Gut microbiota modulation enhances the immune capacity of lizards under climate warming.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Host-microbial interactions are expected to affect species' adaptability to climate change but have rarely been explored in ectothermic animals. Some studies have shown that short-term warming reduced gut microbial diversity that could hamper host functional performance.

Results

However, our longitudinal experiments in semi-natural conditions demonstrated that warming decreased gut microbiota diversity at 2 months, but increased diversity at 13 and 27 months in a desert lizard (Eremias multiocellata). Simultaneously, long-term warming significantly increased the antibacterial activity of serum, immune responses (higher expression of intestinal immune-related genes), and the concentration of short-chain fatty acids (thereby intestinal barrier and immunity) in the l

SUBMITTER: Yang J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10882899 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature