2025 Hyper Recent •CC0 1.0 Universal

This work is dedicated to the public domain. No rights reserved.

Access Preprint From Server
May 21st, 2025
Version: 1
University of Zurich
ecology
biorxiv

Microbiome-mediated resilience and cross-generational consequences in male Drosophila exposed to combined environmental stressors

Maggu, K.Open in Google Scholar•Meena, A.Open in Google Scholar•De Nardo, A. N.Open in Google Scholar•Eggs, B.Open in Google Scholar•Sbilordo, S. H.Open in Google Scholar•Al Tom Sho, R.Open in Google Scholar•Lupold, S.Open in Google Scholar

Environmental stressors like heat extremes and pesticide exposure can significantly threaten insect reproduction, yet the interplay of these stressors and the potential mitigating role of the gut microbiome remain poorly understood, particularly across generations. This study investigated the interactive effects of acute heat stress and sublethal imidacloprid exposure on male Drosophila melanogaster reproductive success and the subsequent fitness of their offspring. We manipulated the gut microbiome of male flies (germ-free or colonized with one or five bacterial species) and subjected them to individual or combined stress. Our findings reveal that combined stress synergistically impairs male fitness traits, an effect partially buffered by higher microbiome diversity. We further demonstrate cross-generational consequences, with paternal stress exposure also impacting offspring fitness. Our results highlight the crucial role of the gut microbiome in mediating resilience to environmental stress and underscore the importance of considering multi-stressor and intergenerational effects in ecological risk assessments.

Similar Papers

biorxiv
Fri May 23 2025
Worldwide spread of Hylurgus ligniperda (Coleoptera: Scolytinae), and the potential role of bridgehead invasions
Hylurgus ligniperda (F.) is a highly successful invader among bark beetles (Scolytinae) and forest insects in general. Native to the western Palearctic region, it has become established in every continent where its host plants (Pinus spp.) occur. Especially in southern hemisphere regions with large pine plantations, it is often highly abundant. As a repeat invader with a wealth of information on v...
Brockerhoff, E. G.
•
Schläfli, L.
•
Cornejo, C.
•
Kappeler, J.
...•
Prospero, S.
biorxiv
Fri May 23 2025
Specimen-tailored "lived" climate reveals precipitation onset and amount best predict specimen phenology, but only weakly predict estimated reproduction across a clade
Herbarium specimens are broadly distributed in space and time, enabling investigation of climate impacts on phenology and fitness. We reconstructed specimen "lived" climate from knowledge of germination cues and collection dates for 14 annual species in the Streptanthus (s.l.) clade (Brassicaceae) to ask: Which climate attributes, including the timing of precipitation onset, best explain specimen ...
Bontrager, M. G.
•
Worthy, S. J.
•
Leventhal, L. C.
•
Maloof, J.
...•
Strauss, S. Y.
biorxiv
Fri May 23 2025
Herbarium specimens reveal a constrained seasonal climate niche despite diverged annual climates across a wildflower clade
Quantifying species' niches across a clade reveals how environmental tolerances evolve, and offers insights into present and future distributions. We use herbarium specimens to explore climate niche evolution across 14 annual species of the Streptanthus (s.l.) clade (Brassicaceae), which originated in deserts and diversified into cooler, moister areas. To understand how climate niches evolved, we ...
Bontrager, M.
•
Worthy, S. J.
•
Cacho, N. I.
•
Leventhal, L.
...•
Strauss, S. Y.
biorxiv
Fri May 23 2025
High-severity fires undermine resilience of black spruce-dominated boreal forests in eastern North America
Climate-induced fire regime shifts may reduce post-fire resilience of black spruce-dominated (BS; Picea mariana) North American boreal forests. While post-fire vulnerability of immature BS stands has been extensively studied, no study has evaluated simultaneous effects of fire severity and seasonality on the post-fire regeneration of mature (> 60-year-old) BS stands. This study aims to quantify po...
Fortin, S.
•
Boucher, Y.
•
Bergeron, Y.
•
Simard, M.
...•
Valeria, O.
biorxiv
Thu May 22 2025
Comparing analytical protocols for identifying causes of population changes
Understanding the factors driving population dynamics is critical for conservation efforts, enabling e.g. the implementation of effective recovery strategies. However, selecting the most effective method for identifying drivers of population change can be challenging, given the wide range of models available for this purpose. In this study, we employed a virtual ecologist approach to compare three...
Malinowska, K.
•
Wawrzynowicz, M.
•
Markowska, K.
•
Chodkiewicz, T.
...•
Kuczynski, L.
biorxiv
Thu May 22 2025
Natural selection shapes and regulates the population dynamics of birds and mammals
I analyse for a natural selection component in the population dynamic regulation of birds and mammals. By fitting species-specific age-structured population dynamic models to 3,369 and 483 abundance timeseries for 900 and 208 species of birds and mammals, AIC model-selection includes natural selection in 79% to 92% of the accepted models, explaining 80% of the population dynamics variance, with me...
Witting, L.
biorxiv
Thu May 22 2025
The effects of predator recovery and climate change on the long-term demography of a flagship herbivore
In the western United States, ecosystems are being reshaped from both bottom-up and top-down processes. Widespread carnivore recolonizations after 20th century extirpations have returned top-down pressures to ecosystems, and climate change is reshaping bottom-up forces through shifts in the timing and length of growing seasons, resulting in reduced forage quality and quantity. Large herbivores, su...
Loonam, K.
•
Brown, C.
•
Clark, D.
•
Rowland, M.
...•
Levi, T.
biorxiv
Wed May 21 2025
Microbially-mediated halogenation and dehalogenation cycling of organohalides in the ocean
Microbially mediated organohalide cycling in the ocean has profound implications for global element cycles and climate, but the phylogeny, coding potential, and distribution of the halogenation-dehalogenation cycling microorganisms remain unknown. Here, we construct an organohalide-cycling database (HaloCycDB) to explore the global atlas of halogenation-dehalogenation cycling genes and microorgani...
Zhou, N.
•
Li, Q.
•
Liang, Z.
•
Yu, K.
...•
Wang, S.
biorxiv
Wed May 21 2025
Phenology and flower species availability define wild bee communities on river embankments
River embankments cover extensive areas in estuaries worldwide, yet their potential for pollinator conservation remains largely unexplored. Even more so than road verges, these embankments may offer widespread habitat for pollinators due to their size and sun-facing warm slopes. Here we present a comprehensive analysis of bee communities from 157 dike grasslands along the lower branches of the Meu...
Swinkels, C.
•
Slikboer, L.
•
Raemakers, I.
•
Godijn, N.
...•
de Kroon, H.
biorxiv
Wed May 21 2025
Quantifying ecosystem degradation via energetic deficits
Ecosystem degradation is accelerating, threatening biodiversity and human economies. Quantifying this degradation relative to a reference baseline remains a key challenge. Yet, this quantification is essential to provide the necessary resources to regenerate ecosystems. We address this challenge by studying the energetics of population dynamics, where energy inputs such as sunlight and rainfall ar...
Angulo, M. T.
•
Liu, Y.
•
Morris, D.
•
Saavedra, S.