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Researchers tested over 1000 chemical pollutants on fourteen yeast species and found that Starmerella bombicola, a symbiont of bees, was the most sensitive to many chemicals including fungicides. Through adaptive laboratory evolution, they developed resistant yeast strains by identifying key genetic mutations in oxidative stress response pathways, particularly in the YBP1 gene. When the evolved resistant yeast was introduced into honeybee guts, it successfully colonized the bees and protected them from the harmful effects of the chemical paclobutrazol on their gut microbiome, feeding behavior, and learning abilities.
Why it matters
This research demonstrates a potential strategy to protect declining pollinator populations from widespread agricultural chemical exposure by engineering their beneficial gut microbes. The approach could be applied to develop protective probiotics for honeybees and other pollinators facing environmental contamination.
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⚠️ Preprint – Noch nicht peer-reviewed
Dieser Artikel wurde noch nicht von unabhängigen Experten begutachtet. Die Ergebnisse sind vorläufig und sollten mit Vorsicht interpretiert werden.
Yeasts are key microbial members of several ecosystems. Yet, the impact of widespread chemical pollutants on yeasts is only sparsely studied. Here we report the effect of >1000 chemical pollutants on fourteen diverse yeast species spanning the Saccharomycotina subphylum. Starmerella bombicola, a symbiont of various bee species, was the most sensitive and inhibited by several fungicides as well as by non-fungicides. To identify the molecular basis of this ultra-sensitivity, we selected resistant lineages against nine chemicals using adaptive laboratory evolution. Whole-genome-sequencing uncovered convergent evolution on YBP1, a key regulator of oxidative stress. Proteomic analysis confirmed the protective role of oxidative stress response pathways, including proteins encoded by horizontally transferred bacterial genes. We find that the evolved S. bombicola stably colonized the bee gut and ameliorated the negative effect of paclobutrazol, a plant hormone regulator, on gut microbes, sucrose responsiveness, and learning. Our findings demonstrate how laboratory evolution can be used to mitigate the negative impact of chemical pollutants on pollinators.