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Geographically widespread honeybee‐gut symbiont subgroups show locally distinct antibiotic‐resistant patterns
Author(s) -
Ludvigsen Jane,
Porcellato Davide,
L'AbéeLund Trine M.,
Amdam Gro V.,
Rudi Knut
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
molecular ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.619
H-Index - 225
eISSN - 1365-294X
pISSN - 0962-1083
DOI - 10.1111/mec.14392
Subject(s) - biology , antibiotics , gut flora , metagenomics , antibiotic resistance , genetics , genome , horizontal gene transfer , gene , microbiology and biotechnology , immunology
How long‐term antibiotic treatment affects host bacterial associations is still largely unknown. The honeybee‐gut microbiota has a simple composition, so we used this gut community to investigate how long‐term antibiotic treatment affects host‐associated microbiota. We investigated the phylogenetic relatedness, genomic content ( GC percentage, genome size, number of genes and CRISPR ) and antibiotic‐resistant genes (ARG) for strains from two abundant members of the honeybee core gut microbiota ( Gilliamella apicola and Snodgrassella alvi ). Domesticated honeybees are subjected to geographically different management policies, so we used two research apiaries, representing different antibiotic treatment regimens in their apiculture: low antibiotic usage (Norway) and high antibiotic usage (Arizona, USA ). We applied whole‐genome shotgun sequencing on 48 G. apicola and 22 S. alvi . We identified three predominating subgroups of G. apicola in honeybees from both Norway and Arizona. For G. apicola , genetic content substantially varied between subgroups and distance similarity calculations showed similarity discrepancy between subgroups. Functional differences between subgroups, such as pectin‐degrading enzymes ( G. apicola ), were also identified. In addition, we identified horizontal gene transfer ( HGT ) of transposon (Tn10)‐associated tetracycline resistance (Tet B) across the G. apicola subgroups in the Arizonan honeybees, using interspace polymorphisms in the Tet B determinant. Our results support that honeybee‐gut symbiont subgroups can resist long‐term antibiotic treatment and maintain functionality through acquisition of geographically distinct antibiotic‐resistant genes by HGT .