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Cited by 179Insect symbiosis and bacterial influencesInvertebrate Immune Response MechanismsGut microbiota and health

Host and Symbiont Jointly Control Gut Microbiota during Complete Metamorphosis

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Johnston, Paul R., Rolff, Jens·2015·PLOS Pathogens
DOI 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005246PMC PMC4636265
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Abstract

Holometabolous insects undergo a radical anatomical re-organisation during metamorphosis. This poses a developmental challenge: the host must replace the larval gut but at the same time retain symbiotic gut microbes and avoid infection by opportunistic pathogens. By manipulating host immunity and bacterial competitive ability, we study how the host Galleria mellonella and the symbiotic bacterium Enterococcus mundtii interact to manage the composition of the microbiota during metamorphosis. Disenabling one or both symbiotic partners alters the composition of the gut microbiota, which incurs fitness costs: adult hosts with a gut microbiota dominated by pathogens such as Serratia and Staphylococcus die early. Our results reveal an interaction that guarantees the safe passage of the symbiont through metamorphosis and benefits the resulting adult host. Host-symbiont "conspiracies" as described here are almost certainly widespread in holometobolous insects including many disease vectors.

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  • Some risk likely accompanies the maintenance of beneficial over detrimental (pathogenic) symbiotic interactions while the gut lining is renewed during pupation.

    “Additionally, it is likely that some risk must accompany the maintenance of beneficial over detrimental (i.e. pathogenic)”

    From Why grow up? <scp>A</scp> perspective on insect strategies to avoid metamorphosis (2016) · cites this paper as Johnston & Rolff, 2015

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References 62 · Cited by 179

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Authors
Johnston, P. R., & Rolff, J.
Affiliations
  • Freie Universität Berlin (DE)
  • Berlin Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (DE)
Corresponding author
  • Johnston, Paul R.
  • Rolff, Jens
ORCID
Venue
PLOS Pathogens
Publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Published
2015-11-06
Volume
11
Issue
11
Pages
e1005246
ISSN
  • 1553-7366 (ISSN-L)
  • 1553-7374
DOI
10.1371/journal.ppat.1005246
PMC
PMC4636265
OpenAlex
W2176298100
Cited by
179
References
62
Citations by year
2026: 13 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 21 · 2019: 19 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 19 · 2016: 11
FWCI
14.20
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • PLoS Pathogens (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Refubium (Universitätsbibliothek der Freien Universität Berlin) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
  • FP7 Ideas: European Research Council (260986)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Insect Science › Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Invertebrate Immune Response Mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gut microbiota and health
Keywords
host-symbiont interactions, gut microbiota, metamorphosis, holometabolous insects, Galleria mellonella, Enterococcus mundtii, symbiotic bacteria, host immunity, opportunistic pathogens, Serratia, Staphylococcus, disease vectors, insect development
MeSH terms
Gastrointestinal Microbiome, Animals, Insecta, Larva, Metamorphosis, Biological, Symbiosis, Host-Pathogen Interactions, Microbiota

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