Metabolic cooperation among commensal bacteria supports Drosophila juvenile growth under nutritional stress

The gut microbiota shapes animal growth trajectory in stressful nutritional environments, but the molecular mechanisms behind such physiological benefits remain poorly understood. The gut microbiota is mostly composed of bacteria, which construct metabolic networks among themselves and with the host. Until now, how the metabolic activities of the microbiota contribute to host juvenile growth remains unknown. Here, using Drosophila as a host model, we report that two of its major bacterial partners, Lactobacillus plantarum and Acetobacter pomorum engage in a beneficial metabolic dialogue that boosts host juvenile growth despite nutritional stress. We pinpoint that lactate, produced by L. plantarum, is utilized by A. pomorum as an additional carbon source, and A. pomorum provides essential amino-acids and vitamins to L. plantarum. Such bacterial cross-feeding provisions a set of anabolic metabolites to the host, which may foster host systemic growth despite poor nutrition. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=165 SRC="FIGDIR/small/119370v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (27K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1923739org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@679795org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@110cbecorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1bc0804_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG HIGHLIGHTSO_LIL. plantarum feeds lactate to A. pomorum C_LIO_LIA. pomorum supplies essential amino acids and vitamins to L. plantarum C_LIO_LIMicrobiota metabolic dialogue boosts Drosophilas larval growth C_LIO_LILactate utilization by Acetobacter releases anabolic metabolites to larvae C_LI