Understanding the factors regulating host-microbiome interactions using Caenorhabditis elegans

The Human Microbiome Project was a research programme that successfully identified associations between microbial species and healthy or diseased individuals. However, a major challenge identified was the absence of model systems for studying host-microbiome interactions, which would increase our capacity to uncover molecular interactions, understand organ-specificity and discover new microbiome-altering health interventions. Caenorhabditis elegans has been a pioneering model organism for over 70 years but was largely studied in the absence of a microbiome. Recently, ecological sampling of wild nematodes has uncovered a large amount of natural genetic diversity as well as a slew of associated microbiota. The field has now explored the interactions of C. elegans with its associated gut microbiome, a defined and non-random microbial community, highlighting its suitability for dissecting host-microbiome interactions. This core microbiome is being used to study the impact of host genetics, age and stressors on microbiome composition. Furthermore, single microbiome species are being used to dissect molecular interactions between microbes and the animal gut. Being amenable to health altering genetic and non-genetic interventions, C. elegans has emerged as a promising system to generate and test new hypotheses regarding host-microbiome interactions, with the potential to uncover novel paradigms relevant to other systems. This article is part of the theme issue 'Sculpting the microbiome: how host factors determine and respond to microbial colonization'.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2024

Erschienen:

2024

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:379

Enthalten in:

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences - 379(2024), 1901 vom: 06. März, Seite 20230059

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Singh, Anupama [VerfasserIn]
Luallen, Robert J [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

Caenorhabditis elegans
Commensals
Factors
Genetics
Journal Article
Microbiome
Review

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 19.03.2024

Date Revised 20.03.2024

published: Print-Electronic

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1098/rstb.2023.0059

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM36986946X