Gut microbiota dictates the metabolic response of Drosophila to diet

Wong, A. C.-N., Dobson, A. J. and Douglas, A. E. (2014) Gut microbiota dictates the metabolic response of Drosophila to diet. Journal of Experimental Biology, 217(11), pp. 1894-1901. (doi: 10.1242/jeb.101725) (PMID:24577449) (PMCID:PMC4037322)

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Abstract

Animal nutrition is profoundly influenced by the gut microbiota, but knowledge of the scope and core mechanisms of the underlying animal-microbiota interactions is fragmentary. To investigate the nutritional traits shaped by the gut microbiota of Drosophila, we determined the microbiota-dependent response of multiple metabolic and performance indices to systematically varied diet composition. Diet-dependent differences between Drosophila bearing its unmanipulated microbiota (conventional flies) and experimentally deprived of its microbiota (axenic flies) revealed evidence for: microbial sparing of dietary B vitamins, especially riboflavin, on low-yeast diets; microbial promotion of protein nutrition, particularly in females; and microbiota-mediated suppression of lipid/carbohydrate storage, especially on high sugar diets. The microbiota also sets the relationship between energy storage and body mass, indicative of microbial modulation of the host signaling networks that coordinate metabolism with body size. This analysis identifies the multiple impacts of the microbiota on the metabolism of Drosophila, and demonstrates that the significance of these different interactions varies with diet composition and host sex.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Dobson, Dr Adam
Authors: Wong, A. C.-N., Dobson, A. J., and Douglas, A. E.
College/School:College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Molecular Biosciences
Journal Name:Journal of Experimental Biology
Publisher:Company of Biologists
ISSN:0022-0949
ISSN (Online):1477-9145
Published Online:27 February 2014
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2014 The Company of Biologists Ltd
First Published:First published in Journal of Experimental Biology 217(11): 1894-1901
Publisher Policy:Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy

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