Commensal bacteria and essential amino acids control food choice behavior and reproduction.

ABSTRACT: Choosing the right nutrients to consume is essential to health and wellbeing across species. However, the factors that influence these decisions are poorly understood. This is particularly true for dietary proteins, which are important determinants of lifespan and reproduction. We show that in Drosophila melanogaster, essential amino acids (eAAs) and the concerted action of the commensal bacteria Acetobacter pomorum and Lactobacilli are critical modulators of food choice. Using a chemically defined diet, we show that the absence of any single eAA from the diet is sufficient to elicit specific appetites for amino acid (AA)-rich food. Furthermore, commensal bacteria buffer the animal from the lack of dietary eAAs: both increased yeast appetite and decreased reproduction induced by eAA depriv

SUBMITTER: Leitao-Goncalves R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5404834 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature