies were collected at the same location after 2 months. There were no large differences between ant castes, although queens harbored more diverse microbial communities than workers. Instead, we found effects of colony, environment, and season on the abdominal microbiome. Interestingly, colonies with more diverse communities had produced more brood. Moreover, the queens' microbiome composition was linked to egg production. Although long-term coevolution between social insects and gut bacteria has been repeatedly evidenced, our study is the first to find associations between abdominal microbiome characteristics and colony productivity in social insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisca H. I. D. Segers
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE‐TBG)FrankfurtGermany
- Behavioural Ecology and Social EvolutionInstitute of Organismic and Molecular EvolutionJohannes Gutenberg UniversityMainzGermany
- Present address:
Applied Bioinformatics GroupInstitute of Cell Biology & NeuroscienceGoethe UniversityFrankfurtGermany
| | - Martin Kaltenpoth
- Evolutionary EcologyInstitute of Organismic and Molecular EvolutionJohannes Gutenberg UniversityMainzGermany
| | - Susanne Foitzik
- Evolutionary EcologyInstitute of Organismic and Molecular EvolutionJohannes Gutenberg UniversityMainzGermany
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28
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Botina LL, Vélez M, Barbosa WF, Mendonça AC, Pylro VS, Tótola MR, Martins GF. Behavior and gut bacteria of Partamona helleri under sublethal exposure to a bioinsecticide and a leaf fertilizer. CHEMOSPHERE 2019; 234:187-195. [PMID: 31212205 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.06.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Revised: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The exposure of bees to agrochemicals during foraging and feeding has been associated with their population decline. Sublethal exposure to agrochemicals can affect behavior and the microbiota. Gut microbiota is associated with insect nutritional health, immunocompetence, and is essential for neutralizing the damage caused by pathogens and xenobiotics. Research on the effect of the bioinsecticides and fertilizers on the microbiota of bees remains neglected. In this study, we assessed the sublethal effect of both bioinsecticide spinosad and the fertilizer copper sulfate (CuSO4) on the behavior and gut microbiota in forager adults of the stingless bee Partamona helleri (Friese), which is an important pollinator in the Neotropical region. Behavioral assays and gut microbiota profiles were assessed on bees orally exposed to estimated LC5 values for spinosad and CuSO4. The microbiota were characterized through 16S rRNA gene target sequencing. Acute and oral sublethal exposure to spinosad and CuSO4 did not affect the overall activity, flight take-off, and food consumption. However, CuSO4 decreased bee respiration rate and copper accumulated in exposed bees. Exposure to spinosad increased the proportional abundance of the genus Gilliamella, but CuSO4 did not alter the composition of the gut microbiota. In conclusion, sublethal exposure to CuSO4 induces changes in respiration, and spinosad changes the abundance of gut microorganisms of P. helleri.
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Affiliation(s)
- L L Botina
- Departamento de Entomologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG 36570-900, Brazil
| | - M Vélez
- Departamento de Entomologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG 36570-900, Brazil; Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Técnica Estatal de Quevedo, Quevedo-Los Ríos, 120508, Ecuador
| | - W F Barbosa
- Departamento de Entomologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG 36570-900, Brazil
| | - A C Mendonça
- Departmento de Ciência de Solos, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG 36570-900, Brazil
| | - V S Pylro
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Lavras - UFLA, Lavras, MG 37200-000, Brazil
| | - M R Tótola
- Departmento de Microbiologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG 36570-900, Brazil
| | - G F Martins
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG 36570-900, Brazil.
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29
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Alippi AM, Abrahamovich E. HiCrome Bacillus agar for presumptive identification of Bacillus and related species isolated from honey samples. Int J Food Microbiol 2019; 305:108245. [PMID: 31295678 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2019.108245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2018] [Revised: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/01/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the performance of Hicrome Bacillus™ agar for isolation and rapid identification of the aerobic spore-forming bacteria most frequently found in honey samples. A collection of 197 bacterial isolates of Bacillus, Brevibacillus, Lysinibacillus, Paenibacillus, and Rummeliibacillus belonging to different species that have been reported in honey were screened for their abilities to grow and for their colony colors and medium appearance in HiCrome Bacillus agar. Also, 21 strains from culture collections were used for comparison and quality controls. A flowchart utilizing a combination of colony and media characteristics in the chromogenic medium and a set of simple biochemical and morphological tests were elaborated for quick presumptive identification. A procedure for direct isolation from honey samples was developed. In conclusion, HiCrome Bacillus agar in combination with simple microbiological tests was highly useful for rapid and reliable identification of most Bacillus, Brevibacillus, Lysinibacillus and Paenibacillus species commonly found in honey samples facilitating isolation from polymicrobial honey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana M Alippi
- CIDEFI - Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, calles 60 y 119 S/N, 1900 La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Eliana Abrahamovich
- CIDEFI - Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, calles 60 y 119 S/N, 1900 La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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30
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López AC, Alippi AM. Feasibility of using RFLP of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene(s) for rapid differentiation of isolates of aerobic spore-forming bacteria from honey. J Microbiol Methods 2019; 165:105690. [PMID: 31425714 DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2019.105690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Revised: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to assess the feasibility of using RFLP of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene (s) by using universal primers 27f/1492r and a combination of three restriction enzymes, AluI, CfoI, and TaqI, for a low-cost, rapid screen for a primarily differentiation of isolates of the complex of aerobic spore-forming bacteria commonly found in honey samples. The described method produced unique and distinguishable patterns to differentiate among 80 isolates belonging to 26 different species of Bacillus, Brevibacillus, Lysinibacillus, Rummeliibacillus, and Paenibacillus reported in honey and other apiarian sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana C López
- Unidad de Bacteriología, Centro de Investigaciones de Fitopatología, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, cc 31, calle 60 y 119, 1900 La Plata, Argentina
| | - Adriana M Alippi
- Unidad de Bacteriología, Centro de Investigaciones de Fitopatología, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, cc 31, calle 60 y 119, 1900 La Plata, Argentina.
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31
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Romero S, Nastasa A, Chapman A, Kwong WK, Foster LJ. The honey bee gut microbiota: strategies for study and characterization. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2019; 28:455-472. [PMID: 30652367 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Gut microbiota research is an emerging field that improves our understanding of the ecological and functional dynamics of gut environments. The honey bee gut microbiota is a highly rewarding community to study, as honey bees are critical pollinators of many crops for human consumption and produce valuable commodities such as honey and wax. Most significantly, unique characteristics of the Apis mellifera gut habitat make it a valuable model system. This review discusses methods and pipelines used in the study of the gut microbiota of Ap. mellifera and closely related species for four main purposes: identifying microbiota taxonomy, characterizing microbiota genomes (microbiome), characterizing microbiota-microbiota interactions and identifying functions of the microbial community in the gut. The purpose of this contribution is to increase understanding of honey bee gut microbiota, to facilitate bee microbiota and microbiome research in general and to aid design of future experiments in this growing field.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Romero
- Michael Smith Laboratories and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - A Nastasa
- Michael Smith Laboratories and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - A Chapman
- Michael Smith Laboratories and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - W K Kwong
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - L J Foster
- Michael Smith Laboratories and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Hroncova Z, Killer J, Hakl J, Titera D, Havlik J. In-hive variation of the gut microbial composition of honey bee larvae and pupae from the same oviposition time. BMC Microbiol 2019; 19:110. [PMID: 31126234 PMCID: PMC6534886 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-019-1490-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2019] [Accepted: 05/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Knowledge of microbiota composition, persistence, and transmission as well as the overall function of the bacterial community is important and may be linked to honey bee health. This study aimed to investigate the inter-individual variation in the gut microbiota in honey bee larvae and pupae. RESULTS Individual larvae differed in the composition of major bacterial groups. In the majority of 5th instar bees, Firmicutes showed predominance (70%); however, after larval defecation and during pupation, the abundance decreased to 40%, in favour of Gammaproteobacteria. The 5th instar larvae hosted significantly more (P < 0.001) Firmicutes than black pupae. Power calculations revealed that 11 and 18 replicate-individuals, respectively, were required for the detection of significant differences (P < 0.05) in the Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes abundance between stages, while higher numbers of replicates were required for Actinobacteria (478 replicates) and Gammaproteobacteria (111 replicates). CONCLUSIONS Although sample processing and extraction protocols may have had a significant influence, sampling is very important for studying the bee microbiome, and the importance of the number of individuals pooled in samples used for microbiome studies should not be underestimated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuzana Hroncova
- Department of Microbiology, Nutrition and Dietetics, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamycka, 129, 165 00 Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Genetics and Breeding of Farm Animals, Institute of Animal Science, Pratelstvi, 815, 104 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Killer
- Department of Microbiology, Nutrition and Dietetics, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamycka, 129, 165 00 Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, v.v.i., Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Videnska, 1083, 142 20 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Josef Hakl
- Department of Agroecology and Crop Production, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamycka, 129, 165 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Dalibor Titera
- Bee Research Institute, Dol 94, 252 66, Libcice nad Vltavou, Czech Republic
- Department of Zoology and Fisheries, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamycka 129, 165 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jaroslav Havlik
- Department of Food Science, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamycka 129, 165 00 Prague, Czech Republic
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Li J, Heerman MC, Evans JD, Rose R, Li W, Rodríguez-García C, DeGrandi-Hoffman G, Zhao Y, Huang S, Li Z, Hamilton M, Chen Y. Pollen reverses decreased lifespan, altered nutritional metabolism, and suppressed immunity in honey bees (Apis mellifera) treated with antibiotics. J Exp Biol 2019; 222:jeb.202077. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.202077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Nutrition is involved in regulating multiple aspects of honeybee biology such as caste, immunity, lifespan, growth and behavioral development. Deformed wing virus (DWV) is a major pathogenic factor which threatens honeybee populations, and its replication is regulated by nutrition status and immune responses of honeybees. The alimentary canal of the honeybee is home to a diverse microbial community that provides essential nutrients and serves to bolster immune responses. However, to what extent gut bacteria affect honeybee nutrition metabolism and immunity with respect to DWV has not been investigated fully. In this study, newly emerged worker bees were subjected to four diets that contained 1) pollen, 2) pollen and antibiotics, 3) neither pollen nor antibiotics, 4) antibiotics alone. The expression level of two nutrition genes target of rapamycin (tor) and insulin like peptide (ilp1), one nutritional marker gene vitellogenin (vg), five major royal jelly proteins genes (mrjp1-5), one antimicrobial peptide regulating gene relish (rel), and DWV virus titer and its replication intermediate, negative RNA strand, were determined by qRT-PCR from the honeybees after 7 days post antibiotic treatment. Additionally, honeybee head weight and survival rate were measured. We observed that antibiotics decreased the expression of tor and rel, increased DWV titer and its replication activity. Expression of ilp1, five mrjps, vg, and honeybee head weight were also reduced compared to bees on a pollen diet. Antibiotics also caused a significant drop in survivorship, which could be rescued by addition of pollen to diets. Of importance, pollen could partially rescue the loss of vg and mrjp2 while also increasing head weight of antibiotic-treated bees. Our results illuminate the roles of bacteria in honeybee nutrition, metabolism, and immunity; which confer the capability of inhibiting virus replication, extending honeybee lifespan, and improving overall health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianghong Li
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, Bldg. 306, BARC-East, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
- College of Bee Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Matthew C. Heerman
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, Bldg. 306, BARC-East, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Jay D. Evans
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, Bldg. 306, BARC-East, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Robyn Rose
- USDA APHIS, Plant Protection and Quarantine, 4700 River Rd, Riverdale, MD 20737, USA
| | - Wenfeng Li
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, Bldg. 306, BARC-East, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | | | | | - Yazhou Zhao
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, Bldg. 306, BARC-East, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
- Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Shaokang Huang
- College of Bee Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Zhiguo Li
- College of Bee Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Michele Hamilton
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, Bldg. 306, BARC-East, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Yanping Chen
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, Bldg. 306, BARC-East, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
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Abstract
Gut symbionts can augment resistance to pathogens by stimulating host-immune responses, competing for space and nutrients, or producing antimicrobial metabolites. Gut microbiota of social bees, which pollinate many crops and wildflowers, protect hosts against diverse infections and might counteract pathogen-related bee declines. Bumble bee gut microbiota, and specifically abundance of Lactobacillus 'Firm-5' bacteria, can enhance resistance to the trypanosomatid parasite Crithidia bombi. However, the mechanism underlying this effect remains unknown. We hypothesized that the Firm-5 bacterium Lactobacillus bombicola, which produces lactic acid, inhibits C. bombi via pH-mediated effects. Consistent with our hypothesis, L. bombicola spent medium inhibited C. bombi growth via reduction in pH that was both necessary and sufficient for inhibition. Inhibition of all parasite strains occurred within the pH range documented in honey bees, though sensitivity to acidity varied among strains. Spent medium was slightly more potent than HCl, d- and l-lactic acids for a given pH, suggesting that other metabolites also contribute to inhibition. Results implicate symbiont-mediated reduction in gut pH as a key determinant of trypanosomatid infection in bees. Future investigation into in vivo effects of gut microbiota on pH and infection intensity would test the relevance of these findings for bees threatened by trypanosomatids.
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Kellner K, Kardish MR, Seal JN, Linksvayer TA, Mueller UG. Symbiont-Mediated Host-Parasite Dynamics in a Fungus-Gardening Ant. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2018; 76:530-543. [PMID: 29285550 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-017-1124-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2017] [Accepted: 12/01/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Group-living can promote the evolution of adaptive strategies to prevent and control disease. Fungus-gardening ants must cope with two sets of pathogens, those that afflict the ants themselves and those of their symbiotic fungal gardens. While much research has demonstrated the impact of specialized fungal pathogens that infect ant fungus gardens, most of these studies focused on the so-called higher attine ants, which are thought to coevolve diffusely with two clades of leucocoprinaceous fungi. Relatively few studies have addressed disease ecology of lower Attini, which are thought to occasionally recruit (domesticate) novel leucocoprinaceous fungi from free-living populations; coevolution between lower-attine ants and their fungi is therefore likely weaker (or even absent) than in the higher Attini, which generally have many derived modifications. Toward understanding the disease ecology of lower-attine ants, this study (a) describes the diversity in the microfungal genus Escovopsis that naturally infect fungus gardens of the lower-attine ant Mycocepurus smithii and (b) experimentally determines the relative contributions of Escovopsis strain (a possible garden disease), M. smithii ant genotype, and fungal cultivar lineage to disease susceptibility and colony fitness. In controlled in-vivo infection laboratory experiments, we demonstrate that the susceptibility to Escovopsis infection was an outcome of ant-cultivar-Escovopsis interaction, rather than solely due to ant genotype or fungal cultivar lineage. The role of complex ant-cultivar-Escovopsis interactions suggests that switching M. smithii farmers onto novel fungus types might be a strategy to generate novel ant-fungus combinations resistant to most, but perhaps not all, Escovopsis strains circulating in a local population of this and other lower-attine ants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Kellner
- Section of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, TX, 75799, USA.
| | - M R Kardish
- Section of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Deptartment of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - J N Seal
- Section of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, TX, 75799, USA
| | - T A Linksvayer
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - U G Mueller
- Section of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
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36
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Felicioli A, Turchi B, Fratini F, Giusti M, Nuvoloni R, Dani FR, Sagona S. Proteinase pattern of honeybee prepupae from healthy and American Foulbrood infected bees investigated by zymography. Electrophoresis 2018; 39:2160-2167. [PMID: 29761912 DOI: 10.1002/elps.201800112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Revised: 05/02/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
American foulbrood disease (AFB) is the main devastating disease that affects honeybees' brood, caused by Paenibacillus larvae. The trend of the research on AFB has addressed the mechanisms by which P. larvae bacteria kill honeybee larvae. Since prepupae could react to the infection of AFB by increasing protease synthesis, the aim of this work was to compare protease activity in worker prepupae belonging to healthy colonies and to colonies affected by AFB. This investigation was performed by zymography. In gel, proteolytic activity was observed in prepupae extracts belonging only to the healthy colonies. In the prepupae extracts, 2D zimography followed by protein identification by MS allowed to detect Trypsin-1 and Chymotrypsin-1, which were not observed in diseased specimens. Further investigations are needed to clarify the involvement of these proteinases in the immune response of honeybee larvae and the mechanisms by which P. larvae inhibits protease production in its host.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Barbara Turchi
- Department of Veterinary Science, Pisa University, Pisa, Italy
| | - Filippo Fratini
- Department of Veterinary Science, Pisa University, Pisa, Italy
| | - Matteo Giusti
- Department of Veterinary Science, Pisa University, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Francesca Romana Dani
- Department of Biology, University of Firenze, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.,Mass Spectrometry Centre (CISM) of Florence University, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Simona Sagona
- Department of Veterinary Science, Pisa University, Pisa, Italy
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37
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Al-Ghamdi A, Ali Khan K, Javed Ansari M, Almasaudi SB, Al-Kahtani S. Effect of gut bacterial isolates from Apis mellifera jemenitica on Paenibacillus larvae infected bee larvae. Saudi J Biol Sci 2018; 25:383-387. [PMID: 29472795 PMCID: PMC5815995 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2017.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2017] [Revised: 06/17/2017] [Accepted: 07/16/2017] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The probiotic effects of seven newly isolated gut bacteria, from the indegenous honey bees of Saudi Arabia were investigated. In vivo bioassays were used to investigate the effects of each gut bacterium namely, Fructobacillus fructosus (T1), Proteus mirabilis (T2), Bacillus licheniformis (T3), Lactobacillus kunkeei (T4), Bacillus subtilis (T5), Enterobacter kobei (T6), and Morganella morganii (T7) on mortality percentage of honey bee larvae infected with P. larvae spores along with negative control (normal diet) and positive control (normal diet spiked with P. larvae spores). Addition of gut bacteria to the normal diet significantly reduced the mortality percentage of the treated groups. Mortality percentage in all treated groups ranged from 56.67% up to 86.67%. T6 treated group exhibited the highest mortality (86.67%), whereas T4 group showed the lowest mortality (56.67%). Among the seven gut bacterial treatments, T4 and T3 decreased the mortality 56.67% and 66.67%, respectively, whereas, for T2, T6, and T7 the mortality percentage was equal to that of the positive control (86.67%). Mortality percentages in infected larval groups treated with T1, and T5 were 78.33% and 73.33% respectively. Most of the mortality occurred in the treated larvae during days 2 and 3. Treatments T3 and T4 treatments showed positive effects and reduced mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Al-Ghamdi
- Bee Research Chair, Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Khalid Ali Khan
- Bee Research Chair, Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammad Javed Ansari
- Bee Research Chair, Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Saad B. Almasaudi
- Biology Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Saad Al-Kahtani
- Arid Land Agriculture Department, Faculty of Agriculture & Food Sciences, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia
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38
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Fujimoto M, Lovett B, Angoshtari R, Nirenberg P, Loch TP, Scribner KT, Marsh TL. Antagonistic Interactions and Biofilm Forming Capabilities Among Bacterial Strains Isolated from the Egg Surfaces of Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens). MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2018; 75:22-37. [PMID: 28674774 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-017-1013-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2016] [Accepted: 06/08/2017] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Characterization of interactions within a host-associated microbiome can help elucidate the mechanisms of microbial community formation on hosts and can be used to identify potential probiotics that protect hosts from pathogens. Microbes employ various modes of antagonism when interacting with other members of the community. The formation of biofilm by some strains can be a defense against antimicrobial compounds produced by other taxa. We characterized the magnitude of antagonistic interactions and biofilm formation of 25 phylogenetically diverse taxa that are representative of isolates obtained from egg surfaces of the threatened fish species lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) at two ecologically relevant temperature regimes. Eight isolates exhibited aggression to at least one other isolate. Pseudomonas sp. C22 was found to be the most aggressive strain, while Flavobacterium spp. were found to be one of the least aggressive and the most susceptible genera. Temperature affected the prevalence and intensity of antagonism. The aggressive strains identified also inhibited growth of known fish pathogens. Biofilm formations were observed for nine isolates and were dependent on temperature and growth medium. The most aggressive of the isolates disrupted biofilm formation of two well-characterized isolates but enhanced biofilm formation of a fish pathogen. Our results revealed the complex nature of interactions among members of an egg associated microbial community yet underscored the potential of specific microbial populations as host probiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Fujimoto
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - B Lovett
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - R Angoshtari
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - P Nirenberg
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - T P Loch
- Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - K T Scribner
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Department of Zoology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - T L Marsh
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
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Van Arnam EB, Currie CR, Clardy J. Defense contracts: molecular protection in insect-microbe symbioses. Chem Soc Rev 2018; 47:1638-1651. [DOI: 10.1039/c7cs00340d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Insects frequently host microbes that produce defensive molecules: a successful protective strategy and also an opportunity for antibiotic discovery
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan B. Van Arnam
- Keck Science Department
- Claremont McKenna
- Pitzer
- and Scripps Colleges
- Claremont
| | | | - Jon Clardy
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology
- Harvard Medical School
- Boston
- USA
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40
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Li JH, Evans JD, Li WF, Zhao YZ, DeGrandi-Hoffman G, Huang SK, Li ZG, Hamilton M, Chen YP. New evidence showing that the destruction of gut bacteria by antibiotic treatment could increase the honey bee's vulnerability to Nosema infection. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0187505. [PMID: 29125851 PMCID: PMC5681286 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0187505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2017] [Accepted: 10/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
It has become increasingly clear that gut bacteria play vital roles in the development, nutrition, immunity, and overall fitness of their eukaryotic hosts. We conducted the present study to investigate the effects of gut microbiota disruption on the honey bee's immune responses to infection by the microsporidian parasite Nosema ceranae. Newly emerged adult workers were collected and divided into four groups: Group I-no treatment; Group II-inoculated with N. ceranae, Group III-antibiotic treatment, and Group IV-antibiotic treatment after inoculation with N. ceranae. Our study showed that Nosema infection did not cause obvious disruption of the gut bacterial community as there was no significant difference in the density and composition of gut bacteria between Group I and Group II. However, the elimination of gut bacteria by antibiotic (Groups III and IV) negatively impacted the functioning of the honey bees' immune system as evidenced by the expression of genes encoding antimicrobial peptides abaecin, defensin1, and hymenoptaecin that showed the following ranking: Group I > Group II > Group III > Group IV. In addition, significantly higher Nosema levels were observed in Group IV than in Group II, suggesting that eliminating gut bacteria weakened immune function and made honey bees more susceptible to Nosema infection. Based on Group IV having displayed the highest mortality rate among the four experimental groups indicates that antibiotic treatment in combination with stress, associated with Nosema infection, significantly and negatively impacts honey bee survival. The present study adds new evidence that antibiotic treatment not only leads to the complex problem of antibiotic resistance but can impact honey bee disease resistance. Further studies aimed at specific components of the gut bacterial community will provide new insights into the roles of specific bacteria and possibly new approaches to improving bee health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang Hong Li
- USDA-ARS Bee research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, United States of America
- College of Bee Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Jay D. Evans
- USDA-ARS Bee research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, United States of America
| | - Wen Feng Li
- USDA-ARS Bee research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, United States of America
| | - Ya Zhou Zhao
- Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Beijing, China
| | | | - Shao Kang Huang
- College of Bee Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Zhi Guo Li
- College of Bee Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Michele Hamilton
- USDA-ARS Bee research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, United States of America
| | - Yan Ping Chen
- USDA-ARS Bee research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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41
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Erban T, Ledvinka O, Kamler M, Hortova B, Nesvorna M, Tyl J, Titera D, Markovic M, Hubert J. Bacterial community associated with worker honeybees ( Apis mellifera) affected by European foulbrood. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3816. [PMID: 28966892 PMCID: PMC5619233 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2016] [Accepted: 08/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Melissococcus plutonius is an entomopathogenic bacterium that causes European foulbrood (EFB), a honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) disease that necessitates quarantine in some countries. In Czechia, positive evidence of EFB was absent for almost 40 years, until an outbreak in the Krkonose Mountains National Park in 2015. This occurrence of EFB gave us the opportunity to study the epizootiology of EFB by focusing on the microbiome of honeybee workers, which act as vectors of honeybee diseases within and between colonies. Methods The study included worker bees collected from brood combs of colonies (i) with no signs of EFB (EFB0), (ii) without clinical symptoms but located at an apiary showing clinical signs of EFB (EFB1), and (iii) with clinical symptoms of EFB (EFB2). In total, 49 samples from 27 honeybee colonies were included in the dataset evaluated in this study. Each biological sample consisted of 10 surface-sterilized worker bees processed for DNA extraction. All subjects were analyzed using conventional PCR and by metabarcoding analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene V1–V3 region, as performed through Illumina MiSeq amplicon sequencing. Results The bees from EFB2 colonies with clinical symptoms exhibited a 75-fold-higher incidence of M. plutonius than those from EFB1 asymptomatic colonies. Melissococcus plutonius was identified in all EFB1 colonies as well as in some of the control colonies. The proportions of Fructobacillus fructosus, Lactobacillus kunkeei, Gilliamella apicola, Frischella perrara, and Bifidobacterium coryneforme were higher in EFB2 than in EFB1, whereas Lactobacillus mellis was significantly higher in EFB2 than in EFB0. Snodgrassella alvi and L. melliventris, L. helsingborgensis and, L. kullabergensis exhibited higher proportion in EFB1 than in EFB2 and EFB0. The occurrence of Bartonella apis and Commensalibacter intestini were higher in EFB0 than in EFB2 and EFB1. Enterococcus faecalis incidence was highest in EFB2. Conclusions High-throughput Illumina sequencing permitted a semi-quantitative analysis of the presence of M. plutonius within the honeybee worker microbiome. The results of this study indicate that worker bees from EFB-diseased colonies are capable of transmitting M. plutonius due to the greatly increased incidence of the pathogen. The presence of M. plutonius sequences in control colonies supports the hypothesis that this pathogen exists in an enzootic state. The bacterial groups synergic to both the colonies with clinical signs of EFB and the EFB-asymptomatic colonies could be candidates for probiotics. This study confirms that E. faecalis is a secondary invader to M. plutonius; however, other putative secondary invaders were not identified in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ondrej Ledvinka
- Crop Research Institute, Prague, Czechia.,Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, Prague, Czechia
| | - Martin Kamler
- Bee Research Institute at Dol, Libcice nad Vltavou, Czechia
| | | | | | - Jan Tyl
- Bee Research Institute at Dol, Libcice nad Vltavou, Czechia
| | - Dalibor Titera
- Bee Research Institute at Dol, Libcice nad Vltavou, Czechia.,Department of Zoology and Fisheries/Faculty of Agrobiology Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | | | - Jan Hubert
- Crop Research Institute, Prague, Czechia
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42
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Alvarado I, Margotta JW, Aoki MM, Flores F, Agudelo F, Michel G, Elekonich MM, Abel-Santos E. Inhibitory effect of indole analogs against Paenibacillus larvae, the causal agent of American foulbrood disease. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2017; 17:4469416. [PMID: 29117379 PMCID: PMC7206643 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/iex080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Paenibacillus larvae, a Gram-positive bacterium, causes American foulbrood (AFB) in honey bee larvae (Apis mellifera Linnaeus [Hymenoptera: Apidae]). P. larvae spores exit dormancy in the gut of bee larvae, the germinated cells proliferate, and ultimately bacteremia kills the host. Hence, spore germination is a required step for establishing AFB disease. We previously found that P. larvae spores germinate in response to l-tyrosine plus uric acid in vitro. Additionally, we determined that indole and phenol blocked spore germination. In this work, we evaluated the antagonistic effect of 35 indole and phenol analogs and identified strong inhibitors of P. larvae spore germination in vitro. We further tested the most promising candidate, 5-chloroindole, and found that it significantly reduced bacterial proliferation. Finally, feeding artificial worker jelly containing anti-germination compounds to AFB-exposed larvae significantly decreased AFB infection in laboratory-reared honey bee larvae. Together, these results suggest that inhibitors of P. larvae spore germination could provide another method to control AFB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Israel Alvarado
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV 89154
| | - Joseph W Margotta
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV 89154
| | - Mai M Aoki
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV 89154
| | - Fernando Flores
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV 89154
| | - Fresia Agudelo
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV 89154
| | - Guillermo Michel
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV 89154
| | - Michelle M Elekonich
- Directorate for Biological Sciences, National Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22314, and
| | - Ernesto Abel-Santos
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV 89154
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43
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Hubert J, Bicianova M, Ledvinka O, Kamler M, Lester PJ, Nesvorna M, Kopecky J, Erban T. Changes in the Bacteriome of Honey Bees Associated with the Parasite Varroa destructor, and Pathogens Nosema and Lotmaria passim. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2017; 73:685-698. [PMID: 27730366 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-016-0869-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2016] [Accepted: 09/23/2016] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The honey bee, Apis mellifera, is a globally important species that suffers from a variety of pathogens and parasites. These parasites and pathogens may have sublethal effects on their bee hosts via an array of mechanisms, including through a change in symbiotic bacterial taxa. Our aim was to assess the influence of four globally widespread parasites and pathogens on the honey bee bacteriome. We examined the effects of the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor, the fungal pathogens Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae, and the trypanosome Lotmaria passim. Varroa was detected by acaricidal treatment, Nosema and L. passim by PCR, and the bacteriome using MiSeq 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Overall, the 1,858,850 obtained sequences formed 86 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) at 3 % dissimilarity. Location, time of year, and degree of infestation by Varroa had significant effects on the composition of the bacteriome of honey bee workers. Based on statistical correlations, we found varroosis more important factor than N. ceranae, N. apis, and L. passim infestation influencing the honey bee bacteriome and contributing to the changes in the composition of the bacterial community in adult bees. At the population level, Varroa appeared to modify 20 OTUs. In the colonies with high Varroa infestation levels (varroosis), the relative abundance of the bacteria Bartonella apis and Lactobacillus apis decreased. In contrast, an increase in relative abundance was observed for several taxa including Lactobacillus helsingborgensis, Lactobacillus mellis, Commensalibacter intestini, and Snodgrassella alvi. The results showed that the "normal" bacterial community is altered by eukaryotic parasites as well as displaying temporal changes and changes associated with the geographical origin of the beehive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Hubert
- Crop Research Institute, Drnovska 507/73, CZ-161 06, Prague 6-Ruzyne, Czechia.
| | - Martina Bicianova
- Crop Research Institute, Drnovska 507/73, CZ-161 06, Prague 6-Ruzyne, Czechia
- Institute for Environmental Studies, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Benatska 2, CZ-128 01, Prague 2, Czechia
| | - Ondrej Ledvinka
- Hydrological Database & Water Balance, Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, Na Sabatce 2050/17, CZ-143 06, Prague, 412, Czechia
| | - Martin Kamler
- Bee Research Institute at Dol, Maslovice-Dol 94, Libcice nad Vltavou, CZ-252 66, Czechia
| | - Philip J Lester
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington, 6140, New Zealand
| | - Marta Nesvorna
- Crop Research Institute, Drnovska 507/73, CZ-161 06, Prague 6-Ruzyne, Czechia
| | - Jan Kopecky
- Crop Research Institute, Drnovska 507/73, CZ-161 06, Prague 6-Ruzyne, Czechia
| | - Tomas Erban
- Crop Research Institute, Drnovska 507/73, CZ-161 06, Prague 6-Ruzyne, Czechia
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44
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Billiet A, Meeus I, Van Nieuwerburgh F, Deforce D, Wäckers F, Smagghe G. Colony contact contributes to the diversity of gut bacteria in bumblebees (Bombus terrestris). INSECT SCIENCE 2017; 24:270-277. [PMID: 26503284 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/29/2015] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Social bees, like honeybees and bumblebees, have a close contact with nest mates of different developmental stages and generations. This could enhance bacterial transfer between nest mates and offers opportunities for direct transfer of symbionts from one generation to the next, resulting in a stable host specific gut microbiota. Gut symbionts of honeybees and bumblebees have been suggested to contribute in digestion and protection against parasites and pathogens. Here we studied the impact of contact with the bumblebee colony on the colonization potential of the bacterial families (i.e., Neisseriaceae, Orbaceae, Lactobacillaceae and Bifidobacteriaceae) occurring in the gut of adult bumblebees (Bombus terrestris). Bacterial profiles of the gut microbiota of B. terrestris were determined based on the hypervariable V4 region of the 16S rRNA using paired-end Illumina sequencing. In our experiments, we created different groups in which we gradually reduced the contact with nest mates and hive material. We made 3 observations: (i) reducing the contact between the colony and the bumblebee during adult life resulted in a significant drop in the relative abundance of Lactobacillus bombicola and Lactobacillus bombi; (ii) Bifidobacteriaceae required contact with nest mates to colonize the gut of B. terrestris and a significant lower bacterial diversity was observed in bumblebees that were completely excluded from colony contact during the adult life; (iii) Snodgrassella and Gilliamella were able to colonize the gut of the adult bumblebee without any direct contact with nest mates in the adult life stage. These results indicate the impact of the colony life on the diversity of the characteristic bumblebee gut bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annelies Billiet
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Crop Protection, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ivan Meeus
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Crop Protection, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Filip Van Nieuwerburgh
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Dieter Deforce
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Guy Smagghe
- Laboratory of Agrozoology, Department of Crop Protection, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium
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45
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Jimenez SI, Carroll C, Babcock T, Derstine N, Hadwin A, Moore M, Gries G. Yeasts Harbored by Vespine Wasps in the Pacific Northwest. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2017; 46:217-225. [PMID: 28169397 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvw173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2016] [Accepted: 12/14/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The ecological role of social wasps has been extensively studied, but little is known about symbiotic relationships of these wasps with microbes. Recently, it was shown that vespid wasps in Europe carry yeasts, predominantly Saccharomyces cerevisiae, in their gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Interestingly, this niche allowed for sexual recombination of yeasts to occur and the formation of novel hybrid species. Our goals were 1) to survey the GI tract of eusocial wasps in the Pacific Northwest for the presence of yeasts and 2) to compare the diversity of such yeasts to that described for wasps in Europe. The GI tracts of 19 individual wasps from five species were plated, and 27 yeast-like colonies were identified to the species level. Yeasts in the genera Lachancea and Hanseniaspora each comprised ∼30% of the isolates; ∼25% were identified as Metschnikowia spp., with the remaining 10% belonging to Rhodotorula. Four bacterial isolates were identified as Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, and two isolates of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. Yeasts were present at all life stages of the wasps except for two unfed gynes of Dolichovespula maculata (L.) that contained only bacteria. The presence of a particular yeast species was not correlated with any wasp species. Furthermore, S. cerevisiae was not found in any wasp species. This highlights an interesting difference in the life cycle of both S. cerevisiae and wasps in Europe and the Pacific Northwest, and prompts further studies on the interactions of these microbes with their host wasps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Ibarra Jimenez
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada (; ; ; ; ; ; )
| | - Cassandra Carroll
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada (; ; ; ; ; ; )
| | - Tamara Babcock
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada (; ; ; ; ; ; )
| | - Nathan Derstine
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada (; ; ; ; ; ; )
| | - Alison Hadwin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada (; ; ; ; ; ; )
| | - Margo Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada (; ; ; ; ; ; )
| | - Gerhard Gries
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada (; ; ; ; ; ; )
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Khan KA, Ansari MJ, Al-Ghamdi A, Nuru A, Harakeh S, Iqbal J. Investigation of gut microbial communities associated with indigenous honey bee ( Apis mellifera jemenitica) from two different eco-regions of Saudi Arabia. Saudi J Biol Sci 2017; 24:1061-1068. [PMID: 28663705 PMCID: PMC5478369 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2017.01.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Revised: 01/24/2017] [Accepted: 01/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The microbial communities associated with the alimentary tract of honey bees are very important as they help with food digestion, provide essential nutrients, protect the host from pathogens, detoxify harmful molecules, and increase host immunity. In this study, the structural diversity of the gut microbial communities of native honey bees, Apis mellifera jemenitica from two different geographical regions (Riyadh and Al-Baha) of Saudi Arabia was analyzed by culture-dependent methods and 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing. In this study, 100 bacterial isolates were cultivated and phylogenetic analyses grouped them into three phyla: Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria. Bacteria in the phylum Proteobacteria were the most dominant (17 species), followed by Firmicutes (13 species) and Actinobacteria (4 species). Some of the identified bacteria (Citrobacter sp., Providencia vermicola, Exiguobacterium acetylicum, and Planomicrobium okeanokoites) were reported for the first time in the genus Apis, while others identified bacteria belonged to the genera Proteus, Enterobacter, Bacillus, Morganella, Lactobacillus, and Fructobacillus. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study on the gut microbiota of the local honey bees in Saudi Arabia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khalid Ali Khan
- Bee Research Chair, Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammad Javed Ansari
- Bee Research Chair, Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmad Al-Ghamdi
- Bee Research Chair, Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Adgaba Nuru
- Bee Research Chair, Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Steve Harakeh
- Special Infectious Agents Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia.,Yousef Abdullatif Jameel Chair of Prophetic Medicine Application, King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH), Faculty of Medicine, KAU, KSA
| | - Javaid Iqbal
- Bee Research Chair, Department of Plant Protection, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Minnaard J, Alippi A. Partial characterization of bacteriocin-like compounds from two strains ofBacillus cereuswith biological activity againstPaenibacillus larvae,the causal agent of American Foulbrood disease. Lett Appl Microbiol 2016; 63:442-449. [DOI: 10.1111/lam.12665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2016] [Revised: 08/15/2016] [Accepted: 08/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. Minnaard
- Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos (CIDCA); La Plata Argentina
| | - A.M. Alippi
- Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales; Centro de Investigaciones de Fitopatología (CIDEFI); Universidad Nacional de La Plata; La Plata Argentina
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Liu JN, Yu ZJ, Liu LM, Li NX, Wang RR, Zhang CM, Liu JZ. Identification, Distribution and Population Dynamics of Francisella-like Endosymbiont in Haemaphysalis doenitzi (Acari: Ixodidae). Sci Rep 2016; 6:35178. [PMID: 27731377 PMCID: PMC5059625 DOI: 10.1038/srep35178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Francisella-like endosymbionts (FLEs) with significant homology to Francisella tularensis (γ-proteobacteria) have been characterized in several tick species, whereas knowledge on their distribution and population dynamics in ticks remains meager. Hence, in the current study, we identified a novel Francisella-like endosymbiont (FLEs-Hd) from the tick Haemaphysalis doenitzi and evaluated the putative functions of this symbiont. Results indicated that FLEs-Hd had 100% infection rate and a perfect vertical transmission in H. doenitzi, and that it is distributed in ovaries, malpighian tubules, salivary glands and midguts of the ticks, suggesting that FLEs-Hd presumably is a crucial symbiont of the host without specific tissue tropism. To further explore the function of the symbiont, the population dynamics of FLEs-Hd at each developmental stage of ticks and in tissues at different reproductive statuses were determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (real-time qPCR). Results showed that the high density and regular population dynamics of FLEs-Hd appeared in female ovaries, suggesting that the symbiont may provide necessary nutrients or regulators to ensure normal ovary development of ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-Nan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, No. 20 Nanerhuan Eastern Road, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050024, P. R. China
| | - Zhi-Jun Yu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, No. 20 Nanerhuan Eastern Road, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050024, P. R. China
| | - Li-Meng Liu
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Valley Life Sciences Building, Room 5155A, Berkeley, CA, 94720-3140, USA
| | - Ning-Xin Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, No. 20 Nanerhuan Eastern Road, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050024, P. R. China
| | - Rong-Rong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, No. 20 Nanerhuan Eastern Road, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050024, P. R. China
| | - Chun-Mian Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, No. 20 Nanerhuan Eastern Road, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050024, P. R. China
| | - Jing-Ze Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, No. 20 Nanerhuan Eastern Road, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050024, P. R. China
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49
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Zha HG, Milne RI, Zhou HX, Chen XY, Sun H. Identification and cloning of class II and III chitinases from alkaline floral nectar of Rhododendron irroratum, Ericaceae. PLANTA 2016; 244:805-818. [PMID: 27189006 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-016-2546-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2015] [Accepted: 05/06/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Class II and III chitinases belonging to different glycoside hydrolase families were major nectarins in Rhododendron irroratum floral nectar which showed significant chitinolytic activity. Previous studies have demonstrated antimicrobial activity in plant floral nectar, but the molecular basis for the mechanism is still poorly understood. Two chitinases, class II (Rhchi2) and III (Rhchi3), were characterized from alkaline Rhododendron irroratum nectar by both SDS-PAGE and mass spectrometry. Rhchi2 (27 kDa) and Rhchi3 (29 kDa) are glycoside hydrolases (family 19 and 18) with theoretical pI of 8.19 and 7.04. The expression patterns of Rhchi2 and Rhchi3 were analyzed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Rhchi2 is expressed in flowers (corolla nectar pouches) and leaves while Rhchi3 is expressed in flowers. Chitinase in concentrated protein and fresh nectar samples was visualised by SDS-PAGE and chitinolytic activity in fresh nectar was determined spectrophotometrically via chitin-azure. Full length gene sequences were cloned with Tail-PCR and RACE. The amino acid sequence deduced from the coding region for these proteins showed high identity with known chitinases and predicted to be located in extracellular space. Fresh R. irroratum floral nectar showed significant chitinolytic activity. Our results demonstrate that class III chitinase (GH 18 family) also exists in floral nectar. The functional relationship between class II and III chitinases and the role of these pathogenesis-related proteins in antimicrobial activity in nectar is suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Guang Zha
- College of Life and Environment Sciences, Huangshan University, Anhui, 245041, China.
| | - Richard I Milne
- Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3JH, UK
- Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, EH3 5LR, UK
| | - Hong-Xia Zhou
- College of Life and Environment Sciences, Huangshan University, Anhui, 245041, China
| | - Xiang-Yang Chen
- College of Life and Environment Sciences, Huangshan University, Anhui, 245041, China
| | - Hang Sun
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650204, China
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50
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Kakumanu ML, Reeves AM, Anderson TD, Rodrigues RR, Williams MA. Honey Bee Gut Microbiome Is Altered by In-Hive Pesticide Exposures. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:1255. [PMID: 27579024 PMCID: PMC4985556 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2016] [Accepted: 07/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are the primary pollinators of major horticultural crops. Over the last few decades, a substantial decline in honey bees and their colonies have been reported. While a plethora of factors could contribute to the putative decline, pathogens, and pesticides are common concerns that draw attention. In addition to potential direct effects on honey bees, indirect pesticide effects could include alteration of essential gut microbial communities and symbionts that are important to honey bee health (e.g., immune system). The primary objective of this study was to determine the microbiome associated with honey bees exposed to commonly used in-hive pesticides: coumaphos, tau-fluvalinate, and chlorothalonil. Treatments were replicated at three independent locations near Blacksburg Virginia, and included a no-pesticide amended control at each location. The microbiome was characterized through pyrosequencing of V2-V3 regions of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene and fungal ITS region. Pesticide exposure significantly affected the structure of bacterial but not fungal communities. The bee bacteriome, similar to other studies, was dominated by sequences derived from Bacilli, Actinobacteria, α-, β-, γ-proteobacteria. The fungal community sequences were dominated by Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes. The Multi-response permutation procedures (MRPP) and subsequent Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt) analysis indicated that chlorothalonil caused significant change to the structure and functional potential of the honey bee gut bacterial community relative to control. Putative genes for oxidative phosphorylation, for example, increased while sugar metabolism and peptidase potential declined in the microbiome of chlorothalonil exposed bees. The results of this field-based study suggest the potential for pesticide induced changes to the honey bee gut microbiome that warrant further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Richard R Rodrigues
- Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program in Genetics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Mark A Williams
- Horticulture, Virginia TechBlacksburg, VA, USA; Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program in Genetics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, Virginia TechBlacksburg, VA, USA
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