Dimensions: Genomics, functional roles, and diversity of the symbiotic gut microbiotae of honey bees and bumble bees

维度：蜜蜂和熊蜂共生肠道微生物群的基因组学、功能作用和多样性

• 批准号: 1046153
• 负责人: Nancy Moran
• 金额: $ 200.64万
• 依托单位: Yale University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-01-01 至 2014-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1046153&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Dimensions; Genomics; functional; roles; diversity

Microbial gut symbionts are essential for the life of most animal species, but their diversity and functions in hosts and their responses to ecological disturbance are poorly understood. Apis mellifera, the honeybee, possesses a distinctive set of about eight symbiotic bacterial species; some of these also occur in other Apis species and in the related genus Bombus (bumblebees). This study integrates the genomic, taxonomic and functional dimensions of the biodiversity of gut symbionts in these bees. 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.These pollinator species have immense economic, ecological, and agricultural importance; this project will provide new insights into their ecological resilience as mediated by their gut microbes. The data will inform bee conservation and land management policies. This effort will also establish a collaborative exchange with Chinese scientists. Several US students, at different levels, will be trained. High school student researchers and educational activities will be sponsored through the Peabody Museum in New Haven, CT. A large global collection of cryopreserved bees will be established to serve as a reference resource for future changes in bee populations. Overall, this research will provide novel insights into the biology of these important pollinators and their symbiotic microbial biodiversity.

微生物肠道共生菌是大多数动物生命所必需的，但它们在宿主中的多样性和功能以及它们对生态干扰的反应却知之甚少。意大利蜜蜂是蜜蜂，拥有一套独特的约8种共生细菌；其中一些也存在于其他蜜蜂物种和相关的熊蜂属(熊蜂)中。这项研究整合了这些蜜蜂肠道共生体生物多样性的基因组、分类学和功能维度。这项研究将确定这些细菌物种的基因组序列和代谢能力，并探索它们的丰度和基因表达在宿主受到不同环境影响时的反应。在营养胁迫和病原体挑战下，将通过实验评估微生物区系改变对宿主适应性的影响。这项研究还将描述全球收集的Bombus和Apis物种微生物区系的分类组成，重点是北美和中国。这些传粉物种具有巨大的经济、生态和农业重要性；该项目将为了解它们由肠道微生物介导的生态弹性提供新的见解。这些数据将为蜜蜂保护和土地管理政策提供信息。这一努力还将建立与中国科学家的合作交流。几名不同级别的美国学生将接受培训。高中生研究人员和教育活动将通过位于康涅狄格州纽黑文的皮博迪博物馆赞助。将建立一个大规模的全球冷冻蜜蜂集合，作为未来蜜蜂种群变化的参考资源。总体而言，这项研究将为这些重要传粉者的生物学及其共生微生物生物多样性提供新的见解。