Axenic and gnotobiotic insect technologies in research on host-microbiota interactions

Jiahui Wu; Qiqi Wang; Dandan Wang; Adam C N Wong; Guan-Hong Wang

doi:10.1016/j.tim.2023.02.007

Axenic and gnotobiotic insect technologies in research on host-microbiota interactions

Trends Microbiol. 2023 Aug;31(8):858-871. doi: 10.1016/j.tim.2023.02.007. Epub 2023 Mar 10.

Authors

Jiahui Wu¹, Qiqi Wang², Dandan Wang², Adam C N Wong³, Guan-Hong Wang⁴

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
³ Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; UF Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. Electronic address: ghwang@ioz.ac.cn.

PMID: 36906503
DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2023.02.007

Abstract

Insects are one of the most important animal life forms on earth. Symbiotic microbes are closely related to the growth and development of the host insects and can affect pathogen transmission. For decades, various axenic insect-rearing systems have been developed, allowing further manipulation of symbiotic microbiota composition. Here we review the historical development of axenic rearing systems and the latest progress in using axenic and gnotobiotic approaches to study insect-microbe interactions. We also discuss the challenges of these emerging technologies, possible solutions to address these challenges, and future research directions that can contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of insect-microbe interactions.

Keywords: fly; germ-free insect; gut–brain axis; hologenome; microbiome manipulation; mosquito.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Germ-Free Life
Host Microbial Interactions
Insecta
Microbiota*
Symbiosis