Sex-Dependent Effects of the Microbiome on Foraging and Locomotion in Drosophila suzukii.

ABSTRACT: There is growing evidence that symbiotic microbes can influence multiple nutrition-related behaviors of their hosts, including locomotion, feeding, and foraging. However, how the microbiome affects nutrition-related behavior is largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate clear sexual dimorphism in how the microbiome affects foraging behavior of a frugivorous fruit fly, Drosophila suzukii. Female flies deprived of their microbiome (axenic) were consistently less active in foraging on fruits than their conventional counterparts, even though they were more susceptible to starvation and starvation-induced locomotion was notably more elevated in axenic than conventional females. Such behavioral change was not observed in male flies. The lag of axenic female flies but not male flies to forage o

SUBMITTER: Shu R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8141744 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature