Gut microbiota is associated with the effect of photoperiod on seasonal breeding in male Brandt’s voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii)

Abstract

Background Seasonal breeding in mammals has been widely recognized to be regulated by photoperiod, but the association of gut microbiota with photoperiodic regulation of seasonal breeding has never been investigated. Results In this study, we investigated the association of gut microbiota with photoperiod-induced reproduction in male Brandt’s voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii) through a long-day and short-day photoperiod manipulation experiment and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) experiment. We found photoperiod significantly altered reproductive hormone and gene expression levels, and gut microbiota of voles. Specific gut microbes were significantly associated with the reproductive hormones and genes of voles during photoperiod acclimation. Transplantation of gut microbes into recipient voles induced similar changes in three hormones (melatonin, follicle-stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone) and three genes (hypothalamic Kiss-1, testicular Dio3, and Dio2/Dio3 ratio) to those in long-day and short-day photoperiod donor voles and altered circadian rhythm peaks of recipient voles. Conclusions Our study firstly revealed the association of gut microbiota with photoperiodic regulation of seasonal breeding through the HPG axis, melatonin, and Kisspeptin/GPR54 system. Our results may have significant implications for pest control, livestock animal breeding, and human health management.

Gut Microbiota is Associated with Aging‐Related Processes of a Small Mammal Species under High‐Density Crowding Stress

“…Our previous study has shown that pre-treatment for recipient voles might also modify the GO pathways by altering the gut microbiota. [60] We found that increased oxidative damage and inflammation in HG voles is associated with the enriched glycolysis, which is consistent with previous studies that increased oxidative stress and increased inflammation can promote glycolysis of the host. [61] The biological process of sterol synthesis in T-H voles after FMT is significantly different from HG voles.…”

Short Photoperiod-Dependent Enrichment of Akkermansia spec. as the Major Change in the Intestinal Microbiome of Djungarian Hamsters (Phodopus sungorus)

“…Although this analytic strategy excluded taxonomic units identified to only phylum, class, or order level, the diversity estimated via the Shannon Index was comparable to earlier data from this species [ 15 , 18 ]. As in other studies from rodents and primates [ 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ], Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were the most abundant phyla, although the relative amount of Bacteroidetes was lower in the hamsters of the present study [ 12 , 14 , 18 , 19 ]. Furthermore, the Ulm hamsters’ microbiome contained a similar amount of Proteobacteria when compared to other Djungarian hamsters and other rodents, ranging from 2 to 10% [ 12 , 14 , 18 , 20 , 21 , 24 , 25 ].…”

Seasonal Changes in the Structure and Function of Gut Microbiota in the Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus)

“…Genus Prevotella and genus Alistipes were enriched in the breeding season, genus Oscillibacter , order Lactobacillales, family Lachnospiraceae, and family Ruminococcaceae were enriched in the non-breeding season. In a previous study, Prevotella and Alistipes were enriched in Brandt’s voles ( Lasiopodomys brandtii ) with long photoperiods [ 22 ], which were reflected in the present study for the breeding season. Alistipes were positively correlated with cholesterol metabolism [ 66 ], which may be related to the high-fat, high-protein diet structure of breeding muskrats.…”

“…Meanwhile, several studies have confirmed that many other factors, such as estrogen, thyroid hormone, kisspeptin, and living environment, affect seasonal breeding animals [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ]. According to a recent study, the gut microbiota may regulate seasonal breeding and behavior based on photoperiodic timing in rodents via the Hypothalamic Pituitary Gonadal (HPG) axis, melatonin, and the Kisspeptin/G-protein coupled receptor 54 (GPR54) system in the hypothalamus [ 22 ]. This report has aroused our interest in the further investigation of the association between gut microbiota and seasonal breeding.…”