Wolbachia impacts microbiome diversity and fitness-associated traits for Drosophila melanogaster in a seasonally fluctuating environment.

ABSTRACT: The microbiome contributes to many different host traits, but its role in host adaptation remains enigmatic. The fitness benefits of the microbiome often depend on ecological conditions, but theory suggests that fluctuations in both the microbiome and environment modulate these fitness benefits. Moreover, vertically transmitted bacteria might constrain the ability of both the microbiome and host to respond to changing environments. Drosophila melanogaster provides an excellent system to investigate the impacts of interactions between the microbiome and the environment. To address this question, we created field mesocosms of D. melanogaster undergoing seasonal environmental change with and without the vertically transmitted bacteria, Wolbachia pipientis. Sampling tempor

SUBMITTER: Henry LP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11262851 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature