Influence of gut microbiota on behaviors of a honey bee

Abstract

Gut microbes contribute to a host animal in many aspects like survival, reproduction, and life cycle. Recent studies have also reported influences of gut microbiota on behaviors of a host animal. In order to study effects of gut bacteria on animal behaviors in detail, artificial manipulation of gut microbiota is useful. The honey bee provides a useful system to study effects of each gut bacterium on a host, as a honey bee has relatively simple gut microbiota consisted of the small number of bacterial phylotypes. Moreover, the method to prepare honey bees harboring specific gut bacteria has been established. Recent investigations reported that a gut bacterial community modulates behaviors of a honey bee. On the other hand, several studies including ours showed gut bacteria do not always modulate a behavior of a honey bee. As behaviors of a honey bee is influenced by physiological and environmental conditions of the bee, it is important to investigate honey bees with different physiologies and rearing conditions in order to reveal the detail of influence of gut bacteria on behaviors of a honey bee.