Abstract
The housefly (Musca domestica L.) lives in close association with its microbiota and its symbionts are suggested to have pivotal roles in processes such as metabolism and immune response, but it is unclear how the profound physiological changes during ontogeny affect the housefly’s associated microbiota and their metabolic capabilities. The present study applies 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to investigate the development of the host-associated microbiota during ontogeny. The potential for microbiota transfer between developmental stages, and the metabolic potential of these microbiota were evaluated. Representatives of Firmicutes were observed as early colonisers during the larval stages, followed by colonisation by organisms affiliating with Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes as the flies matured into adults. Microbiota observed across all the developmental stages included Lactococcus, Lactobacillus and Enterococcus, while Weissella and Chishuiella were associated with newly hatched larvae and adults, respectively. Predictive metabolic profiling of the identified microorganisms further suggested that the microbiota and their functional profile mature alongside their host and putative host-microbe relationships are established at different stages of development. The predicted metabolic capability of the microbiota developed from primarily simple processes including carbohydrate and nucleotide metabolisms, to more complex metabolic pathways including amino acid metabolisms and processes related to signal transduction.
Highlights
The symbiotic relationship between host and its microbiome is universal and has significant impact on numerous phenotypical traits, including host fitness, health, immune response, fertility and even behaviour as shown in many different types of organisms including insects[1,2,3]
Continuous development of the microbiota composition throughout the host life cycle has been observed in several species of insects, including malaria mosquitoes (Anopheles gambiae)[12], black soldier flies (Hermetia illucens (L.))[13], and cotton leaf worms (Spodoptera littoralis)[14]
A total number of 37 samples were subjected to 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, consisting of 32 tissue samples and 5 samples of the rearing media (Fig. S1)
Summary
The symbiotic relationship between host and its microbiome is universal and has significant impact on numerous phenotypical traits, including host fitness, health, immune response, fertility and even behaviour as shown in many different types of organisms including insects[1,2,3]. The most well-described example of host associated microorganisms in insects is the intracellular endosymbiont Wolbachia, which has been found in wide range of arthropods[6], including houseflies[7] and wasps[8] This bacterium has been linked to significant alterations in host biology, such as feminisation and sperm-egg incompatibility, and may have a mutualistic or parasitic relationship with its host depending on species[6]. Continuous development of the microbiota composition throughout the host life cycle has been observed in several species of insects, including malaria mosquitoes (Anopheles gambiae)[12], black soldier flies (Hermetia illucens (L.))[13], and cotton leaf worms (Spodoptera littoralis)[14] These studies showed that the development of the microbiota could be linked to the physiological changes of the host, as well as dietary changes throughout the host. This is supported by a previous study in which differences in microbiota associated with housefly larvae and adult samples were observed[19]
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