Title |
Reciprocal Interactions Between Gut Microbiota and Host Social Behavior
|
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Published in |
Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience, June 2018
|
DOI | 10.3389/fnint.2018.00021 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Emmanuelle Münger, Augusto J. Montiel-Castro, Wolfgang Langhans, Gustavo Pacheco-López |
Abstract |
Animals harbor an extensive, dynamic microbial ecosystem in their gut. Gut microbiota (GM) supposedly modulate various host functions including fecundity, metabolism, immunity, cognition and behavior. Starting by analyzing the concept of the holobiont as a unit of selection, we highlight recent findings suggesting an intimate link between GM and animal social behavior. We consider two reciprocal emerging themes: (i) that GM influence host social behavior; and (ii) that social behavior and social structure shape the composition of the GM across individuals. We propose that, throughout a long history of coevolution, GM may have become involved in the modulation of their host's sociality to foster their own transmission, while in turn social organization may have fine-tuned the transmission of beneficial endosymbionts and prevented pathogen infection. We suggest that investigating these reciprocal interactions can advance our understanding of sociality, from healthy and impaired social cognition to the evolution of specific social behaviors and societal structure. |
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Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
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United States | 6 | 24% |
India | 4 | 16% |
Switzerland | 2 | 8% |
Brazil | 1 | 4% |
Saudi Arabia | 1 | 4% |
Canada | 1 | 4% |
Unknown | 10 | 40% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
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Members of the public | 18 | 72% |
Scientists | 6 | 24% |
Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 1 | 4% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Unknown | 167 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Researcher | 25 | 15% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 23 | 14% |
Student > Master | 21 | 13% |
Student > Bachelor | 17 | 10% |
Professor > Associate Professor | 8 | 5% |
Other | 22 | 13% |
Unknown | 51 | 31% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 34 | 20% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 16 | 10% |
Neuroscience | 15 | 9% |
Psychology | 7 | 4% |
Environmental Science | 5 | 3% |
Other | 29 | 17% |
Unknown | 61 | 37% |