Virulence-linked adhesin drives mutualist colonization of the bee gut via biofilm formation.

Bacterial biofilms are stable multicellular structures that can enable long term host association. Yet, the role of biofilms in supporting gut mutualism is still not fully understood. Here, we investigate , a beneficial bacterial symbiont of honey bees, and find that biofilm formation is required for its colonization of the bee gut.

Type VI secretion systems promote intraspecific competition and host interactions in a bee gut symbiont.

The Type VI Secretion System (T6SS) is a sophisticated mechanism utilized by gram-negative bacteria to deliver toxic effector proteins into target cells, influencing microbial community dynamics and host interactions. In this study, we investigated the role of T6SSs in wkB2, a core bacterial symbiont of the honey bee gut microbiota. We generated single- and double-knockout mutants targeting essential genes ( and ) in both T6SS-1 and T6SS-2 and assessed their colonization and competition capabilities in vivo.

Single-step genome engineering in the bee gut symbiont .

Honey bees are economically relevant pollinators experiencing population declines due to a number of threats. As in humans, the health of bees is influenced by their microbiome. The bacterium is a key member of the bee gut microbiome and has a role in excluding pathogens.

Engineered gut symbiont inhibits microsporidian parasite and improves honey bee survival.

Honey bees () are critical agricultural pollinators as well as model organisms for research on development, behavior, memory, and learning. The parasite , a common cause of honey bee colony collapse, has developed resistance to small-molecule therapeutics. An alternative long-term strategy to combat infection is therefore urgently needed, with synthetic biology offering a potential solution.