Life history strategies complement niche partitioning to support the coexistence of closely related Gilliamella species in the bee gut.

ABSTRACT: The maintenance of bacterial diversity at both species and strain levels is crucial for the sustainability of honey bee gut microbiota and host health. Periodic or random fluctuation in diet typically alters the metabolic niches available to gut microbes, thereby continuously reshaping bacterial diversity and interspecific interactions. It remains unclear how closely related bacteria adapt to these fluctuations and maintain coexistence within the bee gut. Here, we demonstrate that the five predominant Gilliamella species associated with Apis cerana, a widely distributed Asiatic honey bee, have diverged in carbohydrate metabolism to adapt to distinct nutrient niches driven by dietary fluctuation. Specifically, the glycan-specialists gain improved growth on a pollen-rich diet, but are overal

SUBMITTER: Yang C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11822680 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature