TY  - JOUR
A1  - Duan, Yuange
A1  - Huang, Min
A1  - Ye, Lin
A1  - Ma, Ling
A1  - Wu, Yashuai
A1  - Du, Yating
A1  - Liu, Jiyao
A1  - Song, Fan
A1  - Tian, Li
A1  - Cai, Wanzhi
A1  - Li, Hu
A1  - Zhou, Xin
A1  - Luo, Shiqi
T1  - Dynamic A-to-I RNA editing in response to gut microbiome in honeybees
Y1  - 2026/03/04 
JF  - Genome Research 
JO  - Genome Research 
DO  - 10.1101/gr.280291.124 
UR  - http://genome.cshlp.org/content/early/2026/03/18/gr.280291.124.abstract 
N2  - ADAR-mediated adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) mRNA editing contributes to the proteomic diversity and behavioral complexity of animals. Although recent studies indicate that the gut microbiome influences various aspects of animal behavior, the potential involvement of RNA editing in gut–brain interactions remains unexplored. Here, we perform comparative transcriptomic analyses between heads of germ-free (GF) versus conventional (CV) honeybees. A total of 1528 A-to-I editing sites are identified in honeybee heads, among which nonsynonymous editing sites are overrepresented compared with random expectation. Overall editing levels are significantly downregulated in GF compared with CV, but the Adar gene is not differentially expressed. However, the Adar p.482 Ile > Met auto-recoding site, which is speculated to modulate Adar activity, is identified as a high-confidence differential editing site (DES) with decreased editing level in GF. Quantification of gut microbiota across 12 CV individuals reveals a significant positive correlation between p.482 Ile > Met editing level and Lactobacillus and Bombilactobacillus abundance. Colonization of a single bacterium Lactobacillus or Bombilactobacillus instead of Gilliamella in GF bees successfully restores the Adar p.482 Ile > Met and the global editing level. Our work demonstrates the complex and dynamic transcriptomic diversity exerted by A-to-I RNA editing and discovers the axis of gut–Lactobacillus/Bombilactobacillus–brain–Adar–global RNA editing, providing an exciting scenario that gut microbiomes could impact RNA editing, which might further facilitate phenotypic plasticity of social insects. 
ER  -