The primate gut microbiota contributes to interspecific differences in host metabolism.

ABSTRACT: Because large brains are energetically expensive, they are associated with metabolic traits that facilitate energy availability across vertebrates. However, the biological underpinnings driving these traits are not known. Given its role in regulating host metabolism in disease studies, we hypothesized that the gut microbiome contributes to variation in normal cross-vertebrate species differences in metabolism, including those associated with the brain's energetic requirements. By inoculating germ-free mice with the gut microbiota (GM) of three primate species - two with relatively larger brains and one with a smaller brain - we demonstrated that the GM of larger-brained primates shifts host metabolism towards energy use and production, while that of smaller-brained primates stimulates ener

SUBMITTER: Mallott EK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11893272 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature