Temporal dynamics of the cecal gut microbiota of juvenile arctic ground squirrels: a strong litter effect across the first active season.

ABSTRACT: Arctic ground squirrels (Urocitellus parryii) are active for a scant 3 to 5 months of the year. During the active season, adult squirrels compete for mates, reproduce, and fatten in preparation for hibernation, while juvenile squirrels, weaned in early July, must grow and acquire sufficient fat to survive their first hibernation season. During hibernation, the gut microbial community is altered in diversity, abundance, and activity. To date, no studies have examined the gut microbiota of hibernators across the truncated active season. We characterized trends in diversity (454 pyrosequencing), density (flow cytometry), viability (flow cytometry), and metabolism (short-chain fatty acid analysis) of the gut microbial community of juvenile arctic ground squirrels across their first active seas

SUBMITTER: Stevenson TJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4068674 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature