Titel (eng)

Glucocorticoids coordinate changes in gut microbiome composition in wild North American red squirrels

Autor*in

Lauren Petrullo   University of Michigan

Ben Dantzer   University of Michigan

Andrew G. McAdam   University of Colorado

Stan Boutin   University of Alberta

Rupert Palme   University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna

Rudy Boonstra   University of Toronto

Tiantian Ren   University of Virginia

Martin Wu   University of Virginia

Verlag

Nature Portfolio

Beschreibung (eng)

Abstract: The gut microbiome impacts host health and fitness, in part through the diversification of gut metabolic function and pathogen protection. Elevations in glucocorticoids (GCs) appear to reduce gut microbiome diversity in experimental studies, suggesting that a loss of microbial diversity may be a negative consequence of increased GCs. However, given that ecological factors like food availability and population density may independently influence both GCs and microbial diversity, understanding how these factors structure the GC-microbiome relationship is crucial to interpreting its significance in wild populations. Here, we used an ecological framework to investigate the relationship between GCs and gut microbiome diversity in wild North American red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus). As expected, higher GCs predicted lower gut microbiome diversity and an increase in metabolic taxa. Surprisingly, but in line with prior empirical studies on wild animals, gastrointestinal pathogens decreased as GCs increased. Both dietary heterogeneity and an upcoming food pulse exhibited direct effects on gut microbiome diversity, whereas conspecific density and reproductive activity impacted diversity indirectly via changes in host GCs. Our results provide evidence of a gut-brain axis in wild red squirrels and highlight the importance of situating the GC-gut microbiome relationship within an ecological framework.

Sprache des Objekts

Englisch

Datum

2022

Rechte

Dieses Werk bzw. dieser Inhalt steht unter einer
CC BY 4.0 - Creative Commons Namensnennung 4.0 International Lizenz.

CC BY 4.0 International

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Klassifikation

Population-Growth; Brain Axis; Metabolism; Responses; Behavior; Stress; Sex; Corticosterone; Reproduction; Evolution

Mitglied in der/den Collection(s) (1)