Honeybees are highly social insects with a rich behavioral repertoire and are a versatile model for neurobiological research. Their gut microbiota comprises a limited number of host-restricted bacterial phylotypes that are important for honeybee health. However, it remains unclear how specific gut members affect honeybee behaviors. Here, we find that antibiotic exposure disturbs the gut community and influences honeybee phenotypes under field conditions. Using laboratory-generated gnotobiotic bees, we show that a normal gut microbiota is required for olfactory learning and memory abilities. Brain transcriptomic profiling reveals distinct brain gene expression patterns between microbiota-free and conventional bees. Subsequent metabolomic analyses of both hemolymph and gut samples show that the microbiota mainly regulates tryptophan metabolism. Our results indicate that host-specific Lactobacillus strains promote memory behavior by transforming tryptophan to indole derivatives that activate the host aryl hydrocarbon receptor. Our findings highlight the contributions of specific gut members to honeybee neurological processes, thus providing a promising model to understand host-microbe interactions.
Honeybee is a highly social insect with a reach behavioral repertoire and is a versatile model for neurobiological research. The honeybee gut microbiota is composed of a limited number of bacterial phylotypes that play an important role in host health. However, it remains unclear whether the microbiota can shape brain profiles and behaviors. Here, we revealed that the gut microbiota is requisite for the olfactory learning and memory ability of honeybees and alters the level of neurotransmitters in the brain. Transcriptomic and proteomic analysis showed distinctive gene expression and protein signatures for gnotobiotic bees associated with different gut bacteria. Specifically, genes related to olfactory functions and labor division are most upregulated. Moreover, differentially spliced genes in the brains of colonized bees largely overlapped with the datasets for human autism. The circulating metabolome profiles identified that different gut species regulated specific module of metabolites in the host hemolymph. Most altered metabolites are involved in the amino acid and glycerophospholipid metabolism pathways for the production of neuroactive compounds. Finally, antibiotic treatment disturbed the gut community and the nursing behavior of worker bees under field conditions. The brain transcripts and gut metabolism was also greatly interfered in treated bees. Collectively, we demonstrate that the gut microbiota regulates honeybee behaviors, brain gene transcription, and the circulating metabolism. Our findings highlight the contributions of honeybee gut microbes in the neurological processes with striking parallels to those found in other animals, thus providing a promising model to understand the host-microbe interactions via the gut-brain axis.
Allium mongolicum Regel (A. mongolicum) is a perennial and xerophytic Liliaceous allium plant in high altitude desert steppe and desert areas. Feeding A. mongolicum greatly reduced unpleasant mutton flavor and improves meat quality of sheep. We analyzed epigenetic regulatory mechanisms of water extracts of A. mongolicum (WEA) on sheep muscle and adipose using RNA-Seq and whole-genome Bisulfite sequencing. Feeding WEA reduced differentially expressed genes and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) between two tissues but increased differentially methylation regions (DMRs). LncRNA and DMR targets were both involved in ATP binding, ubiquitin, protein kinase binding, regulation of cell proliferation, and related signaling pathways, but not unsaturated fatty acids metabolism. Besides, tissue specific targets were involved in distinct functional annotations, e.g., Golgi membrane and endoplasmic reticulum for muscle lncRNA, oxidative phosphorylation metabolism for adipose lncRNA, dsRNA binding for muscle DMRs. Epigenetic regulatory networks were also discovered to discovered essential co-regulated modules, e.g., co-regulated insulin secretion module (PDPK1, ATP1A2, CACNA1S and CAMK2D) in adipose. The results indicated that WEA induced distinct epigenetic regulation on muscle and adipose to diminish transcriptome differences between tissues, which highlights biological functions of A. mongolicum, tissue similarity and specificity, as well as regulatory mechanism of mutton odor.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Allium Mongolicum Regel ethanol extract (AME) on the serum index and meat quality of lambs. A total of 30 male Small-tailed Han sheep (3 months old) with an average weight of 33.60 ± 1.23 kg were divided randomly into one of two groups: the control group (CON) was offered a basal diet, and the AME group was offered a basal diet with supplementation 2.8 g·lamb−1·day−1 AME. The trial lasted for 75 days. AME supplementation significantly decreased the concentration of triglyceride and total cholesterol (p < 0.05), and tended to lower the concentration of non-esterified fatty acids (0.05 < p < 0.1), but significantly increased the concentration of high-density lipoprotein, leptin, and insulin (p < 0.05) in the serum of lambs. AME also decreased cooking losses and shear force and increased the content of intramuscular fat in the longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle of lambs (p < 0.05). In addition, there was no difference in the composition of hydrolyzed protein amino acids in the LD muscle among treatments (p > 0.05). However, AME changed the composition of free amino acids and promoted MUFA and PUFA deposition in the LD muscle of the lambs. These findings indicate that a diet supplemented with AME may improve the lipid metabolic capacity and meat quality of lambs.
The objective of this study was to identify candidate genes via which Allium Mongolicum Regel ethanol extract (AME) affects the synthesis of branched-chain fatty acids (BCFAs) related to mutton flavor by transcriptome analysis in the lamb liver. Thirty male Small-tailed Han sheep (3 months old; 33.6 ± 1.2 kg) were randomly divided into two groups and fed for 75 days with a basal diet containing no AME (CON, control group) or 2.8 g·lamb -1·d -1 AME (AME group). Twelve sheep, CON (n=6) and AME (n=6), were selected for slaughter at the end of the trial period, and liver samples were subsequently collected. There was no difference in 4-ethyloctanoic acid content among treatments. The 4-methyloctanoic acid and 4-methylnonanoic acid levels were significantly lower in the AME group than in the CON group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, 461 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between the CON and AME groups, of which 182 were upregulated and 279 were downregulated in the AME group. The DEGs were enriched in three pathways, namely, glutathione metabolism, ECM-receptor interaction and steroid hormone biosynthesis, as determined by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis. Finally, CYP2B6, ACOT12, THEM4, ACSF2, LPIN1 and ADCY4 were identified as candidate genes that might be involved in regulating the BCFAs synthesis in the sheep liver.
The potential combined effects of oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids supplementation on lactation performance and the milk fatty acid (FA) profile in dairy cows have not been well investigated. Our objective was to examine the effects of supplementation with a combination of these FA as well as the effects of removing each from the combination on lactation performance and the milk FA profile in dairy cows. Eight Holstein cows (101±11 days in milk) received four intravenously infused treatments in a 4×4 Latin square design, and each period lasted for 12 days which consisted of 5 days of infusion and 7 days of recovery. The control treatment (CTL) contained 58.30, 58.17 and 39.96 g/day of C18 : 1 cis-9; C18 : 2 cis-9, cis-12; and C18 : 3 cis-9, cis-12, cis-15, respectively. The other three treatments were designated --C18 : 1 (20.68, 61.17 and 41.72 g/day of C18 : 1 cis-9; C18 : 2 cis-9, cis-12; and C18 : 3 cis-9, cis-12, cis-15, respectively), -C18 : 2 (61.49, 19.55 and 42.13 g/day of C18 : 1 cis-9; C18 : 2 cis-9, cis-12; and C18 : 3 cis-9, cis-12, cis-15, respectively) and -C18 : 3 (60.89, 60.16 and 1.53 g/day of C18 : 1 cis-9; C18 : 2 cis-9, cis-12; and C18 : 3 cis-9, cis-12, cis-15, respectively). Dry matter intake and lactose content were not affected by the treatments, but the milk protein content was lower in cows treated with -C18 : 2 than that in CTL-treated cows. Milk yield as well as milk fat, protein and lactose yields were higher in cows treated with -C18 : 3 than the yields in CTL-treated cows, and these yields increased linearly as the unsaturation degree of the supplemental FA decreased. Compared with the CTL treatment, the -C18 : 2 treatment decreased milk C18 : 2 cis-9 content (by 2.80%) and yield (by 22.12 g/day), and the -C18 : 3 treatment decreased milk C18 : 3 cis-9, cis-12, cis-15 content (by 2.72%) and yield (by 22.33 g/day). In contrast, removing C18 : 1 cis-9 did not affect the milk content or yield of C18 : 1 cis-9. The -C18 : 2-treated cows had a higher C18 : 1 cis-9 content and tended to have a higher C18 : 1 cis-9 yield than CTL-treated cows. The yields of C8 : 0, C14 : 0 and C16 : 0 as well as
Honeybee is a highly social insect with a reach behavioral repertoire and is a versatile model for neurobiological research. The honeybee gut microbiota is composed of a limited number of bacterial phylotypes that play an important role in host health. However, it remains unclear whether the microbiota can shape brain profiles and behaviors. Here, we revealed that the gut microbiota is requisite for the olfactory learning and memory ability of honeybees and alters the level of neurotransmitters in the brain. Transcriptomic and proteomic analysis showed distinctive gene expression and protein signatures for gnotobiotic bees associated with different gut bacteria. Specifically, genes related to olfactory functions and labor division are most upregulated. Moreover, differentially spliced genes in the brains of colonized bees largely overlapped with the datasets for human autism. The circulating metabolome profiles identified that different gut species regulated specific module of metabolites in the host hemolymph. Most altered metabolites are involved in the amino acid and glycerophospholipid metabolism pathways for the production of neuroactive compounds. Finally, antibiotic treatment disturbed the gut community and the nursing behavior of worker bees under field conditions. The brain transcripts and gut metabolism was also greatly interfered in treated bees. Collectively, we demonstrate that the gut microbiota regulates honeybee behaviors, brain gene transcription, and the circulating metabolism. Our findings highlight the contributions of honeybee gut microbes in the neurological processes with striking parallels to those found in other animals, thus providing a promising model to understand the host-microbe interactions via the gut-brain axis.
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