Biotechnology Bulletin ›› 2020, Vol. 36 ›› Issue (2): 71-76.doi: 10.13560/j.cnki.biotech.bull.1985.2019-0876

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The Relationship Between Gut Microflora and Sociality of Honeybee

WANG Hong-fang, XU Bao-hua   

  1. College of Animal Science and Technology,Shandong Agricultural University,Tai’an 271018
  • Received:2019-09-20 Online:2020-02-26 Published:2020-02-23

Abstract: Honeybees are the typical eusocial insects living in social groups. Compared with solitary insects,they harbor special gut microflora. The relationship between bees’ unique gut microbes and their sociability is a fascinating scientific issue. Guts of honey bee workers are dominated by 9 distinctive bacterial phylotypes. The dominant species and abundances vary among various niche of digestive tract. There are few bacterial phylotypes and low abundance in foregut,but rich phylotypes and high abundances in hindgut,accounting for over 99% of microbes in whole gut. The microflora varies among the bees with different social division. Honeybee gut microbes can regulate their castes differentiation,social labor division,food intake behavior and lifespan by affecting insulin signals,the synthesis of juvenile hormone and vitellogenin,and the antioxidant stress ability. Besides,gut microbes in honeybee also play roles in activating immunity,inhibiting pathogenic bacteria,degrading food,promoting nutrient absorption,detoxifying,and fermenting honey and bee bread. The profile of honeybee gut microbes and the relationship between gut microbes and honeybee sociality are reviewed in this paper.

Key words: honeybee, gut, microflora, castes differentiation, social division, lifespan