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Phylogenetic and functional diversity among Drosophila-associated metagenome-assembled genomes

Summary

Researchers used advanced sequencing techniques to study the bacteria living in wild fruit flies collected from three continents. They discovered that these flies host diverse communities of bacteria that produce various compounds potentially beneficial to the fly, including antimicrobial molecules and metabolites that may help with nutrition and disease resistance. The study reveals that wild fly microbiomes are much more complex than previously understood from laboratory studies.

Background

Host-associated microbial communities play important roles in mediating interactions between hosts and their environments. While microbiome composition has been extensively documented across species and environments, far less is known about the functional consequences of this microbial variation, particularly in wild non-model organisms.

Objective

To characterize the phylogenetic and functional diversity of bacteria associated with wild Drosophila flies by generating metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) and analyzing their functional gene content and biosynthetic potential across multiple host species and geographic locations.

Results

103 high-quality MAGs were generated representing diverse bacterial taxa including core members related to Gilliamella, Orbus, Entomomonas, and Dysgonomonas. Functional analysis revealed significant variation in gene content and predicted metabolic pathways among bacterial orders and genera, with 177 biosynthetic gene clusters identified across 56 MAGs, predominantly in RiPP-like and aryl polyene classes.

Conclusion

Wild drosophilid flies harbor phylogenetically and functionally diverse microbial communities with predicted metabolic and biosynthetic capacities that likely contribute to host performance. These findings highlight the need for functional validation of specific bacterial lineages and their roles in host-microbe symbioses across diverse environments.
  • Published in:mSystems,
  • Study Type:Metagenomic analysis,
  • Source: PMID: 40600712, DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00027-25
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