Three Lactic Acid Bacteria Help Nourish Bee Offspring
The most representative species of the genus Lactobacillus are known for their application in food fermentation and specific strains have been recognized as having probiotic properties. Now, scientists at the University of California, have discovered that three species of these bacteria play a key role in the preservation of nectar and pollen that female bees store in their nests as food for their larvae- thereby facilitating the nourishment of little ones.
Symbiotic bacteria that live in bee guts are believed to promote bee health by helping to digest food and boost immunity. Compared to honeybees and bumblebees, little is known about the microbial communities associated with wild bees, despite the important role these insects play in the pollination of flowering plants.
The study, led by Quinn McFrederick, an assistant professor of entomology in UCR’s College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences, suggests the newly identified species- Lactobacillus micheneri, Lactobacillus timberlakei and Lactobacillus quenuiae- may help bees by inhibiting the growth of fungi inside pollen provisions.
“Wild bees lay their eggs inside chambers filled with nectar and pollen,” McFrederick said, quoted by the university’s press release. “Once an egg has been laid, it may take several days to hatch and an additional week for the larvae to eat through all the nectar and pollen, so it is important that these provisions don’t spoil during this period.”
To study the bacteria associated with wild bees, McFrederick and co-authors collected wild bees and flowers from two sites in Texas and on the UCR campus.
“It is interesting that the bacteria were able to live on both wild flowers and bees,” he added. “The species we isolated have fairly small genomes and not as many genes as you would expect considering they survive in two different environments.”
Researchers are currently into further research in order to explore this hypothesis.
