Progress in research on the microbiota-gut-brain axis of insects
Author of the article:ZHANG Zi-Jing1** ZHONG Zhao-Peng2 ZHENG Hao2***
Author's Workplace:1. College of Life Science, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, China; 2. College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
Key Words:insects; microbiome; gut-brain axis; honeybee; neurological disease model
Abstract:
Many
studies of neurological diseases have increasingly acknowledged the significant
role of microbiota in regulating the development and function of nervous system
and host behavior, highlighting the importance of the microbial-gut-brain axis.
Recent research suggests that the insect symbiotic microbiome could also
modulate host behaviors through the gut-brain axis, including foraging
behavior, reproductive behavior, collective response, and so on. Moreover, a
growing body of research suggests that behavioral dysfunctions in insects may
be regulated by molecular mechanisms that are partly homologous to those of
mammals. Therefore, insects can be used as model animals to better understand
the role of gut bacteria in the gut-brain axis. In this review, we summarize
recent findings on the effects of gut microbiota on the neurophysiology and
behavior of insects and propose that honeybees could serve as a novel animal
model for further exploring the mechanisms of the gut-brain axis in human
neurological diseases.