A1 Journal article (refereed)
The importance of environmental microbes for Drosophila melanogaster during seasonal macronutrient variability (2021)

Davies, L. R., Loeschcke, V., Schou, M. F., Schramm, A., & Kristensen, T. N. (2021). The importance of environmental microbes for Drosophila melanogaster during seasonal macronutrient variability. Scientific Reports, 11, Article 18850. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-98119-0

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Davies, Lucy Rebecca; Loeschcke, Volker; Schou, Mads F.; Schramm, Andreas; Kristensen, Torsten N.

Journal or series: Scientific Reports

eISSN: 2045-2322

Publication year: 2021

Publication date: 22/09/2021

Volume: 11

Article number: 18850

Publisher: Nature Publishing Group

Publication country: United Kingdom

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-98119-0

Research data link: https://figshare.com/projects/The_importance_of_environmental_microbes_for_Drosophila_melanogaster_during_seasonal_macronutrient_imbalances/85625

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Open Access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/78328

Publication is parallel published: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8458401/

Abstract

Experiments manipulating the nutritional environment and the associated microbiome of animals have demonstrated their importance for key fitness components. However, there is little information on how macronutrient composition and bacterial communities in natural food sources vary across seasons in nature and on how these factors affect the fitness components of insects. In this study, diet samples from an orchard compost heap, which is a natural habitat for many Drosophila species and other arthropods, were collected over 9 months covering all seasons in a temperate climate. We developed D. melanogaster on diet samples and investigated stress resistance and life-history traits as well as the microbial community of flies and compost. Nutrient and microbial community analysis of the diet samples showed marked differences in macronutrient composition and microbial community across seasons. However, except for the duration of development on these diet samples and Critical Thermal maximum, fly stress resistance and life-history traits were unaffected. The resulting differences in the fly microbial community were also more stable and less diverse than the microbial community of the diet samples. Our study suggests that when D. melanogaster are exposed to a vastly varying nutritional environment with a rich, diverse microbial community, the detrimental consequences of an unfavourable macronutrient composition are offset by the complex interactions between microbes and nutrients.

Keywords: insects; Drosophila melanogaster; nutrition; nutrients (animals and humans); microbiome; gastrointestinal microbiota; compost; seasonal variations

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Preliminary JUFO rating: 1