BioSciences Department, Rice University, Houston, TX 77098, USA.
Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA; Department of Zoology, Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA.
Trends Microbiol. 2022 Oct;30(10):930-939. doi: 10.1016/j.tim.2022.03.006. Epub 2022 Apr 5.
Multicellular organisms harbor populations of microbial symbionts; some of these symbionts can be dispersed through the feeding activities of consumers. Studies of consumer-mediated microbiota dispersal generally focus on pathogenic microorganisms; the dispersal of beneficial microorganisms has received less attention, especially in the context of 'antagonistic' trophic interactions (e.g., herbivory, parasitism, predation). Yet, this 'trophic transmission' of beneficial symbionts has significant implications for microbiota assembly and resource species (e.g., prey) health. For example, trophic transmission of microorganisms could assist with environmental acclimatization and help resource species to suppress other consumers or competitors. Here, we highlight model systems and approaches that have revealed these potential 'silver-linings' of antagonism as well as opportunities and challenges for future research.
多细胞生物体内存在着微生物共生种群; 其中一些共生体可以通过消费者的摄食活动传播。消费者介导的微生物群传播的研究通常集中在致病性微生物上; 有益微生物的传播受到的关注较少，特别是在“对抗性”营养相互作用（例如，捕食、寄生、捕食）的背景下。然而，这种有益共生体的“营养传递”对微生物组组装和资源物种（例如，猎物）的健康有重要影响。例如，微生物的营养传递可以帮助环境适应，帮助资源物种抑制其他消费者或竞争者。在这里，我们重点介绍了一些模型系统和方法，这些系统和方法揭示了这种对抗的潜在“好处”，以及未来研究的机会和挑战。
