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Copeland DC, Ricigliano VA, Mott BM, Kortenkamp OL, Erickson RJ, Gorrochategui-Ortega J, Anderson KE. A longitudinal study of queen health in honey bees reveals tissue specific response to seasonal changes and pathogen pressure. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8963. [PMID: 38637564 PMCID: PMC11026438 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58883-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
The health of honey bee queens is crucial for colony success, particularly during stressful periods like overwintering. To accompany a previous longitudinal study of colony and worker health, we explored niche-specific gut microbiota, host gene expression, and pathogen prevalence in honey bee queens overwintering in a warm southern climate. We found differential gene expression and bacterial abundance with respect to various pathogens throughout the season. Biologically older queens had larger microbiotas, particularly enriched in Bombella and Bifidobacterium. Both Deformed Wing Virus A and B subtypes were highest in the fat body tissue in January, correlating with colony Varroa levels, and Deformed Wing Virus titers in workers. High viral titers in queens were associated with decreased vitellogenin expression, suggesting a potential trade-off between immune function and reproductive capacity. Additionally, we found a complex and dynamic relationship between these viral loads and immune gene expression, indicating a possible breakdown in the coordinated immune response as the season progressed. Our study also revealed a potential link between Nosema and Melissococcus plutonius infections in queens, demonstrating that seasonal opportunism is not confined to just workers. Overall, our findings highlight the intricate interplay between pathogens, metabolic state, and immune response in honey bee queens. Combined with worker and colony-level metrics from the same colonies, our findings illustrate the social aspect of queen health and resilience over the winter dearth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duan C Copeland
- USDA-ARS Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, 2000 E. Allen Rd, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA.
| | - Vincent A Ricigliano
- USDA-ARS Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics, and Physiology Laboratory, Baton Rouge, LA, 70820, USA
| | - Brendon M Mott
- USDA-ARS Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, 2000 E. Allen Rd, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA
| | - Oliver L Kortenkamp
- USDA-ARS Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, 2000 E. Allen Rd, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA
- Department of Entomology and Center for Insect Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Robert J Erickson
- USDA-ARS Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, 2000 E. Allen Rd, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA
| | - June Gorrochategui-Ortega
- Department of Genetics, Physical Anthropology and Animal Physiology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena S/N, 48940, Leioa, Spain
| | - Kirk E Anderson
- USDA-ARS Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, 2000 E. Allen Rd, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA.
- Department of Entomology and Center for Insect Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA.
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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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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.
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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
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