| Summary: | This study investigated both bacterial and fungal communities in corbicular pollen and hive-stored bee bread of two commercial honey bees, <i>Apis mellifera</i> and <i>Apis cerana</i>, in China. Although both honey bees favor different main floral sources, the dynamics of each microbial community is similar. During pH reduction in hive-stored bee bread, results from conventional culturable methods and next-generation sequencing showed a declining bacterial population but a stable fungal population. Different honey bee species and floral sources might not affect the core microbial community structure but could change the number of bacteria. Corbicular pollen was colonized by the Enterobacteriaceae bacterium (<i>Escherichia-Shiga</i>, <i>Panteoa</i>, <i>Pseudomonas</i>) group; however, the number of bacteria significantly decreased in hive-stored bee bread in less than 72 h. In contrast, <i>Acinetobacter</i> was highly abundant and could utilize protein sources. In terms of the fungal community, the genus <i>Cladosporium</i> remained abundant in both corbicular pollen and hive-stored bee bread. This filamentous fungus might encourage honey bees to reserve pollen by releasing organic acids. Furthermore, several filamentous fungi had the potential to inhibit both commensal/contaminant bacteria and the growth of pathogens. Filamentous fungi, in particular, the genus <i>Cladosporium</i>, could support pollen preservation of both honey bee species.
|
|---|