Honey bee gut metagenome. gut metagenome

Sequencing of the honey bee gut metagenome was conducted to reveal the gene content of the distinctive microbial community present in the gut of female worker bees (Apis mellifera). The metagenome will provide the basis for identifying mutualistic functions governed by these symbionts. The project integrates the genomic, taxonomic and functional dimensions of the biodiversity of gut symbionts in Apis mellifera. The research will determine genome sequences and metabolic capabilities for these bacterial species and probe how their abundances and gene expression respond when hosts are subjected to different environments. The consequences of altered microbiota for host fitness will be experimentally assessed under nutrient stress and pathogen challenge. The study will also characterize the taxonomic composition of the microbiota of Bombus and Apis species collected globally, with emphasis on North America and China.