Antibiotics-induced changes in intestinal bacteria result in the sensitivity of honey bee to virus. (1st December 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Deng, Yanchun; Yang, Sa; Zhao, Hongxia; Luo, Ji; Yang, Wenchao; Hou, Chunsheng
• Is Part Of: Environmental pollution. Volume 314(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-12-01
• Subjects: Antibiotics -- Gut microbiota -- Sensitivity -- Metagenomic sequencing -- Israeli acute paralysis virus; Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Environmental Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Effets physiologiques -- Périodiques; Pollution; Pollution -- Environmental aspects; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 363.73
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120278
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-7491

Abstract

Abstract: Antibiotics are omnipresent in the environment due to their widespread use, and they have wide-ranging negative impacts on organisms. Virus resistance differs substantially between domesticated Apis mellifera and wild Apis cerana, although both are commonly raised in China. Here, we investigated whether antibiotics can increase the sensitivity of honey bees to viral infection using the Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV) and tetracycline as representative virus and antibiotic. Although IAPV multiplied to lower levels in A. cerana than A. mellifera, resulting in decreased mortality ( P < 0.01 ), there was no significant difference in immune responses to viral infection between the two species. Adult worker bees ( A. cerana and A. mellifera ) were treated with or without tetracycline to demonstrate the prominent role of gut microbiota against viral infection, and found Lactobacillus played a vital antiviral role in A. cerana. In A. cerana but not A. mellifera, tetracycline treatment reduced clearly bee survival and increased susceptibility to IAPV infection ( P < 0.01 ). Our findings revealed that long-term antibiotic treatment in A. mellifera had altered the native gut microbiome and promoted the sensitivity to viral infection. We highlight the effects of antibiotics exposure on resistance to microbial and viral infection. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: Tetracycline treatment significantly promoted A. cerana susceptibility to IAPV. Lactobacillus performs a more prominent antiviral role in A. cerana. Long-term antibiotic exposure in A. mellifera changes the native gut microbiome.