A case study of the diet-microbiota-parasite interplay in bumble bees

Author:

Gekière Antoine1ORCID,Vanderplanck Maryse2,Hettiarachchi Amanda3,Semay Irène4,Gerbaux Pascal4,Michez Denis1,Joossens Marie3,Vandamme Peter3

Affiliation:

1. Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute for Biosciences, University of Mons, Mons, Belgium , 20 Place du Parc, 7000 Mons , Belgium

2. CEFE, CNRS, Univ Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France , 1919 Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier , France

3. Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University , 35 K.L. Ledeganckstraat, 9000 Ghent , Belgium

4. Organic Synthesis and Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Research Institute for Biosciences, University of Mons, Mons, Belgium , 20 Place du Parc, 7000 Mons , Belgium

Abstract

Abstract Aims Diets and parasites influence the gut bacterial symbionts of bumble bees, but potential interactive effects remain overlooked. The main objective of this study was to assess the isolated and interactive effects of sunflower pollen, its phenolamides, and the widespread trypanosomatid Crithidia sp. on the gut bacterial symbionts of Bombus terrestris males. Methods and results Bumble bee males emerged in microcolonies fed on either (i) willow pollen (control), (ii) sunflower pollen, or (iii) willow pollen spiked with phenolamide extracts from sunflower pollen. These microcolonies were infected by Crithidia sp. or were pathogen-free. Using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing (V3–V4 region), we observed a significant alteration of the beta diversity but not of the alpha diversity in the gut microbial communities of males fed on sunflower pollen compared to males fed on control pollen. Similarly, infection by the gut parasite Crithidia sp. altered the beta diversity but not the alpha diversity in the gut microbial communities of males, irrespective of the diet. By contrast, we did not observe any significant alteration of the beta or alpha diversity in the gut microbial communities of males fed on phenolamide-enriched pollen compared to males fed on control pollen. Changes in the beta diversity indicate significant dissimilarities of the bacterial taxa between the treatment groups, while the lack of difference in alpha diversity demonstrates no significant changes within each treatment group. Conclusions Bumble bees harbour consistent gut microbiota worldwide, but our results suggest that the gut bacterial communities of bumble bees are somewhat shaped by their diets and gut parasites as well as by the interaction of these two factors. This study confirms that bumble bees are suitable biological surrogates to assess the effect of diet and parasite infections on gut microbial communities.

Funder

Fonds De La Recherche Scientifique - FNRS

Research Foundation Flanders

Publisher

Oxford University Press (OUP)

Subject

Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology,General Medicine,Biotechnology

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