Animal–microbe interactions and the evolution of nervous systems

Animals ubiquitously interact with environmental and symbiotic microbes, and the effects of these interactions on animal physiology are currently the subject of intense interest. Nevertheless, the influence of microbes on nervous system evolution has been largely ignored. We illustrate here how taki...

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Published inPhilosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B. Biological sciences Vol. 371; no. 1685; p. 20150052
Main Authors Eisthen, Heather L., Theis, Kevin R.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England The Royal Society 05.01.2016
Subjects
Animals
Bacteria
Behavior, Animal
Biological Evolution
Central Nervous System - anatomy & histology
Central Nervous System - physiology
Holobiont
Invertebrates - anatomy & histology
Invertebrates - microbiology
Invertebrates - physiology
Microbiome
Microbiota
Review
Symbiosis
Vertebrates - anatomy & histology
Vertebrates - microbiology
Vertebrates - physiology
microbiota
holobiont
microbiome
symbiosis
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Summary:Animals ubiquitously interact with environmental and symbiotic microbes, and the effects of these interactions on animal physiology are currently the subject of intense interest. Nevertheless, the influence of microbes on nervous system evolution has been largely ignored. We illustrate here how taking microbes into account might enrich our ideas about the evolution of nervous systems. For example, microbes are involved in animals' communicative, defensive, predatory and dispersal behaviours, and have likely influenced the evolution of chemo- and photosensory systems. In addition, we speculate that the need to regulate interactions with microbes at the epithelial surface may have contributed to the evolutionary internalization of the nervous system.
Bibliography:Discussion meeting issue ‘Homology and convergence in nervous system evolution’ organized and edited by Frank Hirth and Nicholas J. Strausfeld
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Present address: Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 540 East Canfield, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.
One contribution of 16 to a discussion meeting issue ‘Homology and convergence in nervous system evolution’.
ISSN:0962-8436
1471-2970
DOI:10.1098/rstb.2015.0052