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Zhang C, Lu W, Liu H, Shen L, Zhu M, Zhou T, Zhang L, Xiao D, Chen L. Rumen Microbiota Transplantation Alleviates Gossypol Diet-Induced Reproductive, Liver, and Intestinal Damage in Male Mice. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:2206. [PMID: 39123732 PMCID: PMC11311098 DOI: 10.3390/ani14152206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2024] [Revised: 07/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Ruminants exhibit stronger tolerance to gossypol, an anti-nutritional factor, compared to monogastric animals. We transplanted Hu sheep rumen microbiota into male mice to investigate the role of rumen microbiota in animal gossypol tolerance. Thirty specific-pathogen-free (SPF) male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into three groups: normal diet (CK group), gossypol diet (FG group), and rumen microbiota transplantation (FMT group, gossypol diet). The pathological changes in the liver and small intestine of the mice, the organ coefficient, and sperm parameters were analyzed. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels in the blood and lactate dihydrogen-X (LDH-X) levels in the testicular tissue were also measured. The results showed that body weight, feed intake, sperm concentration, sperm motility, and LDH-X levels in the FMT group increased (p < 0.05) compared with the FG group, while the enzyme activities of ALT, AST, and AST/ALT decreased (p < 0.05). In the FMT group, the injury to liver cells was alleviated, the structure of the small intestine was intact, and the villus height and the ratio of villus height to crypt depth (V/C) were higher than those in the FG group (p < 0.05). And there were no differences in various organ coefficients and sperm deformity rates among the three groups (p > 0.05), but compared with the FG group, mice in the FMT group showed tendencies closer to those in the CK group. Rumen microbiota transplantation relieved the reproductive toxicity and liver damage induced by gossypol in male mice and improved the tolerance of recipient animals to gossypol. Additionally, rumen microbes improved the intestinal structural integrity of recipients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Zhang
- The Biological Feedstuff Labaratory, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
- Animal Nutritional Genome and Germplasm Innovation Research Center, College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
| | - Wenguang Lu
- The Biological Feedstuff Labaratory, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Huiru Liu
- The Biological Feedstuff Labaratory, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Lingwei Shen
- Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Microbiology, National Center for International Research on Animal Gut Nutrition, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Mengfan Zhu
- The Biological Feedstuff Labaratory, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
- Animal Nutritional Genome and Germplasm Innovation Research Center, College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
| | - Tangtang Zhou
- The Biological Feedstuff Labaratory, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Ling Zhang
- The Biological Feedstuff Labaratory, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Dingfu Xiao
- Animal Nutritional Genome and Germplasm Innovation Research Center, College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
| | - Lijuan Chen
- The Biological Feedstuff Labaratory, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
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Quezada-Romegialli C, Quiroga-Carmona M, D’Elía G, Harrod C, Storz JF. Diet of Andean leaf-eared mice ( Phyllotis) living at extreme elevations on Atacama volcanoes: insights from metagenomics, DNA metabarcoding, and stable isotopes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.23.604871. [PMID: 39091768 PMCID: PMC11291156 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.23.604871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
On the flanks of >6000 m Andean volcanoes that tower over the Atacama Desert, leaf-eared mice (Phyllotis vaccarum) live at extreme elevations that surpass known vegetation limits. What the mice eat in these barren, hyperarid environments has been the subject of much speculation. According to the arthropod fallout hypothesis, sustenance is provided by windblown insects that accumulate in snowdrifts ('aolian deposits'). It is also possible that mice feed on saxicolous lichen or forms of cryptic vegetation that have yet to be discovered at such high elevations. We tested hypotheses about the diet of mice living at extreme elevations on Atacama volcanoes by combining metagenomic and DNA metabarcoding analyses of gut contents with stable-isotope analyses of mouse tissues. Genomic analyses of contents of the gastrointestinal tract of a live-captured mouse from the 6739 m summit of Volcán Llullaillaco revealed evidence for an opportunistic but purely herbivorous diet, including lichens. Although we found no evidence of animal DNA in gut contents of the summit mouse, stable isotope data indicate that mice native to elevations at or near vegetation limits (~5100 m) include a larger fraction of animal prey in their diet than mice from lower elevations. Some plant species detected in the gut contents of the summit mouse are known to exist at lower elevations at the base of the volcano and in the surrounding Altiplano, suggesting that such plants may occur at higher elevations beneath the snowpack or in other cryptic microhabitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Quezada-Romegialli
- Plataforma de Monitoreo Genómico y Ambiental, Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica, Chile
| | - Marcial Quiroga-Carmona
- Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
- Colección de Mamíferos, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Campus Isla Teja, Valdivia, Chile
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Guillermo D’Elía
- Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
- Colección de Mamíferos, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Campus Isla Teja, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Chris Harrod
- Instituto de Ciencias Naturales Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile
- Núcleo Milenio de Salmónidos Invasores Australes, INVASAL, Concepción, Chile
- Scottish Centre for Ecology and the Natural Environment, School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow
| | - Jay F. Storz
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
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Zhao J, Feng T, An X, Chen X, Han N, Wang J, Chang G, Hou X. Livestock grazing is associated with the gut microbiota and antibiotic resistance genes in sympatric plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae). Integr Zool 2024; 19:646-661. [PMID: 37828802 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
With the overuse of antibiotics in health care and animal husbandry, antibiotic resistance becomes a serious threat to public health. Antibiotic residues from veterinary medicine have increased the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) by horizontal gene transfer globally, leading to the enrichment of ARGs in wildlife. Plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) is a small herbivore endemic to the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Previous studies reveal that pika evolves a coprophagy behavior toward cohabitated yak, which makes the pika population a potential reservoir of ARGs. Yet, little is known about the resistome of pika under different grazing intensities. Here, we sampled the cecum content of pika from three different grazing intensity areas in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau to evaluate the effect of grazing on its gut microbiota and resistome. By using the 16S full-length amplicon and metagenomic sequencing, our study revealed that livestock grazing significantly altered the gut microbial community of plateau pika as compared to prohibited grazing areas. We found bacterial lineage Prevotellaceae, Lachnospirales, and RF39 increased in grazing areas. Analysis of the resistome revealed that pika from continuous grazing areas enriched a higher abundance of colistin (MCR) and streptogramin (vat) resistance genes. Moreover, we observed significant correlations between the gut microbial community, ARGs, and mobile genetic element profiles, hinting that pika gut microbiota was an important shaping force of the resistome. In future studies, the continuous monitoring of wildlife gut resistome and environmental antibiotic residues is imperative for a better understanding and for tackling the horizontal gene transfer of ARGs across the wildlife-livestock interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jidong Zhao
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Qinling Ecological Security, Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Xi'an, P. R. China
| | - Tuo Feng
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Qinling Ecological Security, Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Xi'an, P. R. China
| | - Xiaolei An
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Qinling Ecological Security, Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Xi'an, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoning Chen
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Qinling Ecological Security, Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Xi'an, P. R. China
| | - Ning Han
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Qinling Ecological Security, Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Xi'an, P. R. China
| | - Jing Wang
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Qinling Ecological Security, Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Xi'an, P. R. China
| | - Gang Chang
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Qinling Ecological Security, Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Xi'an, P. R. China
| | - Xiang Hou
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Qinling Ecological Security, Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Xi'an, P. R. China
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Zhang MY, Cao RD, Chen Y, Ma JC, Shi CM, Zhang YF, Zhang JX, Zhang YH. Genomic and Phenotypic Adaptations of Rattus tanezumi to Cold Limit Its Further Northward Expansion and Range Overlap with R. norvegicus. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msae106. [PMID: 38829799 PMCID: PMC11184353 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msae106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Global climate change has led to shifts in the distribution ranges of many terrestrial species, promoting their migration from lower altitudes or latitudes to higher ones. Meanwhile, successful invaders have developed genetic adaptations enabling the colonization of new environments. Over the past 40 years, Rattus tanezumi (RT) has expanded into northern China (Northwest and North China) from its southern origins. We studied the cold adaptation of RT and its potential for northward expansion by comparing it with sympatric Rattus norvegicus (RN), which is well adapted to cold regions. Through population genomic analysis, we revealed that the invading RT rats have split into three distinct populations: the North, Northwest, and Tibetan populations. The first two populations exhibited high genetic diversity, while the latter population showed remarkably low genetic diversity. These rats have developed various genetic adaptations to cold, arid, hypoxic, and high-UV conditions. Cold acclimation tests revealed divergent thermoregulation between RT and RN. Specifically, RT exhibited higher brown adipose tissue activity and metabolic rates than did RN. Transcriptome analysis highlighted changes in genes regulating triglyceride catabolic processes in RT, including Apoa1 and Apoa4, which were upregulated, under selection and associated with local adaptation. In contrast, RN showed changes in carbohydrate metabolism genes. Despite the cold adaptation of RT, we observed genotypic and phenotypic constraints that may limit its ability to cope with severe low temperatures farther north. Consequently, it is less likely that RT rats will invade and overlap with RN rats in farther northern regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Yu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Rui-Dong Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jian-Cang Ma
- Zhangye Maize Stock Production Base, Zhangye 734024, Gansu, China
| | - Cheng-Min Shi
- College of Plant Protection, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, Hebei, China
| | - Yun-Feng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jian-Xu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yao-Hua Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China
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Wang R, Bai B, Huang Y, Degen A, Mi J, Xue Y, Hao L. Yaks Are Dependent on Gut Microbiota for Survival in the Environment of the Qinghai Tibet Plateau. Microorganisms 2024; 12:1122. [PMID: 38930503 PMCID: PMC11205922 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12061122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The yak (Poephagus grunniens) has evolved unique adaptations to survive the harsh environment of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, while their gut microorganisms play a crucial role in maintaining the health of the animal. Gut microbes spread through the animal population not only by horizontal transmission but also vertically, which enhances microbial stability and inheritance between generations of the population. Homogenization of gut microbes in different animal species occurs in the same habitat, promoting interspecies coexistence. Using the yak as a model animal, this paper discusses the adaptive strategies under extreme environments, and how the gut microbes of the yak circulate throughout the Tibetan Plateau system, which not only affects other plateau animals such as plateau pikas, but can also have a profound impact on the health of people. By examining the relationships between yaks and their gut microbiota, this review offers new insights into the adaptation of yaks and their ecological niche on the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Runze Wang
- Key Laboratory of Plateau Grazing Animal Nutrition and Feed Science of Qinghai Province, State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China; (R.W.); (B.B.)
| | - Binqiang Bai
- Key Laboratory of Plateau Grazing Animal Nutrition and Feed Science of Qinghai Province, State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China; (R.W.); (B.B.)
| | - Yayu Huang
- PEGASE, INRAE, Institut Agro, 35590 Saint-Gilles, France;
| | - Allan Degen
- Desert Animal Adaptations and Husbandry, Wyler Department of Dryland Agriculture, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 8410500, Israel;
| | - Jiandui Mi
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, College of Veterinary Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China;
| | - Yanfeng Xue
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China;
| | - Lizhuang Hao
- Key Laboratory of Plateau Grazing Animal Nutrition and Feed Science of Qinghai Province, State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China; (R.W.); (B.B.)
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Wang Z, Yan J, Martin A, Brunton DH, Qu J, He JS, Ji W, Nan Z. Alpine grassland degradation intensifies the burrowing behavior of small mammals: evidence for a negative feedback loop. Integr Zool 2024; 19:240-252. [PMID: 37243518 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Globally, grassland degradation is an acute ecological problem. In alpine grassland on the Tibetan Plateau, increased densities of various small mammals in degraded grassland are assumed to intensify the degradation process and these mammals are subject to lethal control. However, whether the negative impact of small mammals is solely a result of population size or also a result of activity and behavior has not been tested. In this study, we use plateau pika as a model to compare population size, core area of colony, and the number of burrow entrances and latrines between lightly and severely degraded grassland. We test whether the alleged contribution of pika to grassland degradation is a result of increased population size or increased burrowing activities of individuals in response to lower food abundance. We found that grassland degradation resulted in lower plant species richness, plant height, and biomass. Furthermore, the overall population size of pika was not significantly affected by location in lightly and severely degraded grassland. However, pika core areas in severely grassland degradation were significantly larger and had significantly higher densities of burrows and latrines. Our study provides convincing evidence that habitat-induced changes in the behavior of small, burrowing mammals, such as pika, can exacerbate grassland degradation. This finding has significant implications for managing small mammals and restoring degraded grassland ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zaiwei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jiawen Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Amy Martin
- Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research, Lincoln, New Zealand
| | - Dianne H Brunton
- School of Natural Sciences, Massey University (Albany Campus), Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jiapeng Qu
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China
- Qinghai Haibei National Field Research Station of Alpine Grassland Ecosystem, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China
| | - Jin-Sheng He
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Weihong Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- School of Natural Sciences, Massey University (Albany Campus), Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Zhibiao Nan
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
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Ren S, Zhang L, Tang X, Zhao Y, Cheng Q, Speakman JR, Zhang Y. Temporal and spatial variations in body mass and thermogenic capacity associated with alterations in the gut microbiota and host transcriptome in mammalian herbivores. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 907:167776. [PMID: 37848151 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
Most wild animals follow Bergmann's rule and grow in body size as cold stress increases. However, the underlying thermogenic strategies and their relationship with the gut microbiota have not been comprehensively elucidated. Herein, we used the plateau pikas as a model to investigate body mass, thermogenic capacity, host transcriptome, gut microbiota and metabolites collected from seven sites ranging from 3100 to 4700 m on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) in summer and winter to test the seasonal thermogenesis strategy in small herbivorous mammals. The results showed that the increase in pika body mass with altitude followed Bergmann's rule in summer and an inverted parabolic shape was observed in winter. However, physiological parameters and transcriptome profiles indicated that the thermogenic capacity of pikas increased with altitude in summer and decreased with altitude in winter. The abundance of Firmicutes declined, whereas that of Bacteroidetes significantly increased with altitude in summer. Phenylalanine, tyrosine, and proline were enriched in summer, whereas carnitine and succinate were enriched in winter. Spearman's correlation analysis revealed significant positive correlations between Prevotella, Bacteroides, Ruminococcus, Alistipes and Akkermansia and metabolites of amino acids, pika physiological parameters, and transcriptome profiles. Moreover, metabolites of amino acids further showed significant positive correlations with pika physiological parameters and transcriptome profiles. Our study highlights that the changes in body mass and thermogenic capacity with altitude distinctly differentiate small herbivorous mammals between summer and winter on the QTP, and that the gut microbiota may regulate host thermogenesis through its metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shien Ren
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China; Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining 810008, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Liangzhi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China; Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining 810008, China
| | - Xianjiang Tang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China; Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining 810008, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yaqi Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China; Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining 810008, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qi Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China; Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining 810008, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - John R Speakman
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Metabolic Health, Center for Energy Metabolism and Reproduction, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China; Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Yanming Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China; Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining 810008, China.
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Wang S, Su M, Hu X, Wang X, Han Q, Yu Q, Heděnec P, Li H. Gut diazotrophs in lagomorphs are associated with season but not altitude and host phylogeny. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2024; 371:fnad135. [PMID: 38124623 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnad135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Invertebrates such as termites feeding on nutrient-poor substrate receive essential nitrogen by biological nitrogen fixation of gut diazotrophs. However, the diversity and composition of gut diazotrophs of vertebrates such as Plateau pikas living in nutrient-poor Qinghai-Tibet Plateau remain unknown. To fill this knowledge gap, we studied gut diazotrophs of Plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae) and its related species, Daurian pikas (Ochotona daurica), Hares (Lepus europaeus) and Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) by high-throughput amplicon sequencing methods. We analyzed whether the gut diazotrophs of Plateau pikas are affected by season, altitude, and species, and explored the relationship between gut diazotrophs and whole gut microbiomes. Our study showed that Firmicutes, Spirochaetes, and Euryarchaeota were the dominant gut diazotrophs of Plateau pikas. The beta diversity of gut diazotrophs of Plateau pikas was significantly different from the other three lagomorphs, but the alpha diversity did not show a significant difference among the four lagomorphs. The gut diazotrophs of Plateau pikas were the most similarly to that of Rabbits, followed by Daurian pikas and Hares, which was inconsistent with gut microbiomes or animal phylogeny. The dominant gut diazotrophs of the four lagomorphs may reflect their living environment and dietary habits. Season significantly affected the alpha diversity and abundance of dominant gut diazotrophs. Altitude had no significant effect on the gut diazotrophs of Plateau pikas. In addition, the congruence between gut microbiomes and gut diazotrophs was low. Our results proved that the gut of Plateau pikas was rich in gut diazotrophs, which is of great significance for the study of ecology and evolution of lagomorphs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sijie Wang
- School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730000, China
| | - Ming Su
- Central South Inventory and Planning Institute of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, 143 Xiangzhang East Road, Changsha, Hunan Province 410014, China
| | - Xueqian Hu
- School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730000, China
| | - Xiaochen Wang
- School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730000, China
| | - Qian Han
- School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730000, China
| | - Qiaoling Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Center for Grassland Microbiome, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, 768 Jiayuguan West Road, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730020, China
| | - Petr Heděnec
- Institute for Tropical Biodiversity and Sustainable Development, University Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu 21030, Malaysia
| | - Huan Li
- School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730000, China
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Center for Grassland Microbiome, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, 768 Jiayuguan West Road, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730020, China
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Ren S, Zhang L, Tang X, Fan C, Zhao Y, Cheng Q, Zhang Y. Plant Secondary Compounds Promote White Adipose Tissue Browning via Modulation of the Gut Microbiota in Small Mammals. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17420. [PMID: 38139249 PMCID: PMC10743627 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242417420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The browning of white adipose tissue (WAT) is a promising area of research for treating metabolic disorders and obesity in the future. However, studies on plant secondary compounds promoting WAT browning are limited. Herein, we explored the effects of swainsonine (SW) on gut microbiota and WAT browning in captive pikas. SW inhibited body mass gain, increased brown adipose tissue (BAT) mass, and induced WAT browning in pikas. The 16S rDNA sequencing revealed a significant reduction in the alpha diversity and altered community structure of the gut microbiota in captive pikas. However, the addition of SW to the diet significantly increased the alpha diversity of gut microbiota and the relative abundance of Akkermansia, Prevotella, and unclassified_f__Lachnospiraceae, along with the complexity of the microbial co-occurrence network structure, which decreased in the guts of captive pikas. Functional profiles showed that SW significantly decreased the relative abundances of energy metabolism, lipid metabolism, and glycan biosynthesis and metabolism, which were enriched in captive pikas. Furthermore, SW decreased deterministic processes of gut microbiota assembly in July and increased them in November. Finally, the genera Prevotella and unclassified_f__Prevotellaceae were positively correlated with BAT mass. Our results highlighted that plant secondary compounds promote WAT browning by modulating the gut microbiota in small mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shien Ren
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining 810008, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Liangzhi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining 810008, China
| | - Xianjiang Tang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining 810008, China
| | - Chao Fan
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining 810008, China
| | - Yaqi Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining 810008, China
| | - Qi Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining 810008, China
| | - Yanming Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining 810008, China
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10
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Tang X, Zhang L, Ren S, Zhao Y, Zhang Y. Temporal and geographic distribution of gut microbial enterotypes associated with host thermogenesis characteristics in plateau pikas. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0002023. [PMID: 37815332 PMCID: PMC10715161 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00020-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE The gut microbiotas of small mammals play an important role in host energy homeostasis. However, it is still unknown whether small mammals with different enterotypes show differences in thermogenesis characteristics. Our study confirmed that plateau pikas with different bacterial enterotypes harbored distinct thermogenesis capabilities and employed various strategies against cold environments. Additionally, we also found that pikas with different fungal enterotypes may display differences in coprophagy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianjiang Tang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Liangzhi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining, China
| | - Shi'en Ren
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yaqi Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yanming Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining, China
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11
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Raymond S, St Clair CC. Urban Magpies Frequently Feed on Coyote Scats and May Spread an Emerging Zoonotic Tapeworm. ECOHEALTH 2023; 20:441-452. [PMID: 38109036 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-023-01664-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Allocoprophagy, in which animals feed on the feces of other individuals or species, has been little studied in vertebrates, despite its relevance to parasite transmission. These relationships may be especially important in cities, where animal density, disease incidence, and spatial overlap of humans and wildlife increase. Our goal was to document the incidence and predictors of coprophagy by black-billed magpies (Pica hudsonia) at coyote (Canis latrans) scats in Edmonton, Canada. We detected scats by following coyote trails and recorded whether coprophagy had occurred. We used multiple logistic regression to determine the top contextual and environmental predictors of coprophagy. Of 668 coyote scats, 37.3% had apparently been fed on. Coprophagy was more likely in winter and when scats were not fresh and did not contain vegetation or garbage. Environmental predictors of coprophagy included proximity to other coyote scats and playgrounds, distance from water and maintained trails, abundant natural land cover, and proximity to encampments of people experiencing homelessness. Our results reveal that magpies frequently access coyote scat and often do so near human-use areas. In Edmonton, where > 50% of coyotes are infected with a zoonotic tapeworm, coprophagy likely causes magpies to transport parasites with implications for zoonotic disease risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sage Raymond
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 77 University Campus, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2R3, Canada.
| | - Colleen Cassady St Clair
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 77 University Campus, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2R3, Canada
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12
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Tang X, Zhang L, Ren S, Zhao Y, Liu K, Zhang Y. Stochastic Processes Derive Gut Fungi Community Assembly of Plateau Pikas ( Ochotona curzoniae) along Altitudinal Gradients across Warm and Cold Seasons. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:1032. [PMID: 37888290 PMCID: PMC10607853 DOI: 10.3390/jof9101032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Although fungi occupy only a small proportion of the microbial community in the intestinal tract of mammals, they play important roles in host fat accumulation, nutrition metabolism, metabolic health, and immune development. Here, we investigated the dynamics and assembly of gut fungal communities in plateau pikas inhabiting six altitudinal gradients across warm and cold seasons. We found that the relative abundances of Podospora and Sporormiella significantly decreased with altitudinal gradients in the warm season, whereas the relative abundance of Sarocladium significantly increased. Alpha diversity significantly decreased with increasing altitudinal gradient in the warm and cold seasons. Distance-decay analysis showed that fungal community similarities were significantly and negatively correlated with elevation. The co-occurrence network complexity significantly decreased along the altitudinal gradients as the total number of nodes, number of edges, and degree of nodes significantly decreased. Both the null and neutral model analyses showed that stochastic or neutral processes dominated the gut fungal community assembly in both seasons and that ecological drift was the main ecological process explaining the variation in the gut fungal community across different plateau pikas. Homogeneous selection played a weak role in structuring gut fungal community assembly during the warm season. Collectively, these results expand our understanding of the distribution patterns of gut fungal communities and elucidate the mechanisms that maintain fungal diversity in the gut ecosystems of small mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianjiang Tang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining 810008, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Liangzhi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining 810008, China
| | - Shien Ren
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining 810008, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yaqi Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining 810008, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Kai Liu
- Qinghai Provincial Grassland Station, Xining 810008, China
| | - Yanming Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining 810008, China
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13
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Zhang XY, Khakisahneh S, Liu W, Zhang X, Zhai W, Cheng J, Speakman JR, Wang DH. Phylogenetic signal in gut microbial community rather than in rodent metabolic traits. Natl Sci Rev 2023; 10:nwad209. [PMID: 37928774 PMCID: PMC10625476 DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwad209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Host phylogeny and environment have all been implicated in shaping the gut microbiota and host metabolic traits of mammals. However, few studies have evaluated phylogeny-associated microbial assembly and host metabolic plasticity concurrently, and their relationships on both short-term and evolutionary timescales. We report that the branching order of a gut microbial dendrogram was nearly congruent with phylogenetic relationships of seven rodent species, and this pattern of phylosymbiosis was intact after diverse laboratory manipulations. Laboratory rearing, diet or air temperature (Ta) acclimation induced alterations in gut microbial communities, but could not override host phylogeny in shaping microbial community assembly. A simulative heatwave reduced core microbiota diversity by 26% in these species, and led to an unmatched relationship between the microbiota and host metabolic phenotypes in desert species. Moreover, the similarity of metabolic traits across species at different Tas was not correlated with phylogenetic distance. These data demonstrated that the gut microbial assembly showed strong concordance with host phylogeny and may be shaped by environmental variables, whereas host metabolic traits did not seem to be linked with phylogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue-Ying Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Saeid Khakisahneh
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Wei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xinyi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Weiwei Zhai
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Jilong Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - John R Speakman
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Metabolic Health, Center for Energy Metabolism and Reproduction, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB39 2PN, UK
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - De-Hua Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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14
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Zhu B, Qu J, Cui J. Plateau pikas near roads are bold and silent when facing a potential predator. Curr Zool 2023; 69:552-558. [PMID: 37637317 PMCID: PMC10449412 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoac070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Human disturbance, particularly road traffic, is one of the greatest threats to wildlife. Considering the association between alerting behavior and the survival of animals, it is important to study the effects of road traffic on alerting behavior of wildlife. Previous studies assessing the short-term impact of road traffic on alerting behavior of wildlife have focused on vigilance distances. However, studies on the use of alarm calls are scarce, and it is unclear whether such behavioral responses change after repeated exposure to road traffic. We assessed the alerting behavior of plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae) who were near or far from roads when facing a potential predator. We found that pikas near roads exhibited shorter vigilance and tolerance distances, and produced fewer alarm calls than those relatively far away from roads. Furthermore, both vigilance and tolerance distances of plateau pikas were significantly positively correlated with the distance from the burrow to the road. Road traffic reduced antipredator responses and shaped alerting behavior; that is, pikas near roads were bolder and more silent compared to those far away from roads. Our findings suggest that increasing urbanization will have corresponding effects on animal behavior, which may have significant fitness effects in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bicheng Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Jiapeng Qu
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qinghai 810008, China
- Qinghai Haibei National Field Research Station of Alpine Grassland Ecosystem, Qinghai 810008, China
| | - Jianguo Cui
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
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15
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Pu J, Yang J, Lu S, Jin D, Luo X, Xiong Y, Bai X, Zhu W, Huang Y, Wu S, Niu L, Liu L, Xu J. Species-Level Taxonomic Characterization of Uncultured Core Gut Microbiota of Plateau Pika. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0349522. [PMID: 37067438 PMCID: PMC10269723 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03495-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Rarely has the vast diversity of bacteria on Earth been profiled, particularly on inaccessible plateaus. These uncultured microbes, which are also known as "microbial dark matter," may play crucial roles in maintaining the ecosystem and are linked to human health, regarding pathogenicity and prebioticity. The plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) is a small burrowing steppe lagomorph that is endemic to the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and is a keystone species in the maintenance of ecological balance. We used a combination of full-length 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, shotgun metagenomics, and metabolomics to elucidate the species-level community structure and the metabolic potential of the gut microbiota of the plateau pika. Using a full-length 16S rRNA metataxonomic approach, we clustered 618 (166 ± 35 per sample) operational phylogenetic units (OPUs) from 105 plateau pika samples and assigned them to 215 known species, 226 potentially new species, and 177 higher hierarchical taxa. Notably, 39 abundant OPUs (over 60% total relative abundance) are found in over 90% of the samples, thereby representing a "core microbiota." They are all classified as novel microbial lineages, from the class to the species level. Using metagenomic reads, we independently assembled and binned 109 high-quality, species-level genome bins (SGBs). Then, a precise taxonomic assignment was performed to clarify the phylogenetic consistency of the SGBs and the 16S rRNA amplicons. Thus, the majority of the core microbes possess their genomes. SGBs belonging to the genus Treponema, the families Muribaculaceae, Lachnospiraceae, and Oscillospiraceae, and the order Eubacteriales are abundant in the metagenomic samples. In addition, multiple CAZymes are detected in these SGBs, indicating their efficient utilization of plant biomass. As the most widely connected metabolite with the core microbiota, tryptophan may relate to host environmental adaptation. Our investigation allows for a greater comprehension of the composition and functional capacity of the gut microbiota of the plateau pika. IMPORTANCE The great majority of microbial species remain uncultured, severely limiting their taxonomic characterization and biological understanding. The plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) is a small burrowing steppe lagomorph that is endemic to the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and is considered to be the keystone species in the maintenance of ecological stability. We comprehensively investigated the gut microbiota of the plateau pika via a multiomics endeavor. Combining full-length 16S rRNA metataxonomics, shotgun metagenomics, and metabolomics, we elucidated the species-level taxonomic assignment of the core uncultured intestinal microbiota of the plateau pika and revealed their correlation to host nutritional metabolism and adaptation. Our findings provide insights into the microbial diversity and biological significance of alpine animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Pu
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control and National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control and National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
- Research Units of Discovery of Unknown Bacteria and Function, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shan Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control and National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
- Research Units of Discovery of Unknown Bacteria and Function, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dong Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control and National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
- Research Units of Discovery of Unknown Bacteria and Function, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xuelian Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control and National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Yanwen Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control and National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangning Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control and National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Wentao Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control and National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Yuyuan Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control and National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Shusheng Wu
- Yushu Prefecture Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Yushu, China
| | - Lina Niu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China
| | - Liyun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control and National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Jianguo Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control and National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
- Research Units of Discovery of Unknown Bacteria and Function, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Institute of Public Health, Nankai University, Tianjing, China
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16
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Gasch K, Habe M, Krauss JS, Painer-Gigler J, Stalder G, Arnold W. The Influence of Photoperiod, Intake of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, and Food Availability on Seasonal Acclimatization in Red Deer ( Cervus elaphus). Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13101600. [PMID: 37238030 DOI: 10.3390/ani13101600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Hypometabolism and hypothermia are common reactions of birds and mammals to cope with harsh winter conditions. In small mammals, the occurrence of hibernation and daily torpor is entrained by photoperiod, and the magnitude of hypometabolism and decrease of body temperature (Tb) is influenced by the dietary supply of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids. We investigated whether similar effects exist in a non-hibernating large mammal, the red deer (Cervus elaphus). We fed adult females with pellets enriched with either linoleic acid (LA) or α-linolenic acid (ALA) during alternating periods of ad libitum and restricted feeding in a cross-over experimental design. Further, we scrutinized the role of photoperiod for physiological and behavioral seasonal changes by manipulating the amount of circulating melatonin. The deer were equipped with data loggers recording heart rate, core and peripheral Tb, and locomotor activity. Further, we regularly weighed the animals and measured their daily intake of food pellets. All physiological and behavioral parameters measured varied seasonally, with amplitudes exacerbated by restricted feeding, but with only few and inconsistent effects of supplementation with LA or ALA. Administering melatonin around the summer solstice caused a change into the winter phenotype weeks ahead of time in all traits measured. We conclude that red deer reduce energy expenditure for thermoregulation upon short daylength, a reaction amplified by food restriction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Gasch
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Manuela Habe
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Julie Sophie Krauss
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Johanna Painer-Gigler
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Gabrielle Stalder
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Walter Arnold
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1160 Vienna, Austria
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17
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McGrosky A, Pontzer H. The fire of evolution: energy expenditure and ecology in primates and other endotherms. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:297166. [PMID: 36916459 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.245272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Total energy expenditure (TEE) represents the total energy allocated to growth, reproduction and body maintenance, as well as the energy expended on physical activity. Early experimental work in animal energetics focused on the costs of specific tasks (basal metabolic rate, locomotion, reproduction), while determination of TEE was limited to estimates from activity budgets or measurements of subjects confined to metabolic chambers. Advances in recent decades have enabled measures of TEE in free-living animals, challenging traditional additive approaches to understanding animal energy budgets. Variation in lifestyle and activity level can impact individuals' TEE on short time scales, but interspecific differences in TEE are largely shaped by evolution. Here, we review work on energy expenditure across the animal kingdom, with a particular focus on endotherms, and examine recent advances in primate energetics. Relative to other placental mammals, primates have low TEE, which may drive their slow pace of life and be an evolved response to the challenges presented by their ecologies and environments. TEE variation among hominoid primates appears to reflect adaptive shifts in energy throughput and allocation in response to ecological pressures. As the taxonomic breadth and depth of TEE data expand, we will be able to test additional hypotheses about how energy budgets are shaped by environmental pressures and explore the more proximal mechanisms that drive intra-specific variation in energy expenditure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda McGrosky
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Herman Pontzer
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA.,Duke Global Health Institute, Durham, NC 27708, USA
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18
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Cai X, Bao D, Hua R, Cai B, Wang L, Dong R, Hua L. A Comparative Study on the Distribution Pattern of Endocrine Cells in the Gastrointestinal Tract of Two Small Alpine Mammals, Plateau Zokor ( Eospalax baileyi) and Plateau Pika ( Ochotona curzoniae). Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13040640. [PMID: 36830427 PMCID: PMC9951659 DOI: 10.3390/ani13040640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Endocrine cells can secrete a variety of gastrointestinal hormones that regulate gastrointestinal digestion and absorption, which, in turn, play an important role in animal growth, metabolism, and acclimation. The small alpine mammals, plateau zokor (Eospalax baileyi) and plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae), live in a unique ecotope with cold, hypoxic environments and short plant-growing seasons, resulting in differential adaptive digestive strategies for foods. Studying the distribution pattern of endocrine cells in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of these two animals can lead to a better understanding of the survival strategies of animals in an alpine environment. In this study, we used histochemical and immunohistochemical methods to compare the distribution pattern of argyrophilic cells and the expression of 5-HT cells, Gas cells, and Glu cells in the GIT of the plateau zokor with those of the plateau pika. The results showed that these endocrine cells we studied were widely distributed in the gastrointestinal organs of both these small mammals, and their morphology and distribution location in the GIT were almost the same. However, there were significant differences in the distribution density of argyrophilic cells between different organs in the GIT. The distribution density of argyrophilic cells in the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and rectum of plateau zokor was significantly lower than that of plateau pika (p < 0.05) and, in the cecum of plateau zokor, was significantly higher than that of plateau pika (p < 0.001). The positive expression of 5-HT cells in the corpus I, corpus II, and pylorus of the stomach, duodenum, ileum, and rectum of plateau zokor was significantly higher than that of plateau pika (p < 0.01). In addition, the positive expression of Glu cells in the cecum was significantly higher (p < 0.01) and in the duodenum and colon was significantly lower (p < 0.05) in the plateau zokor than in the plateau pika. We conclude that the distribution pattern of endocrine cells in the GIT is consistent with the respective animals' diets, with the plateau zokor feeding on high-fiber roots and plateau pika preferring to intake the aboveground parts of plants with lower fibers.
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Zhao Y, Zhang L, Tang X, Ren S, Zhang Y. Anthropogenic disturbance promotes the diversification of antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factors in the gut of plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae). Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.1027941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The prevalence and transmission of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and virulence factors (VFs) pose a great threat to public health. The importance of pollution in determining the occurrence of ARGs and VFs in wildlife is poorly understood. Using a metagenomic approach, this study investigates the composition and functional pathways of bacteria, ARGs, and VFs in the gut microbiome of Plateau pikas in regions of medical pollution (MPR), heavy tourist traffic (HTR), and no contamination (NCR). We found that the abundance of probiotic genera (Clostridium, Eubacterium, Faecalibacterium, and Roseburia) were significantly lower in the HTR. The metabolic pathways of replication and repair in the endocrine and nervous systems were significantly enriched in the MPR, whereas endocrine and metabolic diseases were significantly enriched in the NCR. The Shannon and Gini–Simpson α-diversity indices of ARGs were highest in the HTR, and there were significant differences in β-diversity among the three regions. The resistance of ARGs to glycopeptide antibiotics increased significantly in the MPR, whereas the ARGs for aminocoumarins increased significantly in the HTR. The diversity of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) was significantly higher in the MPR than in other regions. We observed a strong positive correlation between ARGs and pathogenic bacteria, and the network structure was the most complex in the MPR. There were significant differences in the β-diversity of VFs among the three regions. Medical pollution led to significant enrichment of fibronectin-binding protein and PhoP, whereas tourism-related pollution (in the HTR) led to significant enrichment of LPS and LplA1. Our study indicates that environmental pollution can affect the structure and function of gut microbes and disseminate ARGs and VFs via horizontal transmission, thereby posing a threat to the health of wild animals.
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20
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Zhang X, Yamada Y, Sagayama H, Ainslie PN, Blaak EE, Buchowski MS, Close GL, Cooper JA, Das SK, Dugas LR, Gurven M, El Hamdouchi A, Hu S, Joonas N, Katzmarzyk P, Kraus WE, Kushner RF, Leonard WR, Martin CK, Meijer EP, Neuhouser ML, Ojiambo RM, Pitsiladis YP, Plasqui G, Prentice RL, Racette SB, Ravussin E, Redman LM, Reynolds RM, Roberts SB, Sardinha LB, Silva AM, Stice E, Urlacher SS, Van Mil EA, Wood BM, Murphy-Alford AJ, Loechl C, Luke AH, Rood J, Schoeller DA, Westerterp KR, Wong WW, Pontzer H, Speakman JR. Human total, basal and activity energy expenditures are independent of ambient environmental temperature. iScience 2022; 25:104682. [PMID: 35865134 PMCID: PMC9294192 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Lower ambient temperature (Ta) requires greater energy expenditure to sustain body temperature. However, effects of Ta on human energetics may be buffered by environmental modification and behavioral compensation. We used the IAEA DLW database for adults in the USA (n = 3213) to determine the effect of Ta (-10 to +30°C) on TEE, basal (BEE) and activity energy expenditure (AEE) and physical activity level (PAL). There were no significant relationships (p > 0.05) between maximum, minimum and average Ta and TEE, BEE, AEE and PAL. After adjustment for fat-free mass, fat mass and age, statistically significant (p < 0.01) relationships between TEE, BEE and Ta emerged in females but the effect sizes were not biologically meaningful. Temperatures inside buildings are regulated at 18-25°C independent of latitude. Hence, adults in the US modify their environments to keep TEE constant across a wide range of external ambient temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueying Zhang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Metabolic Health, Center for Energy Metabolism and Reproduction, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Yosuke Yamada
- Institute for Active Health, Kyoto University of Advanced Science, Kyoto, Japan
- National Institute of Health and Nutrition, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Sagayama
- Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Philip N. Ainslie
- Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
- University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus School of Health and Exercise Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Development Kelowna, Kelowna, BC, Canada
| | - Ellen E. Blaak
- Department of Human Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Maciej S. Buchowski
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Graeme L. Close
- Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Jamie A. Cooper
- Nutritional Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Sai Krupa Das
- Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, 711 Washington Street, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lara R. Dugas
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health, Loyola University, Maywood, IL, USA
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Michael Gurven
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Asmaa El Hamdouchi
- Unité Mixte de Recherche en Nutrition et Alimentation, CNESTEN- Université Ibn Tofail URAC39, Regional Designated Center of Nutrition Associated with AFRA/IAEA, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Sumei Hu
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, Beijing Engineering and Technology Research Center of Food Additives, National Soybean Processing Industry Technology Innovation Center, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Noorjehan Joonas
- Central Health Laboratory, Ministry of Health and Wellness, Port Louis, Mauritius
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Erwin P. Meijer
- Department of Human Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Marian L. Neuhouser
- Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Robert M. Ojiambo
- Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya
- University of Global Health Equity, Kigali, Rwanda
| | | | - Guy Plasqui
- Department of Nutrition and Movement Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Ross L. Prentice
- Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Susan B. Racette
- Program in Physical Therapy and Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Eric Ravussin
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | | | - Rebecca M. Reynolds
- Centre for Cardiovascular Sciences, Queen’s Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Susan B. Roberts
- Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, 711 Washington Street, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Luis B. Sardinha
- Exercise and Health Laboratory, CIPER, Department of Sport and Health, Faculdade Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Analiza M. Silva
- Exercise and Health Laboratory, CIPER, Department of Sport and Health, Faculdade Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | | | - Samuel S. Urlacher
- Department of Anthropology, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA
- Child and Brain Development Program, CIFAR, Toronto, Canada
| | - Edgar A. Van Mil
- Maastricht University, Maastricht and Lifestyle Medicine Center for Children, Jeroen Bosch Hospital’s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands
| | - Brian M. Wood
- University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Department of Human Behavior, Ecology, and Culture. Leipzig, Germany
| | - Alexia J. Murphy-Alford
- Nutritional and Health Related Environmental Studies Section, Division of Human Health, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria
| | - Cornelia Loechl
- Nutritional and Health Related Environmental Studies Section, Division of Human Health, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria
| | - Amy H. Luke
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health Sciences, Loyola University School of Medicine, Maywood, IL, USA
| | - Jennifer Rood
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Dale A. Schoeller
- Biotech Center and Nutritional Sciences University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | | | - William W. Wong
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Herman Pontzer
- Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - John R. Speakman
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Metabolic Health, Center for Energy Metabolism and Reproduction, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center of Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Kunming, China
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21
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Speakman JR, Elmquist JK. Obesity: an evolutionary context. LIFE METABOLISM 2022; 1:10-24. [PMID: 36394061 PMCID: PMC9642988 DOI: 10.1093/lifemeta/loac002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
People completely lacking body fat (lipodystrophy/lipoatrophy) and those with severe obesity both show profound metabolic and other health issues. Regulating levels of body fat somewhere between these limits would, therefore, appear to be adaptive. Two different models might be contemplated. More traditional is a set point (SP) where the levels are regulated around a fixed level. Alternatively, dual-intervention point (DIP) is a system that tolerates fairly wide variation but is activated when critically high or low levels are breached. The DIP system seems to fit our experience much better than an SP, and models suggest that it is more likely to have evolved. A DIP system may have evolved because of two contrasting selection pressures. At the lower end, we may have been selected to avoid low levels of fat as a buffer against starvation, to avoid disease-induced anorexia, and to support reproduction. At the upper end, we may have been selected to avoid excess storage because of the elevated risks of predation. This upper limit of control seems to have malfunctioned because some of us deposit large fat stores, with important negative health effects. Why has evolution not protected us against this problem? One possibility is that the protective system slowly fell apart due to random mutations after we dramatically reduced the risk of being predated during our evolutionary history. By chance, it fell apart more in some people than others, and these people are now unable to effectively manage their weight in the face of the modern food glut. To understand the evolutionary context of obesity, it is important to separate the adaptive reason for storing some fat (i.e. the lower intervention point), from the nonadaptive reason for storing lots of fat (a broken upper intervention point). The DIP model has several consequences, showing how we understand the obesity problem and what happens when we attempt to treat it.
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Affiliation(s)
- John R Speakman
- Corresponding author. John R Speakman, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Metabolic Health, Center for Energy Metabolism and Reproduction, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1068 Xueyuan Avenue, Shenzhen, China. E-mail:
| | - Joel K Elmquist
- Joel K. Elmquist, Departments of Internal Medicine and Pharmacology, Center for Hypothalamic Research, University of Texas Southwestern, 5323 Harry Hines blvd., Dallas, TX 75390, USA. E-mail:
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22
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Waggershauser CN, Taberlet P, Coissac E, Kortland K, Hambly C, Lambin X. Interspecific coprophagia by wild red foxes: DNA metabarcoding reveals a potentially widespread form of commensalism among animals. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9029. [PMID: 35795356 PMCID: PMC9251403 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate animals are known to consume other species' faeces, yet the role of such coprophagy in species dynamics remains unknown, not least due to the methodological challenges of documenting it. In a large-scale metabarcoding study of red fox and pine marten scats, we document a high occurrence of domestic dog DNA in red fox scats and investigate if it can be attributed to interspecific coprophagia. We tested whether experimental artifacts or other sources of DNA could account for dog DNA, regressed dog occurrence in the diet of fox against that of the fox's main prey, short-tailed field voles, and consider whether predation or scavenging could explain the presence of dog DNA. Additionally, we determined the calorific value of dog faeces through calorimetric explosion. The high occurrence of dog DNA in the diet of fox, the timing of its increase, and the negative relationship between dog and the fox's main prey, point to dog faeces as the source of DNA in fox scats. Dog faeces being highly calorific, we found that foxes, but not pine martens, regularly exploit them, seemingly as an alternative resource to fluctuating prey. Scattered accounts from the literature may suggest that interspecific coprophagia is a potentially frequent and widespread form of interaction among vertebrates. However, further work should address its prevalence in other systems and the implications for ecological communities. Tools such as metabarcoding offer a way forward.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pierre Taberlet
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, CNRSUniversité Grenoble AlpesSaint‐Martin‐d'HeresFrance
| | - Eric Coissac
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, CNRSUniversité Grenoble AlpesSaint‐Martin‐d'HeresFrance
| | - Kenny Kortland
- Forestry and Land ScotlandInvernessUK
- Cairngorms Connect, AchantoulAviemoreUK
| | | | - Xavier Lambin
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenUK
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23
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Chen Z, Chen J, Liu Y, Zhang J, Chen X, Qu Y. Comparative study on gut microbiota in three Anura frogs from a mountain stream. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8854. [PMID: 35475186 PMCID: PMC9021931 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Composition and diversity in gut microbiota are impacted by a wide variety of factors. The similarity of gut microbiota in related or sympatric species has been gaining recent traction. Here, 16S rRNA gene sequencing technology was employed to study the gut microbiota of three sympatric frog species, namely Odorrana tormota, O. graminea, and Amolops wuyiensis. In these three frog species, the most abundant phylum was Proteobacteria, followed by Bacteroidetes, Verrucomicrobia, and Firmicutes. The most abundant family was Burkholderiaceae in three species. The most dominant genera were Burkholderia, Caballeronia, and Paraburkholderia with the highest relative abundance in O. tormota, O. graminea, and A. wuyiensis, respectively. No differences were observed in alpha diversity indexes among the three frog species. However, bacterial similarity of gut microbiota was significantly different between O. tormota and A. wuyiensis and between O. graminea and A. wuyiensis. Metabolism‐related gene function was predominantly enriched in the gut microbiota of the three evaluated frog species. From these findings, that the relative abundance of the gut microbiota and predicted gene functions differed in three species, we conclude that there were significant differences in the gut microbiota of the three species. Similar alpha diversity and interspecific bacterial similarity in the gut might be related to bacterial transmission among the three Anura frogs evaluated in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuo Chen
- College of Life Sciences Henan Normal University Xinxiang Henan China
- The Observation and Research Field Station of Taihang Mountain Forest Ecosystems of Henan Province Xinxiang Henan China
| | - Jun‐Qiong Chen
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology College of Life Sciences Nanjing Normal University Nanjing Jiangsu China
| | - Yao Liu
- College of Life Sciences Henan Normal University Xinxiang Henan China
- The Observation and Research Field Station of Taihang Mountain Forest Ecosystems of Henan Province Xinxiang Henan China
| | - Jie Zhang
- College of Fisheries Henan Normal University Xinxiang Henan China
| | - Xiao‐Hong Chen
- College of Life Sciences Henan Normal University Xinxiang Henan China
- The Observation and Research Field Station of Taihang Mountain Forest Ecosystems of Henan Province Xinxiang Henan China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology College of Life Sciences Nanjing Normal University Nanjing Jiangsu China
| | - Yan‐Fu Qu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology College of Life Sciences Nanjing Normal University Nanjing Jiangsu China
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24
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Zhang XY, Wang DH. Gut Microbial Community and Host Thermoregulation in Small Mammals. Front Physiol 2022; 13:888324. [PMID: 35480035 PMCID: PMC9035535 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.888324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The endotherms, particularly the small mammals living in the polar region and temperate zone, are faced with extreme challenges for maintaining stable core body temperatures in harsh cold winter. The non-hibernating small mammals increase metabolic rate including obligatory thermogenesis (basal/resting metabolic rate, BMR/RMR) and regulatory thermogenesis (mainly nonshivering thermogenesis, NST, in brown adipose tissue and skeletal muscle) to maintain thermal homeostasis in cold conditions. A substantial amount of evidence indicates that the symbiotic gut microbiota are sensitive to air temperature, and play an important function in cold-induced thermoregulation, via bacterial metabolites and byproducts such as short-chain fatty acids and secondary bile acids. Cold signal is sensed by specific thermosensitive transient receptor potential channels (thermo-TRPs), and then norepinephrine (NE) is released from sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and thyroid hormones also increase to induce NST. Meanwhile, these neurotransmitters and hormones can regulate the diversity and compositions of the gut microbiota. Therefore, cold-induced NST is controlled by both Thermo-TRPs—SNS—gut microbiota axis and thyroid—gut microbiota axis. Besides physiological thermoregulation, small mammals also rely on behavioral regulation, such as huddling and coprophagy, to maintain energy and thermal homeostasis, and the gut microbial community is involved in these processes. The present review summarized the recent progress in the gut microbiota and host physiological and behavioral thermoregulation in small mammals for better understanding the evolution and adaption of holobionts (host and symbiotic microorganism). The coevolution of host-microorganism symbionts promotes individual survival, population maintenance, and species coexistence in the ecosystems with complicated, variable environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue-Ying Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - De-Hua Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: De-Hua Wang,
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25
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Hu J, Zeng J, Shi Y, Song S. Are microbes and metabolites influencing the parental consumption of nestlings' feces in gray-backed shrikes? Curr Zool 2022; 68:667-678. [PMID: 36743228 PMCID: PMC9892794 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoac005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The behavioral video recordings of the gray-backed shrike Lanius tephronotus revealed that parent birds eat the feces produced by their nestlings. "Parental nutrition hypothesis" attributes the origin of this behavior to nutrition-recovery and cost-saving, respectively. However, the presence of usable nutrients in the nestlings' feces is unknown because of traditional technology. In this study, we analyzed all the metabolites and the variations in the diversity and content of microbes in the feces of gray-backed shrike nestlings. We aimed to report the changes in microbes and metabolites with the age of nestlings and point out that the parent birds that eat the feces may gain potential nutrition benefits. The results showed that the relative abundances of Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidota, changed significantly when the nestlings were 6 days old. The relative abundances of 6 probiotics, which are involved in digestion, metabolism, and immunity-related physiological functions, decreased in the nestlings' feces gradually with age; therefore, these probiotics may be obtained by parent birds upon ingestion of the feces of young nestlings. Among the metabolites that were detected, 20 were lipids and some had a role in anti-parasitic functions and wound healing; however, their relative contents decreased with age. These beneficial substances in the nestlings' feces may stimulate the parents to swallow the feces. Moreover, there were many aromatic metabolites in the newly hatched nestlings' feces, but the content of bitter metabolites increased as they grew up. Therefore, our results are in accordance with the nutritional hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Hu
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Jingyuan Zeng
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Yurou Shi
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Sen Song
- Address correspondence to Sen Song. E-mail:
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Zhu H, Zhong L, Li J, Wang S, Qu J. Differential Expression of Metabolism-Related Genes in Plateau Pika ( Ochotona curzoniae) at Different Altitudes on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Front Genet 2022; 12:784811. [PMID: 35126457 PMCID: PMC8811202 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.784811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
According to life history theory, animals living in extreme environments have evolved specific behavioral and physiological strategies for survival. However, the genetic mechanisms underpinning these strategies are unclear. As the highest geographical unit on Earth, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is characterized by an extreme environment and climate. During long-term evolutionary processes, animals that inhabit the plateau have evolved specialized morphological and physiological traits. The plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae), one of the native small mammals that evolved on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, has adapted well to this cold and hypoxic environment. To explore the genetic mechanisms underlying the physiological adaptations of plateau pika to extremely cold ambient temperatures, we measured the differences in resting metabolic rate (RMR) and metabolism-related gene expression in individuals inhabiting three distinct altitudes (i.e., 3,321, 3,663, and 4,194 m). Results showed that the body mass and RMR of plateau pika at high- and medium-altitudes were significantly higher than those at the low-altitude. The expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (pparα), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α (pgc-1α), and the PR domain-containing 16 (PRDM16) in white (WAT) and brown (BAT) adipose tissues of plateau pika from high- and medium-altitudes were significantly higher than in pika from the low-altitude region. The enhanced expression levels of pgc-1α and pparα genes in the WAT of pika at high-altitude showed that WAT underwent "browning" and increased thermogenic properties. An increase in the expression of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) in the BAT of pika at high altitude indicated that BAT increased their thermogenic properties. The gene expression levels of pparα and pgc-1α in skeletal muscles were significantly higher in high-altitude pika. Simultaneously, the expression of the sarcolipin (SLN) gene in skeletal muscles significantly increased in high-altitude pika. Our results suggest that plateau pika adapted to an extremely cold environment via browning WAT, thereby activating BAT and enhancing SLN expression to increase non-shivering thermogenesis. This study demonstrates that plateau pika can increase thermogenic gene expression and energy metabolism to adapt to the extreme environments on the plateau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongjuan Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Liang Zhong
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China
- Qinghai Province Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining, China
| | - Jing Li
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Suqin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiapeng Qu
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China
- Qinghai Province Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining, China
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27
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Fan C, Zhang L, Jia S, Tang X, Fu H, Li W, Liu C, Zhang H, Cheng Q, Zhang Y. Seasonal variations in the composition and functional profiles of gut microbiota reflect dietary changes in plateau pikas. Integr Zool 2022; 17:379-395. [PMID: 35051309 PMCID: PMC9305894 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Seasonal variations in gut microbiota of small mammals and how it is influenced by environmental variables is relatively poorly understood. We sampled 162 wild plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae) in four seasons over two and a half years and recorded the air temperature, precipitation, and nutrient content in edible vegetation at the sampling site. After conducting 16S rRNA and shotgun metagenomic sequencing, we found that the highest alpha diversity, the relative abundance of Firmicutes, and the simplest co-occurrence network occurred in winter, whereas that the highest relative abundance of Proteobacteria and the most complex network structure was observed in spring. The highest relative abundance of Verrucomicrobiota and Spirochaetota were seen in summer and autumn, respectively. Air temperature, precipitation, and the contents of crude protein, crude fiber, and polysaccharide in vegetation had significant effects on the seasonal changes in gut microbiota. Diet contributed more to microbial variation than climatic factors. Metagenomic analysis revealed that the amino acid metabolism pathway and axillary activity enzymes were most abundant in summer, while abundance of carbohydrate-binding modules and carbohydrate esterases were highest in spring. These microbial variations were related to the changes in dietary nutrition, indicating that gut microbiota of plateau pika contribute to the efficient use of food resources. This study provides new evidence of how external environmental factors affect the intestinal environment of small mammals. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Fan
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810008, China.,College of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, 273165, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Liangzhi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810008, China.,Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining, 810008, China
| | - Shangang Jia
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xianjiang Tang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810008, China.,Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining, 810008, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Haibo Fu
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810008, China.,Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining, 810008, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Wenjing Li
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810008, China.,Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining, 810008, China
| | - Chuanfa Liu
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810008, China.,Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining, 810008, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - He Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810008, China.,Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining, 810008, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Qi Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810008, China.,Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining, 810008, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yanming Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810008, China.,Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining, 810008, China
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Wearing OH, Nelson D, Ivy CM, Crossley DA, Scott GR. Adrenergic control of the cardiovascular system in deer mice native to high altitude. Curr Res Physiol 2022; 5:83-92. [PMID: 35169714 PMCID: PMC8829085 DOI: 10.1016/j.crphys.2022.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies of animals native to high altitude can provide valuable insight into physiological mechanisms and evolution of performance in challenging environments. We investigated how mechanisms controlling cardiovascular function may have evolved in deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) native to high altitude. High-altitude deer mice and low-altitude white-footed mice (P. leucopus) were bred in captivity at sea level, and first-generation lab progeny were raised to adulthood and acclimated to normoxia or hypoxia. We then used pharmacological agents to examine the capacity for adrenergic receptor stimulation to modulate heart rate (fH) and mean arterial pressure (Pmean) in anaesthetized mice, and used cardiac pressure-volume catheters to evaluate the contractility of the left ventricle. We found that highlanders had a consistently greater capacity to increase fH via pharmacological stimulation of β1-adrenergic receptors than lowlanders. Also, whereas hypoxia acclimation reduced the capacity for increasing Pmean in response to α-adrenergic stimulation in lowlanders, highlanders exhibited no plasticity in this capacity. These differences in highlanders may help augment cardiac output during locomotion or cold stress, and may preserve their capacity for α-mediated vasoconstriction to more effectively redistribute blood flow to active tissues. Highlanders did not exhibit any differences in some measures of cardiac contractility (maximum pressure derivative, dP/dtmax, or end-systolic elastance, Ees), but ejection fraction was highest in highlanders after hypoxia acclimation. Overall, our results suggest that evolved changes in sensitivity to adrenergic stimulation of cardiovascular function may help deer mice cope with the cold and hypoxic conditions at high altitude. High-altitude deer mice have evolved increased aerobic capacity in hypoxia. Cardiovascular regulation was examined in normoxia and chronic hypoxia. Highland mice had increased capacity for β1-adrenergic stimulation of heart rate. Hypoxia reduced vascular α-adrenergic sensitivity in lowland but not highland mice. Cardiac ejection fraction was elevated in highland mice in chronic hypoxia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver H. Wearing
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Corresponding author.
| | - Derek Nelson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA
| | - Catherine M. Ivy
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Dane A. Crossley
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA
| | - Graham R. Scott
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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Rosenberg E, Zilber-Rosenberg I. Reconstitution and Transmission of Gut Microbiomes and Their Genes between Generations. Microorganisms 2021; 10:microorganisms10010070. [PMID: 35056519 PMCID: PMC8780831 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10010070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 12/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbiomes are transmitted between generations by a variety of different vertical and/or horizontal modes, including vegetative reproduction (vertical), via female germ cells (vertical), coprophagy and regurgitation (vertical and horizontal), physical contact starting at birth (vertical and horizontal), breast-feeding (vertical), and via the environment (horizontal). Analyses of vertical transmission can result in false negatives (failure to detect rare microbes) and false positives (strain variants). In humans, offspring receive most of their initial gut microbiota vertically from mothers during birth, via breast-feeding and close contact. Horizontal transmission is common in marine organisms and involves selectivity in determining which environmental microbes can colonize the organism's microbiome. The following arguments are put forth concerning accurate microbial transmission: First, the transmission may be of functions, not necessarily of species; second, horizontal transmission may be as accurate as vertical transmission; third, detection techniques may fail to detect rare microbes; lastly, microbiomes develop and reach maturity with their hosts. In spite of the great variation in means of transmission discussed in this paper, microbiomes and their functions are transferred from one generation of holobionts to the next with fidelity. This provides a strong basis for each holobiont to be considered a unique biological entity and a level of selection in evolution, largely maintaining the uniqueness of the entity and conserving the species from one generation to the next.
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30
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Levesque DL, Nowack J, Boyles JG. Body Temperature Frequency Distributions: A Tool for Assessing Thermal Performance in Endotherms? Front Physiol 2021; 12:760797. [PMID: 34721082 PMCID: PMC8551754 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.760797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
There is increasing recognition that rather than being fully homeothermic, most endotherms display some degree of flexibility in body temperature. However, the degree to which this occurs varies widely from the relatively strict homeothermy in species, such as humans to the dramatic seasonal hibernation seen in Holarctic ground squirrels, to many points in between. To date, attempts to analyse this variability within the framework generated by the study of thermal performance curves have been lacking. We tested if frequency distribution histograms of continuous body temperature measurements could provide a useful analogue to a thermal performance curve in endotherms. We provide examples from mammals displaying a range of thermoregulatory phenotypes, break down continuous core body temperature traces into various components (active and rest phase modes, spreads and skew) and compare these components to hypothetical performance curves. We did not find analogous patterns to ectotherm thermal performance curves, in either full datasets or by breaking body temperature values into more biologically relevant components. Most species had either bimodal or right-skewed (or both) distributions for both active and rest phase body temperatures, indicating a greater capacity for mammals to tolerate body temperatures elevated above the optimal temperatures than commonly assumed. We suggest that while core body temperature distributions may prove useful in generating optimal body temperatures for thermal performance studies and in various ecological applications, they may not be a good means of assessing the shape and breath of thermal performance in endotherms. We also urge researchers to move beyond only using mean body temperatures and to embrace the full variability in both active and resting temperatures in endotherms.
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Affiliation(s)
- D L Levesque
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME, United States
| | - J Nowack
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - J G Boyles
- Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory, Center for Ecology, and School of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, United States
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31
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Fu H, Zhang L, Fan C, Li W, Liu C, Zhang H, Cheng Q, Zhang Y. Sympatric Yaks and Plateau Pikas Promote Microbial Diversity and Similarity by the Mutual Utilization of Gut Microbiota. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9091890. [PMID: 34576785 PMCID: PMC8467723 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9091890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Interactions between species provide the basis for understanding coexisting mechanisms. The plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) and the yak (Bos grunniens) are considered competitors because they have shared habitats and consumed similar food on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau for more than 1 million years. Interestingly, the population density of plateau pikas increases with yak population expansion and subsequent overgrazing. To reveal the underlying mechanism, we sequenced the fecal microbial 16S rDNA from both sympatric and allopatric pikas and yaks. Our results indicated that sympatry increased both gut microbial diversity and similarity between pikas and yaks. The abundance of Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, and Tenericutes decreased, while that of Verrucomicrobia increased in sympatric pikas. As for sympatric yaks, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Spirochaetes significantly increased, while Cyanobacteria, Euryarchaeota, and Verrucomicrobia significantly decreased. In sympatry, plateau pikas acquired 2692 OTUs from yaks, and yaks obtained 453 OTUs from pikas. The predominant horizontally transmitted bacteria were Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Verrucomicrobia, and Proteobacteria. These bacteria enhanced the enrichment of pathways related to prebiotics and immunity for pikas, such as heparin sulfate, heparin, chitin disaccharide, chondroitin-sulfate-ABC, and chondroitin-AC degradation pathways. In yaks, the horizontally transmitted bacteria enhanced pathways related to hepatoprotection, xenobiotic biodegradation, and detoxification. Our results suggest that horizontal transmission is a process of selection, and pikas and yaks tend to develop reciprocity through the horizontal transmission of gut microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haibo Fu
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China; (H.F.); (L.Z.); (C.F.); (W.L.); (C.L.); (H.Z.); (Q.C.)
- Qinghai Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Liangzhi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China; (H.F.); (L.Z.); (C.F.); (W.L.); (C.L.); (H.Z.); (Q.C.)
- Qinghai Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
| | - Chao Fan
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China; (H.F.); (L.Z.); (C.F.); (W.L.); (C.L.); (H.Z.); (Q.C.)
- Qinghai Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wenjing Li
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China; (H.F.); (L.Z.); (C.F.); (W.L.); (C.L.); (H.Z.); (Q.C.)
- Qinghai Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
| | - Chuanfa Liu
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China; (H.F.); (L.Z.); (C.F.); (W.L.); (C.L.); (H.Z.); (Q.C.)
- Qinghai Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - He Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China; (H.F.); (L.Z.); (C.F.); (W.L.); (C.L.); (H.Z.); (Q.C.)
- Qinghai Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
| | - Qi Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China; (H.F.); (L.Z.); (C.F.); (W.L.); (C.L.); (H.Z.); (Q.C.)
- Qinghai Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yanming Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China; (H.F.); (L.Z.); (C.F.); (W.L.); (C.L.); (H.Z.); (Q.C.)
- Qinghai Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
- Correspondence:
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