Reproductive Sciences, San Diego Zoo Global Institute for Conservation Research, Escondido, CA 92027, USA.
Environmental Laboratory, US Army Engineer Research & Development Center, Vicksburg, MS 39180, USA.
Gen Comp Endocrinol. 2020 Jun 1;292:113437. doi: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2020.113437. Epub 2020 Feb 12.
The microbiome regulates endocrine systems and influences many aspects of hormone signaling. Using examples from different animal taxa, we highlight the state of the science in microbiome research as it relates to endocrinology and endocrine disruption research. Using a comparative approach discussing fish, birds, and mammals, we demonstrate the bidirectional interaction between microbiota and hormone systems, presenting concepts that include (1) gastrointestinal microbiome regulation of the neuroendocrine feeding axis; (2) stress hormones and microbial communities; (3) the role of site-specific microbiota in animal reproduction; (4) microbiome effects on the neuroendocrine systems and behavior; and (5) novel mechanisms of endocrine disruption through the microbiome. This mini-review demonstrates that hormones can directly affect the richness and diversity of microbiota and conversely, microbiota can influence hormone production and mediate their functions in animals. In addition, microbiota can influence the action of a diverse range of neurotransmitters and neuropeptides in the central nervous system, which can lead to behavioral disruptions. As many animals have species-specific reproductive behaviors, it is important to understand how shifts in the microbiota relate to these complex interactions between sexes. This is especially important for captive animals on specialized diets, and there are significant implications for microbiome research in conservation and reproductive biology. For example, microbial metabolites may modify motility of gametes or modulate hormone-receptor interactions in reproductive tissues. Thus, efforts to incorporate metabolomics into the science of microbiome-endocrine relationships, both those produced by the host and those generated from microbial metabolism, are increasingly needed. These concepts have fostered an exciting emerging era in comparative endocrinology.
微生物组调节内分泌系统，并影响激素信号的许多方面。我们从不同的动物分类群中举例，强调了微生物组研究与内分泌学和内分泌干扰研究相关的科学现状。通过讨论鱼类、鸟类和哺乳动物的比较方法，我们展示了微生物群和激素系统之间的双向相互作用，提出了包括以下概念：（1）胃肠道微生物群调节神经内分泌进食轴；（2）应激激素和微生物群落；（3）特定部位微生物群在动物繁殖中的作用；（4）微生物群对神经内分泌系统和行为的影响；（5）通过微生物群产生新型内分泌干扰机制。这篇迷你综述表明，激素可以直接影响微生物群的丰富度和多样性，反之，微生物群也可以影响激素的产生并调节其在动物中的功能。此外，微生物群可以影响中枢神经系统中多种神经递质和神经肽的作用，从而导致行为中断。由于许多动物具有特定于物种的繁殖行为，因此了解微生物群的变化如何与这些性别之间的复杂相互作用相关非常重要。这对于专门饮食的圈养动物尤其重要，并且对保护生物学和生殖生物学中的微生物组研究具有重要意义。例如，微生物代谢产物可能会改变配子的运动性，或者调节生殖组织中的激素受体相互作用。因此，需要将代谢组学纳入微生物组-内分泌关系科学中，包括宿主产生的代谢物和微生物代谢产生的代谢物。这些概念促进了比较内分泌学的一个令人兴奋的新兴时代。
