Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel.
Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel.
NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes. 2021 Mar 19;7(1):28. doi: 10.1038/s41522-021-00193-9.
The link between the gut microbiota and social behavior has been demonstrated, however the translational impact of a certain microbiota composition on stable behavioral patterns is yet to be elucidated. Here we employed an established social behavior mouse model of dominance (Dom) or submissiveness (Sub). A comprehensive 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis of Dom and Sub mice revealed a significantly different gut microbiota composition that clearly distinguishes between the two behavioral modes. Sub mice gut microbiota is significantly less diverse than that of Dom mice, and their taxa composition uniquely comprised the genera Mycoplasma and Anaeroplasma of the Tenericutes phylum, in addition to the Rikenellaceae and Clostridiaceae families. Conversely, the gut microbiota of Dom mice includes the genus Prevotella of the Bacteriodetes phylum, significantly less abundant in Sub mice. In addition, Sub mice show lower body weight from the age of 2 weeks and throughout their life span, accompanied with lower epididymis white adipose tissue (eWAT) mass and smaller adipocytes together with substantially elevated expression of inflammation and metabolic-related eWAT adipokines. Finally, fecal microbiota transplantation into germ-free mice show that Sub-transplanted mice acquired Sub microbiota and adopted their behavioral and physiological features, including depressive-like and anti-social behaviors alongside reduced eWAT mass, smaller adipocytes, and a Sub-like eWAT adipokine profile. Our findings demonstrate the critical role of the gut microbiome in determining dominance vs. submissiveness and suggest an association between gut microbiota, the eWAT metabolic and inflammatory profile, and the social behavior mode.
肠道微生物群与社会行为之间存在联系，然而特定微生物群组成对稳定行为模式的转化影响尚待阐明。在这里，我们采用了已建立的优势（Dom）或顺从（Sub）的小鼠社会行为模型。对 Dom 和 Sub 小鼠的 16S rRNA 基因序列进行全面分析，揭示了肠道微生物群组成存在显著差异，可明确区分两种行为模式。Sub 小鼠的肠道微生物群多样性明显低于 Dom 小鼠，其分类组成独特，除了 Rikenellaceae 和 Clostridiaceae 科外，还包括厚壁菌门的支原体属和厌氧杆菌属。相反，Dom 小鼠的肠道微生物群包括拟杆菌门的普雷沃氏菌属，而 Sub 小鼠中该菌属的丰度显著较低。此外，Sub 小鼠从 2 周龄开始，整个生命周期的体重均较低，附睾白色脂肪组织（eWAT）的质量较低，脂肪细胞较小，与炎症和代谢相关的 eWAT 脂肪因子的表达显著升高。最后，无菌小鼠的粪便微生物群移植显示，Sub 移植小鼠获得了 Sub 微生物群，并采用了它们的行为和生理特征，包括抑郁样和反社会行为，同时 eWAT 质量降低、脂肪细胞变小，以及类似 Sub 的 eWAT 脂肪因子谱。我们的研究结果表明，肠道微生物群在决定优势与顺从方面起着关键作用，并提示肠道微生物群、eWAT 代谢和炎症特征与社会行为模式之间存在关联。
