Abstract
The microorganisms within the intestinal tract (termed gut microbiota) have been shown to interact with the gut-brain axis, a bidirectional communication system between the gut and the brain mediated by hormonal, immune, and neural signals. Through these interactions, the microbiota might affect behaviors, including feeding behavior, digestive/absorptive processes (e.g., by modulating intestinal motility and the intestinal barrier), metabolism, as well as the immune response, with repercussions on the energy homeostasis and health of the host. To date, research in this field has mostly focused on mammals. Studies on non-mammalian models such as fish may provide novel insights into the specific mechanisms involved in the microbiota-brain-gut axis. This review describes our current knowledge on the possible effects of microbiota on feeding, digestive processes, growth, and energy homeostasis in fish, with emphasis on the influence of brain and gut hormones, environmental factors, and inter-specific differences.
Highlights
Microbiota/MicrobiomeThe microbiota can be defined as the collection of microorganisms that occupy a particular environment whereas the term “microbiome” refers to the collection of genomes of the microorganisms within the microbiota [1]
This review describes our current knowledge on the role of the fish gut microbiota in the regulation of host physiology, with emphasis on feeding, digestion and metabolism, as well as its influence on stress responses, reproduction and development, and immune responses
Several studies strongly suggest that the fish gut microbiota influences the overall health of the host fish with regards to overall physiology, digestion, stress response, reproduction, and the immune system
Summary
Departments of Biology and Biochemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, Canada. Specialty section: This article was submitted to Neuroendocrine Science, a section of the journal
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