1
|
Todorov SD, Alves MV, Bueno GCA, Alves VF, Ivanova IV. Bee-Associated Beneficial Microbes-Importance for Bees and for Humans. INSECTS 2024; 15:430. [PMID: 38921144 PMCID: PMC11204305 DOI: 10.3390/insects15060430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Bees are one of the best-known and, at the same time, perhaps the most enigmatic insects on our planet, known for their organization and social structure, being essential for the pollination of agricultural crops and several other plants, playing an essential role in food production and the balance of ecosystems, being associated with the production of high-value-added inputs, and a unique universe in relation to bees' microbiota. In this review, we summarize information regarding on different varieties of bees, with emphasis on their specificity related to microbial variations. Noteworthy are fructophilic bacteria, a lesser-known bacterial group, which use fructose fermentation as their main source of energy, with some strains being closely related to bees' health status. The beneficial properties of fructophilic bacteria may be extendable to humans and other animals as probiotics. In addition, their biotechnological potential may ease the development of new-generation antimicrobials with applications in biopreservation. The concept of "One Health" brings together fundamental and applied research with the aim of clarifying that the connections between the different components of ecosystems must be considered part of a mega-structure, with bees being an iconic example in that the healthy functionality of their microbiota is directly and indirectly related to agricultural production, bee health, quality of bee products, and the functional prosperity for humans and other animals. In fact, good health of bees is clearly related to the stable functionality of ecosystems and indirectly relates to humans' wellbeing, a concept of the "One Health".
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Svetoslav Dimitrov Todorov
- ProBacLab, Laboratório de Microbiologia de Alimentos, Departamento de Alimentos e Nutrição Experimental, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil
- CISAS-Center for Research and Development in Agrifood Systems and Sustainability, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, 4900-347 Viana do Castelo, Portugal
| | - Marcos Vinício Alves
- ProBacLab, Laboratório de Microbiologia de Alimentos, Departamento de Alimentos e Nutrição Experimental, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Virgínia Farias Alves
- Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Goiânia 74605-170, GO, Brazil (V.F.A.)
| | - Iskra Vitanova Ivanova
- Department of General and Industrial Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, 8, Bul. Dragan Tzankov, 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria;
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Fan G, Wang X, Gao C, Kang X, Xue H, Huang W, Zhan J, You Y. Effects of Active Ingredients in Alcoholic Beverages and Their De-Alcoholized Counterparts on High-Fat Diet Bees: A Comparative Study. Molecules 2024; 29:1693. [PMID: 38675513 PMCID: PMC11052269 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29081693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2024] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms by which alcohol, alcoholic beverages, and their de-alcoholized derivatives affect animal physiology, metabolism, and gut microbiota have not yet been clarified. The polyphenol, monosaccharide, amino acid, and organic acid contents of four common alcoholic beverages (Chinese Baijiu, beer, Chinese Huangjiu, and wine) and their de-alcoholized counterparts were analyzed. The research further explored how these alcoholic beverages and their non-alcoholic versions affect obesity and gut microbiota, using a high-fat diet bee model created with 2% palm oil (PO). The results showed that wine, possessing the highest polyphenol content, and its de-alcoholized form, particularly when diluted five-fold (WDX5), markedly improved the health markers of PO-fed bees, including weight, triglycerides, and total cholesterol levels in blood lymphocytes. WDX5 treatment notably increased the presence of beneficial microbes such as Bartonella, Gilliamella, and Bifidobacterium, while decreasing Bombilactobacillus abundance. Moreover, WDX5 was found to closely resemble sucrose water (SUC) in terms of gut microbial function, significantly boosting short-chain fatty acids, lipopolysaccharide metabolism, and associated enzymatic pathways, thereby favorably affecting metabolic regulation and gut microbiota stability in bees.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guanghe Fan
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Viticulture and Enology, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Tsinghua East Road 17, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, China; (G.F.); (W.H.)
| | - Xiaofei Wang
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Tsinghua East Road 17, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, China;
| | - Cuicui Gao
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Viticulture and Enology, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Tsinghua East Road 17, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, China; (G.F.); (W.H.)
- Xinghua Industrial Research Centre for Food Science and Human Health, China Agricultural University, Xinghua 225700, China
| | - Xiping Kang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Viticulture and Enology, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Tsinghua East Road 17, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, China; (G.F.); (W.H.)
| | - Huimin Xue
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Viticulture and Enology, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Tsinghua East Road 17, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, China; (G.F.); (W.H.)
| | - Weidong Huang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Viticulture and Enology, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Tsinghua East Road 17, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, China; (G.F.); (W.H.)
| | - Jicheng Zhan
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Viticulture and Enology, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Tsinghua East Road 17, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, China; (G.F.); (W.H.)
| | - Yilin You
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Viticulture and Enology, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Tsinghua East Road 17, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, China; (G.F.); (W.H.)
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Smriti, Rana A, Singh G, Gupta G. Prospects of probiotics in beekeeping: a review for sustainable approach to boost honeybee health. Arch Microbiol 2024; 206:205. [PMID: 38573383 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-024-03926-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Honeybees are vital for global crop pollination, making indispensable contributions to agricultural productivity. However, these vital insects are currently facing escalating colony losses on a global scale, primarily attributed to parasitic and pathogenic attacks. The prevalent response to combat these infections may involve the use of antibiotics. Nevertheless, the application of antibiotics raises concerns regarding potential adverse effects such as antibiotic resistance and imbalances in the gut microbiota of bees. In response to these challenges, this study reviews the utilization of a probiotic-supplemented pollen substitute diet to promote honeybee gut health, enhance immunity, and overall well-being. We systematically explore various probiotic strains and their impacts on critical parameters, including survival rate, colony strength, honey and royal jelly production, and the immune response of bees. By doing so, we emphasize the significance of maintaining a balanced gut microbial community in honeybees. The review also scrutinizes the factors influencing the gut microbial communities of bees, elucidates the consequences of dysbiosis, and evaluates the potential of probiotics to mitigate these challenges. Additionally, it delineates different delivery mechanisms for probiotic supplementation and elucidates their positive effects on diverse health parameters of honeybees. Given the alarming decline in honeybee populations and the consequential threat to global food security, this study provides valuable insights into sustainable practices aimed at supporting honeybee populations and enhancing agricultural productivity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Smriti
- Department of Biosciences (UIBT), Chandigarh University, Mohali, 140413, India
| | - Anita Rana
- Department of Biosciences (UIBT), Chandigarh University, Mohali, 140413, India.
| | - Gagandeep Singh
- Department of Biosciences (UIBT), Chandigarh University, Mohali, 140413, India
| | - Garima Gupta
- Department of Agriculture (UIAS), Chandigarh University, Mohali, 140413, India
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Weinhold A, Grüner E, Keller A. Bumble bee microbiota shows temporal succession and increase of lactic acid bacteria when exposed to outdoor environments. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 14:1342781. [PMID: 38500505 PMCID: PMC10945022 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1342781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Question The large earth bumble bee (Bombus terrestris) maintains a social core gut-microbiota, similar as known from the honey bee, which plays an important role for host health and resistance. Experiments under laboratory conditions with commercial hives are limited to vertically transmitted microbes and neglect influences of environmental factors or external acquisition of microbes. Various environmental and landscape-level factors may have an impact on the gut-microbiota of pollinating insects, with consequences for pollinator health and fitness in agroecosystems. Still, it is not fully clear whether access to different flower diversities will have a significant influence on the bumble bee microbiota. Here, we tested in a semi-field experiment if the bumble bee microbiota changes over time when exposed to different flower diversities within outdoor flight cages. We used commercial hives to distinguish between vertically and horizontally transmitted bacteria, respectively from the nest environment or the exposed outside environment. Result The sequential sampling of foraging workers over a period of 35 days indicated a temporal progression of the bumble bee microbiota when placed outside. The microbiota increased in diversity and changed in composition and variability over time. We observed a major increase in relative abundance of the families Lactobacillaceae, Bifidobacteriaceae and Weeksellaceae. In contrast, major core-taxa like Snodgrassella and Gilliamella declined in their relative abundance over time. The genus Lactobacillus showed a high diversity and strain specific turnover, so that only specific ASVs showed an increase over time, while others had a more erratic occurrence pattern. Exposure to different flower diversities had no significant influence on the progression of the bumble bee microbiota. Conclusion The bumble bee microbiota showed a dynamic temporal succession with distinct compositional changes and diversification over time when placed outdoor. The exposure of bumble bees to environmental conditions, or environmental microbes, increases dissimilarity and changes the gut-community composition. This shows the importance of environmental influences on the temporal dynamic and progression of the bumble bee microbiota.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arne Weinhold
- Cellular and Organismic Networks, Faculty of Biology, Center for Organismic Adaptation, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Conradie TA, Lawson K, Allsopp M, Jacobs K. Exploring the impact of fungicide exposure and nutritional stress on the microbiota and immune response of the Cape honey bee (Apis mellifera capensis). Microbiol Res 2024; 280:127587. [PMID: 38142516 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2023.127587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
Honey bees (Apis mellifera) harbour a stable core microbial community within their gut, that is suggested to play a role in metabolic functioning, immune regulation, and host homeostasis. This microbiota presents a unique opportunity to observe the effects of stressors on honey bee health. We examined the effects of two common honey bee stressors: indirect fungicide contamination and nutrient limitation. These effects were observed through changes in their hind- and midgut microbiota using Automated Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Analysis (ARISA), alongside high-throughput amplicon sequencing. Expression of the honey bees' immune response was examined through the expression of three immune-related genes, namely, immune deficiency (imd), proPhenolOxidase (proPO), and spaetzle (spz). Additionally, longevity of the honey bees was monitored through observation of the expression levels of Vitellogenin (Vg). Both treatment groups were compared to a negative control, and a diseased positive control. There was no effect on the hindgut microbiota due to the stressors, while significant changes in the midgut was observed. This was also observed in the expression of the immune-related genes within the treatment groups. The Imd pathway was substantially downregulated, with upregulation in the prophenoloxidase pathway. However, no significant effect was observed in the expression of spz, and only the pollen treatment group showed reduced longevity through a downregulation of Vg. Overall, the effect of these two common stressors indicate a compromise in honey bee immunity, and potential vulnerabilities within the immune defence mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tersia A Conradie
- Department of Microbiology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
| | - Kayla Lawson
- Department of Microbiology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
| | - Mike Allsopp
- Agricultural Research Council - Plant, Health & Protection, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
| | - Karin Jacobs
- Department of Microbiology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Hajra D, Kirthivasan N, Chakravortty D. Symbiotic Synergy from Sponges to Humans: Microflora-Host Harmony Is Crucial for Ensuring Survival and Shielding against Invading Pathogens. ACS Infect Dis 2024; 10:317-336. [PMID: 38170903 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Gut microbiota plays several roles in the host organism's metabolism and physiology. This phenomenon holds across different species from different kingdoms and classes. Different species across various classes engage in continuous crosstalk via various mechanisms with their gut microbiota, ensuring homeostasis of the host. In this Review, the diversity of the microflora, the development of the microflora in the host, its regulations by the host, and its functional implications on the host, especially in the context of dysbiosis, are discussed across different organisms from sponges to humans. Overall, our review aims to address the indispensable nature of the microbiome in the host's survival, fitness, and protection against invading pathogens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dipasree Hajra
- Department of Microbiology & Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Karnataka-560012, India
| | - Nikhita Kirthivasan
- Undergraduate Programme, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Karnataka-560012, India
| | - Dipshikha Chakravortty
- Department of Microbiology & Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Karnataka-560012, India
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Baud GLC, Prasad A, Ellegaard KM, Engel P. Turnover of strain-level diversity modulates functional traits in the honeybee gut microbiome between nurses and foragers. Genome Biol 2023; 24:283. [PMID: 38066630 PMCID: PMC10704631 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-023-03131-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Strain-level diversity is widespread among bacterial species and can expand the functional potential of natural microbial communities. However, to what extent communities undergo consistent shifts in strain composition in response to environmental/host changes is less well understood. RESULTS Here, we used shotgun metagenomics to compare the gut microbiota of two behavioral states of the Western honeybee (Apis mellifera), namely nurse and forager bees. While their gut microbiota is composed of the same bacterial species, we detect consistent changes in strain-level composition between nurses and foragers. Single nucleotide variant profiles of predominant bacterial species cluster by behavioral state. Moreover, we identify strain-specific gene content related to nutrient utilization, vitamin biosynthesis, and cell-cell interactions specifically associated with the two behavioral states. CONCLUSIONS Our findings show that strain-level diversity in host-associated communities can undergo consistent changes in response to host behavioral changes modulating the functional potential of the community.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gilles L C Baud
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Aiswarya Prasad
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kirsten M Ellegaard
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Philipp Engel
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Young MG, Just J, Lee YJ, McMahon T, Gonzalez J, Noh S, Angelini DR. Seasonally increasing parasite load is associated with microbiome dysbiosis in wild bumblebees. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.30.569473. [PMID: 38077090 PMCID: PMC10705496 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.30.569473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
The microbiome is increasingly recognized for its complex relationship with host fitness. Bumblebees are host to a characteristic gut microbiome community that is derived and reinforced through social contact between individuals. The bumblebee microbiome is species-poor, and primarily composed from a small number of core taxa that are associated with the greater tribe of corbiculate bees. Experimental findings support a role for the core bumblebee microbiome in resistance to severe infections by a common trypanosomal parasite, Crithidia bombi. However, most studies have been small in scale, often considering just one or two bumblebee species, or making use of commercially-reared bees. To better understand the microbiome diversity of wild populations, we have deeply sampled field populations of ten sympatric species found throughout central and down east Maine in a three-year microbiome field survey. We have used 16S amplicon sequencing to produce microbiome community profiles, and qPCR to screen samples for infections by Crithidia bombi. The breadth of our dataset has enabled us to test for seasonal and interspecific trends in the microbiome community. Controlling for these external sources of variation, we have identified microbial factors associated with infection and parasite load that support the role of the core microbiome in resistance to severe infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark G. Young
- Colby College, Department of Biology, 5700 Mayflower Hill, Waterville, ME 04901, USA
| | - Josefine Just
- Colby College, Department of Biology, 5700 Mayflower Hill, Waterville, ME 04901, USA
| | - Ye Jin Lee
- Colby College, Department of Biology, 5700 Mayflower Hill, Waterville, ME 04901, USA
| | - Thomas McMahon
- Colby College, Department of Biology, 5700 Mayflower Hill, Waterville, ME 04901, USA
| | - James Gonzalez
- Colby College, Department of Biology, 5700 Mayflower Hill, Waterville, ME 04901, USA
| | - Suegene Noh
- Colby College, Department of Biology, 5700 Mayflower Hill, Waterville, ME 04901, USA
| | - David R. Angelini
- Colby College, Department of Biology, 5700 Mayflower Hill, Waterville, ME 04901, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Daisley BA, Pitek AP, Torres C, Lowery R, Adair BA, Al KF, Niño B, Burton JP, Allen-Vercoe E, Thompson GJ, Reid G, Niño E. Delivery mechanism can enhance probiotic activity against honey bee pathogens. THE ISME JOURNAL 2023; 17:1382-1395. [PMID: 37311937 PMCID: PMC10432525 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-023-01422-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Managed honey bee (Apis mellifera) populations play a crucial role in supporting pollination of food crops but are facing unsustainable colony losses, largely due to rampant disease spread within agricultural environments. While mounting evidence suggests that select lactobacilli strains (some being natural symbionts of honey bees) can protect against multiple infections, there has been limited validation at the field-level and few methods exist for applying viable microorganisms to the hive. Here, we compare how two different delivery systems-standard pollen patty infusion and a novel spray-based formulation-affect supplementation of a three-strain lactobacilli consortium (LX3). Hives in a pathogen-dense region of California are supplemented for 4 weeks and then monitored over a 20-week period for health outcomes. Results show both delivery methods facilitate viable uptake of LX3 in adult bees, although the strains do not colonize long-term. Despite this, LX3 treatments induce transcriptional immune responses leading to sustained decreases in many opportunistic bacterial and fungal pathogens, as well as selective enrichment of core symbionts including Bombilactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Bartonella spp. These changes are ultimately associated with greater brood production and colony growth relative to vehicle controls, and with no apparent trade-offs in ectoparasitic Varroa mite burdens. Furthermore, spray-LX3 exerts potent activities against Ascosphaera apis (a deadly brood pathogen) likely stemming from in-hive dispersal differences, whereas patty-LX3 promotes synergistic brood development via unique nutritional benefits. These findings provide a foundational basis for spray-based probiotic application in apiculture and collectively highlight the importance of considering delivery method in disease management strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brendan A Daisley
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Andrew P Pitek
- Department of Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Christina Torres
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Robin Lowery
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Bethany A Adair
- Department of Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Kait F Al
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Bernardo Niño
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
- Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Jeremy P Burton
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Emma Allen-Vercoe
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Graham J Thompson
- Department of Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Gregor Reid
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Elina Niño
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
- University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, Oakland, CA, 95618, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Bueren EK, Weinheimer AR, Aylward FO, Hsu BB, Haak DC, Belden LK. Characterization of prophages in bacterial genomes from the honey bee ( Apis mellifera) gut microbiome. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15383. [PMID: 37312882 PMCID: PMC10259446 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15383] [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: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The gut of the European honey bee (Apis mellifera) possesses a relatively simple bacterial community, but little is known about its community of prophages (temperate bacteriophages integrated into the bacterial genome). Although prophages may eventually begin replicating and kill their bacterial hosts, they can also sometimes be beneficial for their hosts by conferring protection from other phage infections or encoding genes in metabolic pathways and for toxins. In this study, we explored prophages in 17 species of core bacteria in the honey bee gut and two honey bee pathogens. Out of the 181 genomes examined, 431 putative prophage regions were predicted. Among core gut bacteria, the number of prophages per genome ranged from zero to seven and prophage composition (the compositional percentage of each bacterial genome attributable to prophages) ranged from 0 to 7%. Snodgrassella alvi and Gilliamella apicola had the highest median prophages per genome (3.0 ± 1.46; 3.0 ± 1.59), as well as the highest prophage composition (2.58% ± 1.4; 3.0% ± 1.59). The pathogen Paenibacillus larvae had a higher median number of prophages (8.0 ± 5.33) and prophage composition (6.40% ± 3.08) than the pathogen Melissococcus plutonius or any of the core bacteria. Prophage populations were highly specific to their bacterial host species, suggesting most prophages were acquired recently relative to the divergence of these bacterial groups. Furthermore, functional annotation of the predicted genes encoded within the prophage regions indicates that some prophages in the honey bee gut encode additional benefits to their bacterial hosts, such as genes in carbohydrate metabolism. Collectively, this survey suggests that prophages within the honey bee gut may contribute to the maintenance and stability of the honey bee gut microbiome and potentially modulate specific members of the bacterial community, particularly S. alvi and G. apicola.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emma K. Bueren
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
| | - Alaina R. Weinheimer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
| | - Frank O. Aylward
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
| | - Bryan B. Hsu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
| | - David C. Haak
- School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
| | - Lisa K. Belden
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Meradji M, Bachtarzi N, Mora D, Kharroub K. Characterization of Lactic Acid Bacteria Strains Isolated from Algerian Honeybee and Honey and Exploration of Their Potential Probiotic and Functional Features for Human Use. Foods 2023; 12:2312. [PMID: 37372522 DOI: 10.3390/foods12122312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Using culture enrichment methods, 100 strains of bacilli of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated from honeybee Apis mellifera intermissa and fresh honey, collected from apiaries located in the north-east of Algeria. Amongst all of the isolated LAB, 19 selected strains were closely affiliated to four species-Fructobacillus fructosus (10), Apilactobacillus kunkeei (5), Lactobacillus kimbladii and/or Lactobacillus kullabergensis (4)-using phylogenetic and phenotypic approaches. The in vitro probiotic characteristics (simulated gastrointestinal fluids tolerance, autoaggregation and hydrophobicity abilities, antimicrobial activity and cholesterol reduction) and safety properties (hemolytic activity, antibiotic resistance and absence of biogenic amines) were evaluated. The results indicated that some strains showed promising potential probiotic properties. In addition, neither hemolytic activity nor biogenic amines were produced. The carbohydrate fermentation test (API 50 CHL) revealed that the strains could efficiently use a broad range of carbohydrates; additionally, four strains belonging to Apilactobacillus kunkeei and Fructobacillus fructosus were found to be exopolysaccharides (EPS) producers. This study demonstrates the honeybee Apis mellifera intermissa and one of her products as a reservoir for novel LAB with potential probiotic features, suggesting suitability for promoting host health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Meriem Meradji
- Laboratoire de Recherche Biotechnologie et Qualité des Aliments (BIOQUAL), Institut de la Nutrition, de l'Alimentation et des Technologies Agro-Alimentaires (INATAA), Université Frères Mentouri Constantine 1 (UFMC1), Route de Ain El Bey, Constantine 25000, Algeria
| | - Nadia Bachtarzi
- Laboratoire de Recherche Biotechnologie et Qualité des Aliments (BIOQUAL), Institut de la Nutrition, de l'Alimentation et des Technologies Agro-Alimentaires (INATAA), Université Frères Mentouri Constantine 1 (UFMC1), Route de Ain El Bey, Constantine 25000, Algeria
| | - Diego Mora
- Department of Food Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS), University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Karima Kharroub
- Laboratoire de Recherche Biotechnologie et Qualité des Aliments (BIOQUAL), Institut de la Nutrition, de l'Alimentation et des Technologies Agro-Alimentaires (INATAA), Université Frères Mentouri Constantine 1 (UFMC1), Route de Ain El Bey, Constantine 25000, Algeria
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Balbuena S, Castelli L, Zunino P, Antúnez K. Effect of Chronic Exposure to Sublethal Doses of Imidacloprid and Nosema ceranae on Immunity, Gut Microbiota, and Survival of Africanized Honey Bees. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2023; 85:1485-1497. [PMID: 35460373 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-022-02014-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Large-scale honey bee colony losses reported around the world have been associated with intoxication with pesticides, as with the presence of pests and pathogens. Among pesticides, neonicotinoid insecticides are the biggest threat. Due to their extensive use, they can be found in all agricultural environments, including soil, water, and air, are persistent in the environment, and are highly toxic for honey bees. In addition, infection by different pests and pathogens can act synergistically, weakening bees. In this study, we investigated the effects of chronic exposure to sublethal doses of imidacloprid alone or combined with the microsporidia Nosema ceranae on the immune response, deformed wing virus infection (DWV), gut microbiota, and survival of Africanized honey bees. We found that imidacloprid affected the expression of some genes associated with immunity generating an altered physiological state, although it did not favor DWV or N. ceranae infection. The pesticide alone did not affect honey bee gut microbiota, as previously suggested, but when administered to N. ceranae infected bees, it generated significant changes. Finally, both stress factors caused high mortality rates. Those results illustrate the negative impact of imidacloprid alone or combined with N. ceranae on Africanized honey bees and are useful to understand colony losses in Latin America.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sofía Balbuena
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Y Salud de Las Abejas, Departamento de Microbiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Avda. Italia, 3318, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Loreley Castelli
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Y Salud de Las Abejas, Departamento de Microbiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Avda. Italia, 3318, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Pablo Zunino
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Y Salud de Las Abejas, Departamento de Microbiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Avda. Italia, 3318, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Karina Antúnez
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Y Salud de Las Abejas, Departamento de Microbiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Avda. Italia, 3318, Montevideo, Uruguay.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Castelli L, Branchiccela B, Zunino P, Antúnez K. Insights into the effects of sublethal doses of pesticides glufosinate-ammonium and sulfoxaflor on honey bee health. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 868:161331. [PMID: 36623662 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Insect pollinators are threatened worldwide, being the exposure to multiple pesticides one of the most important stressor. The herbicide Glyphosate and the insecticide Imidacloprid are among the most used pesticides worldwide, although different studies evidenced their detrimental effects on non-target organisms. The emergence of glyphosate-resistant weeds and the recent ban of imidacloprid in Europe due to safety concerns, has prompted their replacement by new molecules, such as glufosinate-ammonium (GA) and sulfoxaflor (S). GA is a broad-spectrum and non-selective herbicide that inhibits a key enzyme in the metabolism of nitrogen, causing accumulation of lethal levels of ammonia; while sulfoxaflor is an agonist at insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and generates excitatory responses including tremors, paralysis and mortality. Although those molecules are being increasingly used for crop protection, little is known about their effects on non-target organisms. In this study we assessed the impact of chronic and acute exposure to sublethal doses of GA and S on honey bee gut microbiota, immunity and survival. We found GA significantly reduced the number of gut bacteria, and decreased the expression of glucose oxidase, a marker of social immunity. On the other hand, S significantly increased the number of gut bacteria altering the microbiota composition, decreased the expression of lysozyme and increased the expression of hymenoptaecin. These alterations in gut microbiota and immunocompetence may lead to an increased susceptibility to pathogens. Finally, both pesticides shortened honey bee survival and increased the risk of death. Those results evidence the negative impact of GA and S on honey bees, even at single exposition to a low dose, and provide useful information to the understanding of pollinators decline.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Loreley Castelli
- Laboratorio de Microbiología y Salud de las Abejas, Departamento de Microbiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable (IIBCE), Avda. Italia 3318, Montevideo 11600, Uruguay
| | - Belén Branchiccela
- Sección Apicultura, Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria, Colonia 70006, Uruguay
| | - Pablo Zunino
- Laboratorio de Microbiología y Salud de las Abejas, Departamento de Microbiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable (IIBCE), Avda. Italia 3318, Montevideo 11600, Uruguay
| | - Karina Antúnez
- Laboratorio de Microbiología y Salud de las Abejas, Departamento de Microbiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable (IIBCE), Avda. Italia 3318, Montevideo 11600, Uruguay.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Sarton-Lohéac G, Nunes da Silva CG, Mazel F, Baud G, de Bakker V, Das S, El Chazli Y, Ellegaard K, Garcia-Garcera M, Glover N, Liberti J, Nacif Marçal L, Prasad A, Somerville V, Bonilla-Rosso G, Engel P. Deep Divergence and Genomic Diversification of Gut Symbionts of Neotropical Stingless Bees. mBio 2023; 14:e0353822. [PMID: 36939321 PMCID: PMC10128065 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03538-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Social bees harbor conserved gut microbiotas that may have been acquired in a common ancestor of social bees and subsequently codiversified with their hosts. However, most of this knowledge is based on studies on the gut microbiotas of honey bees and bumblebees. Much less is known about the gut microbiotas of the third and most diverse group of social bees, the stingless bees. Specifically, the absence of genomic data from their microbiotas presents an important knowledge gap in understanding the evolution and functional diversity of the social bee microbiota. Here, we combined community profiling with culturing and genome sequencing of gut bacteria from six neotropical stingless bee species from Brazil. Phylogenomic analyses show that most stingless bee gut isolates form deep-branching sister clades of core members of the honey bee and bumblebee gut microbiota with conserved functional capabilities, confirming the common ancestry and ecology of their microbiota. However, our bacterial phylogenies were not congruent with those of the host, indicating that the evolution of the social bee gut microbiota was not driven by strict codiversification but included host switches and independent symbiont gain and losses. Finally, as reported for the honey bee and bumblebee microbiotas, we found substantial genomic divergence among strains of stingless bee gut bacteria, suggesting adaptation to different host species and glycan niches. Our study offers first insights into the genomic diversity of the stingless bee microbiota and highlights the need for broader samplings to understand the evolution of the social bee gut microbiota. IMPORTANCE Stingless bees are the most diverse group of the corbiculate bees and represent important pollinator species throughout the tropics and subtropics. They harbor specialized microbial communities in their gut that are related to those found in honey bees and bumblebees and that are likely important for bee health. Few bacteria have been cultured from the gut of stingless bees, which has prevented characterization of their genomic diversity and functional potential. Here, we established cultures of major members of the gut microbiotas of six stingless bee species and sequenced their genomes. We found that most stingless bee isolates belong to novel bacterial species distantly related to those found in honey bees and bumblebees and encoding similar functional capabilities. Our study offers a new perspective on the evolution of the social bee gut microbiota and presents a basis for characterizing the symbiotic relationships between gut bacteria and stingless bees.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Garance Sarton-Lohéac
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Florent Mazel
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Gilles Baud
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Vincent de Bakker
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sudip Das
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Yassine El Chazli
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kirsten Ellegaard
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Natasha Glover
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Joanito Liberti
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lorena Nacif Marçal
- Department of Morphology, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Federal University of Amazonas, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Aiswarya Prasad
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Vincent Somerville
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Germán Bonilla-Rosso
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Philipp Engel
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Whole-Genome Sequences of a Lactobacillus melliventris Strain and Its Myovirus Temperate Phage, phIBH004, Isolated from the Digestive Tract of Apis mellifera in Switzerland. Microbiol Resour Announc 2023; 12:e0003623. [PMID: 36840591 PMCID: PMC10019154 DOI: 10.1128/mra.00036-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The complete genome sequence of Lactobacillus melliventris strain IBH004, isolated from the gut of a honeybee worker (Apis mellifera) and containing two plasmids and a temperate phage, was determined using hybrid assembly of Oxford Nanopore and Illumina reads. Phage-sequence relationships were identified from the coding sequences, and a proteomic tree was constructed.
Collapse
|
17
|
Sinpoo C, In-on A, Noirungsee N, Attasopa K, Chantawannakul P, Chaimanee V, Phokasem P, Ling TC, Purahong W, Disayathanoowat T. Microbial community profiling and culturing reveal functional groups of bacteria associated with Thai commercial stingless worker bees (Tetragonula pagdeni). PLoS One 2023; 18:e0280075. [PMID: 36857385 PMCID: PMC9977063 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Stingless bees play a crucial role in the environment and agriculture as they are effective pollinators. Furthermore, they can produce various products that can be exploited economically, such as propolis and honey. Despite their economic value, the knowledge of microbial community of stingless bees, and their roles on the bees' health, especially in Thailand, are in its infancy. This study aimed to investigate the composition and the functions of bacterial community associated with Tetragonula pagdeni stingless bees using culture-independent and culture-dependent approaches with emphasis on lactic acid bacteria. The culture-independent results showed that the dominant bacterial phyla were Firmicutes, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria. The most abundant families were Lactobacillaceae and Halomonadaceae. Functional prediction indicated that the prevalent functions of bacterial communities were chemoheterotrophy and fermentation. In addition, the bacterial community might be able to biosynthesize amino acid and antimicrobial compounds. Further isolation and characterization resulted in isolates that belonged to the dominant taxa of the community and possessed potentially beneficial metabolic activity. This suggested that they are parts of the nutrient acquisition and host defense bacterial functional groups in Thai commercial stingless bees.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chainarong Sinpoo
- Bee Protection Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Ammarin In-on
- Bioinformatics & Systems Biology Program, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (Bang Khun Thian Campus), Bang Khun Thian, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Nuttapol Noirungsee
- Bee Protection Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Korrawat Attasopa
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Panuwan Chantawannakul
- Bee Protection Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Veeranan Chaimanee
- Department of Agro-Industrial Biotechnology, Maejo University Phrae Campus, Rong Kwang, Phrae, Thailand
| | - Patcharin Phokasem
- Bee Protection Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Tial Cung Ling
- Bee Protection Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Witoon Purahong
- Department of Soil Ecology, UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Halle (Saale), Germany
- * E-mail: (WP); (TD)
| | - Terd Disayathanoowat
- Bee Protection Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- * E-mail: (WP); (TD)
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
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.
Collapse
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
| | | |
Collapse
|
19
|
Fructose-induced topographical changes in fructophilic, pseudofructophilic and non-fructophilic lactic acid bacterial strains with genomic comparison. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 39:73. [PMID: 36627394 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-022-03514-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Fructophilic Lactic Acid Bacteria (FLAB), Fructobacillus fructosus DPC7238 and pseudofructophilic Leuconostoc mesenteroides DPC7261 and non-FLAB Limosilactobacillus reuteri DSM20016 strains were studied for their growth and morphological evolution as a function of increased fructose concentrations (0, 25, and 50% w/v) in the media. A comparison of the genomics of these strains was carried out to relate observed changes and understand fructose-rich adaptations. The viability of FLAB strains were reduced by approx. 50% at a 50% fructose concentration, while the Limosilactobacillus reuteri strain was reduced to approx. 98%. Electron microscopy demonstrated that FLAB strain, Fructobacillus. fructosus and pseudofructophilic Leuc. mesenteroides, were intact but expanded in the presence of high fructose in the medium. Limosilactobacillus reuteri, on the other hand, ruptured as a result of excessive elongation, resulting in the formation of cell debris when the medium contained more than 25% (w/v) fructose. This was entirely and quantitatively corroborated by three-dimensional data obtained by scanning several single cells using an atomic force microscope. The damage caused the bacterial envelope to elongate lengthwise, thus increasing width size and lower height. The cell surface became comparatively smoother at 25% fructose while rougher at 50% fructose, irrespective of the strains. Although Fructobacillus fructosus was highly fructose tolerant and maintained topological integrity, it had a comparatively smaller genome than pseudofructophilic Leuc. mesenteroides. Further, COG analysis identified lower but effective numbers of genes in fructose metabolism and transport of Fructobacillus fructosus, essentially needed for adaptability in fructose-rich niches.
Collapse
|
20
|
Bradford EL, Wax N, Bueren EK, Walke JB, Fell R, Belden LK, Haak DC. Comparative genomics of Lactobacillaceae from the gut of honey bees, Apis mellifera, from the Eastern United States. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2022; 12:jkac286. [PMID: 36331337 PMCID: PMC9713430 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Lactobacillaceae are an important family of lactic acid bacteria that play key roles in the gut microbiome of many animal species. In the honey bee (Apis mellifera) gut microbiome, many species of Lactobacillaceae are found, and there is functionally important strain-level variation in the bacteria. In this study, we completed whole-genome sequencing of 3 unique Lactobacillaceae isolates collected from hives in Virginia, USA. Using 107 genomes of known bee-associated Lactobacillaceae and Limosilactobacillus reuteri as an outgroup, the phylogenetics of the 3 isolates was assessed, and these isolates were identified as novel strains of Apilactobacillus kunkeei, Lactobacillus kullabergensis, and Bombilactobacillus mellis. Genome rearrangements, conserved orthologous genes (COG) categories and potential prophage regions were identified across the 3 novel strains. The new A. kunkeei strain was enriched in genes related to replication, recombination and repair, the L. kullabergensis strain was enriched for carbohydrate transport, and the B. mellis strain was enriched in transcription or transcriptional regulation and in some genes with unknown functions. Prophage regions were identified in the A. kunkeei and L. kullabergensis isolates. These new bee-associated strains add to our growing knowledge of the honey bee gut microbiome, and to Lactobacillaceae genomics more broadly.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emma L Bradford
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Noah Wax
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Emma K Bueren
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Jenifer B Walke
- Department of Biology, Eastern Washington University, Cheney, WA 99004, USA
| | - Richard Fell
- Department of Entomology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Lisa K Belden
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - David C Haak
- School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Gorrochategui-Ortega J, Muñoz-Colmenero M, Kovačić M, Filipi J, Puškadija Z, Kezić N, Parejo M, Büchler R, Estonba A, Zarraonaindia I. A short exposure to a semi-natural habitat alleviates the honey bee hive microbial imbalance caused by agricultural stress. Sci Rep 2022; 12:18832. [PMID: 36336704 PMCID: PMC9637708 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23287-6] [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: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Honeybee health and the species' gut microbiota are interconnected. Also noteworthy are the multiple niches present within hives, each with distinct microbiotas and all coexisting, which we termed "apibiome". External stressors (e.g. anthropization) can compromise microbial balance and bee resilience. We hypothesised that (1) the bacterial communities of hives located in areas with different degrees of anthropization differ in composition, and (2) due to interactions between the multiple microbiomes within the apibiome, changes in the community of a niche would impact the bacteria present in other hive sections. We characterised the bacterial consortia of different niches (bee gut, bee bread, hive entrance and internal hive air) of 43 hives from 3 different environments (agricultural, semi-natural and natural) through 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Agricultural samples presented lower community evenness, depletion of beneficial bacteria, and increased recruitment of stress related pathways (predicted via PICRUSt2). The taxonomic and functional composition of gut and hive entrance followed an environmental gradient. Arsenophonus emerged as a possible indicator of anthropization, gradually decreasing in abundance from agriculture to the natural environment in multiple niches. Importantly, after 16 days of exposure to a semi-natural landscape hives showed intermediate profiles, suggesting alleviation of microbial dysbiosis through reduction of anthropization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- June Gorrochategui-Ortega
- grid.11480.3c0000000121671098Department of Genetics, Physical Anthropology and Animal Physiology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena s/n, 48940 Leioa, Spain
| | - Marta Muñoz-Colmenero
- grid.11480.3c0000000121671098Department of Genetics, Physical Anthropology and Animal Physiology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena s/n, 48940 Leioa, Spain ,grid.419099.c0000 0001 1945 7711Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas (CSIC)/Institute of Marine Research, Eduardo Cabello 6, 36208 Vigo, Pontevedra Spain
| | - Marin Kovačić
- grid.412680.90000 0001 1015 399XFaculty of Agrobiotechnical Sciences Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, V.Preloga 1, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
| | - Janja Filipi
- grid.424739.f0000 0001 2159 1688Department of Ecology, Agronomy and Aquaculture, University of Zadar, Trg Kneza Višeslava 9, 23000 Zadar, Croatia
| | - Zlatko Puškadija
- grid.412680.90000 0001 1015 399XFaculty of Agrobiotechnical Sciences Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, V.Preloga 1, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
| | - Nikola Kezić
- grid.4808.40000 0001 0657 4636Department of Fisheries, Apiculture and Special Zoology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Svetošimunska Cesta 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Melanie Parejo
- grid.11480.3c0000000121671098Department of Genetics, Physical Anthropology and Animal Physiology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena s/n, 48940 Leioa, Spain
| | - Ralph Büchler
- grid.506460.10000 0004 4679 6788Landesbetrieb Landwirtschaft Hessen (LLH), Bieneninstitut, Erlenstraße 9, 35274 Kirchhain, Germany
| | - Andone Estonba
- grid.11480.3c0000000121671098Department of Genetics, Physical Anthropology and Animal Physiology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena s/n, 48940 Leioa, Spain
| | - Iratxe Zarraonaindia
- grid.11480.3c0000000121671098Department of Genetics, Physical Anthropology and Animal Physiology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena s/n, 48940 Leioa, Spain ,grid.424810.b0000 0004 0467 2314IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Caravantes-Villatoro LA, Liedo P, Guillén-Navarro K, Rojas JC. Effect of a Probiotic-Enriched Diet on Sexual Competitiveness, Pheromone Emission, and Cuticular Hydrocarbons of Sterile and Fertile Anastrepha ludens (Diptera: Tephritidae). JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 115:1490-1498. [PMID: 35848878 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toac105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The sterile insect technique has been used for the eradication or control of numerous tephritid fruit flies. However, mass-rearing and sterilization can affect the microbiota and sexual performance of male tephritid fruit flies. Despite the addition of postteneral protein food which contributes to the enhancement of the sexual performance of mass-reared males, in some cases, they are less competitive than their wild counterparts. Alternatively, the addition of probiotics may improve the sexual performance of mass-reared sterile males. In this study, we evaluated the effect of a postteneral Lactobacillus casei-enriched diet on the sexual competitivity, pheromone emission, and cuticular hydrocarbons of mass-reared sterile and fertile Anastrepha ludens (Loew) (Diptera: Tephritidae) males. Flies were fed either with sugar, standard diet (sugar and protein, 3:1), sugar + probiotic, or standard diet + probiotic. The addition of the probiotic improved the sexual competitivity of fertile and sterile males that were devoid of protein but led to a negative effect on males fed with a standard diet. As compared to males that were fed with the standard diet + probiotic/only sugar, the males fed with the standard diet or those fed on sugar + probiotic displayed a higher number of mating instances. Sterile males that fed on sugar + probiotic had a higher relative amount of anastrephine, epianastrephine, n-methyl octacosane, and 2-methyl triacontane than those fed on sugar only. Overall, these compounds were common in the treatments where males had the best sexual performance. Our results suggest that the probiotics offer nutritional advantages to males whose food lacks protein.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Pablo Liedo
- El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Carretera Antiguo Aeropuerto Km, Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico
| | - Karina Guillén-Navarro
- El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Carretera Antiguo Aeropuerto Km, Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico
| | - Julio C Rojas
- El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Carretera Antiguo Aeropuerto Km, Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Wang K, Zhu L, Rao L, Zhao L, Wang Y, Wu X, Zheng H, Liao X. Nano- and micro-polystyrene plastics disturb gut microbiota and intestinal immune system in honeybee. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 842:156819. [PMID: 35738383 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Micro- (MPs) and nano-plastics (NPs) have become emerging pollutants in the environment. Their wide distribution and capacity as a vector of hazardous materials threaten various organisms. Honeybees have been used as bioindicators for pollutants as their gut microbiota offers advantages for addressing how it alters the host health and exploring the processes of environmental pollutants affecting gut community dynamics. In this study, the effects of plastic particles of different sizes on honeybees' health were investigated. Oral exposure to polystyrene (PS) particles with a diameter of 100 nm significantly decreased the whole-body weight and survival rate of honeybees and induced intestinal dysplasia. As the increase of the feeding time from Day 0 to Day 15, the MPs moved to and accumulated in the rectum, where most bee gut symbionts colonized. Scanning electron microscope observation showed that 100-nm PS particles adhered to the germination pore of pollen, while 1- and 10-μm PS particles were attached by gut bacteria. We found that 100-nm PS treatment decreased the relative abundance of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium in the guts. Correspondingly, PS treatment stimulated immune inhibitory genes and depressed genes related to detoxification and energy balance. Furthermore, 100-nm PS treated honeybees became more susceptible to the pathogenic Hafnia alvei, leading to a five-times higher mortality rate. These results indicated the adverse impacts of NPs on honeybees, which extends our knowledge regarding the emerging health risks of plastic debris, especially at the nanoscale.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kewen Wang
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China; National Engineering Research Center for Fruit and Vegetable Processing, Key Lab of Fruit and Vegetable Processing, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing Key Laboratory of Food Non-Thermal Processing, Beijing, China
| | - Liya Zhu
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China; National Engineering Research Center for Fruit and Vegetable Processing, Key Lab of Fruit and Vegetable Processing, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing Key Laboratory of Food Non-Thermal Processing, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Rao
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China; National Engineering Research Center for Fruit and Vegetable Processing, Key Lab of Fruit and Vegetable Processing, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing Key Laboratory of Food Non-Thermal Processing, Beijing, China
| | - Liang Zhao
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China; National Engineering Research Center for Fruit and Vegetable Processing, Key Lab of Fruit and Vegetable Processing, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing Key Laboratory of Food Non-Thermal Processing, Beijing, China
| | - Yongtao Wang
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China; National Engineering Research Center for Fruit and Vegetable Processing, Key Lab of Fruit and Vegetable Processing, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing Key Laboratory of Food Non-Thermal Processing, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaomeng Wu
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China; National Engineering Research Center for Fruit and Vegetable Processing, Key Lab of Fruit and Vegetable Processing, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing Key Laboratory of Food Non-Thermal Processing, Beijing, China.
| | - Hao Zheng
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China; National Engineering Research Center for Fruit and Vegetable Processing, Key Lab of Fruit and Vegetable Processing, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing Key Laboratory of Food Non-Thermal Processing, Beijing, China.
| | - Xiaojun Liao
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China; National Engineering Research Center for Fruit and Vegetable Processing, Key Lab of Fruit and Vegetable Processing, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing Key Laboratory of Food Non-Thermal Processing, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Lanh PT, Duong BTT, Thu HT, Hoa NT, Yoo MS, Cho YS, Quyen DV. The Gut Microbiota at Different Developmental Stages of Apis cerana Reveals Potential Probiotic Bacteria for Improving Honeybee Health. Microorganisms 2022; 10:1938. [PMID: 36296213 PMCID: PMC9607016 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10101938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Honeybees play a vital role in the ecological environment and agricultural economy. Increasing evidence shows that the gut microbiome greatly influences the host's health. Therefore, a thorough understanding of gut bacteria composition can lead to the development of probiotics specific for each development stage of honeybees. In this study, the gut microbiota at different developmental stages (larvae, pupae, and adults) of the honeybees Apis cerana in Hanoi, Vietnam, was assessed by sequencing the V3-V4 region in the 16S rRNA gene using the Illumina Miseq platform. The results indicated that the richness and diversity of the gut microbiota varied over the investigated stages of A. cenara. All three bee groups showed relative abundance at both phylum and family levels. In larvae, Firmicutes were the most predominant (81.55%); however, they decreased significantly along with the bee development (33.7% in pupae and 10.3% in adults) in favor of Proteobacteria. In the gut of adult bees, four of five core bacteria were found, including Gilliamella apicola group (34.01%) Bifidobacterium asteroides group (10.3%), Lactobacillus Firm-4 (2%), and Lactobacillus Firm-5 (1%). In contrast, pupae and larvae lacked almost all core bacteria except G. apicola (4.13%) in pupae and Lactobacillus Firm-5 (4.04%) in larvae. This is the first report on the gut microbiota community at different developmental stages of A. cerana in Vietnam and provides potential probiotic species for beekeeping.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pham Thi Lanh
- Institute of Biotechnology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay, Hanoi 11307, Vietnam
- University of Science and Technology of Hanoi, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay, Hanoi 11307, Vietnam
| | - Bui Thi Thuy Duong
- Institute of Biotechnology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay, Hanoi 11307, Vietnam
| | - Ha Thi Thu
- Institute of Biotechnology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay, Hanoi 11307, Vietnam
| | - Nguyen Thi Hoa
- Institute of Biotechnology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay, Hanoi 11307, Vietnam
| | - Mi Sun Yoo
- Bacterial Disease Division, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, 177 Hyeksin 8-ro, Gimcheon-si 39660, Korea
| | - Yun Sang Cho
- Bacterial Disease Division, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, 177 Hyeksin 8-ro, Gimcheon-si 39660, Korea
| | - Dong Van Quyen
- Institute of Biotechnology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay, Hanoi 11307, Vietnam
- University of Science and Technology of Hanoi, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay, Hanoi 11307, Vietnam
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Oliphant SA, Watson-Haigh NS, Sumby KM, Gardner J, Groom S, Jiranek V. Apilactobacillus apisilvae sp. nov., Nicolia spurrieriana gen. nov. sp. nov., Bombilactobacillus folatiphilus sp. nov. and Bombilactobacillus thymidiniphilus sp. nov., four new lactic acid bacterial isolates from stingless bees Tetragonula carbonaria and Austroplebeia australis. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2022; 72. [DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.005588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Four strains, SG5_A10T, SGEP1_A5T, SG4_D2T, and SG4_A1T, were isolated from the honey or homogenate of Australian stingless bee species Tetragonula carbonaria and Austroplebeia australis. Based on 16S rRNA gene phylogeny, core gene phylogenetics, whole genome analyses such as determination of amino acid identity (AAI), cAAI of conserved genes, average nucleotide identity (ANI), and digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH), chemotaxonomic analyses, and the novel isolation sources and unique geography, we propose three new species and one genus with the names Apilactobacillus apisilvae sp. nov. (SG5_A10T = LMG 32133T = NBRC 114991T), Bombilactobacillus thymidiniphilus sp. nov. (SG4_A1T = LMG 32125T = NBRC 114984T), Bombilactobacillus folatiphilus sp. nov. (SG4_D2T = LMG 32126T = NBRC 115004T) and Nicolia spurrieriana sp. nov. (SGEP1_A5T = LMG 32134T = NBRC 114992T). Three out of the four strains were found to be fructophilic, where SG5_A10T and SGEP1_A5T belong to obligately fructophilic lactic acid bacteria, and SG4_D2T representing a new type denoted here as kinetically fructophilic. This study represents the first published lactic acid bacterial species associated with the unique niche of Australian stingless bees.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Scott A. Oliphant
- Department of Wine Science, School of Agriculture, Food & Wine, The University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia
| | - Nathan S. Watson-Haigh
- Australian Genome Research Facility, Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
- South Australian Genomics Centre (SAGC), SAHMRI, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Krista M. Sumby
- Australian Research Council Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production, Glen Osmond, SA 5064, Australia
- Department of Wine Science, School of Agriculture, Food & Wine, The University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia
| | - Jennifer Gardner
- Department of Wine Science, School of Agriculture, Food & Wine, The University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia
| | - Scott Groom
- Department of Agricultural Science, School of Agriculture, Food & Wine, The University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia
| | - Vladimir Jiranek
- Australian Research Council Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production, Glen Osmond, SA 5064, Australia
- Department of Wine Science, School of Agriculture, Food & Wine, The University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Yang C, Su Q, Tang M, Luo S, Zheng H, Zhang X, Zhou X. Amplicon Sequencing of Single-Copy Protein-Coding Genes Reveals Accurate Diversity for Sequence-Discrete Microbiome Populations. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0210521. [PMID: 35416715 PMCID: PMC9045262 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02105-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
An in-depth understanding of microbial function and the division of ecological niches requires accurate delineation and identification of microbes at a fine taxonomic resolution. Microbial phylotypes are typically defined using a 97% small subunit (16S) rRNA threshold. However, increasing evidence has demonstrated the ubiquitous presence of taxonomic units of distinct functions within phylotypes. These so-called sequence-discrete populations (SDPs) have used to be mainly delineated by disjunct sequence similarity at the whole-genome level. However, gene markers that could accurately identify and quantify SDPs are lacking in microbial community studies. Here, we developed a pipeline to screen single-copy protein-coding genes that could accurately characterize SDP diversity via amplicon sequencing of microbial communities. Fifteen candidate marker genes were evaluated using three criteria (extent of sequence divergence, phylogenetic accuracy, and conservation of primer regions) and the selected genes were subject to test the efficiency in differentiating SDPs within Gilliamella, a core honeybee gut microbial phylotype, as a proof-of-concept. The results showed that the 16S V4 region failed to report accurate SDP diversities due to low taxonomic resolution and changing copy numbers. In contrast, the single-copy genes recommended by our pipeline were able to successfully quantify Gilliamella SDPs for both mock samples and honeybee guts, with results highly consistent with those of metagenomics. The pipeline developed in this study is expected to identify single-copy protein coding genes capable of accurately quantifying diverse bacterial communities at the SDP level. IMPORTANCE Microbial communities can be distinguished by discrete genetic and ecological characteristics. These sequence-discrete populations are foundational for investigating the composition and functional structures of microbial communities at high resolution. In this study, we screened for reliable single-copy protein-coding marker genes to identify sequence-discrete populations through our pipeline. Using marker gene amplicon sequencing, we could accurately and efficiently delineate the population diversity in microbial communities. These results suggest that single copy protein-coding genes can be an accurate, quantitative, and economical alternative for characterizing population diversity. Moreover, the feasibility of a gene as marker for any bacterial population identification can be quickly evaluated by the pipeline proposed here.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chengfeng Yang
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- 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
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Min Tang
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Shiqi Luo
- 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
| | - Xue Zhang
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Zhou
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Hotchkiss MZ, Poulain AJ, Forrest JRK. Pesticide-induced disturbances of bee gut microbiotas. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2022; 46:6517452. [PMID: 35107129 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuab056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Social bee gut microbiotas play key roles in host health and performance. Worryingly, a growing body of literature shows that pesticide exposure can disturb these microbiotas. Most studies examine changes in taxonomic composition in Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) gut microbiotas caused by insecticide exposure. Core bee gut microbiota taxa shift in abundance after exposure but are rarely eliminated, with declines in Bifidobacteriales and Lactobacillus near melliventris abundance being the most common shifts. Pesticide concentration, exposure duration, season and concurrent stressors all influence whether and how bee gut microbiotas are disturbed. Also, the mechanism of disturbance-i.e. whether a pesticide directly affects microbial growth or indirectly affects the microbiota by altering host health-likely affects disturbance consistency. Despite growing interest in this topic, important questions remain unanswered. Specifically, metabolic shifts in bee gut microbiotas remain largely uninvestigated, as do effects of pesticide-disturbed gut microbiotas on bee host performance. Furthermore, few bee species have been studied other than A. mellifera, and few herbicides and fungicides have been examined. We call for these knowledge gaps to be addressed so that we may obtain a comprehensive picture of how pesticides alter bee gut microbiotas, and of the functional consequences of these changes.
Collapse
|
28
|
Castelli L, Branchiccela B, Romero H, Zunino P, Antúnez K. Seasonal Dynamics of the Honey Bee Gut Microbiota in Colonies Under Subtropical Climate : Seasonal Dynamics of Honey Bee Gut Microbiota. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2022; 83:492-500. [PMID: 33973059 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-021-01756-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Honey bees (Apis mellifera) provide invaluable benefits for food production and maintenance of biodiversity of natural environments through pollination. They are widely spread across the world, being adapted to different climatic conditions. To survive the winter in cold temperate regions, honey bees developed different strategies including storage of honey and pollen, confinement of individuals during the winter, and an annual cycle of colony growth and reproduction. Under these conditions, winter honey bees experience physiological changes, including changes in immunity and the composition of honey bee gut microbiota. However, under tropical or subtropical climates, the life cycle can experience alterations, i.e., queens lay eggs during almost all the year and new honey bees emerge constantly. In the present study, we characterized nurses' honey bee gut microbiota in colonies under subtropical region through a year, combining qPCR, PCR-DGGE, and 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing. We also identified environmental variables involved in those changes. Our results showed that under the mentioned conditions, the number of bacteria is stable throughout the year. Diversity of gut microbiota is higher in spring and lower in summer and winter. Gradual changes in compositions occur between seasons: Lactobacillus spp. predominate in spring while Gilliamella apicola and Snodgrasella alvi predominate in summer and winter. Environmental variables (mainly precipitations) affected the composition of the honey bee gut microbiota. Our findings provide new insights into the dynamics of honey bee gut microbiota and may be useful to understand the adaptation of bees to different environmental conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Loreley Castelli
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Y Salud de Las Abejas, Departamento de Microbiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Avda. Italia 3318, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Belén Branchiccela
- Sección Apicultura, Programa Nacional de Producción Familiar, INIA La Estanzuela, Ruta 50, Km 11, Colonia, Uruguay
| | - Héctor Romero
- Departamento de Ecología Y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias, Laboratorio de Organización Y Evolución del Genoma, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Pablo Zunino
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Y Salud de Las Abejas, Departamento de Microbiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Avda. Italia 3318, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Karina Antúnez
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Y Salud de Las Abejas, Departamento de Microbiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Avda. Italia 3318, Montevideo, Uruguay.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Lv M, Lei Q, Yin H, Hu T, Wang S, Dong K, Pan H, Liu Y, Lin Q, Cao Z. In vitro Effects of Prebiotics and Synbiotics on Apis cerana Gut Microbiota. Pol J Microbiol 2022; 70:511-520. [PMID: 34970318 PMCID: PMC8702607 DOI: 10.33073/pjm-2021-049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate in vitro effects of the selected prebiotics alone, and in combination with two potential probiotic Lactobacillus strains on the microbial composition of Apis cerana gut microbiota and acid production. Four prebiotics, inulin, fructo-oligosaccharides, xylo-oligosaccharides, and isomalto-oligosaccharides were chosen, and glucose served as the carbon source. Supplementation of this four prebiotics increased numbers of Bifidobacterium and lactic acid bacteria while decreasing the pH value of in vitro fermentation broth inoculated with A. cerana gut microbiota compared to glucose. Then, two potential probiotics derived from A. cerana gut at different dosages, Lactobacillus helveticus KM7 and Limosilactobacillus reuteri LP4 were added with isomalto-oligosaccharides in fermentation broth inoculated with A. cerana gut microbiota, respectively. The most pronounced impact was observed with isomalto-oligosaccharides. Compared to isomalto-oligosaccharides alone, the combination of isomalto-oligosaccharides with both lactobacilli strains induced the growth of Bifidobacterium, LAB, and total bacteria and reduced the proliferation of Enterococcus and fungi. Consistent with these results, the altered metabolic activity was observed as lowered pH in in vitro culture of gut microbiota supplemented with isomalto-oligosaccharides and lactobacilli strains. The symbiotic impact varied with the types and concentration of Lactobacillus strains and fermentation time. The more effective ability was observed with IMO combined with L. helveticus KM7. These results suggested that isomalto-oligosaccharides could be a potential prebiotic and symbiotic with certain lactobacilli strains on A. cerana gut microbiota.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mingkui Lv
- Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingzhi Lei
- Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, People's Republic of China
| | - Huajuan Yin
- Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, People's Republic of China
| | - Tiannian Hu
- Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, People's Republic of China
| | - Sifan Wang
- Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, People's Republic of China
| | - Kun Dong
- Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongbin Pan
- Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, People's Republic of China.,Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, Kunming, People's Republic of China
| | - Yiqiu Liu
- Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiuye Lin
- College of Food Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhenhui Cao
- Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, People's Republic of China.,Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, Kunming, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Li L, Solvi C, Zhang F, Qi Z, Chittka L, Zhao W. Gut microbiome drives individual memory variation in bumblebees. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6588. [PMID: 34824201 PMCID: PMC8616916 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26833-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The potential of the gut microbiome as a driver of individual cognitive differences in natural populations of animals remains unexplored. Here, using metagenomic sequencing of individual bumblebee hindguts, we find a positive correlation between the abundance of Lactobacillus Firm-5 cluster and memory retention on a visual discrimination task. Supplementation with the Firm-5 species Lactobacillus apis, but not other non-Firm-5 bacterial species, enhances bees' memory. Untargeted metabolomics after L. apis supplementation show increased LPA (14:0) glycerophospholipid in the haemolymph. Oral administration of the LPA increases long-term memory significantly. Based on our findings and metagenomic/metabolomic analyses, we propose a molecular pathway for this gut-brain interaction. Our results provide insights into proximate and ultimate causes of cognitive differences in natural bumblebee populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Li Li
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214122, China
| | - Cwyn Solvi
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Feng Zhang
- Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214122, China
| | - Zhaoyang Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214122, China
| | - Lars Chittka
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Wei Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214122, China.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Wu Y, Zheng Y, Wang S, Chen Y, Tao J, Chen Y, Chen G, Zhao H, Wang K, Dong K, Hu F, Feng Y, Zheng H. Genetic divergence and functional convergence of gut bacteria between the Eastern honey bee Apis cerana and the Western honey bee Apis mellifera. J Adv Res 2021; 37:19-31. [PMID: 35499050 PMCID: PMC9039653 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2021.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The inter-species diversity of A. cerana and A. mellifera core gut bacteria was revealed. Core bacterial species of A. cerana and A. mellifera are distinctive in function. Functional profile of overall gut community of A. cerana and A. mellifera are similar. Metabolome showed that A. cerana and A. mellifera gut bacteria have similar metabolic capability. A. cerana and A. mellifera core gut bacteria have no strict host specificity.
Introduction The functional relevance of intra-species diversity in natural microbial communities remains largely unexplored. The guts of two closely related honey bee species, Apis cerana and A. mellifera, are colonised by a similar set of core bacterial species composed of host-specific strains, thereby providing a good model for an intra-species diversity study. Objectives We aim to assess the functional relevance of intra-species diversity of A. cerana and A. mellifera gut microbiota. Methods Honey bee workers were collected from four regions of China. Their gut microbiomes were investigated by shotgun metagenomic sequencing, and the bacterial compositions were compared at the species level. A cross-species colonisation assay was conducted, with the gut metabolomes being characterised by LC-MS/MS. Results Comparative analysis showed that the strain composition of the core bacterial species was host-specific. These core bacterial species presented distinctive functional profiles between the hosts. However, the overall functional profiles of the A. cerana and A. mellifera gut microbiomes were similar; this was further supported by the consistency of the honey bees’ gut metabolome, as the gut microbiota of different honey bee species showed rather similar metabolic profiles in the cross-species colonisation assay. Moreover, this experiment also demonstrated that the gut microbiota of A. cerana and A. mellifera could cross colonise between the two honey bee species. Conclusion Our findings revealed functional differences in most core gut bacteria between the guts of A. cerana and A. mellifera, which may be associated with their inter-species diversity. However, the functional profiles of the overall gut microbiomes between the two honey bee species converge, probably as a result of the overlapping ecological niches of the two species. Our findings provide critical insights into the evolution and functional roles of the mutualistic microbiota of honey bees and reveal that functional redundancy could stabilise the gene content diversity at the strain-level within the gut community.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuqi Wu
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yufei Zheng
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shuai Wang
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yanping Chen
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, USA
| | - Junyi Tao
- Department of Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Yanan Chen
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Gongwen Chen
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 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, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kai Wang
- Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Kun Dong
- Eastern Bee Research Institute, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Fuliang Hu
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Corresponding authors.
| | - Ye Feng
- Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Institute for Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Corresponding authors.
| | - Huoqing Zheng
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Corresponding authors.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Brochet S, Quinn A, Mars RA, Neuschwander N, Sauer U, Engel P. Niche partitioning facilitates coexistence of closely related honey bee gut bacteria. eLife 2021; 10:68583. [PMID: 34279218 PMCID: PMC8456714 DOI: 10.7554/elife.68583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological processes underlying bacterial coexistence in the gut are not well understood. Here, we disentangled the effect of the host and the diet on the coexistence of four closely related Lactobacillus species colonizing the honey bee gut. We serially passaged the four species through gnotobiotic bees and in liquid cultures in the presence of either pollen (bee diet) or simple sugars. Although the four species engaged in negative interactions, they were able to stably coexist, both in vivo and in vitro. However, coexistence was only possible in the presence of pollen, and not in simple sugars, independent of the environment. Using metatranscriptomics and metabolomics, we found that the four species utilize different pollen-derived carbohydrate substrates indicating resource partitioning as the basis of coexistence. Our results show that despite longstanding host association, gut bacterial interactions can be recapitulated in vitro providing insights about bacterial coexistence when combined with in vivo experiments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Brochet
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Andrew Quinn
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ruben At Mars
- Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Neuschwander
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Uwe Sauer
- Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Philipp Engel
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Yu AO, Goldman EA, Brooks JT, Golomb BL, Yim IS, Gotcheva V, Angelov A, Kim EB, Marco ML. Strain diversity of plant-associated Lactiplantibacillus plantarum. Microb Biotechnol 2021; 14:1990-2008. [PMID: 34171185 PMCID: PMC8449665 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2021] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (formerly Lactobacillus plantarum) is a lactic acid bacteria species found on plants that is essential for many plant food fermentations. In this study, we investigated the intraspecific phenotypic and genetic diversity of 13 L. plantarum strains isolated from different plant foods, including fermented olives and tomatoes, cactus fruit, teff injera, wheat boza and wheat sourdough starter. We found that strains from the same or similar plant food types frequently exhibited similar carbohydrate metabolism and stress tolerance responses. The isolates from acidic, brine‐containing ferments (olives and tomatoes) were more resistant to MRS adjusted to pH 3.5 or containing 4% w/v NaCl, than those recovered from grain fermentations. Strains from fermented olives grew robustly on raffinose as the sole carbon source and were better able to grow in the presence of ethanol (8% v/v or sequential exposure of 8% (v/v) and then 12% (v/v) ethanol) than most isolates from other plant types and the reference strain NCIMB8826R. Cell free culture supernatants from the olive‐associated strains were also more effective at inhibiting growth of an olive spoilage strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Multi‐locus sequence typing and comparative genomics indicated that isolates from the same source tended to be genetically related. However, despite these similarities, other traits were highly variable between strains from the same plant source, including the capacity for biofilm formation and survival at pH 2 or 50°C. Genomic comparisons were unable to resolve strain differences, with the exception of the most phenotypically impaired and robust isolates, highlighting the importance of utilizing phenotypic studies to investigate differences between strains of L. plantarum. The findings show that L. plantarum is adapted for growth on specific plants or plant food types, but that intraspecific variation may be important for ecological fitness and strain coexistence within individual habitats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Annabelle O Yu
- Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Elissa A Goldman
- Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Jason T Brooks
- Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Benjamin L Golomb
- Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Irene S Yim
- Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Velitchka Gotcheva
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Food Technologies, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Angel Angelov
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Food Technologies, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Eun Bae Kim
- Department of Applied Animal Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Gangwon-Do, South Korea
| | - Maria L Marco
- Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Panjad P, Yongsawas R, Sinpoo C, Pakwan C, Subta P, Krongdang S, In-on A, Chomdej S, Chantawannakul P, Disayathanoowat T. Impact of Nosema Disease and American Foulbrood on Gut Bacterial Communities of Honeybees Apis mellifera. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12060525. [PMID: 34204079 PMCID: PMC8227250 DOI: 10.3390/insects12060525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Honeybees, Apis mellifera, are important pollinators of many economically important crops. However, one of the reasons for their decline is pathogenic infection. Nosema disease and American foulbrood (AFB) disease are the most common bee pathogens that propagate in the gut of honeybees. This study investigated the impact of gut-propagating pathogens, including Nosema ceranae and Paenibacillus larvae, on bacterial communities in the gut of A. mellifera using 454-pyrosequencing. Pyrosequencing results showed that N. ceranae was implicated in the elimination of Serratia and the dramatic increase in Snodgrassella and Bartonella in adult bees' guts, while bacterial communities of P. larvae-infected larvae were not affected by the infection. The results indicated that only N. ceranae had an impact on some core bacteria in the gut of A. mellifera through increasing core gut bacteria, therefore leading to the induction of dysbiosis in the bees' gut.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Poonnawat Panjad
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (P.P.); (R.Y.); (C.S.); (C.P.); (P.S.); (S.C.); (P.C.)
| | - Rujipas Yongsawas
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (P.P.); (R.Y.); (C.S.); (C.P.); (P.S.); (S.C.); (P.C.)
| | - Chainarong Sinpoo
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (P.P.); (R.Y.); (C.S.); (C.P.); (P.S.); (S.C.); (P.C.)
| | - Chonthicha Pakwan
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (P.P.); (R.Y.); (C.S.); (C.P.); (P.S.); (S.C.); (P.C.)
| | - Phakamas Subta
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (P.P.); (R.Y.); (C.S.); (C.P.); (P.S.); (S.C.); (P.C.)
| | - Sasiprapa Krongdang
- Faculty of Science and Social Sciences, Burapha University Sakaeo Campus, Sakaeo 27160, Thailand;
| | - Ammarin In-on
- Bioinformatics & Systems Biology Program, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (Bang Khun Thian Campus), Bang Khun Thian, Bangkok 10150, Thailand;
| | - Siriwadee Chomdej
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (P.P.); (R.Y.); (C.S.); (C.P.); (P.S.); (S.C.); (P.C.)
- Center of Excellence in Bioresources for Agriculture, Industry and Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Panuwan Chantawannakul
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (P.P.); (R.Y.); (C.S.); (C.P.); (P.S.); (S.C.); (P.C.)
- Center of Excellence in Bioresources for Agriculture, Industry and Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Terd Disayathanoowat
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (P.P.); (R.Y.); (C.S.); (C.P.); (P.S.); (S.C.); (P.C.)
- Center of Excellence in Bioresources for Agriculture, Industry and Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Microbial Diversity and Sustainable Utilization, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +66-81-7249624
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Callegari M, Crotti E, Fusi M, Marasco R, Gonella E, De Noni I, Romano D, Borin S, Tsiamis G, Cherif A, Alma A, Daffonchio D. Compartmentalization of bacterial and fungal microbiomes in the gut of adult honeybees. NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes 2021; 7:42. [PMID: 33963194 PMCID: PMC8105395 DOI: 10.1038/s41522-021-00212-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The core gut microbiome of adult honeybee comprises a set of recurring bacterial phylotypes, accompanied by lineage-specific, variable, and less abundant environmental bacterial phylotypes. Several mutual interactions and functional services to the host, including the support provided for growth, hormonal signaling, and behavior, are attributed to the core and lineage-specific taxa. By contrast, the diversity and distribution of the minor environmental phylotypes and fungal members in the gut remain overlooked. In the present study, we hypothesized that the microbial components of forager honeybees (i.e., core bacteria, minor environmental phylotypes, and fungal members) are compartmentalized along the gut portions. The diversity and distribution of such three microbial components were investigated in the context of the physico-chemical conditions of different gut compartments. We observed that changes in the distribution and abundance of microbial components in the gut are consistently compartment-specific for all the three microbial components, indicating that the ecological and physiological interactions among the host and microbiome vary with changing physico-chemical and metabolic conditions of the gut.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Callegari
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Elena Crotti
- Dipartimento di Scienze per gli Alimenti, la Nutrizione e l'Ambiente (DeFENS), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
| | - Marco Fusi
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ramona Marasco
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Elena Gonella
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali e Alimentari (DISAFA), Università degli Studi di Torino, Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Ivano De Noni
- Dipartimento di Scienze per gli Alimenti, la Nutrizione e l'Ambiente (DeFENS), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Diego Romano
- Dipartimento di Scienze per gli Alimenti, la Nutrizione e l'Ambiente (DeFENS), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Borin
- Dipartimento di Scienze per gli Alimenti, la Nutrizione e l'Ambiente (DeFENS), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - George Tsiamis
- Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Patras, Agrinion, Greece
| | - Ameur Cherif
- Institut Supérieur de Biotechnologie Sidi Thabet (ISBST), BVBGR-LR11ES31, Biotechpole Sidi Thabet, University Manouba, Ariana, Tunisia
| | - Alberto Alma
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali e Alimentari (DISAFA), Università degli Studi di Torino, Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Daniele Daffonchio
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Aziz G, Tariq M, Zaidi AH. Mining indigenous honeybee gut microbiota for Lactobacillus with probiotic potential. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2021; 167. [PMID: 33587693 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The present study was done to explore the diversity of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) associated with the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of honeybee species endemic to northeastern Pakistan. Healthy worker bees belonging to Apis mellifera, A. dorsata, A. cerana and A. florea were collected from hives and the surroundings of a major apiary in the region. The 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing revealed a microbial community in A. florea that was distinct from the others in having an abundance of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria. However, this was not reflected in the culturable bacteria obtained from these species. The isolates were characterized for safety parameters, and 20 LAB strains deemed safe were evaluated for resistance to human GIT stresses like acid and bile, adhesion and adhesiveness, and anti-pathogenicity. The five most robust strains, Enterococcus saigonensis NPL780a, Lactobacillus rapi NPL782a, Lactobacillus kunkeei NPL783a, and NPL784, and Lactobacillus paracasei NPL783b, were identified through normalized Pearson (n) principal components analysis (PCA). These strains were checked for inhibition of human pathogens, antibiotic resistance, osmotic tolerance, metabolic and enzymatic functions, and carbohydrate utilization, along with antioxidative and cholesterol-removing potential. The findings suggest at least three strains (NPL 783a, 784 and 782a) as candidates for further in vitro and in vivo investigations of their potential health benefits and application as novel probiotic adjuncts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ghazal Aziz
- Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nilore, Islamabad 45650, Pakistan.,National Probiotic Lab-NIBGE, Jhang Road, Faisalabad 38000 (Punjab), Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Tariq
- Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nilore, Islamabad 45650, Pakistan.,National Probiotic Lab-NIBGE, Jhang Road, Faisalabad 38000 (Punjab), Pakistan
| | - Arsalan Haseeb Zaidi
- National Probiotic Lab-NIBGE, Jhang Road, Faisalabad 38000 (Punjab), Pakistan.,Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nilore, Islamabad 45650, Pakistan
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Maeno S, Nishimura H, Tanizawa Y, Dicks L, Arita M, Endo A. Unique niche-specific adaptation of fructophilic lactic acid bacteria and proposal of three Apilactobacillus species as novel members of the group. BMC Microbiol 2021; 21:41. [PMID: 33563209 PMCID: PMC7871557 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-021-02101-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fructophilic lactic acid bacteria (FLAB) found in D-fructose rich niches prefer D-fructose over D-glucose as a growth substrate. They need electron acceptors for growth on D-glucose. The organisms share carbohydrate metabolic properties. Fructobacillus spp., Apilactobacillus kunkeei, and Apilactobacillus apinorum are members of this unique group. Here we studied the fructophilic characteristics of recently described species Apilactobacillus micheneri, Apilactobacillus quenuiae, and Apilactobacillus timberlakei. RESULTS The three species prefer D-fructose over D-glucose and only metabolize D-glucose in the presence of electron acceptors. The genomic characteristics of the three species, i.e. small genomes and thus a low number of coding DNA sequences, few genes involved in carbohydrate transport and metabolism, and partial deletion of adhE gene, are characteristic of FLAB. The three species thus are novel members of FLAB. Reduction of genes involved in carbohydrate transport and metabolism in accordance with reduction of genome size were the common characteristics of the family Lactobacillaceae, but FLAB markedly reduced the gene numbers more than other species in the family. Pan-genome analysis of genes involved in metabolism displayed a lack of specific carbohydrate metabolic pathways in FLAB, leading to a unique cluster separation. CONCLUSIONS The present study expanded FLAB group. Fructose-rich environments have induced similar evolution in phylogenetically distant FLAB species. These are examples of convergent evolution of LAB.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shintaro Maeno
- Department of Food, Aroma and Cosmetic Chemistry, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Abashiri, Hokkaido, 099-2493, Japan
| | - Hiroya Nishimura
- Department of Food, Aroma and Cosmetic Chemistry, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Abashiri, Hokkaido, 099-2493, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Tanizawa
- Department of Informatics, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka, 411-8540, Japan
| | - Leon Dicks
- Department of Microbiology, University of Stellenbosch, Matieland, Stellenbosch, 7602, South Africa
| | - Masanori Arita
- Department of Informatics, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka, 411-8540, Japan
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Akihito Endo
- Department of Food, Aroma and Cosmetic Chemistry, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Abashiri, Hokkaido, 099-2493, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
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: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [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.
Collapse
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:
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Castelli L, Branchiccela B, Garrido M, Invernizzi C, Porrini M, Romero H, Santos E, Zunino P, Antúnez K. Impact of Nutritional Stress on Honeybee Gut Microbiota, Immunity, and Nosema ceranae Infection. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2020; 80:908-919. [PMID: 32666305 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-020-01538-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Honeybees are important pollinators, having an essential role in the ecology of natural and agricultural environments. Honeybee colony losses episodes reported worldwide and have been associated with different pests and pathogens, pesticide exposure, and nutritional stress. This nutritional stress is related to the increase in monoculture areas which leads to a reduction of pollen availability and diversity. In this study, we examined whether nutritional stress affects honeybee gut microbiota, bee immunity, and infection by Nosema ceranae, under laboratory conditions. Consumption of Eucalyptus grandis pollen was used as a nutritionally poor-quality diet to study nutritional stress, in contraposition to the consumption of polyfloral pollen. Honeybees feed with Eucalyptus grandis pollen showed a lower abundance of Lactobacillus mellifer and Lactobacillus apis (Firm-4 and Firm-5, respectively) and Bifidobacterium spp. and a higher abundance of Bartonella apis, than honeybees fed with polyfloral pollen. Besides the impact of nutritional stress on honeybee microbiota, it also decreased the expression levels of vitellogenin and genes associated to immunity (glucose oxidase, hymenoptaecin and lysozyme). Finally, Eucalyptus grandis pollen favored the multiplication of Nosema ceranae. These results show that nutritional stress impacts the honeybee gut microbiota, having consequences on honeybee immunity and pathogen development. Those results may be useful to understand the influence of modern agriculture on honeybee health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- L Castelli
- Departamento de Microbiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Avda. Italia 3318, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - B Branchiccela
- Departamento de Microbiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Avda. Italia 3318, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - M Garrido
- Centro de Investigación en Abejas Sociales (CIAS). Instituto de Investigaciones en Producción Sanidad y Ambiente (IIPROSAM-CONICET-CIC). Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - C Invernizzi
- Sección Etología, Facultad de Ciencias, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - M Porrini
- Centro de Investigación en Abejas Sociales (CIAS). Instituto de Investigaciones en Producción Sanidad y Ambiente (IIPROSAM-CONICET-CIC). Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - H Romero
- Departamento de Ecología y Evolución, Laboratorio de Organización y Evolución del Genoma. Facultad de Ciencias, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - E Santos
- Sección Etología, Facultad de Ciencias, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - P Zunino
- Departamento de Microbiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Avda. Italia 3318, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - K Antúnez
- Departamento de Microbiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Avda. Italia 3318, Montevideo, Uruguay.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Manici LM, Saccà ML, Lodesani M. Secondary Metabolites Produced by Honey Bee-Associated Bacteria for Apiary Health: Potential Activity of Platynecine. Curr Microbiol 2020; 77:3441-3449. [PMID: 32757039 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-020-02153-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Secondary metabolites of bacteria associated with honey bees were evaluated as part of an investigation on their potentiality for apiary health. Low molecular weight compounds released into culture filtrates by the four bacterial isolates taken from surface of healthy honey bees were analyzed using time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Only one low molecular weight compound was found in the culture filtrate of each isolate. Bacillus thuringiensis, Bifidobacterium asteroides and Acetobacteraceae bacterium, released into culture filtrates platynecine, a pyrrolizidine alkaloid of plant origin, which, until now, had never been reported as produced by bacteria. Lactobacillus kunkeei produced a 3,5-dinitropyridine, of unknown biological action never associated so far to bacteria. The highest relative concentration of platynecine was detected in B. thuringiensis (100%), B. asteroides and A. bacterium showed a concentration above 50% and below 25% that concentration. An in vitro assay on the potential for controlling the parasitic mite Varroa destructor by the culture filtrates of the three platynecine-producing bacteria was performed. Varroa mite mortality was proportional to the platynecine relative concentration into culture filtrate. Although miticidal activity of B. thuringiensis might be associated to other toxic proteins produced by this species, B. asteroides toxicity toward V. destructor along with the other findings of this study support the hypothesis that platynecine plays a direct or an indirect role in controlling varroa. Findings of this study suggest that secondary metabolites released by honey bee-associated bacteria represent a source of natural compounds to be considered in the challenge for counteracting the colony decline.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- L M Manici
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Research Center for Agriculture and Environment, Via di Corticella 133, 40128, Bologna, Italy. .,CREA-AA, via di Corticella 133, Bologna, Italy.
| | - M L Saccà
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Research Center for Agriculture and Environment, Via di Corticella 133, 40128, Bologna, Italy
| | - M Lodesani
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Research Center for Agriculture and Environment, Via di Corticella 133, 40128, Bologna, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Subta P, Yodsuwan P, Yongsawas R, In-on A, Warrit N, Panha S, Khongphinitbunjong K, Chantawannakul P, Attasopa K, Disayathanoowat T. Bacterial Communities in Three Parts of Intestinal Tracts of Carpenter Bees ( Xylocopa tenuiscapa). INSECTS 2020; 11:E497. [PMID: 32756386 PMCID: PMC7469164 DOI: 10.3390/insects11080497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated different bacterial communities in three intestinal parts (foregut, midgut and hindgut) of Xylocopatenuiscapa to understand the roles of gut bacteria. Our phylogenetic analysis revealed that X. tenuiscapa is closely related to Xylocopa latipes. The 16S rRNA gene in the genomic DNA samples from the gut was examined by illumina (Solexa) and a total of 998 operational taxonomic unit (OTUs) clusters were found. Taxonomic classification identified 16 bacterial phyla and unclassified bacteria. The dominant bacteria taxa in the three parts of X. tenuiscapa gut were Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria. In the foregut, Lactobacillales and Enterobacteriaceae were predominantly found. The population in the midgut was similar to that in the foregut, with the addition of Gilliamella, which was also abundant. The most dominant bacteria identified in the hindgut were similar to those in the midgut and Lactobacillales, Enterobacteriaceae, Gilliamella, Bifidobacteriaceae and Flavobacteriaceae appeared in abundance. Moreover, our results suggest that a community structure of bacteria in different parts of X. tenuiscapa's gut may be an important indicator of carpenter bees' health. This functional study of bacterial communities revealed significant differences among the three intestinal parts and is the first report of the gut bacteria structure in solitary bees.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Phakamas Subta
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (P.S.); (P.Y.); (R.Y.); (P.C.)
| | - Phongsathon Yodsuwan
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (P.S.); (P.Y.); (R.Y.); (P.C.)
| | - Rujipas Yongsawas
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (P.S.); (P.Y.); (R.Y.); (P.C.)
| | - Ammarin In-on
- Bioinformatics & Systems Biology Program, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (Bang Khun Thian Campus), Bang Khun Thian, Bangkok 10150, Thailand;
| | - Natapot Warrit
- Center of Excellence in Entomology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand;
| | - Somsak Panha
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand;
| | | | - Panuwan Chantawannakul
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (P.S.); (P.Y.); (R.Y.); (P.C.)
| | - Korrawat Attasopa
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand;
| | - Terd Disayathanoowat
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; (P.S.); (P.Y.); (R.Y.); (P.C.)
- Research Center in Bioresources for Agriculture, Industry and Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
- Research Center of Microbial Diversity and Sustainable Utilization, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Luo ZW, Dong ZX, Chen YF, Li HY, Tang QH, Li JL, Guo J. Comparative analysis of the gut microbiota of Apis cerana in Yunnan using high-throughput sequencing. Arch Microbiol 2020; 202:2557-2567. [PMID: 32666301 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-020-01974-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Gut microbes play an important role in host disease and health. The Asian honey bee Apis cerana is an important pollinator of agricultural crops in China. However, there are still few studies on the structure and composition of the microbiota in the intestine of A. cerana, especially A. cerana in Yunnan. To understand the species and composition of the microbiota in the intestine of A. cerana in Yunnan, we used high-throughput sequencing technology to carry out 16S rRNA sequencing on 50 samples from Kunming, Xishuangbanna and Mengzi. The results show that both from the phylum level and the genus level, the structure and abundance of the microbiota in the gut of A. cerana from the three regions tended to be the same. At the phylum level, the abundance of Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria and other species was high in A. cerana from different areas. At the genus level, the abundance of Lactobacillus, Gilliamella, Snodgrassella, Apibacter, Candidatus Schmidhempelia and other species was high in A. cerana from different areas. Due to its unique geographical environment and climatic conditions, at the genus level, the diversity of bacterial communities in Xishuangbanna was significantly lower than that in the other two regions, which was about 100 genera less. In conclusion, our results reveal the composition and structure of the intestinal microbiota of bees in Yunnan and deepen our understanding of the intestinal microbiota of bees.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Wen Luo
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, Yunnan, China
| | - Zhi-Xiang Dong
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, Yunnan, China
| | - Yi-Fei Chen
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, Yunnan, China
| | - Huan-Yuan Li
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, Yunnan, China
| | - Qi-He Tang
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, Yunnan, China
| | - Ji-Lian Li
- Institute of Apiculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing, 100093, China.
| | - Jun Guo
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, Yunnan, China.
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Ellegaard KM, Suenami S, Miyazaki R, Engel P. Vast Differences in Strain-Level Diversity in the Gut Microbiota of Two Closely Related Honey Bee Species. Curr Biol 2020. [PMID: 32531278 DOI: 10.1101/2020.01.23.916296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Most bacterial species encompass strains with vastly different gene content. Strain diversity in microbial communities is therefore considered to be of functional importance. Yet little is known about the extent to which related microbial communities differ in diversity at this level and which underlying mechanisms may constrain and maintain strain-level diversity. Here, we used shotgun metagenomics to characterize and compare the gut microbiota of two honey bee species, Apis mellifera and Apis cerana, which diverged about 6 mya. Although the host species are colonized largely by the same bacterial 16S rRNA phylotypes, we find that their communities are host specific when analyzed with genomic resolution. Moreover, despite their similar ecology, A. mellifera displayed a much higher diversity of strains and functional gene content in the microbiota compared to A. cerana, both per colony and per individual bee. In particular, the gene repertoire for polysaccharide degradation was massively expanded in the microbiota of A. mellifera relative to A. cerana. Bee management practices, divergent ecological adaptation, or habitat size may have contributed to the observed differences in microbiota genomic diversity of these key pollinator species. Our results illustrate that the gut microbiota of closely related animal hosts can differ vastly in genomic diversity while displaying similar levels of diversity based on the 16S rRNA gene. Such differences are likely to have consequences for gut microbiota functioning and host-symbiont interactions, highlighting the need for metagenomic studies to understand the ecology and evolution of microbial communities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten M Ellegaard
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Shota Suenami
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 305-8566 Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Ryo Miyazaki
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 305-8566 Tsukuba, Japan; Computational Bio Big Data Open Innovation Laboratory (CBBD-OIL), AIST, 169-8555 Tokyo, Japan; Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 305-8572 Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Philipp Engel
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Lugli GA, Alessandri G, Milani C, Mancabelli L, Ruiz L, Fontana F, Borragán S, González A, Turroni F, Ossiprandi MC, Margolles A, van Sinderen D, Ventura M. Evolutionary development and co-phylogeny of primate-associated bifidobacteria. Environ Microbiol 2020; 22:3375-3393. [PMID: 32515117 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, bifidobacterial populations in the gut of various monkey species have been assessed in several ecological surveys, unveiling a diverse, yet unexplored ecosystem harbouring novel species. In the current study, we investigated the species distribution of bifidobacteria present in 23 different species of primates, including human samples, by means of 16S rRNA microbial profiling and internal transcribed spacer bifidobacterial profiling. Based on the observed bifidobacterial-host co-phylogeny, we found a statistically significant correlation between the Hominidae family and particular bifidobacterial species isolated from humans, indicating phylosymbiosis between these lineages. Furthermore, phylogenetic and glycobiome analyses, based on 40 bifidobacterial species isolated from primates, revealed that members of the Bifidobacterium tissieri phylogenetic group, which are typical gut inhabitants of members of the Cebidae family, descend from an ancient ancestor with respect to other bifidobacterial taxa isolated from primates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Andrea Lugli
- Laboratory of Probiogenomics, Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences, and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, 43124, Italy
| | - Giulia Alessandri
- Department of Veterinary Medical Science, University of Parma, Parma, 43124, Italy
| | - Christian Milani
- Laboratory of Probiogenomics, Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences, and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, 43124, Italy.,Microbiome Research Hub, University of Parma, Parma, 43124, Italy
| | - Leonardo Mancabelli
- Laboratory of Probiogenomics, Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences, and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, 43124, Italy
| | - Lorena Ruiz
- Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry, Dairy Research Institute of Asturias, Spanish National Research Council (IPLA-CSIC), Paseo Río Linares s/n, Villaviciosa, Asturias, 33300, Spain.,MicroHealth Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
| | - Federico Fontana
- Laboratory of Probiogenomics, Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences, and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, 43124, Italy
| | | | - Andrea González
- Zoo de Santillana, Avda. del Zoo 2, Santillana del Mar, Cantabria, 39330, Spain
| | - Francesca Turroni
- Laboratory of Probiogenomics, Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences, and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, 43124, Italy.,Microbiome Research Hub, University of Parma, Parma, 43124, Italy
| | | | - Abelardo Margolles
- Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry, Dairy Research Institute of Asturias, Spanish National Research Council (IPLA-CSIC), Paseo Río Linares s/n, Villaviciosa, Asturias, 33300, Spain.,MicroHealth Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
| | - Douwe van Sinderen
- APC Microbiome Institute and School of Microbiology, Bioscience Institute, National University of Ireland, T12 YT20, Cork, Ireland
| | - Marco Ventura
- Laboratory of Probiogenomics, Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences, and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, 43124, Italy.,Microbiome Research Hub, University of Parma, Parma, 43124, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Ellegaard KM, Suenami S, Miyazaki R, Engel P. Vast Differences in Strain-Level Diversity in the Gut Microbiota of Two Closely Related Honey Bee Species. Curr Biol 2020; 30:2520-2531.e7. [PMID: 32531278 PMCID: PMC7342003 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.04.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Most bacterial species encompass strains with vastly different gene content. Strain diversity in microbial communities is therefore considered to be of functional importance. Yet little is known about the extent to which related microbial communities differ in diversity at this level and which underlying mechanisms may constrain and maintain strain-level diversity. Here, we used shotgun metagenomics to characterize and compare the gut microbiota of two honey bee species, Apis mellifera and Apis cerana, which diverged about 6 mya. Although the host species are colonized largely by the same bacterial 16S rRNA phylotypes, we find that their communities are host specific when analyzed with genomic resolution. Moreover, despite their similar ecology, A. mellifera displayed a much higher diversity of strains and functional gene content in the microbiota compared to A. cerana, both per colony and per individual bee. In particular, the gene repertoire for polysaccharide degradation was massively expanded in the microbiota of A. mellifera relative to A. cerana. Bee management practices, divergent ecological adaptation, or habitat size may have contributed to the observed differences in microbiota genomic diversity of these key pollinator species. Our results illustrate that the gut microbiota of closely related animal hosts can differ vastly in genomic diversity while displaying similar levels of diversity based on the 16S rRNA gene. Such differences are likely to have consequences for gut microbiota functioning and host-symbiont interactions, highlighting the need for metagenomic studies to understand the ecology and evolution of microbial communities. Metagenomics reveals differences in gut microbiota diversity beyond the 16S rRNA gene Apis cerana and Apis mellifera harbor distinct species and strains in their gut Diversity is much higher in A. mellifera per individual bee and within colonies Major differences in functions are related to polysaccharide degradation
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten M Ellegaard
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Shota Suenami
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 305-8566 Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Ryo Miyazaki
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 305-8566 Tsukuba, Japan; Computational Bio Big Data Open Innovation Laboratory (CBBD-OIL), AIST, 169-8555 Tokyo, Japan; Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 305-8572 Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Philipp Engel
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Shotgun sequencing of honey DNA can describe honey bee derived environmental signatures and the honey bee hologenome complexity. Sci Rep 2020; 10:9279. [PMID: 32518251 PMCID: PMC7283317 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-66127-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Honey bees are large-scale monitoring tools due to their extensive environmental exploration. In their activities and from the hive ecosystem complex, they get in close contact with many organisms whose traces can be transferred into the honey, which can represent an interesting reservoir of environmental DNA (eDNA) signatures and information useful to analyse the honey bee hologenome complexity. In this study, we tested a deep shotgun sequencing approach of honey DNA coupled with a specifically adapted bioinformatic pipeline. This methodology was applied to a few honey samples pointing out DNA sequences from 191 organisms spanning different kingdoms or phyla (viruses, bacteria, plants, fungi, protozoans, arthropods, mammals). Bacteria included the largest number of species. These multi-kingdom signatures listed common hive and honey bee gut microorganisms, honey bee pathogens, parasites and pests, which resembled a complex interplay that might provide a general picture of the honey bee pathosphere. Based on the Apis mellifera filamentous virus genome diversity (the most abundant detected DNA source) we obtained information that could define the origin of the honey at the apiary level. Mining Apis mellifera sequences made it possible to identify the honey bee subspecies both at the mitochondrial and nuclear genome levels.
Collapse
|
47
|
Ricigliano VA, Anderson KE. Probing the Honey Bee Diet-Microbiota-Host Axis Using Pollen Restriction and Organic Acid Feeding. INSECTS 2020; 11:insects11050291. [PMID: 32397440 PMCID: PMC7291221 DOI: 10.3390/insects11050291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Microbial metabolites are considered important drivers of diet-based microbiota influence on the host, however, mechanistic models are confounded by interactions between diet, microbiota function, and host physiology. The honey bee harbors a simple microbiota that produces organic acids as fermentation products of dietary nectar and pollen, making it a model for gut microbiota research. Herein, we demonstrate that bacterial abundance in the honey bee gut is partially associated with the anterior rectum epithelium. We used dietary pollen restriction and organic acid feeding treatments to obtain information about the role of undigested pollen as a microbiota growth substrate and the impact of bacterial fermentation products on honey bee enteroendocrine signaling. Pollen restriction markedly reduced total and specific bacterial 16S rRNA abundance in the anterior rectum but not in the ileum. Anterior rectum expression levels of bacterial fermentative enzyme gene transcripts (acetate kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, and hydroxybutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase) were reduced in association with diet-induced microbiota shifts. To evaluate the effects of fermentative metabolites on host enteroendocrine function, pollen-restricted bees were fed an equimolar mixture of organic acid sodium salts (acetate, lactate, butyrate, formate, and succinate). Organic acid feeding significantly impacted hindgut enteroendocrine signaling gene expression, rescuing some effects of pollen restriction. This was specifically manifested by tissue-dependent expression patterns of neuropeptide F and allatostatin pathways, which are implicated in energy metabolism and feeding behaviors. Our findings provide new insights into the diet-microbiota-host axis in honey bees and may inform future efforts to improve bee health through diet-based microbiota manipulations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vincent A. Ricigliano
- USDA-ARS, Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics, and Physiology Laboratory, Baton Rouge, LA 70820, USA
- Correspondence: (V.A.R.); (K.E.A.)
| | - Kirk E. Anderson
- USDA-ARS, Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
- Correspondence: (V.A.R.); (K.E.A.)
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Bonilla-Rosso G, Steiner T, Wichmann F, Bexkens E, Engel P. Honey bees harbor a diverse gut virome engaging in nested strain-level interactions with the microbiota. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:7355-7362. [PMID: 32179689 PMCID: PMC7132132 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2000228117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The honey bee gut microbiota influences bee health and has become an important model to study the ecology and evolution of microbiota-host interactions. Yet, little is known about the phage community associated with the bee gut, despite its potential to modulate bacterial diversity or to govern important symbiotic functions. Here we analyzed two metagenomes derived from virus-like particles, analyzed the prevalence of the identified phages across 73 bacterial metagenomes from individual bees, and tested the host range of isolated phages. Our results show that the honey bee gut virome is composed of at least 118 distinct clusters corresponding to both temperate and lytic phages and representing novel genera with a large repertoire of unknown gene functions. We find that the phage community is prevalent in honey bees across space and time and targets the core members of the bee gut microbiota. The large number and high genetic diversity of the viral clusters seems to mirror the high extent of strain-level diversity in the bee gut microbiota. We isolated eight lytic phages that target the core microbiota member Bifidobacterium asteroides, but that exhibited different host ranges at the strain level, resulting in a nested interaction network of coexisting phages and bacterial strains. Collectively, our results show that the honey bee gut virome consists of a complex and diverse phage community that likely plays an important role in regulating strain-level diversity in the bee gut and that holds promise as an experimental model to study bacteria-phage dynamics in natural microbial communities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Germán Bonilla-Rosso
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Théodora Steiner
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Fabienne Wichmann
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Evan Bexkens
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Philipp Engel
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Comparative genomics of Lactobacillus species as bee symbionts and description of Lactobacillus bombintestini sp. nov., isolated from the gut of Bombus ignitus. J Microbiol 2020; 58:445-455. [PMID: 32222941 DOI: 10.1007/s12275-020-9596-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Revised: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The Lactobacillus genus is widely used for fermentation of plant materials and dairy products. These species are typically found in highly specialized environments, with the bee gut serving as one of the niche locations in which Lactobacillus is detected. Lactobacillus species isolated from the bee gut and bee-related habitats were phylogenetically classified into three distinct groups, Lactobacillus kunkeei, Firm-4, and Firm-5. The L. kunkeei group was clearly differentiated from other members of the Lactobacillus buchneri group isolated from non-bee habitats. In comparison with non-bee members of the L. buchneri group, three bee-symbiotic Lactobacillus groups had a small-sized genome with low G + C content and showed a sharp reduction in the number of genes involved in energy production, carbohydrate transport and metabolism, and amino acid transport and metabolism. In addition, all three groups lacked the mutY gene, which encodes A/G-specific adenine glycosylase. The phylogenetic dendrogram based on the presence or absence of 1,199 functional genes indicated that these bee-symbiotic groups experienced convergent evolution. The occurrence of convergent evolution is thought to stem from the three bee-symbiotic groups sharing a similar habitat, i.e., the bee gut. The causative factor underlying genomic reduction was postulated to be mutY, which was absent in all three groups. Here, a novel strain, BHWM-4T, isolated from the gut of Bombus ignites was studied using polyphasic taxonomy and classified as a new member of the L. kunkeei group. The strain was Gram-positive, facultative anaerobic, and rod-shaped. The 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequence and genome analysis revealed that strain BHWM-4T was clustered into the L. kunkeei group, forming a compact cluster with L. kunkeei and Lactobacillus apinorum. Biochemical, chemotaxonomic, and genotypic data of strain BHWM-4T supports the proposal of a novel species, Lactobacillus bombintestini sp. nov., whose type strain is BHWM-4T (= KACC 19317 = NBRC 113067T).
Collapse
|
50
|
Vuong HQ, McFrederick QS. Comparative Genomics of Wild Bee and Flower Isolated Lactobacillus Reveals Potential Adaptation to the Bee Host. Genome Biol Evol 2020; 11:2151-2161. [PMID: 31243442 PMCID: PMC6685495 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evz136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Symbiosis with bacteria is common across insects, resulting in adaptive host phenotypes. The recently described bacterial symbionts Lactobacillus micheneri, Lactobacillus timberlakei, and Lactobacillus quenuiae are found in wild bee pollen provisions, bee guts, and flowers but have small genomes in comparison to other lactobacilli. We sequenced, assembled, and analyzed 27 new L. micheneri clade genomes to identify their possible ecological functions in flower and bee hosts. We determined possible key functions for the L. micheneri clade by identifying genes under positive selection, balancing selection, genes gained or lost, and population structure. A host adherence factor shows signatures of positive selection, whereas other orthologous copies are variable within the L. micheneri clade. The host adherence factors serve as strong evidence that these lactobacilli are adapted to animal hosts as their targets are found in the digestive tract of insects. Next, the L. micheneri clade is adapted toward a nutrient-rich environment, corroborating observations of where L. micheneri is most abundant. Additionally, genes involved in osmotolerance, pH tolerance, temperature resistance, detoxification, and oxidative stress response show signatures of selection that allow these bacteria to thrive in pollen and nectar masses in bee nests and in the bee gut. Altogether, these findings not only suggest that the L. micheneri clade is primarily adapted to the wild bee gut but also exhibit genomic features that would be beneficial to survival in flowers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hoang Q Vuong
- Department of Entomology, University California Riverside.,Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, University California Riverside
| | | |
Collapse
|