US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 1575 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA; Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA; Biology Department, McHenry County College, 8900 Northwest Hwy #14, Crystal Lake, IL 60012, USA.
Trends Ecol Evol. 2024 Jan;39(1):65-77. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.09.001. Epub 2023 Nov 6.
While bee-angiosperm mutualisms are widely recognized as foundational partnerships that have shaped the diversity and structure of terrestrial ecosystems, these ancient mutualisms have been underpinned by 'silent third partners': microbes. Here, we propose reframing the canonical bee-angiosperm partnership as a three-way mutualism between bees, microbes, and angiosperms. This new conceptualization casts microbes as active symbionts, processing and protecting pollen-nectar provisions, consolidating nutrients for bee larvae, enhancing floral attractancy, facilitating plant fertilization, and defending bees and plants from pathogens. In exchange, bees and angiosperms provide their microbial associates with food, shelter, and transportation. Such microbial communities represent co-equal partners in tripartite mutualisms with bees and angiosperms, facilitating one of the most important ecological partnerships on land.
虽然蜂类与被子植物的互惠关系被广泛认为是基础的伙伴关系，塑造了陆地生态系统的多样性和结构，但这些古老的互惠关系是由“沉默的第三方伙伴”：微生物所支撑的。在这里，我们提出将经典的蜂类与被子植物的伙伴关系重新构建为蜜蜂、微生物和被子植物之间的三向互惠关系。这种新的概念化将微生物视为活跃的共生体，处理和保护花粉-花蜜供应物，为蜜蜂幼虫巩固营养，增强花卉吸引力，促进植物受精，并保护蜜蜂和植物免受病原体侵害。作为交换，蜜蜂和被子植物为它们的微生物伙伴提供食物、住所和运输。这些微生物群落与蜜蜂和被子植物一起构成了三方互惠关系中的平等伙伴，促进了陆地上最重要的生态伙伴关系之一。
