Microbiota comparative analysis of Apis mellifera populations from Tunisia and Algeria targeting 16 S rRNA gene amplicon

Abstract

Bee populations are major contributors to ecosystem stability, providing vital services such as pollination in both in natural ecosystems and agricultural crops and thus to food security. Honeybees, the main pollinator, are currently undergoing severe global decline threatened by several factors. The study of host-microbiota interactions could partly explain this decline. In this study, we sequenced the V3-V4 hypervariable regions of the 16 S rRNA to assess the microbiota of two Apis mellifera intermissa and Apis mellifera iberiensis populations sampled in Tunisia and Algeria, respectively. Analysis of the targeted metagenomics data obtained by Illumina identified 59 and 114 ASVs at Tunisian and Algerian populations, respectively. At the genus level, Providencia pathogenic bacteria dominate the A. mellifera intermissa microbiota. While Snodgrassella and Gilliamela bacteria essential for pathogen resistance are the most abundant in A. mellifera iberiensis. These findings underscore the importance of host-microbiome interactions in honeybee resilience and provide a basis for targeted strategies to support colony health amid global declines.