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

Abstract

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.