scholarly journals Characterization of the Kenyan Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Gut Microbiota: A First Look at Tropical and Sub-Saharan African Bee Associated Microbiomes

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 1721
Author(s):  
Yosef Hamba Tola ◽  
Jacqueline Wahura Waweru ◽  
Gregory D. D. Hurst ◽  
Bernard Slippers ◽  
Juan C. Paredes
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Amplicon Sequencing ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
African Region ◽  
16S Rrna Amplicon Sequencing ◽  
Host Interaction ◽  
Sub Saharan

Gut microbiota plays important roles in many physiological processes of the host including digestion, protection, detoxification, and development of immune responses. The honey bee (Apis mellifera) has emerged as model for gut-microbiota host interaction studies due to its gut microbiota being highly conserved and having a simple composition. A key gap in this model is understanding how the microbiome differs regionally, including sampling from the tropics and in particular from Africa. The African region is important from the perspective of the native diversity of the bees, and differences in landscape and bee management. Here, we characterized the honey bee gut microbiota in sub-Saharan Africa using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. We confirm the presence of the core gut microbiota members and highlight different compositions of these communities across regions. We found that bees from the coastal regions harbor a higher relative abundance and diversity on core members. Additionally, we showed that Gilliamella, Snodgrassella, and Frischella dominate in all locations, and that altitude and humidity affect Gilliamella abundance. In contrast, we found that Lactobacillus was less common compared temperate regions of the world. This study is a first comprehensive characterization of the gut microbiota of honey bees from sub-Saharan Africa and underscores the need to study microbiome diversity in other indigenous bee species and regions.

Feasibility and acceptability of frequent vaginal self-sampling at home by Rwandan women at high risk of urogenital tract infections

2021 ◽  
pp. sextrans-2020-054816
Author(s):  
Marijn C Verwijs ◽  
Stephen Agaba ◽  
Marie-Michele Umulisa ◽  
Janneke H H M van de Wijgert
Keyword(s):  
Group Discussion ◽  
Amplicon Sequencing ◽  
Randomised Clinical Trial ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
16S Rrna Amplicon Sequencing ◽  
Resource Setting ◽  
Vaginal Swabs ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Tract Infections ◽  
At Home

ObjectivesTo establish temporal links between vaginal microbiota (VMB) data and incident clinical events, frequent longitudinal vaginal sampling is required. Self-collection of swabs at the participant’s home may be useful to avoid overburdening research clinics and participants. One-off vaginal self-sampling for STI or cervical cancer screening programmes has been shown to be feasible and acceptable to women in multiple studies, including in sub-Saharan Africa, but the feasibility and acceptability of frequent longitudinal vaginal sampling in the context of VMB sequencing studies is unknown.MethodsTwelve participants of a randomised clinical trial in Kigali, Rwanda, self-collected vaginal swabs three times a week for a month. We studied feasibility by comparing DNA concentrations, proportions of samples with >1000 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing reads and VMB composition outcomes of self-collected swabs with clinician-collected swabs. We evaluated the acceptability of self-collection using structured face-to-face interviews and a focus group discussion.ResultsThe participants collected vaginal swabs at 131 different time points. One woman stopped self-sampling after one try due to a social harm. All self-sampled swabs generated >1000 rRNA amplicon sequencing reads, and the DNA concentration of self-sampled swabs and clinician-sampled swabs did not differ significantly (Kruskal-Wallis p=0.484). Self-sampled and clinician-sampled swabs generated similar VMB composition data. Participants reported feeling very comfortable during self-sampling (11/12; 91.7%) and that self-sampling had become easier over time (12/12; 100%). They mentioned reduced travel time and travel costs as advantages of self-sampling at home.ConclusionsFrequent longitudinal vaginal sampling at home is feasible and acceptable to participants, even in the context of a low-resource setting, as long as adequate counselling is provided.Trial registration numberNCT02459665.

scholarly journals Loss and Gain of Gut Bacterial Phylotype Symbionts in Afrotropical Stingless Bee Species (Apidae: Meliponinae)

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 2420
Author(s):  
Yosef Hamba Tola ◽  
Jacqueline Wahura Waweru ◽  
Nelly N. Ndungu ◽  
Kiatoko Nkoba ◽  
Bernard Slippers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Management ◽  
Amplicon Sequencing ◽  
Sympatric Species ◽  
Stingless Bee ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Microbial Composition ◽  
16S Rrna Amplicon Sequencing ◽  
Bee Health ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Species Specific

Stingless bees (Apidae: Meliponini) are the most diverse group of corbiculate bees and are important managed and wild pollinators distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions of the globe. However, little is known about their associated beneficial microbes that play major roles in host nutrition, detoxification, growth, activation of immune responses, and protection against pathogens in their sister groups, honeybees and bumble bees. Here, we provide an initial characterization of the gut bacterial microbiota of eight stingless bee species from sub-Saharan Africa using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Our findings revealed that Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria were the dominant and conserved phyla across the eight stingless bee species. Additionally, we found significant geographical and host intra-species-specific bacterial diversity. Notably, African strains showed significant phylogenetic clustering when compared with strains from other continents, and each stingless bee species has its own microbial composition with its own dominant bacterial genus. Our results suggest host selective mechanisms maintain distinct gut communities among sympatric species and thus constitute an important resource for future studies on bee health management and host-microbe co-evolution and adaptation.

scholarly journals African Honey Bee, Africanized Honey Bee, Killer Bee, Apis mellifera scutellata Lepeletier (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Apidae)

EDIS ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 2009 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
James D. Ellis ◽  
Amanda Ellis
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Economic Impact ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Apis Mellifera Scutellata ◽  
Africanized Honey Bee ◽  
Fact Sheet ◽  
African Honey Bee ◽  
Sub Saharan

Revised! EENY-429, a 7-page illustrated fact sheet by James D. Ellis and Amanda Ellis, is part of the Featured Creatures collection. It describes a subspecies of western honey bee occurring naturally in sub-Saharan Africa that has been introduced into the Americas — distribution, description, life cycle and biology, public risks, economic impact, and management. Includes selected references. Published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, February 2009. Revised November 2009. EENY 429/IN790: African Honey Bee, Africanized Honey Bee, Killer Bee, Apis mellifera scutellata Lepeletier (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Apidae) (ufl.edu)

Chemical Constituents and Antibacterial Activity of Cissus Aralioides.

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Balogun Olaoye Solomon ◽  
Ajayi Olukayode Solomon ◽  
Owolabi Temitayo Abidemi ◽  
Oladimeji Abdulkarbir Oladele ◽  
Liu Zhiqiang
Keyword(s):  
Plant Extract ◽  
Chemical Constituents ◽  
Ethyl Acetate Fraction ◽  
Antibacterial Activities ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Chromatographic Purification ◽  
Whole Plant ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
First Time

: Cissus aralioides is a medicinal plant used in sub-Saharan Africa for treatment of infectious diseases; however the chemical constituents of the plant have not been investigated. Thus, in this study, attempt was made at identifying predominant phytochemical constituents of the plant through chromatographic purification and silylation of the plant extract, and subsequent characterization using spectroscopic and GC-MS techniques. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MICs) for the antibacterial activities of the plant extract, chromatographic fractions and isolated compounds were also examined. Chromatographic purification of the ethyl acetate fraction from the whole plant afforded three compounds: β-sitosterol (1), stigmasterol (2) and friedelin (3). The phytosterols (1 and 2) were obtained together as a mixture. The GC-MS analysis of silylated extract indicated alcohols, fatty acids and sugars as predominant classes, with composition of 24.62, 36.90 and 26.52% respectively. Results of MICs indicated that friedelin and other chromatographic fractions had values (0.0626-1.0 mg/mL) comparable with the standard antibiotics used. Characterization of natural products from C. aralioides is being reported for the first time in this study.

scholarly journals You are what you eat: relative importance of diet, gut microbiota and nestmates for honey bee, Apis mellifera, worker health

Apidologie ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gina Retschnig ◽  
Johannes Rich ◽  
Karl Crailsheim ◽  
Judith Pfister ◽  
Vincent Perreten ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Exposure Period ◽  
Short Exposure ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Worker Health ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Positive Effect

AbstractIn eusocial honey bees, Apis mellifera, diet, gut microbiota and nestmates can all contribute to the health of freshly emerged individual workers, but their relative importance for longevity and body weight is currently unknown. Here, we show that diet is most relevant, followed by gut microbiota and the presence of nestmates. Freshly emerged workers were randomly assigned to eight treatments (with or without honey/pollen, protein-substitute lactalbumin, antibiotic tetracycline and nestmates for 24 h) and maintained under standardised laboratory conditions. Longevity and food consumption were measured daily and fresh body weight was assessed at day 7. The data show a significantly better survival and a higher body weight in workers supplied with honey/pollen. Survival was higher in the lactalbumin treatments compared to the ones restricted to sucrose only, but lower compared to those with honey/pollen, highlighting the importance of micronutrients. In contrast, antibiotic treatment had a significant negative effect on longevity and body weight, which may be explained by inactivated gut microbiota and/or toxicity of the antibiotics. There was no positive effect of nestmates, probably due to the short exposure period. In contrast, nestmates showed a negative effect on survival in antibiotic-treated workers, possibly by transmitting pathogens and antibiotic-induced gut dysbiosis. In conclusion, a macro- and micronutrient-rich diet appears to be the key to individual honey bee worker health. Providing an optimal diet and possibly gut microbiota appears to be a promising way to promote managed A. mellifera health.

scholarly journals Reversion of Gut Microbiota during the Recovery Phase in Patients with Asymptomatic or Mild COVID-19: Longitudinal Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1237
Author(s):  
Han-Na Kim ◽  
Eun-Jeong Joo ◽  
Chil-Woo Lee ◽  
Kwang-Sung Ahn ◽  
Hyung-Lae Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Gastrointestinal Symptoms ◽  
Amplicon Sequencing ◽  
Recovery Phase ◽  
Fecal Samples ◽  
Intestinal Microbes ◽  
Gut Dysbiosis ◽  
16S Rrna Amplicon Sequencing ◽  
Microbiome Data ◽  
Negative Conversion

Patients with COVID-19 have been reported to experience gastrointestinal symptoms as well as respiratory symptoms, but the effects of COVID-19 on the gut microbiota are poorly understood. We explored gut microbiome profiles associated with the respiratory infection of SARS-CoV-2 during the recovery phase in patients with asymptomatic or mild COVID-19. A longitudinal analysis was performed using the same patients to determine whether the gut microbiota changed after recovery from COVID-19. We applied 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to analyze two paired fecal samples from 12 patients with asymptomatic or mild COVID-19. Fecal samples were selected at two time points: during SARS-CoV-2 infection (infected state) and after negative conversion of the viral RNA (recovered state). We also compared the microbiome data with those from 36 healthy controls. Microbial evenness of the recovered state was significantly increased compared with the infected state. SARS-CoV-2 infection induced the depletion of Bacteroidetes, while an abundance was observed with a tendency to rapidly reverse in the recovered state. The Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio in the infected state was markedly higher than that in the recovered state. Gut dysbiosis was observed after infection even in patients with asymptomatic or mild COVID-19, while the composition of the gut microbiota was recovered after negative conversion of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Modifying intestinal microbes in response to COVID-19 might be a useful therapeutic alternative.

scholarly journals 07-P009 Doublesex variants in the honey bee, Apis mellifera: Lack of sex-specific expression and characterization of novel transcripts

2009 ◽  
Vol 126 ◽  
pp. S139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Flavia C. Freitas ◽  
Alexandre S. Cristino ◽  
Francis M. Nunes ◽  
Zila L. Simoes
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Specific Expression ◽  
Novel Transcripts

High-resolution (mtDNA) melting analysis for simple and efficient characterization of Africanized honey bee Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera:Apidae)

Genetica ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonardo P. Porrini ◽  
Constanza Brasesco ◽  
Matias Maggi ◽  
Martín J. Eguaras ◽  
Silvina Quintana
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Africanized Honey Bee ◽  
Melting Analysis

The urgent need for health impact assessment: proposing a transdisciplinary approach to the e-waste crisis in sub-Saharan Africa

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 35-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dinah Tetteh ◽  
Lara Lengel
Keyword(s):  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Health Impact Assessment ◽  
Environmental Concern ◽  
Electronic Waste ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Environmental Communication ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
African Region ◽  
Sub Saharan

Electronic waste (e-waste) is a growing health and environmental concern in developing countries. In the sub-Saharan African region e-waste is considered a crisis with no end in sight yet; there is lack of structures and regulations to manage the problem. In this article, we discuss the potential of Health Impact Assessment (HIA) in addressing the health, environmental, and social impacts of e-waste in sub-Saharan Africa. We draw from environmental policy, environmental communication, global health policy, and health communication to argue that managing e-waste could be framed as ongoing HIA where all the steps of HIA are performed on a rolling basis with input from local communities. Further, we suggest that HIA should be infused into recycling legislation to help streamline the practice in order to make it safe for health and the environment and to maximize the economic benefits.

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