@article{LeonhardtKaltenpoth2014,
  author    = {Leonhardt, Sara D. and Kaltenpoth, Martin},
  title     = {Microbial Communities of Three Sympatric Australian Stingless Bee Species},
  series = {PLoS ONE},
  volume    = {9},
  journal   = {PLoS ONE},
  number    = {8},
  doi       = {10.1371/journal.pone.0105718},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-119341},
  pages     = {e105718},
  year      = {2014},
  abstract  = {Bacterial symbionts of insects have received increasing attention due to their prominent role in nutrient acquisition and defense. In social bees, symbiotic bacteria can maintain colony homeostasis and fitness, and the loss or alteration of the bacterial community may be associated with the ongoing bee decline observed worldwide. However, analyses of microbiota associated with bees have been largely confined to the social honeybees (Apis mellifera) and bumblebees (Bombus spec.), revealing - among other taxa - host-specific lactic acid bacteria (LAB, genus Lactobacillus) that are not found in solitary bees. Here, we characterized the microbiota of three Australian stingless bee species (Apidae: Meliponini) of two phylogenetically distant genera (Tetragonula and Austroplebeia). Besides common plant bacteria, we find LAB in all three species, showing that LAB are shared by honeybees, bumblebees and stingless bees across geographical regions. However, while LAB of the honeybee-associated Firm4-5 clusters were present in Tetragonula, they were lacking in Austroplebeia. Instead, we found a novel clade of likely host-specific LAB in all three Australian stingless bee species which forms a sister clade to a large cluster of Halictidae-associated lactobacilli. Our findings indicate both a phylogenetic and geographical signal of host-specific LAB in stingless bees and highlight stingless bees as an interesting group to investigate the evolutionary history of the bee-LAB association.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{StellamannsUppaluriHochstetteretal.2014,
  author    = {Stellamanns, Eric and Uppaluri, Sravanti and Hochstetter, Axel and Heddergott, Niko and Engstler, Markus and Pfohl, Thomas},
  title     = {Optical trapping reveals propulsion forces, power generation and motility efficiency of the unicellular parasites Trypanosoma brucei brucei},
  series = {Scientific Reports},
  volume    = {4},
  journal   = {Scientific Reports},
  number    = {6515},
  issn      = {2045-2322},
  doi       = {10.1038/srep06515},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-115348},
  year      = {2014},
  abstract  = {Unicellular parasites have developed sophisticated swimming mechanisms to survive in a wide range of environments. Cell motility of African trypanosomes, parasites responsible for fatal illness in humans and animals, is crucial both in the insect vector and the mammalian host. Using millisecond-scale imaging in a microfluidics platform along with a custom made optical trap, we are able to confine single cells to study trypanosome motility. From the trapping characteristics of the cells, we determine the propulsion force generated by cells with a single flagellum as well as of dividing trypanosomes with two fully developed flagella. Estimates of the dissipative energy and the power generation of single cells obtained from the motility patterns of the trypanosomes within the optical trap indicate that specific motility characteristics, in addition to locomotion, may be required for antibody clearance. Introducing a steerable second optical trap we could further measure the force, which is generated at the flagellar tip. Differences in the cellular structure of the trypanosomes are correlated with the trapping and motility characteristics and in consequence with their propulsion force, dissipative energy and power generation.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{KellerGrimmerSteffanDewenter2013,
  author    = {Keller, Alexander and Grimmer, Gudrun and Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf},
  title     = {Diverse Microbiota Identified in Whole Intact Nest Chambers of the Red Mason Bee Osmia bicornis (Linnaeus 1758)},
  series = {PLoS One},
  journal   = {PLoS One},
  doi       = {10.1371/journal.pone.0078296},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-97305},
  year      = {2013},
  abstract  = {Microbial activity is known to have profound impact on bee ecology and physiology, both by beneficial and pathogenic effects. Most information about such associations is available for colony-building organisms, and especially the honey bee. There, active manipulations through worker bees result in a restricted diversity of microbes present within the colony environment. Microbial diversity in solitary bee nests remains unstudied, although their larvae face a very different situation compared with social bees by growing up in isolated compartments. Here, we assessed the microbiota present in nests and pre-adults of Osmia bicornis, the red mason bee, by culture-independent pyrosequencing. We found high bacterial diversity not comparable with honey bee colonies. We identified a variety of bacteria potentially with positive or negative interactions for bee larvae. However, most of the other diverse bacteria present in the nests seem to originate from environmental sources through incorporated nest building material and stored pollen. This diversity of microorganisms may cause severe larval mortality and require specific physiological or symbiotic adaptations against microbial threats. They may however also profit from such a diverse environment through gain of mutualistic partners. We conclude that further studies of microbiota interaction in solitary bees will improve the understanding of fitness components and populations dynamics.},
  language  = {en}
}