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Updated: Mar 29, 2026
09:18
A Gut-on-a-Chip Model to Study the Gut Microbiome-Nervous System Axis
Published on: July 28, 2023
3.8K
Animal-microbe interactions and the evolution of nervous systems
Heather L Eisthen1, Kevin R Theis2
1Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, 288 Farm Lane Rm 203, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, 567 Wilson Road Rm 1441, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA eisthen@msu.edu.
Summary
Microbes significantly impact animal physiology and behavior, influencing the evolution of nervous systems. Understanding these interactions is crucial for a complete picture of neuroevolution.
Area of Science:
- Microbial ecology
- Evolutionary biology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Animals extensively interact with environmental and symbiotic microbes.
- The impact of these microbial interactions on animal physiology is a key research area.
- The influence of microbes on nervous system evolution remains largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore how microbial interactions may enrich understanding of nervous system evolution.
- To highlight the potential role of microbes in shaping sensory systems and behaviors.
- To propose a link between microbial regulation and the evolutionary internalization of nervous systems.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and synthesis of existing research.
- Comparative analysis of animal-microbe interactions across taxa.
- Hypothesizing evolutionary pathways based on current evidence.
Main Results:
- Microbes are implicated in diverse animal behaviors, including communication, defense, predation, and dispersal.
- Microbial influences likely played a role in the evolution of chemosensory and photosensory systems.
- Regulation of epithelial microbial interactions may have driven the evolutionary internalization of the nervous system.
Conclusions:
- Incorporating microbial dynamics offers a richer perspective on nervous system evolution.
- Microbial symbiosis is a significant, yet underappreciated, factor in neuroevolutionary trajectories.
- Further research into host-microbe-nervous system interactions is warranted.
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