Evaluating the Gut Motility and Peristalsis of Drosophila melanogaster
The human gut microbiome is a host-associated microbial community containing bacteria, fungi, viruses, archaea, and protists. Dysbiosis, or disruptions in the balance of bacteria in the gut, can lead to the development of gastrointestinal diseases. Many of these diseases have shown to have underlying causes related to gut motility (transit time of food through the digestive system) which is regulated by gut peristalsis (muscle contractions that move food through digestive tract). As there are many challenges in measuring this in humans, the established model organism Drosophila melanogaster is an efficient alternative to studying host-microbe interactions due to their relatively simple gut microbiome. Using a new visualization method called the Bellymount technique, the rate of gut peristalsis contractions and their variability under different conditions was observed and further analyzed through a newly developed Python script. This data revealed a slower rate of contractions when under fed conditions rather than starvation conditions. A faster rate of contractions for females than males was observed as well, potentially suggesting an increased need for nutrient absorption in females for egg formation. Finally, the gut peristalsis of microbe-free (axenic) flies was compared to flies with microbes. These experiments lay the groundwork for future experimentation on gut motility in Drosophila for human gastrointestinal applications.