Gut Microbiota Diversity in 16 Stingless Bee Species (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini)
Bacterial symbionts play an important role in insect survival by contributing to key metabolic and defensive functions. While stingless bees are known to harbor diverse microbial communities, their core bacterial symbionts remain poorly characterized. In this study, we analyzed the gut microbiota of...
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2025-07-01
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| author | María de Lourdes Ramírez-Ahuja Kenzy I. Peña-Carrillo Mayra A. Gómez-Govea Mariana Lizbeth Jiménez-Martínez Gerardo de Jesús Trujillo-Rodríguez Marisol Espinoza-Ruiz Antonio Guzmán Velasco Adriana E. Flores José Ignacio González-Rojas Diana Reséndez-Pérez Iram Pablo Rodríguez-Sánchez |
| author_facet | María de Lourdes Ramírez-Ahuja Kenzy I. Peña-Carrillo Mayra A. Gómez-Govea Mariana Lizbeth Jiménez-Martínez Gerardo de Jesús Trujillo-Rodríguez Marisol Espinoza-Ruiz Antonio Guzmán Velasco Adriana E. Flores José Ignacio González-Rojas Diana Reséndez-Pérez Iram Pablo Rodríguez-Sánchez |
| author_sort | María de Lourdes Ramírez-Ahuja |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Bacterial symbionts play an important role in insect survival by contributing to key metabolic and defensive functions. While stingless bees are known to harbor diverse microbial communities, their core bacterial symbionts remain poorly characterized. In this study, we analyzed the gut microbiota of sixteen stingless bee species collected from different regions of Mexico using 16S rRNA gene sequencing on the Illumina<sup>®</sup> MiSeq™ platform. Our results revealed that Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria are the most abundant bacterial phyla across species. Among the dominant genera, lactic acid bacteria, such as <i>Lactobacillus</i> spp., <i>Bifidobacterium</i>, and <i>Fructobacillus</i> spp., were the most prevalent. These bacteria are responsible for developing biochemical functions in metabolic processes like lactic fermentation and the biotransformation of complex organic compounds into molecules that are more easily assimilated by bees. This study offers a novel perspective on the diversity and predicted composition of gut microbiota in Mexican stingless bees. By highlighting differences in microbial communities among species with different feeding habits, our results emphasize the importance of preserving microbial biodiversity in these pollinators. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0eb38d4ab46347329b1f355a3d9fa3ad |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2076-2607 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microorganisms |
| spelling | doaj-art-0eb38d4ab46347329b1f355a3d9fa3ad2025-08-20T02:47:17ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072025-07-01137164510.3390/microorganisms13071645Gut Microbiota Diversity in 16 Stingless Bee Species (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini)María de Lourdes Ramírez-Ahuja0Kenzy I. Peña-Carrillo1Mayra A. Gómez-Govea2Mariana Lizbeth Jiménez-Martínez3Gerardo de Jesús Trujillo-Rodríguez4Marisol Espinoza-Ruiz5Antonio Guzmán Velasco6Adriana E. Flores7José Ignacio González-Rojas8Diana Reséndez-Pérez9Iram Pablo Rodríguez-Sánchez10Laboratorio de Fisiología Molecular y Estructural, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, San Nicolás de los Garza 64460, MexicoCampo Experimental General Terán, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales Agrícolas y Pecuarias, Km 31 Carretera Montemorelos-China, General Terán 67400, MexicoLaboratorio de Fisiología Molecular y Estructural, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, San Nicolás de los Garza 64460, MexicoLaboratorio de Fisiología Molecular y Estructural, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, San Nicolás de los Garza 64460, MexicoLaboratorio de Fisiología Molecular y Estructural, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, San Nicolás de los Garza 64460, MexicoFacultad de Ciencias Químicas, Campus IV, Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas, Tapachula 30580, MexicoLaboratorio de Conservación de Vida Silvestre y Desarrollo Sustentable, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, San Nicolás de los Garza 64460, MexicoLaboratorio de Entomología Médica, Departamento de Zoología de Invertebrados, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, San Nicolás de los Garza 66455, MexicoLaboratorio de Conservación de Vida Silvestre y Desarrollo Sustentable, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, San Nicolás de los Garza 64460, MexicoDepartamento de Biología Celular y Genética, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, San Nicolás de los Garza 66455, MexicoLaboratorio de Fisiología Molecular y Estructural, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, San Nicolás de los Garza 64460, MexicoBacterial symbionts play an important role in insect survival by contributing to key metabolic and defensive functions. While stingless bees are known to harbor diverse microbial communities, their core bacterial symbionts remain poorly characterized. In this study, we analyzed the gut microbiota of sixteen stingless bee species collected from different regions of Mexico using 16S rRNA gene sequencing on the Illumina<sup>®</sup> MiSeq™ platform. Our results revealed that Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria are the most abundant bacterial phyla across species. Among the dominant genera, lactic acid bacteria, such as <i>Lactobacillus</i> spp., <i>Bifidobacterium</i>, and <i>Fructobacillus</i> spp., were the most prevalent. These bacteria are responsible for developing biochemical functions in metabolic processes like lactic fermentation and the biotransformation of complex organic compounds into molecules that are more easily assimilated by bees. This study offers a novel perspective on the diversity and predicted composition of gut microbiota in Mexican stingless bees. By highlighting differences in microbial communities among species with different feeding habits, our results emphasize the importance of preserving microbial biodiversity in these pollinators.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/7/1645stingless beescorbiculate beesmicrobiomegut microbiota |
| spellingShingle | María de Lourdes Ramírez-Ahuja Kenzy I. Peña-Carrillo Mayra A. Gómez-Govea Mariana Lizbeth Jiménez-Martínez Gerardo de Jesús Trujillo-Rodríguez Marisol Espinoza-Ruiz Antonio Guzmán Velasco Adriana E. Flores José Ignacio González-Rojas Diana Reséndez-Pérez Iram Pablo Rodríguez-Sánchez Gut Microbiota Diversity in 16 Stingless Bee Species (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini) Microorganisms stingless bees corbiculate bees microbiome gut microbiota |
| title | Gut Microbiota Diversity in 16 Stingless Bee Species (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini) |
| title_full | Gut Microbiota Diversity in 16 Stingless Bee Species (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini) |
| title_fullStr | Gut Microbiota Diversity in 16 Stingless Bee Species (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Gut Microbiota Diversity in 16 Stingless Bee Species (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini) |
| title_short | Gut Microbiota Diversity in 16 Stingless Bee Species (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini) |
| title_sort | gut microbiota diversity in 16 stingless bee species hymenoptera apidae meliponini |
| topic | stingless bees corbiculate bees microbiome gut microbiota |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/7/1645 |
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