Symbiosis and host responses to heating

Virtually all organisms are colonized by microbes. Average temperatures are rising because of global climate change - accompanied by increases in extreme climatic events and heat shock - and symbioses with microbes may determine species persistence in the 21st century. Although parasite infection typically reduces host upper thermal limits, interactions with beneficial microbes can facilitate host adaptation to warming. The effects of warming on the ecology and evolution of the microbial symbionts remain understudied but are important for understanding how climate change might affect host health and disease. We present a framework for untangling the contributions of symbiosis to predictions of host persistence in the face of global change.

Automated summary

Global climate change is causing rising temperatures and increased extreme climatic events, which may determine species persistence through symbioses with microbes. Interactions with beneficial microbes can assist hosts in adapting to warming, while the effects of warming on the ecology and evolution of microbial symbionts remain understudied, but are crucial for understanding the impacts of climate change on host health and disease. We propose a framework to unravel the contributions of symbiosis in predicting host persistence under global change.