Diet affects reproductive development and microbiota composition in honey bees.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Gut microbes are important to the health and fitness of many animals. Many factors have been shown to affect gut microbial communities including diet, lifestyle, and age. Most animals have very complex physiologies, lifestyles, and microbiomes, making it virtually impossible to disentangle what factors have the largest impact on microbiota composition. Honeybees are an excellent model to study host-microbe interactions due to their relatively simple gut microbiota, experimental tractability, and eusociality. Worker honey bees have distinct gut microbiota from their queen mothers despite being close genetic relatives and living in the same environment. Queens and workers differ in numerous ways including development, physiology, pheromone production, diet, and behavior. I

SUBMITTER: Zumkhawala-Cook A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11539837 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature