Melipona stingless bees and honey microbiota reveal the diversity, composition, and modes of symbionts transmission.

ABSTRACT: The Melipona gut microbiota differs from other social bees, being characterized by the absence of crucial corbiculate core gut symbionts and a high occurrence of environmental strains. We studied the microbial diversity and composition of three Melipona species and their honey to understand which strains are obtained by horizontal transmission (HT) from the pollination environment, represent symbionts with HT from the hive/food stores or social transmission (ST) between nestmates. Bees harbored higher microbial alpha diversity and a different and more species-specific bacterial composition than honey. The fungal communities of bee and honey samples are also different but less dissimilar. As expected, the eusocial corbiculate core symbionts Snodgrassella and Gilliamella were absent in bees

SUBMITTER: Cerqueira AES 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11217820 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature