Targeted viromes and total metagenomes capture distinct components of bee gut phage communities.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Despite being among the most abundant biological entities on earth, bacteriophage (phage) remain an understudied component of host-associated systems. One limitation to studying host-associated phage is the lack of consensus on methods for sampling phage communities. Here, we compare paired total metagenomes and viral size fraction metagenomes (viromes) as methods for investigating the dsDNA viral communities associated with the GI tract of two bee species: the European honey bee Apis mellifera and the eastern bumble bee Bombus impatiens.

Results

We find that viromes successfully enriched for phage, thereby increasing phage recovery, but only in honey bees. In contrast, for bumble bees, total metagenomes recovered greater phage diversity. Across both bee species,

SUBMITTER: Sbardellati DL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11342477 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature