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Preparing Developing Peripheral Olfactory Tissue for Molecular and Immunohistochemical Analysis in Drosophila
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Gut microbiota affects development and olfactory behavior in Drosophila melanogaster
Huili Qiao1,2, Ian W Keesey1, Bill S Hansson1
1Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, 07745 Jena, Germany.
The Journal of Experimental Biology
|January 26, 2019
Summary
Fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) show distinct preferences for gut microbes, influenced by olfactory cues. Flies develop better and reproduce more when exposed to specific microbial combinations, impacting their behavior and fitness.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Ecology
Background:
- Gut microbes play a crucial role in the behavior and development of Drosophila.
- The specific mechanisms by which gut microbes influence fitness-related behaviors in Drosophila melanogaster are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate Drosophila melanogaster's behavioral preferences towards different gut microbes.
- To elucidate the olfactory mechanisms underlying these preferences.
- To understand how microbial exposure affects Drosophila development and reproduction.
Main Methods:
- Behavioral assays were conducted using adult and larval Drosophila melanogaster.
- Olfactory sensory neurons and the odorant co-receptor Orco were genetically manipulated.
- Microbiota composition was experimentally altered.
- Developmental and reproductive parameters (ovary size, egg number) were measured.
Main Results:
- Drosophila melanogaster adults and larvae were attracted to Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Lactobacillus plantarum volatiles but repelled by Acetobacter malorum.
- Attraction to yeast was dependent on the odorant co-receptor Orco, while other microbial preferences were Orco-independent.
- Flies did not seek novel microbes; they sometimes showed increased preference for previously encountered microbes.
- Exposure to all three microbes enhanced larval development; exposure to S. cerevisiae and A. malorum increased ovary size and egg production.
Conclusions:
- Drosophila melanogaster exhibits specific olfactory-driven behavioral preferences for gut microbes.
- These preferences are not solely driven by a desire for microbial diversity.
- Gut microbes significantly impact Drosophila development, reproduction, and fitness, providing an ecological basis for observed fly-microbe interactions.
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