Nasonia-microbiome associations: a model for evolutionary hologenomics research

Trends Parasitol. 2023 Feb;39(2):101-112. doi: 10.1016/j.pt.2022.11.005. Epub 2022 Dec 7.

Abstract

In recent years, with the development of microbial research technologies, microbiota research has received widespread attention. The parasitoid wasp genus Nasonia is a good model organism for studying insect behavior, development, evolutionary genetics, speciation, and symbiosis. This review describes key advances and progress in the field of the Nasonia-microbiome interactions. We provide an overview of the advantages of Nasonia as a model organism for microbiome studies, list research methods to study the Nasonia microbiome, and discuss recent discoveries in Nasonia microbiome research. This summary of the complexities of Nasonia-microbiome relationships will help to contribute to a better understanding of the interactions between animals and their microbiomes and establish a clear research direction for Nasonia-microbiome interactions in the future.

Keywords: Wolbachia, speciation; holobiont; phylosymbiosis; wasp.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biological Evolution
  • Insecta / genetics
  • Microbiota* / genetics
  • Symbiosis
  • Wasps* / genetics