Gut microbiome is affected by gut region but robust to host physiological changes in captive active-season ground squirrels.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Thirteen-lined ground squirrels (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus) are obligate hibernators and are only active 4-5 months annually. During this period, squirrels rapidly acquire fat for use during hibernation. We investigated how the gut microbiome changed over the active season in the mucosa and lumen of two gut sections: the cecum and ileum. We sequenced the 16S rRNA gene to assess diversity and composition of the squirrel gut microbiome and used differential abundance and network analyses to identify relationships among gut sections.

Results

Microbial composition significantly differed between the cecum and ileum, and within the ileum between the mucosa and lumen. Cecum mucosa and lumen samples did not differ in alpha diversity and composition, and clustered by indi

SUBMITTER: Grond K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8361659 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature