Natural competence promotes high rates of DNA transfer between strains of the core bee gut bacterium Snodgrassella alvi

2025 · doi:10.64898/2025.12.12.693966
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Abstract

Sexual recombination and horizontal gene transfer are expected to improve the survival of host-associated bacteria that face colonization bottlenecks and intense competition. We serendipitously observed recombination between Snodgrassella alvi strains within bees, which led us to discover that this core member of the bee gut microbiota is naturally competent, including under laboratory conditions. High rates of gene transfer via DNA release and uptake by S. alvi have implications for how it has evolved in managed hives and suggest opportunities for using in situ microbiome engineering to protect bee health.
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Abstract Sexual recombination and horizontal gene transfer are expected to improve the survival of host-associated bacteria that face colonization bottlenecks and intense competition. We serendipitously observed recombination between Snodgrassella alvi strains within bees, which led us to discover that this core member of the bee gut microbiota is naturally competent, including under laboratory conditions. High rates of gene transfer via DNA release and uptake by S. alvi have implications for how it has evolved in managed hives and suggest opportunities for using in situ microbiome engineering to protect bee health. Competing Interest Statement J.E.B. is a co-inventor on a patent (US 11,382,989) covering the use of engineered symbionts to improve bee health. Funder Information Declared U.S. National Science Foundation, IOS-2103208 United States Army Research Office, W911NF-20-1-0195 United States Department of Agriculture, 2023-67012-39356 Copyright The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY 4.0 International license.

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License: CC-BY-4.0