Spontaneous body wall contractions stabilize the fluid microenvironment that shapes host–microbe associations

The freshwater polyp Hydra is a popular biological model system; however, we still do not understand one of its most salient behaviors, the generation of spontaneous body wall contractions. Here, by applying experimental fluid dynamics analysis and mathematical modeling, we provide functional eviden...

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Main Authors: Janna C Nawroth, Christoph Giez, Alexander Klimovich, Eva Kanso, Thomas CG Bosch
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: eLife Sciences Publications Ltd 2023-07-01
Series:eLife
Subjects:
Online Access:https://elifesciences.org/articles/83637
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author Janna C Nawroth
Christoph Giez
Alexander Klimovich
Eva Kanso
Thomas CG Bosch
author_facet Janna C Nawroth
Christoph Giez
Alexander Klimovich
Eva Kanso
Thomas CG Bosch
author_sort Janna C Nawroth
collection DOAJ
description The freshwater polyp Hydra is a popular biological model system; however, we still do not understand one of its most salient behaviors, the generation of spontaneous body wall contractions. Here, by applying experimental fluid dynamics analysis and mathematical modeling, we provide functional evidence that spontaneous contractions of body walls enhance the transport of chemical compounds from and to the tissue surface where symbiotic bacteria reside. Experimentally, a reduction in the frequency of spontaneous body wall contractions is associated with a changed composition of the colonizing microbiota. Together, our findings suggest that spontaneous body wall contractions create an important fluid transport mechanism that (1) may shape and stabilize specific host–microbe associations and (2) create fluid microhabitats that may modulate the spatial distribution of the colonizing microbes. This mechanism may be more broadly applicable to animal–microbe interactions since research has shown that rhythmic spontaneous contractions in the gastrointestinal tracts are essential for maintaining normal microbiota.
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spelling doaj.art-1487f46e09be4ab0af0919df6d55d0162023-08-02T12:51:23ZengeLife Sciences Publications LtdeLife2050-084X2023-07-011210.7554/eLife.83637Spontaneous body wall contractions stabilize the fluid microenvironment that shapes host–microbe associationsJanna C Nawroth0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1898-3968Christoph Giez1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8101-6498Alexander Klimovich2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1764-0613Eva Kanso3https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0336-585XThomas CG Bosch4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9488-5545Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States; Helmholtz Pioneer Campus and Institute of Biological and Medical Imaging (IBMI), Helmholtz Munich (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany; Chair of Biological Imaging at the Central Institute for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, GermanyZoological Institute, Kiel University, Kiel, GermanyZoological Institute, Kiel University, Kiel, GermanyAerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United StatesZoological Institute, Kiel University, Kiel, GermanyThe freshwater polyp Hydra is a popular biological model system; however, we still do not understand one of its most salient behaviors, the generation of spontaneous body wall contractions. Here, by applying experimental fluid dynamics analysis and mathematical modeling, we provide functional evidence that spontaneous contractions of body walls enhance the transport of chemical compounds from and to the tissue surface where symbiotic bacteria reside. Experimentally, a reduction in the frequency of spontaneous body wall contractions is associated with a changed composition of the colonizing microbiota. Together, our findings suggest that spontaneous body wall contractions create an important fluid transport mechanism that (1) may shape and stabilize specific host–microbe associations and (2) create fluid microhabitats that may modulate the spatial distribution of the colonizing microbes. This mechanism may be more broadly applicable to animal–microbe interactions since research has shown that rhythmic spontaneous contractions in the gastrointestinal tracts are essential for maintaining normal microbiota.https://elifesciences.org/articles/83637Hydrabiophysicsmicrobe–host associationfluid dynamicsdiffusionbacteria
spellingShingle Janna C Nawroth
Christoph Giez
Alexander Klimovich
Eva Kanso
Thomas CG Bosch
Spontaneous body wall contractions stabilize the fluid microenvironment that shapes host–microbe associations
eLife
Hydra
biophysics
microbe–host association
fluid dynamics
diffusion
bacteria
title Spontaneous body wall contractions stabilize the fluid microenvironment that shapes host–microbe associations
title_full Spontaneous body wall contractions stabilize the fluid microenvironment that shapes host–microbe associations
title_fullStr Spontaneous body wall contractions stabilize the fluid microenvironment that shapes host–microbe associations
title_full_unstemmed Spontaneous body wall contractions stabilize the fluid microenvironment that shapes host–microbe associations
title_short Spontaneous body wall contractions stabilize the fluid microenvironment that shapes host–microbe associations
title_sort spontaneous body wall contractions stabilize the fluid microenvironment that shapes host microbe associations
topic Hydra
biophysics
microbe–host association
fluid dynamics
diffusion
bacteria
url https://elifesciences.org/articles/83637
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AT alexanderklimovich spontaneousbodywallcontractionsstabilizethefluidmicroenvironmentthatshapeshostmicrobeassociations
AT evakanso spontaneousbodywallcontractionsstabilizethefluidmicroenvironmentthatshapeshostmicrobeassociations
AT thomascgbosch spontaneousbodywallcontractionsstabilizethefluidmicroenvironmentthatshapeshostmicrobeassociations