Gut microbiota affects development and olfactory behavior in Drosophila melanogaster

It has been shown that gut microbes are very important for the behavior and development of Drosophila, as the beneficial microbes are involved in the identification of suitable feeding and egg-laying locations. However, in what way these associated gut microbes influence the fitness-related behaviors of Drosophila melanogaster remains unclear. Here, we show that D. melanogaster exhibits different behavioral preferences towards gut microbes. Both adults and larvae were attracted by the volatile compounds of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Lactobacillus plantarum, but were repelled by Acetobacter malorum in behavioral assays, indicating that an olfactory mechanism is involved in these preference behaviors. While the attraction to yeast was governed by olfactory sensory neurons expressing the odorant co-receptor Orco, the observed behaviors towards the other microbes were retained in flies lacking this co-receptor. By experimentally manipulating the microbiota of the flies, we found that flies did not strive for a diverse microbiome by increasing their preference towards gut microbes that they had not experienced previously. Instead, in some cases, the flies even increased preference for the microbes on which they were reared. Furthermore, exposing Drosophila larvae to all three microbes promoted Drosophila development, while exposure to only S. cerevisiae and A. malorum resulted in the development of larger ovaries and in increased egg numbers in an oviposition assay. Thus, our study provides a better understanding of how gut microbes affect insect behavior and development, and offers an ecological rationale for preferences of flies for different microbes in their natural environment.