Honey Bee Microbiota and the Physiology of Antimicrobial Resistance

Raymann, Kasie

doi:10.1002/9781119583417.ch9

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…Probiotics, in theory and concept, are a promising solution to enhance bee health, but the current market available products for beekeepers are making claims that far outreach the ability of their products [45]. However, research into proprietary blends of native bee gut bacteria shows promise and holds great potential for revitalizing honey bee health.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Testing the effectiveness of a commercially sold probiotic on restoring the gut microbiota of honey bees: a field study

Damico,

Beasley,

Greenstein

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Antibiotic use in apiculture is often necessary to ensure the survival of honey bee colonies. However, beekeepers are faced with the dilemma of needing to combat bacterial brood infections while knowing that antibiotics also kill beneficial bacteria important for bee health. In recent years, bee probiotics have become increasingly purchased by beekeepers because of product claims like, being able to “replenish the microbes lost due to agricultural modifications of honey bees’ environment” or “promote optimal gut health.” Unfortunately, these products have little scientific evidence to support their efficacy, and previous lab experiments have refuted some of their claims. Here, we performed hive-level field experiments to test the effectiveness of SuperDFM-HoneyBee™, the most commonly purchased honey bee probiotic in the United States, on restoring the honey bee gut microbiome after antibiotic treatment. Our results indicated that bees administered the probiotic after antibiotic treatment did not recover their microbiota faster than bees only given the antibiotic treatment. Moreover, the microorganisms in the probiotic supplement were never found in the guts of the worker bee samples, even during active treatment. These results highlight that more basic research is needed to test the efficacy and outcomes of currently available commercial honey bee probiotic supplements

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Testing the effectiveness of a commercially sold probiotic on restoring the gut microbiota of honey bees: a field study

Damico,

Beasley,

Greenstein

et al. 2023

Preprint

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…As a perennial eusocial species, the western honey bee ( Apis mellifera L.) stores large quantities of food in hives that represent abundant immobile sources of nutrition for microorganisms. The honey bee endo‐ and ecto‐microbiome, made up of a complex suite of bacterial and fungal species, is important in honey bee food preparation, processing, storage, and digestion (Anderson et al., 2013 ; Raymann, 2021 ). Honey bee researchers have long attempted to inventory local fungal diversity (“mycobiomes”) in honey bee colonies, referencing honey bee gut flora, flora from the gut and frass of the common intracolonial pest the wax moth ( Galleria mellonella ), and other locations in the hive (Callegari et al., 2021 ; Gilliam, 1997 ; Gilliam et al., 1974 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Aspergillus flavus strain from bee bread of the Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) displays adaptations to distinctive features of the hive environment

Bush,

Calla,

Berenbaum

2024

Ecology and Evolution

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Aspergillus fungi are ubiquitous inhabitants of colonies of the western honey bee (Apis mellifera), where they interact with bees in associations ranging from parasitism to possible mutualism. Aspergillus Flavi fungi are frequently found in bee bread (pollen processed for longterm storage) and are thought to contribute to food preparation, processing, preservation, and digestion. Conditions in the hive are challenging for fungi due, in part, to xeric and acidic properties of bee bread and the omnipresence of propolis, an antimicrobial product manufactured by bees from plant resins. We used quantitative and qualitative assays to determine whether A. flavus isolated from bee bread demonstrates tolerance for hive environmental conditions in terms of temperature, pH, osmotic pressure, and propolis exposure. Comparisons made use of three strains of A. flavus: a fungal biocontrol product not known from beehives (AF36), a strain isolated from bee bread (AFBB) in hives from central Illinois, and a pathogenic strain from a honey bee colony displaying symptoms of stonebrood (AFPA). Strain AFBB displayed higher tolerance of acidic conditions, low matric potential (simulating xeric substrate), and propolis exposure than did other strains. A genomic comparison between this new strain and the reference NRRL‐3357 showed that AFBB, like AF36, might be blocked from carrying out aflatoxin biosynthesis. Sequence comparisons also revealed several missense variants in genes that encode proteins regulating osmotolerance and osmotic pressure in Aspergillus spp., including SakA, SskB, GfdA, and TcsB/Sln1. Collectively, results of our laboratory assays and genetic analyses are consistent with the suggestion that the strain isolated from bee bread is adapted to the bee bread environment and may have persisted due to a coevolutionary relationship between Aspergillus and A. mellifera. This finding bolsters recent concerns about the effects of fungicide use near bee colonies and broadens the ecological importance of highly adaptable fungal strains.

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Testing the Effectiveness of a Commercially Sold Probiotic on Restoring the Gut Microbiota of Honey Bees: a Field Study

Damico,

Beasley,

Greenstein

et al. 2023

Probiotics & Antimicro. Prot.

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Antibiotic use in apiculture is often necessary to ensure the survival of honey bee colonies. However, beekeepers are faced with the dilemma of needing to combat bacterial brood infections while also knowing that antibiotics kill beneficial bacteria important for bee health. In recent years, bee probiotics have become increasingly purchased by beekeepers because of product claims like being able to “replenish the microbes lost due to agricultural modifications of honey bees' environment” or "promote optimal gut health." Unfortunately, these products have little scientific evidence to support their efficacy, and previous lab experiments have refuted some of their claims. Here, we performed hive-level field experiments to test the effectiveness of SuperDFM-HoneyBee™ − the most commonly purchased honey bee probiotic in the United States − on restoring the honey bee gut microbiota after antibiotic treatment. We found slight but significant changes in the microbiota composition of bees following oxytetracycline (TerraPro) treatment and no difference between the microbiota of antibiotic treated bees with or without subsequent probiotic supplementation. Moreover, the microorganisms in the probiotic supplement were never found in the guts of the worker bee samples. These results highlight that more research is needed to test the efficacy and outcomes of currently available commercial honey bee probiotic supplements.

show abstract

Honey Bee Microbiota and the Physiology of Antimicrobial Resistance

Cited by 5 publications

References 47 publications

Testing the effectiveness of a commercially sold probiotic on restoring the gut microbiota of honey bees: a field study

Testing the effectiveness of a commercially sold probiotic on restoring the gut microbiota of honey bees: a field study

An Aspergillus flavus strain from bee bread of the Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) displays adaptations to distinctive features of the hive environment

Testing the Effectiveness of a Commercially Sold Probiotic on Restoring the Gut Microbiota of Honey Bees: a Field Study

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