Kogan Helen V, Elikan Annabelle B, Glaser Kimberly F, Bergmann Jenna M, Raymond Laure M, Prado-Irwin Sofia R, Snow Jonathan W
Biology Department, Barnard College, New York, New York, USA.
Microbiol Spectr. 2023 Feb 15;11(2):e0519422. doi: 10.1128/spectrum.05194-22.
Honey bees are critical pollinators in both agricultural and ecological settings. Recent declines in honey bee colonies in the United States have put increased strain on agricultural pollination. Although there are many environmental stressors implicated in honey bee disease, there has been intensifying focus on the role of microbial attacks on honey bee health. Despite the long-standing appreciation for the association of fungi of various groups with honey bees and their broader environment, the effects of these interactions on honey bee health are incompletely understood. Here, we report the discovery of colonization of the honey bee digestive tract by the environmental yeast Lachancea thermotolerans. Experimental colonization of honey bee digestive tracts by L. thermotolerans revealed that this yeast species maintains high levels in the honey bee midgut only at temperatures below the typical colony temperature. In newly eclosed bees, colonization alters the microbiome, suggesting that environmental yeasts can impact its composition. Future studies should be undertaken to better understand the role of and other environmental yeasts in honey bee health. Although many fungal species are found in association with honey bees and their broader environment, the effects of these interactions on honey bee health are largely unknown. Here, we report the discovery that a yeast commonly found in the environment can be found at high levels in honey bee digestive tracts. Experimentally feeding this yeast to honey bees showed that the yeast's ability to maintain high levels in the digestive tract is influenced by temperature and can lead to alterations of the microbiome in young bees. These studies provide a foundation for future studies to better understand the role of environmental yeasts in honey bee health.
蜜蜂在农业和生态环境中都是至关重要的传粉者。美国近期蜜蜂蜂群数量的下降给农业授粉带来了更大压力。尽管有许多环境压力因素与蜜蜂疾病有关，但人们越来越关注微生物攻击对蜜蜂健康的作用。尽管长期以来人们一直认识到各类真菌与蜜蜂及其更广泛环境之间的关联，但这些相互作用对蜜蜂健康的影响仍未完全了解。在此，我们报告发现耐热拉汉酵母菌定殖于蜜蜂消化道。耐热拉汉酵母菌对蜜蜂消化道进行实验性定殖发现，这种酵母仅在低于典型蜂群温度的条件下才能在蜜蜂中肠中维持高数量水平。在新羽化的蜜蜂中，定殖会改变微生物群落，这表明环境酵母会影响其组成。未来应开展研究，以更好地了解耐热拉汉酵母菌和其他环境酵母在蜜蜂健康中的作用。尽管在蜜蜂及其更广泛环境中发现了许多真菌物种，但这些相互作用对蜜蜂健康的影响在很大程度上仍不清楚。在此，我们报告一项发现，即一种常见于环境中的酵母在蜜蜂消化道中含量很高。通过实验将这种酵母喂给蜜蜂表明，该酵母在消化道中维持高数量水平的能力受温度影响，并可能导致幼蜂微生物群落的改变。这些研究为未来更好地了解环境酵母在蜜蜂健康中的作用奠定了基础。
