Recent research has shown that gut microbes can influence development, overall health, and behavior. Human social disorders, such as autism, also appear linked to altered gut microbiota, suggesting that gut microbes can have effects on social behavior in highly social animals. How exactly gut microbes affect host behavior, and what role the gut microbiome plays in social interactions remains unclear. Previous research on the microbiome and behavior has been performed on non-social model organisms, like mice and fruit flies, which do not form large, complex societies. Besides humans, complex social behaviors have also been observed in social insects; therefore, the proposed research will focus on the gut microbiome and behavior in European honey bees. The project will specifically investigate how modifications to gut microbiome can influence individual honey bee learning and their social interactions. This research will shed light on the evolution of complex interactions between gut microbes and their hosts, and will identify possible mechanisms by which gut microbes impact host behavior. In light of the worldwide honey bee decline, the research is potentially of applied agricultural importance, because the gut microbiome could be used to improve overall honey bee health. This research will promote research training for undergraduate students, with opportunities for veterans and other groups underrepresented in scientific research. Researchers will also work with local schools to create teaching modules based on the proposed project.
The gut microbiome has recently been shown to strongly affect host behavior, neurogenomic state, nutrition, and overall health in model organisms. The research tests the hypothesis that changes in the gut microbiome have strong and measurable effects on individual- and group-level behaviors in honey bees. Honey bees have a number of features that make them ideal to study host-microbiome interactions, including: their well-characterized gut microbiome; a relatively simple gut microbiome in comparison to solitary model species; and the fact that honey bees have emerged as a model for studying the molecular and physiological underpinnings of highly social behavior. A well-established classical conditioning procedure, the proboscis extension reflex, will be used to quantify the effect of a gut microbe treatment on individual learning and memory, while any changes in social behaviors will be evaluated by constructing the interaction contact networks. Finally, RNA sequencing will be used to develop specific gene expression profiles from the host brain and gut tissues. The combination of these three approaches will link genetic and cellular changes induced by changes in the gut microbiome on honey bee individual and social behaviors, further building on the understanding of intricate interactions between hosts and their microbiomes.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
