"Western Honey Bees: Synthesizing Nutrients for Gut Microbiota"
A study on the western honey bee reveals that it synthesizes food for its intestinal bacteria, particularly the symbiont Snodgrassella alvi, by producing organic acids that are exported into the gut. This intricate metabolic synergy between the bee and its gut microbiota could explain the bee's specialized and conserved gut microbiota and may play a role in their vulnerability to climate change, pesticides, and new pathogens. The findings shed light on the importance of host-derived compounds in gut colonization and could have implications for understanding and addressing bee health challenges.