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Role of Bacteria in Mating Preference in Drosophila melanogaster

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Beneficial Microorganisms in Multicellular Life Forms

Abstract

Assortative mating, considered to be an early event in speciation, has been studied for decades in the context of divergent adaptation. In Drosophila it is commonly attributed to genetic elements in the flies that exhibit assortative mating. However, some cases have been reported where the genetic basis for these differences was unclear. In light of the Hologenome Theory of Evolution (Zilber-Rosenberg and Rosenberg, 2008), we considered the microbiota of Drosophila as an additional element, acting together with its host to better adapt to a changing environment. The microbiota of any organism is closely linked to its host. Many of the impacts of the microbiota on its host are known. New evidence shows an interesting, previously unknown, role of the microbiota in influencing its host’s behavior. In one case, as a result of adaptation to a new substrate, the microbiota changed with behavioral implications on its host flies. By changing its host’s mating preference, the microbiota has the potential of driving the evolution of its host. In this chapter, the mating process in Drosophila will be reviewed within the framework of the hologenome theory of evolution. Some conclusions and speculations on how microbes and their Drosophila host interact will be presented.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel

    Gil Sharon, Daniel Segal & Eugene Rosenberg

Authors
  1. Gil Sharon
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  2. Daniel Segal
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  3. Eugene Rosenberg
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Correspondence to Gil Sharon .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Dept. of Molecular Microbiology and Biot, University of Tel Aviv, Ramat Aviv, 69978, Israel

    Eugene Rosenberg

  2. , Dept. of Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Tel Aviv, Ramat Aviv, 69978, Israel

    Uri Gophna

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Sharon, G., Segal, D., Rosenberg, E. (2012). Role of Bacteria in Mating Preference in Drosophila melanogaster . In: Rosenberg, E., Gophna, U. (eds) Beneficial Microorganisms in Multicellular Life Forms. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-21680-0_4

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