No.281 Seminar ： Molecular Bases of Nutritional Responses Linking Trophic Relationships among Species
- Associate Professor Yukako Hattori, 15th batch, Graduate School of Biostudies
- 2026/02/17 4:45pm
- Research Administration Building, Basement Floor (Conference Rooms 1&2)
- Japanese
- Onsite and Zoom
Summary
Organisms acquire nutrients through trophic relationships such as predation and symbiosis, and have evolved diverse adaptive strategies in response to their nutritional environments.
However, how different species adapt to distinct nutritional conditions, and what molecular mechanisms underlie these differences, remain incompletely understood.
To address this question, I study closely related Drosophila species with distinct dietary strategies, together with their associated microbes.
To address this question, I study closely related Drosophila species with distinct dietary strategies, together with their associated microbes.
Comparisons between species that feed on a wide range of nutrients and those specialized for limited diets reveal that dietary responses differ substantially among species,
potentially reflectingquantitative regulation of gene expression.
I also investigate Drosophila-associated yeasts and bacteria that support larval growth in natural environments.
These studies highlight that animal growth is shaped not only by host genetic properties but also by the specific combinations of microbes.
In this seminar, I present an integrative view of nutrition-mediated interspecies relationships,
linking molecular mechanisms to development, ecology, and evolution, and discuss how dietary choices contribute to biological diversity.