The Buzz Within: The Role of the Gut Microbiome in Honeybee Social Behavior

Authors

J. B. Nguyen, Marquette University
Christopher Marshall, Marquette UniversityFollow
Chelsea N. Cook, Marquette UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-2024

Publisher

The Company of Biologists

Source Publication

Journal of Experimental Biology

Source ISSN

0022-0949

Original Item ID

DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246400

Abstract

Gut symbionts influence the physiology and behavior of their host, but the extent to which these effects scale to social behaviors is an emerging area of research. The use of the western honeybee (Apis mellifera) as a model enables researchers to investigate the gut microbiome and behavior at several levels of social organization. Insight into gut microbial effects at the societal level is critical for our understanding of how involved microbial symbionts are in host biology. In this Commentary, we discuss recent findings in honeybee gut microbiome research and synthesize these with knowledge of the physiology and behavior of other model organisms to hypothesize how host–microbe interactions at the individual level could shape societal dynamics and evolution.

Comments

Published version. Journal of Experimental Biology, Vol. 227, No. 3 (February 2024). DOI. © 2024 Company of Biologists. Used with permission.

Recommended Citation

Nguyen, J. B.; Marshall, Christopher; and Cook, Chelsea N., "The Buzz Within: The Role of the Gut Microbiome in Honeybee Social Behavior" (2024). Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications. 971.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/bio_fac/971