Linking bacterial diversity to floral identity in the bumble bee pollen basket

Sookhan, Nicholas; Lorenzo, A.; Tatsumi, Shinichi; Yuen, M.L.; MacIvor, J. Scott

doi:10.1002/edn3.165

Cited by 9 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 113 publications

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“…High levels of diversity were expected in pollen provisions, as even though there are usually a few core phyla present, there is generally great diversity at a species level in plant microhabitats (Ambika Manirajan et al, 2016). Studies of bumble bee pollen baskets have also shown that plant and bacterial alpha diversity are correlated (Sookhan et al, 2021). This correlation in diversities does not extend to bee microbial diversity, however; rather, it may be mainly the core bacteria from provisions that are acquired and maintained within bee hosts (McFrederick & Rehan, 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developmental microbiome of the small carpenter bee, Ceratina calcarata

Nguyen

Rehan

2022

Environmental DNA

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The importance of the holobiont has been studied across many bee species, but less is known about the changes in the microbiome throughout the course of development, particularly in subsocial bees. This study used 16S rRNA and ITS amplicon sequencing of pollen provisions and individuals of the small carpenter bee, Ceratina calcarata, across stages of development to characterize the composition and diversity of bacteria and fungi in the microbiome. Pollen provisions and larval stages showed similar beta diversity, but differences in taxa composition. There was no significant decrease in diversity during the transition between larval and pupal stages that was expected post defecation. However, there were unexpected and progressive declines in diversity as development progressed from the early to late pupal stages and again from the callow to adult stages. Bees across all stages lacked members of the Lactobacillus (now Apilactobacillus) genus, which has been shown in other studies to be part of the core bacterial community in C. calcarata and all bees. Three correlations between bacteria and fungi were found, suggesting common beneficial bacteria may protect the bees from prevalent fungal pathogens. Low alpha diversity, particularly in the later stages of development through adulthood, is concerning as the microbiome plays an important role in maintaining wild bee health.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developmental microbiome of the small carpenter bee, Ceratina calcarata

Nguyen

Rehan

2022

Environmental DNA

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“…Snodgrassella adhering to the gut wall suggests stronger host-specific interactions, and therefore it is more likely to be transmitted vertically or through oral trophallaxis ( Kwong et al, 2017 ; Cornet et al, 2022 ). On the other hand, Gilliamella may be transmitted outside the nest environment ( e.g ., through flowers), although the prevalence of this mode of transmission needs to be verified with more studies ( Koch et al, 2013 ; Graystock, Goulson & Hughes, 2015 ; Sookhan et al, 2021 ). The differences in the strength of interactions with host tissues, and the ability to survive outside of the gut environment thus likely explain differences in host specificity, and, potentially, cospeciation patterns between G. apicola and S. alvi .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Honey bees and bumble bees occupying the same landscape have distinct gut microbiomes and amplicon sequence variant-level responses to infections

Amiri,

M. Keady,

Lim

2023

PeerJ

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The gut microbiome of bees is vital for the health of their hosts. Given the ecosystem functions performed by bees, and the declines faced by many species, it is important to improve our understanding of the amount of natural variation in the gut microbiome, the level of sharing of bacteria among co-occurring species (including between native and non-native species), and how gut communities respond to infections. We conducted 16S rRNA metabarcoding to discern the level of microbiome similarity between honey bees (Apis mellifera, N = 49) and bumble bees (Bombus spp., N = 66) in a suburban-rural landscape. We identified a total of 233 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) and found simple gut microbiomes dominated by bacterial taxa belonging to Gilliamella, Snodgrassella, and Lactobacillus. The average number of ASVs per species ranged from 4.00–15.00 (8.79 ± 3.84, mean ± SD). Amplicon sequence variant of one bacterial species, G. apicola (ASV 1), was widely shared across honey bees and bumble bees. However, we detected another ASV of G. apicola that was either exclusive to honey bees, or represented an intra-genomic 16S rRNA haplotype variant in honey bees. Other than ASV 1, honey bees and bumble bees rarely share gut bacteria, even ones likely derived from outside environments (e.g., Rhizobium spp., Fructobacillus spp.). Honey bee bacterial microbiomes exhibited higher alpha diversity but lower beta and gamma diversities than those of bumble bees, likely a result of the former possessing larger, perennial hives. Finally, we identified pathogenic or symbiotic bacteria (G. apicola, Acinetobacter sp. and Pluralibacter sp.) that associate with Trypanosome and/or Vairimorpha infections in bees. Such insights help to determine bees’ susceptibility to infections should gut microbiomes become disrupted by chemical pollutants and contribute to our understanding of what constitutes a state of dysbiosis.

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“…This allows them to foster very stable core microbiomes composed of eight bacterial phylotypes that contribute up to 95% of the overall gut microbial load (Engel et al, 2012;Kwong & Moran, 2016;Martinson et al, 2011). In comparison, solitary and facultatively social bees gain more of their microbiomes from their environment (Cohen et al, 2022;Dew et al, 2020;Graystock et al, 2017;Keller et al, 2021;McFrederick et al, 2012McFrederick et al, , 2017, bolstering more variable microbiota (Dew et al, 2020;McFrederick et al, 2017;Sookhan et al, 2021). Studies focusing on wild bee microbiomes are currently limited yet remain ongoing (Chau et al, 2023;Cohen et al, 2020;Handy et al, 2022;Kapheim et al, 2021;Nguyen & Rehan, 2023a;Shell & Rehan, 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbiome and floral associations of a wild bee using biodiversity survey collections

Nguyen,

Samad‐zada,

Chau

et al. 2024

Environmental Microbiology

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The health of bees can be assessed through their microbiome, which serves as a biomarker indicating the presence of both beneficial and harmful microorganisms within a bee community. This study presents the characterisation of the bacterial, fungal, and plant composition on the cuticle of adult bicoloured sweat bees (Agapostemon virescens). These bees were collected using various methods such as pan traps, blue vane traps and sweep netting across the northern extent of their habitat range. Non‐destructive methods were employed to extract DNA from the whole pinned specimens of these wild bees. Metabarcoding of the 16S rRNA, ITS and rbcL regions was then performed. The study found that the method of collection influenced the detection of certain microbial and plant taxa. Among the collection methods, sweep net samples showed the lowest fungal alpha diversity. However, minor differences in bacterial or fungal beta diversity suggest that no single method is significantly superior to others. Therefore, a combination of techniques can cater to a broader spectrum of microbial detection. The study also revealed regional variations in bacterial, fungal and plant diversity. The core microbiome of A. virescens comprises two bacteria, three fungi and a plant association, all of which are commonly detected in other wild bees. These core microbes remained consistent across different collection methods and locations. Further extensive studies of wild bee microbiomes across various species and landscapes will help uncover crucial relationships between pollinator health and their environment.

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Linking bacterial diversity to floral identity in the bumble bee pollen basket

Cited by 9 publications

References 113 publications

Developmental microbiome of the small carpenter bee, Ceratina calcarata

Developmental microbiome of the small carpenter bee, Ceratina calcarata

Honey bees and bumble bees occupying the same landscape have distinct gut microbiomes and amplicon sequence variant-level responses to infections

Microbiome and floral associations of a wild bee using biodiversity survey collections

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