Maternal stress and the maternal microbiome have sex-specific effects on offspring development and aggressive behavior in Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus).

ABSTRACT: The gut microbiome, a community of commensal, symbiotic and pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and viruses, interacts with many physiological systems to affect behavior. Prenatal experiences, including exposure to maternal stress and different maternal microbiomes, are important sources of organismal variation that can affect offspring development. These physiological systems do not act in isolation and can have long-term effects on offspring development and behavior. Here we investigated the interactive effects of maternal stress and manipulations of the maternal microbiome on offspring development and social behavior using Siberian hamsters, Phodopus sungorus. We exposed pregnant females to either a social stressor, antibiotics, both the social stressor and antibiotics, or no treatment (i.e., c

SUBMITTER: Cusick JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12772624 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature