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Modeling Drosophila gut microbe interactions reveals metabolic interconnectivity
Jürgen W Schönborn1,2, Fiona A Stewart1,2, Kerstin Maas Enriquez1,2
1Institut für Mathematische Modellierung Biologischer Systeme, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
Iscience
|October 29, 2021
Summary
This study used fruit fly gut bacteria to predict how microbes interact. Genome-scale models revealed that bacteria can exchange metabolites, promoting synergistic growth in the gut microbiome.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Systems Biology
- Metabolic Engineering
Background:
- Gut microbiome composition is well-studied, but inter-bacterial interactions remain unclear.
- Mammalian microbiomes are too complex for mechanistic studies, necessitating simpler model organisms.
- The fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) offers a simplified model with ~10 dominant bacterial species.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate metabolic interactions between gut bacteria from Drosophila melanogaster.
- To predict cross-feeding relationships using genome-scale metabolic models.
- To validate computational predictions with experimental culturing.
Main Methods:
- Isolation and genome sequencing of Drosophila gut bacteria.
- Reconstruction of genome-scale metabolic models for each isolate.
- In silico growth simulations under various culture conditions and media.
- Experimental validation of predicted cross-feeding interactions.
Main Results:
- Simulations predicted synergistic growth for some bacterial co-cultures.
- Metabolite exchange, including tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates, was identified as a key driver of synergy.
- Culturing experiments confirmed the predictive accuracy of the metabolic models.
Conclusions:
- Genome-scale metabolic modeling is a powerful approach to predict microbial interactions in the gut.
- Cross-feeding of metabolites significantly influences the growth and stability of the Drosophila gut microbiome.
- This study establishes a framework for understanding and predicting microbiome-derived cross-feeding.
