<i>Drosophila</i> Model for Studying Gut Microbiota in Behaviors and Neurodegenerative Diseases
Meng-Hsuan Chiang,
Shuk-Man Ho,
Hui-Yu Wu,
Yu-Chun Lin,
Wan-Hua Tsai,
Tony Wu,
Chih-Ho Lai,
Chia-Lin Wu
Affiliations
Meng-Hsuan Chiang
Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, Department of Microbiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
Shuk-Man Ho
Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, Department of Microbiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
Hui-Yu Wu
Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, Department of Microbiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
Yu-Chun Lin
Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, Department of Microbiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
Wan-Hua Tsai
Research and Development Department, GenMont Biotech Incorporation, Tainan 74144, Taiwan
Tony Wu
Department of Neurology, Molecular Infectious Disease Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 33305, Taiwan
Chih-Ho Lai
Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, Department of Microbiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
Chia-Lin Wu
Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, Department of Microbiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
Mounting evidence indicates that the gut microbiota is linked to several physiological processes and disease development in mammals; however, the underlying mechanisms remained unexplored mostly due to the complexity of the mammalian gut microbiome. The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is a valuable animal model for studying host-gut microbiota interactions in translational aspects. The availability of powerful genetic tools and resources in Drosophila allowed the scientists to unravel the mechanisms by which the gut microbes affect fitness, health, and behavior of their hosts. Drosophila models have been extensively used not only to study animal behaviors (i.e., courtship, aggression, sleep, and learning & memory), but also some human related neurodegenerative diseases (i.e., Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease) in the past. This review comprehensively summarizes the current understanding of the gut microbiota of Drosophila and its impact on fly behavior, physiology, and neurodegenerative diseases.
