Bartonella apis

General Information

Bartonella apis is a fascinating bacterium that has garnered attention due to its unique association with honeybees (Apis mellifera). This microorganism is part of the genus Bartonella, which is known for its ability to infect a wide range of hosts, including mammals and insects. What makes Bartonella apis particularly interesting is its potential role in the health and behavior of honeybee colonies, which are crucial for pollination and agriculture. One of the key characteristics of Bartonella apis is its host specificity. Unlike other Bartonella species that infect mammals, Bartonella apis has been primarily isolated from honeybees. This specificity suggests a co-evolutionary relationship between the bacterium and its insect host, which could provide insights into the mechanisms of host-pathogen interactions. Another noteworthy aspect of Bartonella apis is its potential impact on honeybee health. Honeybees are vital pollinators, and their decline has significant ecological and economic consequences. Understanding the role of Bartonella apis in honeybee physiology and disease could lead to better management practices and strategies to protect these essential insects. From a research perspective, Bartonella apis offers a unique model to study vector-borne diseases and symbiotic relationships. Its genome and metabolic pathways can provide valuable information on how bacteria adapt to different hosts and environments. Additionally, studying Bartonella apis can contribute to the broader understanding of the Bartonella genus, which includes several human pathogens. In summary, Bartonella apis is a bacterium of significant interest due to its host specificity, potential impact on honeybee health, and its value as a model organism for studying host-pathogen interactions and symbiosis. Its unique characteristics make it a valuable subject for ongoing and future research in microbiology, entomology, and environmental science.

Bartonella apis is a fascinating bacterium primarily associated with honeybees, specifically identified as a pathogen that can affect their health. This organism is particularly interesting due to its role in the complex interactions within bee colonies and its potential impact on apiculture. Research has shown that Bartonella apis can be linked to various diseases in bees, which may contribute to colony collapse disorder, a significant concern for beekeepers and agricultural ecosystems. One of the unique aspects of Bartonella apis is its ability to persist within the host, often residing in the bloodstream of honeybees. This characteristic raises intriguing questions about the bacterium's life cycle and its interactions with the bee immune system. The study of Bartonella apis not only enhances our understanding of bee health but also sheds light on the broader implications of microbial infections in social insects. Furthermore, the potential for Bartonella apis to be transmitted between bees and possibly to other species highlights its ecological significance. Investigating this bacterium could lead to the development of new strategies for managing bee health and improving the resilience of bee populations against pathogens. Overall, Bartonella apis serves as a critical model for studying host-pathogen interactions in insects, making it a valuable subject for ongoing research in microbiology and entomology.

Taxonomy

Superkingdom: Bacteria

Phylum: Pseudomonadota

Class: Alphaproteobacteria

Order: Hyphomicrobiales

Family: Bartonellaceae

Genus: Bartonella

Species: Bartonella apis

NCBI ID

1686310

Genome Info

FTP Path:
ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genomes/all/GCA/016/102/325/GCA_016102325.1_ASM1610232v1

File for sequence-based predictions:
GCA_016102325.1_ASM1610232v1_genomic.fasta

Descriptions

Clinical Implications and Relevance

Source: gpt-4o-mini-2024-07-18

The microorganism Bartonella apis is primarily associated with honeybees and has been implicated in the health of these pollinators. While its direct impact on human health is not well-documented, its role in bee populations can have indirect implications for human health through the ecosystem services that bees provide, such as pollination of crops. Infections caused by Bartonella apis in bees can lead to colony collapse, which may affect food supply and agricultural practices. In terms of pathogenicity, Bartonella apis is known to cause a condition referred to as 'chronic bee paralysis,' which can severely weaken bee colonies. This organism may evade the immune response of bees through various mechanisms, including the ability to persist within host cells and evade detection by the immune system. Although there is limited information on antimicrobial resistance specific to Bartonella apis, the broader genus Bartonella has shown some resistance to common antibiotics, which raises concerns about treatment options in veterinary contexts. Currently, there are no known medical applications of Bartonella apis in humans, such as probiotics or vaccines, but understanding its biology and interactions with honeybees is crucial for maintaining bee health and, by extension, human food security. Future research may elucidate more about its role in disease associations and potential impacts on human health through environmental and agricultural pathways.

Habitat and Ecological Niches

Source: gpt-4o-mini-2024-07-18

Bartonella apis is a bacterium primarily associated with the honeybee (Apis mellifera) and is often found in environments where these pollinators thrive. This microorganism is typically located in beehives and flowering meadows, where it can interact closely with its host and the surrounding ecosystem. The bacterium is known to inhabit the gastrointestinal tract of honeybees, playing a role in their health and potentially influencing their behavior and longevity. In terms of ecological niches, Bartonella apis is significant in the context of pollination and plant reproduction. By residing within honeybees, it may affect the bees' foraging patterns and efficiency, which in turn impacts the plant communities they pollinate. This relationship highlights the importance of Bartonella apis in maintaining the balance of terrestrial ecosystems where honeybees are key players. Furthermore, the bacterium may exhibit symbiotic relationships with other microorganisms present in the beehive, contributing to the overall health of the bee colony. Its presence can influence the microbial diversity within the hive, which is crucial for the bees' immune responses and resilience against pathogens. Overall, Bartonella apis thrives in environments rich in nectar-producing plants and is intricately linked to the health of honeybee populations and the ecosystems they support.

Industrial Application

Source: gpt-4o-mini-2024-07-18

The microorganism Bartonella apis has shown potential in various industrial applications, particularly in the fields of biotechnology and pharmaceutical development. This organism is primarily known for its role in the health of honeybees, which are crucial for pollination and agriculture. Its association with honeybees opens avenues for research into biocontrol methods that can enhance bee health and productivity, thereby supporting agricultural industries. In the realm of biotechnology, Bartonella apis can be studied for its interactions with the bee microbiome, potentially leading to the development of probiotics that improve bee resilience against pathogens. This could be particularly beneficial in the context of declining bee populations, which have significant implications for food production. Furthermore, the study of Bartonella apis may contribute to pharmaceutical development by providing insights into novel antimicrobial compounds that could be derived from its metabolic processes. The organism's unique biochemical pathways could be harnessed for the production of bioactive molecules that have therapeutic potential. While Bartonella apis is not directly linked to waste management or biofuel production, its role in maintaining bee health indirectly supports these industries by ensuring the pollination of crops that are essential for biofuel feedstocks. Overall, the exploration of Bartonella apis in these contexts highlights its importance in sustainable agricultural practices and the broader implications for environmental health.

Phenotypes and Predictions

The table shows the phenotypes and predictions. Cell colors indicate the class of the value. When literature-based data is available, a checkmark (✓) indicates a correct prediction, while an ✗ indicates an incorrect prediction.

Literature-based phenotypes: 8

LLM predicted phenotypes: 5

Phenotype	High-quality annotation	google/gemini-pro-1.5	anthropic/claude-3-haiku:beta	mistralai/mixtral-8x7b-instruct:nitro	mistralai/mistral-7b-instruct	google/gemini-pro	anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet	meta-llama/llama-3-8b-instruct:nitro	google/gemma-7b-it	openchat/openchat-7b	openai/gpt-3.5-turbo-0125	openai/gpt-3.5-turbo-0125	google/palm-2-chat-bison-32k	google/palm-2-chat-bison-32k	openai/gpt-4	openai/gpt-4	google/gemini-flash-1.5	google/gemini-flash-1.5	openai/gpt-4o	openai/gpt-4o	perplexity/llama-3-sonar-small-32k-chat	perplexity/llama-3-sonar-small-32k-chat	meta-llama/llama-3-70b-instruct:nitro	meta-llama/llama-3-70b-instruct:nitro	microsoft/phi-3-mini-128k-instruct	microsoft/phi-3-mini-128k-instruct	microsoft/wizardlm-2-8x22b	microsoft/wizardlm-2-8x22b
Motility	N/A	false	true	false	false	false	false	true	true	false	false	false	false	false	false	false	false	false	true	true	true	true	true	true	false	false	false	false
Gram staining	gram stain negative	gram stain negative ✓	gram stain negative ✓	gram stain negative ✓	gram stain negative ✓	gram stain negative ✓	gram stain negative ✓	gram stain negative ✓	gram stain negative ✓	gram stain negative ✓	N/A	gram stain negative ✓	N/A	gram stain negative ✓	N/A	gram stain negative ✓	N/A	gram stain negative ✓	N/A	gram stain negative ✓	N/A	gram stain negative ✓	N/A	gram stain negative ✓	N/A	gram stain negative ✓	N/A	gram stain negative ✓
Aerophilicity	aerobic	aerobic ✓	N/A	facultatively anaerobic ✗	aerotolerant ✗	facultatively anaerobic ✗	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	facultatively anaerobic ✗	facultatively anaerobic ✗	facultatively anaerobic ✗	facultatively anaerobic ✗	aerobic ✓	aerobic ✓	facultatively anaerobic ✗	facultatively anaerobic ✗	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Extreme environment tolerance	FALSE	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓
Biofilm formation	N/A	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	false	true	true	true	true	false	false	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true
Animal pathogenicity	N/A	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	false	false	true	true
Biosafety level	N/A	biosafety level 2	biosafety level 2	biosafety level 2	biosafety level 2	biosafety level 2	biosafety level 2	biosafety level 2	biosafety level 3	biosafety level 2	biosafety level 2	biosafety level 2	biosafety level 2	biosafety level 2	biosafety level 2	biosafety level 2	biosafety level 2	biosafety level 2	biosafety level 2	biosafety level 2	biosafety level 2	biosafety level 2	biosafety level 2	biosafety level 2	biosafety level 2	biosafety level 2	biosafety level 2	biosafety level 2
Health association	N/A	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true
Host association	TRUE	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	false ✗	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓
Plant pathogenicity	FALSE	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓
Spore formation	FALSE	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓
Hemolysis	gamma	N/A	alpha ✗	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Cell shape	bacillus	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	coccus ✗	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	coccus ✗	bacillus ✓	coccus ✗	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	coccus ✗	coccus ✗	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓

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