Laboratory of Genetics, Institute of Biotechnology, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Brazil.
Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
Sci Rep. 2023 Mar 29;13(1):5147. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-32298-w.
Stingless bees are a diverse group with a relevant role in pollinating native species. Its diet is rich in carbohydrates and proteins, by collecting pollen and nectar supplies the development of its offspring. Fermentation of these products is associated with microorganisms in the colony. However, the composition of microorganisms that comprise this microbiome and its fundamental role in colony development is still unclear. To characterize the colonizing microorganisms of larval food in the brood cells of stingless bees Frieseomelitta varia, Melipona quadrifasciata, Melipona scutellaris, and Tetragonisca angustula, we have utilized molecular and culture-based techniques. Bacteria of the phyla Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and fungi of the phyla Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Mucoromycota, and Mortierellomycota were found. Diversity analysis showed that F. varia had a greater diversity of bacteria in its microbiota, and T. angustula had a greater diversity of fungi. The isolation technique allowed the identification of 189 bacteria and 75 fungi. In summary, this research showed bacteria and fungi associated with the species F. varia, M. quadrifasciata, M. scutellaris, and T. angustula, which may play an essential role in the survival of these organisms. Besides that, a biobank with bacteria and fungus isolates from LF of Brazilian stingless bees was created, which can be used for different studies and the prospection of biotechnology compounds.
无刺蜂是一个多样化的群体，在为本地物种授粉方面发挥着重要作用。它们的饮食中富含碳水化合物和蛋白质，通过收集花粉和花蜜来为后代的发育提供营养。这些产物的发酵与群体中的微生物有关。然而，构成这个微生物组的微生物组成及其在群体发育中的基本作用仍不清楚。为了描述幼虫食物中定植微生物的特征，我们利用分子和基于培养的技术，对无刺蜂 Frieseomelitta varia、Melipona quadrifasciata、Melipona scutellaris 和 Tetragonisca angustula 的育雏细胞中的幼虫食物进行了研究。发现了厚壁菌门、变形菌门、放线菌门和子囊菌门、担子菌门、毛霉门和被孢霉门的真菌。多样性分析表明，F. varia 的微生物群中具有更多种类的细菌，而 T. angustula 的真菌多样性更大。分离技术允许鉴定出 189 种细菌和 75 种真菌。总之，这项研究表明，与 F. varia、M. quadrifasciata、M. scutellaris 和 T. angustula 相关的细菌和真菌可能对这些生物的生存起着重要作用。此外，还创建了一个包含巴西无刺蜂 LF 中细菌和真菌分离物的生物库，可用于不同的研究和生物技术化合物的探索。
