The microbiota influences the Drosophila melanogaster life history strategy.

ABSTRACT: Organisms are locally adapted when members of a population have a fitness advantage in one location relative to conspecifics in other geographies. For example, across latitudinal gradients, some organisms may trade off between traits that maximize fitness components in one, but not both, of somatic maintenance or reproductive output. Latitudinal gradients in life history strategies are traditionally attributed to environmental selection on an animal's genotype, without any consideration of the possible impact of associated microorganisms ("microbiota") on life history traits. Here, we show in Drosophila melanogaster, a key model for studying local adaptation and life history strategy, that excluding the microbiota from definitions of local adaptation is a major shortfall. First, we reveal

SUBMITTER: Walters AW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7507235 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature