About this Research Topic
Honeybees are affected by a high number of pathogens infecting different honeybee tissues. Some bee pathogens can infect the digestive system, parasitizing the epithelial cells of the intestine (such as Nosema, Critidia and some viruses). Alternatively, they can use the gut as route of entry to colonize the haemocoel, proliferating in the host's body and leading to the insect death by septicemia (such as Serratia). Some researchers have demonstrated how pathogenic microorganisms can also impact the intestinal microbiota of the bees. For example, it has been demonstrated that Nosema ceranae can modify the bee microbiota by altering the absolute abundance of the Bifidobacteria genus, or by stimulating the colonization of the intestine with opportunistic bacteria typical of the hive environment such as Citrobacter, Cosenzaea and Morganella. At the same time, the kind of foods source available for the bees at landscape level can enormously influence the bees response to pathogens and the microbiota, thus driving the pathogens development dynamics. In the same way feed supplements managed by beekeepers can have a great impact on both microbiome and pathogens development as well.
Climate change is modifying the environment in which bees live. It often leads to different troubles such as scarcity of nectar and pollen available for bees or misalignment of flowering periods with the biological and reproductive cycles of some wild bees. Simultaneously, monocultures and herbicides that are widespread in most agroecosystems do not help bees to obtain a diverse diet. Consequently bees (especially honeybees) show nutritional imbalances due to limited or low-quality nutrition, two factors which, in synergy with various compounds of anthropic origin, can lead to the development of some lethal pathogens. The role of the gut microbiome in insects health has become increasingly evident, and this regards also honeybees and bumblebees, solitary bees, and stingless bees. These bees are widely investigated for their simple but specialized microbiota that supports bee nutrition and contrast some pathogens. However, the availability of food sources, often influenced by the landscape, can affect both the gut microbial community and the pathogens proliferation in bees. These three way interaction between nutrition, gut microbiome and pathogens are still largely unexplored. The same goes for the microbiota-pathogen interaction. In addition, especially for managed bees (honeybees, bumblebees and lately also stingless bees), the impact of artificial nutrition on the microbiota and the development of pathogens constitutes a further variable to be considered for future studies.
This research topic encourages researchers to submit original research and review articles highlighting the impact of the landscape and feeding practices on gut microbiome shaping in bees, in the presence of pathogens. This research topic welcomes original research articles, reviews, systematic reviews, technology, and methodology, but is not limited to, in the following themes:
- The composition and functional diversity of the gut microbiome of bees in relation to landscape.
- The composition and functional diversity of the gut microbiome of bees in relation to feed supplements.
- Interaction between the bees’ microbiota and pathogen survival or development.
- Interaction between bees’ pathogens and landscape.
- Interaction between parasites and bees’ physiology in relation to the nutrition status.
- The role of microbiome in the modulation of bees immunity.
- The microbiome of food sources (such as floral microbiome) in relation to bees health.
Climate change is modifying the environment in which bees live. It often leads to different troubles such as scarcity of nectar and pollen available for bees or misalignment of flowering periods with the biological and reproductive cycles of some wild bees. Simultaneously, monocultures and herbicides that are widespread in most agroecosystems do not help bees to obtain a diverse diet. Consequently bees (especially honeybees) show nutritional imbalances due to limited or low-quality nutrition, two factors which, in synergy with various compounds of anthropic origin, can lead to the development of some lethal pathogens. The role of the gut microbiome in insects health has become increasingly evident, and this regards also honeybees and bumblebees, solitary bees, and stingless bees. These bees are widely investigated for their simple but specialized microbiota that supports bee nutrition and contrast some pathogens. However, the availability of food sources, often influenced by the landscape, can affect both the gut microbial community and the pathogens proliferation in bees. These three way interaction between nutrition, gut microbiome and pathogens are still largely unexplored. The same goes for the microbiota-pathogen interaction. In addition, especially for managed bees (honeybees, bumblebees and lately also stingless bees), the impact of artificial nutrition on the microbiota and the development of pathogens constitutes a further variable to be considered for future studies.
This research topic encourages researchers to submit original research and review articles highlighting the impact of the landscape and feeding practices on gut microbiome shaping in bees, in the presence of pathogens. This research topic welcomes original research articles, reviews, systematic reviews, technology, and methodology, but is not limited to, in the following themes:
- The composition and functional diversity of the gut microbiome of bees in relation to landscape.
- The composition and functional diversity of the gut microbiome of bees in relation to feed supplements.
- Interaction between the bees’ microbiota and pathogen survival or development.
- Interaction between bees’ pathogens and landscape.
- Interaction between parasites and bees’ physiology in relation to the nutrition status.
- The role of microbiome in the modulation of bees immunity.
- The microbiome of food sources (such as floral microbiome) in relation to bees health.
Keywords: Gut microbiome, Landscape, Microbiome function, Feed supplements, Bees pathogens, Bees parasites, Bees immunity
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