Dynamics and Stabilization of the Human Gut Microbiome during the First Year of Life.

Insect guts present distinctive environments for microbial colonization, and bacteria in the gut potentially provide many beneficial services to their hosts. Insects display a wide range in degree of dependence on gut bacteria for basic functions. Most insect guts contain relatively few microbial species as compared to mammalian guts, but some insects harbor large gut communities of specialized bacteria. Others are colonized only opportunistically and sparsely by bacteria common in other environments. Insect digestive tracts vary extensively in morphology and physicochemical properties, factors that greatly influence microbial community structure. One obstacle to the evolution of intimate associations with gut microorganisms is the lack of dependable transmission routes between host individuals. Here, social insects, such as termites, ants, and bees, are exceptions: social interactions provide opportunities for transfer of gut bacteria, and some of the most distinctive and consistent gut communities, with specialized beneficial functions in nutrition and protection, have been found in social insect species. Still, gut bacteria of other insects have also been shown to contribute to nutrition, protection from parasites and pathogens, modulation of immune responses, and communication. The extent of these roles is still unclear and awaits further studies.

The gut microbiota of insects - diversity in structure and function.

https://www.cell.com/cell/pdf/S0092-8674%2815%2900186-5.pdf

Promoting Health and Longevity through Diet: From Model Organisms to Humans

Twenty-four articles by biologists, ecologists, and other scientists represent a year's progress in the field. Among the topics addressed: the effects of introduced species, paleobiogeography, genetics and geographic structure, marine fisheries management, time as an ecological resource, genetic var

Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution and Systematics

https://www.cell.com/cell/pdf/S0092-8674(13)00267-5.pdf

Metformin Retards Aging in C. elegans by Altering Microbial Folate and Methionine Metabolism

Lactobacillus plantarum Promotes Drosophila Systemic Growth by Modulating Hormonal Signals through TOR-Dependent Nutrient Sensing

https://www.cell.com/cell-host-microbe/pdf/S1931-3128(12)00431-3.pdf

Host-Intestinal Microbiota Mutualism: “Learning on the Fly”

Adult honeybees harbor a specialized gut microbiota of relatively low complexity. While seasonal differences in community composition have been reported, previous studies have focused on compositional changes rather than differences in absolute bacterial loads. Moreover, little is known about the gut microbiota of winter bees, which live much longer than bees during the foraging season, and which are critical for colony survival. We quantified seven core members of the bee gut microbiota in a single colony over 2 years and characterized the community composition in 14 colonies during summer and winter. Our data show that total bacterial loads substantially differ between foragers, nurses, and winter bees. Long-lived winter bees had the highest bacterial loads and the lowest community α-diversity, with a characteristic shift toward high levels of Bartonella and Commensalibacter, and a reduction of opportunistic colonizers. Using gnotobiotic bee experiments, we show that diet is a major contributor to the observed differences in bacterial loads. Overall, our study reveals that the gut microbiota of winter bees is remarkably different from foragers and nurses. Considering the importance of winter bees for colony survival, future work should focus on the role of the gut microbiota in winter bee health and disease.

/pdf/gut-microbiota-structure-differs-between-honeybees-in-winter-2elxoh5x3k.pdf

Gut microbiota structure differs between honeybees in winter and summer

Pathogen Virulence Impedes Mutualist-Mediated Enhancement of Host Juvenile Growth via Inhibition of Protein Digestion

https://febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1016/j.febslet.2014.06.041

Berra Erkosar

Papers

Lactobacillus plantarum Promotes Drosophila Systemic Growth by Modulating Hormonal Signals through TOR-Dependent Nutrient Sensing

Host-Intestinal Microbiota Mutualism: “Learning on the Fly”

Gut microbiota structure differs between honeybees in winter and summer

Pathogen Virulence Impedes Mutualist-Mediated Enhancement of Host Juvenile Growth via Inhibition of Protein Digestion

Transient adult microbiota, gut homeostasis and longevity: Novel insights from the Drosophila model