Anthropogenic effects on gut bacterial communities structure in bees: agroecosystems and agricultural pesticides

• Grant number: 24/02132-6
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: July 01, 2024
• End date: June 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Molecular Genetics and Genetics of Microorganisms
• Agreement: CNPq
• Principal Investigator: Mauricio Bacci Junior
• Grantee: Mauricio Bacci Junior
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/10639-5 - Center for Research on Biodiversity Dynamics and Climate Change, AP.CEPID
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/11122-4 - Anthropogenic effects on gut bacterial community structure in bees: agroecosystems and agricultural pesticides, BP.JD

Abstract

The gut of honey bees, stingless bees and solitary bees contain similar bacteria, showing a functional symbiosis. Additionally, each harbors a divergent subgroup of bacteria, indicating adaptive specializations associated with the environment. Thus, probably the replacement of native vegetation by agroecosystems affects the adaptive microbiota. In the meantime, the abusive use of pesticides, which affects the survival of bees, could affect the functional microbial community. We will test these hypotheses by characterizing microbial diversity in the gut of the honey bee and two stingless bees species through sequencing of 16S metabarcoding libraries. The honey bee Apis mellifera and stingless bees Scaptotrigona postica and Tetragonisca angustula will be used as biological models for this study, as they represent groups with microbiota that have not yet been studied. To evaluate the agricultural pesticides effects, the species will be or not exposure to mancozeb compound. To evaluate the agroecosystems effect, the same bees will be collected in native vegetation area or in agricultural area. The following questions will be answered: (1) Does the pesticide affect the functional microbial community of honey bees and stingless bees? (2) Does replacing the native vegetation area to agroecosystems affect the adaptive microbial community? (3) Can the structure of the bacterial community in bee gut identify the pesticides use in agroecosystems? The answers to these questions will produce unprecedented data for the to the growing literature available about the association between bees and microorganisms, and will contribute to identify the anthropic effects in this symbiosis. (AU)