Bacterial microbiota identification of the foregut (crop) of native bees Tetragonisca angustula and Scaptotrigona postica by 16S metabarcoding sequencing

• Grant number: 24/03287-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2024
• End date: August 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Molecular Genetics and Genetics of Microorganisms
• Principal Investigator: Milene Ferro
• Grantee: Thiago Galdino Dietrich
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Bees play a vital role in pollination, biodiversity maintenance, and agricultural productivity. Their gut microbiota influences colony health and, consequently, the quality of commercially viable products such as honey and pollen. There are several simultaneous mechanisms for the transmission of gut microorganisms within a colony, with the main ones being trophallaxis, nest maintenance, and feeding on honey and pollen pots. These transmission elements confer a colony and species-specific microbiota that establishes beneficial ecological relationships. These relationships can be reinforced by the use of probiotics by meliponiculturists, strengthening colonies and increasing honey productivity. Bacteria inhabiting the portion of the gut corresponding to the foregut (crop) may be directly associated with the sanitization of the material collected by bees and the maturation of honey by adding enzymes that convert starch into sugars. Although the crop has a specific functional microbiota, it is still under-investigated. Most current studies on the analysis of the bacterial microbiota in bees involve the isolation of bacteria from the complete gut through culture-dependent methods. In light of this, the aim of this project is to identify the diversity and bacterial composition of the crop of two important native Brazilian bee species in meliponiculture, Tetragonisca angustula and Scaptotrigona postica. For this, bee collection will be carried out, followed by the removal of the crop (foregut), DNA extraction, high throughput sequencing of the V3-V4 region of the 16S ribosomal gene, and taxonomic classification of the bacterial microbiota associated with the crop for each species. These results will contribute to a better understanding of the possible ecological relationships between bees and associated bacteria and their implications for colony health and honey production.