SYMBIOS · SYmbiotic Microbiota of honey Bees: Influence On Social communication

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Project objective

The gut microbiota is a key symbiotic system that profoundly shapes host physiology and behaviour. In humans, it influences the brain and has been implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum conditions, where social deficits are a hallmark. Yet little is known about its role in social communication, the cornerstone of cohesion and survival in complex animal societies. In insects, gut bacteria are known to affect chemical communication, but these studies have been restricted to non-social species where the consequences for group survival remain limited. The SYMBIOS project will bridge this gap by investigating how the gut microbiota shapes pheromonal communication in eusocial insects, where colonies represent the highest expression of social life and function as superorganisms. The honey bee, Apis mellifera, whose interactions rely heavily on pheromones (social cues) and which plays a central role in global ecology and economy through its pollination services, offers an ideal model. Despite its importance, we still lack fundamental knowledge of how the microbiota impacts colony cohesion and thus social communication, which is its very cement, ultimately shaping the functioning of the colony as a superorganism. This project, hosted by Prof. Joanito Liberti (University of Geneva) with a secondment to Prof. Philipp Engel (University of Lausanne), will combine complementary expertise in microbiology, neuroethology, physiology and biochemical analyses to unravel the mechanisms underlying social communication in gut-colonized honey bees considered as holobionts. We will investigate how the presence or absence of gut microbiota affects pheromone production, neuronal detection and perception and behavioural responses in honey bees. By integrating these levels, the project will deliver novel insights into how microbial symbioses support social life, providing a timely and innovative perspective on the microbiota–brain–behaviour axis.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

• UNIVERSITE DE GENEVE · GeneveCoordinatorSwitzerland
• UNIVERSITE DE LAUSANNE · LAUSANNESwitzerland

Links

• View on CORDIS
• DOI: 10.3030/101285047