Microbiota Influences Fitness and Timing of Reproduction in the Fruit Fly Drosophila melanogaster
Melinda K. Matthews, Jaanna Malcolm, John M. Chaston
Abstract
The ability of associated microorganisms ("microbiota") to influence animal life history traits has been recognized and investigated, especially in the past 2 decades. For many microbial communities, there is not always a clear definition of whether the microbiota or its members are beneficial, pathogenic, or relatively neutral to their hosts' fitness. In this study, we report the influence of individual members of the microbiota on Drosophila melanogaster fitness using Leslie matrices that combine the microbial influences on fly survival and reproduction into a single fitness measure. Our results are consistent with a previous report that, in the laboratory, acetic acid bacteria are more beneficial to the flies than many strains of lactic acid bacteria. We add to the previous finding by showing that this benefit depends on fly survival rate. Together, our work helps to show how the microbiota of a fly influences its laboratory fitness and how these effects may translate to a wild setting.