Dynamic change of gut microbiota in the male bee of Bombus terrestris

Authors: LI, KAI - Chinese Academy Of Agricultural Sciences; WANG, LIUHAO - Chinese Academy Of Agricultural Sciences; ZHANG, ZHENGYI - Chinese Academy Of Agricultural Sciences; GUO, YULONG - Chinese Academy Of Agricultural Sciences; GUO, JUN - Kunming University Of Science And Technology; Chen, Yanping - Judy; ZHUANG, DAOHUA - Icarbonx; LI, JILLIAN - Chinese Academy Of Agricultural Sciences

Submitted to: Journal of Agricultural Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/26/2021
Publication Date: 8/15/2021
Citation: Li, K., Wang, L., Zhang, Z., Guo, Y., Guo, J., Chen, Y., Zhuang, D., Li, J. 2021. Dynamic change of gut microbiota in the male bee of Bombus terrestris. Journal of Agricultural Science. 13(9). https://doi.org/10.5539/jas.v13n9p163.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5539/jas.v13n9p163

Interpretive Summary: Gut microbiota play a critical role in host health and function. Bumble bees provide an important pollination service to many fruits, vegetables, and plants. While the male bee is important for the reproduction of a bumble bee colony, few studies have been conducted on the on the gut microbiota of male bees. We conducted a study to investigate the dynamic change of gut bacteria at different developmental stages of male bumble bees. The results showed that gut bacteria composition and diversity differed significantly between different developmental stages, suggesting that gut bacteria could directly interact with the host physiological processes. This research will provide an insight into the relationship between the bacterial community and the physiological state of male bumble bees. The knowledge gained from this study should be of interest to the researchers, graduate students, beekeepers and policymakers worldwide.

Technical Abstract: The gut microbiota play a key role in the development and health of the bumble bee. The male bee is important for the reproduction of a colony, yet there are few studies on the gut microbiota of male bees. This study detected the dynamic change of total bacteria and six important bacteria in unmated and mated male bees at different developmental stages. The results indicate that there is a significant dynamic change in the gut microbial communities in males of the genus Bombus at different developmental stages. Gilliamella, Snodgrassella, and Lactobacillus is the core gut bacteria in male bumblebees, which is consistent with the gut bacteria in the workers. However, Bacillus may be a probiotic bacterium for reproduction in male bees, although the possible function of these gut bacteria in the growth and development of the host requires further study. In addition, the total bacterial copies in the male gut are much higher than that of the worker bee's gut in previous studies. This research will provide an insight into the relationship between the bacterial community and the physiological state of male bumble bees. It will provide a theoretical foundation for the further study of microbiotal function in the health and reproduction success of male bumble bees.