A Microbial Perspective on the Grand Challenges in Comparative Animal Physiology.

Kevin D Kohl

doi:10.1128/msystems.00146-17

Abstract

Interactions with microbial communities can have profound influences on animal physiology, thereby impacting animal performance and fitness. Therefore, it is important to understand the diversity and nature of host-microbe interactions in various animal groups (invertebrates, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals). In this perspective, I discuss how the field of host-microbe interactions can be used to address topics that have been identified as grand challenges in comparative animal physiology: (i) horizontal integration of physiological processes across organisms, (ii) vertical integration of physiological processes across organizational levels within organisms, and (iii) temporal integration of physiological processes during evolutionary change. Addressing these challenges will require the use of a variety of animal models and the development of systems approaches that can integrate large, multiomic data sets from both microbial communities and animal hosts. Integrating host-microbe interactions into the established field of comparative physiology represents an exciting frontier for both fields.

Highlights

Interactions with microbial communities can have profound influences on animal physiology, thereby impacting animal performance and fitness
In 2010, the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) hosted a workshop focusing on identifying the grand challenges in organismal biology and subsequently solicited publications identifying the grand challenges in subdisciplines of organismal biology
The grand challenges in comparative physiology were identified by Mykles et al [3] as (i) horizontal integration of physiological processes across organisms within ecosystems, (ii) vertical integration of physiological processes across organizational levels within organisms, and (iii) temporal integration of physiological processes during evolutionary change

Summary

Introduction

Interactions with microbial communities can have profound influences on animal physiology, thereby impacting animal performance and fitness. A great deal of research has demonstrated the important role that host-microbe interactions play in the physiology and performance of animals. It is becoming increasingly important to understand the connections between host-associated microbes, physiological performance, and animal fitness in natural populations.

Results

Conclusion