Figure 1

Functional impact of commensal lactobacilli on Drosophila biology. Strains of L. plantarum can be true mutualists and impact different aspects of host biology: mating preferences, gut epithelial homeostasis, protection against enteric infection, nutrient allocation and metabolism. During larval stages it promotes systemic growth. Depending on the strain and host genetic background, L. brevis is a mutualist of pathobiont, which interferes with host metabolism and/or induces chronic inflammation and epithelial cell death.