Honeybee gut microbiota promotes host weight gain via bacterial metabolism and hormonal signaling

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1701819114
• Publication Date: 2017-04-19T00:40:33Z
• Authors: Hao Zheng; J. Elijah Powell; Margaret I. Steele; Carsten Dietrich; Nancy A. Moran
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; 2. Zero hunger; 03 medical and health sciences; Bacteria; Insect Hormones; Body Weight; Animals; Bees; 15. Life on land; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Signal Transduction

SignificanceHoney bees are globally important plant pollinators. Guts of adult workers contain specialized bacteria not found outside bees. Experimental results show that gut bacteria increase weight gain in young adult bees, affect expression of genes governing insulin and vitellogenin levels, and increase sucrose sensitivity. Gut bacteria also shape the physicochemical conditions within the gut, lowering pH and oxygen levels. Peripheral resident bacteria consume oxygen, thus maintaining anoxia, as required for microbial activity. Additionally, gut bacteria produce short-chain fatty acids, with acetate and propionate as the major metabolites, as in guts of human and other animals. This study demonstrates how bacteria in the honey bee gut affect host weight gain and improves our understanding of how gut symbionts influence host health.