Advances in research on insect gut microbiota and their functions

Insect guts present distinctive environments for microbial colonization, and their gut bacteria potentially provide many beneficial services to their hosts. Insects show a wide range of dependence on, and mutualistic interactions with, their gut bacteria. In recent years, the extensive use of high-throughput sequencing technology has promoted the study of gut microbiota and their functions. These technology will further understanding of how insects discriminate between non-pathogenic(gut symbionts) and harmful pathogens, and will allow us to further manipulate the gut microbes of insects to both control insect pests and protect beneficial insects(including pollinators). This paper first overviews the gut environment required for bacterial colonization, then introduces the evolutionary origins of the microbiota before focusing on reviews of the latest developments in insect gut bacteria function studies. Directions for future research are discussed.