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Hibernation alters mucosa‐associated bacterial communities and mucin expression in 13‐lined ground squirrels
Author(s) -
Sommer Katie,
Zeng Austin,
DillMcfarland Kimberly A.,
Suen Garret,
Carey Hannah V.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.27.1_supplement.937.26
Subject(s) - biology , firmicutes , mucin , hibernation (computing) , verrucomicrobia , bacteroidetes , mucin 2 , goblet cell , akkermansia , proteobacteria , zoology , foregut , gut flora , microbiology and biotechnology , ecology , immunology , 16s ribosomal rna , epithelium , bacteria , gene expression , bacteroides , anatomy , biochemistry , genetics , state (computer science) , algorithm , computer science , gene
Hibernating mammals cease food intake during winter, which eliminates dietary substrates that support growth of gut microbes. We showed recently that cecal content microbiota undergoes seasonal restructuring in hibernators that is likely due to effects of extreme fasting on microbial communities. Here we asked whether the mucosa‐associated microbiota (MAM) is altered by the annual hibernation cycle. We also measured goblet cell numbers and expression of the mucin glycoprotein MUC2. Pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA from bacterial DNA extracted from cecal tissues revealed that compared to summer (SUM) squirrels, relative abundance of the phyla Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria increased, whereas Firmicutes were reduced in early (EW) and late (LW) winter squirrels. Abundance of Verrucomicrobia, which contains the dedicated mucin degrader Akkermansia , was highest in LW. MUC2 expression was greater in EW and Spring squirrels relative to SUM and LW, and the number of goblet cells/crypt length was highest in EW. The results indicated that MAM is altered by the hibernation cycle, as is production of mucin, one of the primary substrates for microbial degradation during winter fasting. Supported by UW‐SVM Summer Scholars and discretionary funds (KS, HVC).