Phylogenetic, environmental, and molecular drivers of gut microbiota in stingless bees and the potential role of gut bacteria in remediating pollinator decline in the Neotropics

Descrição

General aim: Characterize the phylogenetic, environmental and molecular determinants of gut microbiota assembly in Neotropical stingless bees, and to evaluate the potential of the gut microbiome as both a biomarker of, and a mitigation strategy against, anthropogenic stressors, particularly pesticide exposure. Specific aims: 1: synthesize current knowledge on gut microbiota composition and function across the four tribes of corbiculate bees (Meliponini, Apini, Bombini, Euglossini), identifying methodological and conceptual gaps. 2: characterise the composition and test whether host phylogeny predicts gut microbiota composition (phylosymbiosis) across Brazilian stingless bee species. 3: quantify how environmental variables (altitude, nest type, and elemental/heavy-metal exposure) shape the gut microbiota of the threatened, narrow-endemic species Melipona capixaba across its natural range. 4: map the functional, gene-expression-level potential of the gut-brain axis in Melipona mondury and compare it to the well-characterized A. mellifera model. 5: experimentally determine how pesticide exposure alters the taxonomic and functional profile of the gut microbiota and the host transcriptomic response in M. mondury.

Palavras-chave

• Meliponini
• Melipona
• stingless bee
• microbiota
• sublethal effects
• digestive system

Grupo de pesquisa

Ecotoxicologia aplicada à preservação de abelhas

Financiamento

Com financiamento