Abstract
The microbiome is an assemblage of microorganisms living in association with a multicellular host. Numerous studies have identified a role for the microbiome in host physiology, development, immunity, and behaviour. The generation of axenic (germ-free) and gnotobiotic model systems has been vital to dissecting the role of the microbiome in host biology. We have previously reported the generation of axenic Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the primary vector of several human pathogenic viruses, including dengue virus and Zika virus. In order to better understand the influence of the microbiome on mosquitoes, we examined the transcriptomes of axenic and conventionally reared Ae. aegypti before and after a blood meal. Our results suggest that the microbiome has a much lower effect on the mosquito’s gene expression than previously thought with only 170 genes influenced by the axenic state, while in contrast, blood meal status influenced 809 genes. The pattern of expression influenced by the microbiome is consistent with transient changes similar to infection rather than sweeping physiological changes. While the microbiome does seem to affect some pathways such as immune function and metabolism, our data suggest the microbiome is primarily serving a nutritional role in development with only minor effects in the adult.
Highlights
The microbiome is an assemblage of microorganisms living in association with a multicellular host
There is an increasing recognition that most multicellular organisms harbour microbiota, or a microbiome, that can affect their development, biology, and health. This idea has led to the concept of a “holobiont”, which suggests that the biology of an organism cannot be separated from the mutualistic, commensal, or pathogenic organisms that may stably or transiently exist with that o rganism[1,2]
Sterility of axenic larvae and adults were tested via culturing of viable bacteria and 16S rRNA gene PCR as previously described[26]
Summary
The microbiome is an assemblage of microorganisms living in association with a multicellular host. Numerous groups have developed axenic systems to study host-microbiome interactions, including Mus musculus (mice)[6], Sus scrofa (pigs)[7], Caenorhabditis elegans[8], fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster)[9] and Gallus gallus (chickens)[10]. By combining these axenic systems with transcriptomics, metabolomics and epigenomics, researchers can systematically examine the role of the microbiome in host b iology[4,11,12,13,14]. The effects of the microbiome on adult mosquito physiology and behaviour are still largely unknown
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