Influence of Feeding Type and Nosema ceranae Infection on the Gut Microbiota of Apis cerana Workers

Abstract

The gut microbiota plays an essential role in the health of bees. Scientific evidence suggests that diet and infection can affect the gut microbiota and modulate the health of the gut; however, the interplay between those two factors and the bee gut microbiota is not well known. In this study, we used a high-throughput sequencing method to monitor the changes of gut microbiota associated with both feeding types and Nosema ceranae infection. Our results showed that the gut microbiota composition and diversity of Asian honey bee were significantly associated with both feeding types and the N. ceranae infection. More interestingly, bees fed with beebread showed higher microbiota stability and lower mortality rates than those fed with sugar water when infected by N. ceranae. Those data suggest that beebread has the potential not only to provide better nutrition but also help to establish a more stable gut microbiota to protect bees against N. ceranae infection.

Bacterial Composition, Community Structure, and Diversity in Apis nigrocincta Gut

“…As reported by Huang et al [38], the dominant genera of gut microbiota of A. cerana, the closest taxa of A. nigrocincta, were Serratia, Snodgrassella, and Lactobacillus. Some lactic International Journal of Microbiology acid bacteria such as several Lactobacillus species produce several antimicrobial compounds including organic acids, hydrogen peroxide, bacteriocin, reuterin, and reutericyclin.…”

“…Weeksellaceae (3.75%; Bacteroidetes) was predominant in the larval and pupal stages of Bactrocera carambolae (Insecta: Tephritidae) [ 46 ]. Their population was higher in bees fed with bee-bread and was associated with Nosema ceranae infection in bees fed with sugar solution [ 38 ]. Bartonellaceae was found in a low number of reads (2.82%) in A. nigrocincta gut.…”

Effects on Some Therapeutical, Biochemical, and Immunological Parameters of Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Exposed to Probiotic Treatments, in Field and Laboratory Conditions

“…This was observed in the significantly lower spore counts in experimental groups compared to their pertaining control group observed from the initial time point on the 10th, 20th, 30th, and 40th day of the field experiment ( Figure 2 ). It is known that bees invaded with N. ceranae and fed with natural beebread show higher microbiota stability and lower mortality rates than those fed only with sugar syrup [ 62 ]. Due to this fact, we chose a field experiment where colonies were provided with natural protein food sources, except with additional food.…”

The Succession of the Gut Microbiota in Insects: A Dynamic Alteration of the Gut Microbiota During the Whole Life Cycle of Honey Bees (Apis cerana)

“…Moreover, the overuse of antibiotics also leads to structural changes in the gut microbiota of honey bees, making them more susceptible to infection by pathogens and leading to greater challenges to bee survival ( Raymann and Moran, 2017 ). In addition, when A. cerana were infected with Nosema ceranae , the steady state of the gut microbiota was disturbed, leading to an increase in the mortality rate of the bees ( Huang et al, 2018 ). These studies all suggest that the gut microbiota plays an important role in bee health and disease.…”