| description |
The microbiome of host organisms has been shown to have profound effects on traits associated with fitness in humans and other species. However the association between microbiomic compositions and rearing temperatures in ectotherm hosts is not well studied. Here we investigate the microbiome in Drosophila melanogaster male flies reared at three temperatures; 13 °C, 25 °C or 31 °C. Further we assess heat and cold tolerance of flies from the three temperatures. The results show that developmental temperature has strong influence on the composition of the microbiome. Flies developed at 13 °C had a microbiome that was much more diverse and dominated by distinct taxa compared to those developed at 25 and 31 °C. Further, we showed that flies acclimated at low temperatures are more cold resistant and less heat resistant than flies developed at higher temperatures and vice versa with flies developed at higher temperatures. Results do not provide a causal link between the microbiome and thermal stress resistance but show interesting temperature specific microbiome compositions and further studies should address whether this is partly responsible for the costs and benefits associated with developing at different temperatures. |