Differential carbohydrate utilization and organic acid production by honey bee symbionts

Abstract

The honey bee worker gut hosts a community of bacteria that comprises 8–10 core bacterial species, along with a set of more transient environmental microbes. Collectively, these microbes break down and ferment saccharides present in the host's diet, based on analyses of metagenomes, and metatranscriptomes from this environment. As part of this metabolism, the bacteria produce short-chain fatty acids that may serve as a food source for the host bee, stimulating biological processes that may contribute to host weight gain. To identify metabolic contributions of symbionts within the honey bee gut, we utilized a combination of molecular and biochemical approaches. We show significant variation in the metabolic capabilities of honey bee associated taxa, highlighting the fact that honey bee gut microbiota members of the same clade are highly variable in their ability to use specific carbohydrates and produce organic acids. Finally, we confirm that the honey bee core microbes are active in vivo, expressing key enzymatic genes critical for utilizing plant-derived molecules and producing organic acids (i.e. acetate and lactate). These results suggest that core taxa may contribute significantly to weight gain in the honey bee, specifically through the production of organic acids.

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