Cha Muha, Wu Yunga, Man Duhu, Yi Xianfeng
College of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, China.
Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chifeng University, Chifeng, China.
Front Microbiol. 2025 May 7;16:1569592. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1569592. eCollection 2025.
Food habits are closely associated with the gut microbiota of herbivorous animals; however, limited knowledge exists regarding the arid-adapted rodents. This study investigates the relationship between gut microbiota and dietary composition to offer a scientific basis for comprehending the ecological adaptation strategies of grassland rodents. Cecal contents of , , and were collected and analyzed by using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and DNA metabarcoding techniques to determine the structure of gut microbial communities and dietary composition. The results showed that presented significantly higher gut microbial richness and diversity than and . The dominant gut bacterial genera in and were similar, suggesting that their common genetic backgrounds might influence the colonization and symbiosis of gut microbiota. The three species consumed both plant-based and animal-based foods but differed in their dietary preferences. displayed a significantly higher diversity of animal-based food consumption compared with the other two species. Correlation analysis between diet and gut microbiota indicated that plant-based foods significantly enhanced the diversity and composition of gut microbiota. In contrast, the consumption of animal-based foods significantly decreased microbial diversity. This finding suggests a potential link between the host's genetic background, dietary composition, and the gut microbiota.
食性与草食性动物的肠道微生物群密切相关；然而，关于适应干旱环境的啮齿动物，人们了解的知识有限。本研究调查肠道微生物群与饮食组成之间的关系，为理解草原啮齿动物的生态适应策略提供科学依据。采集了[具体物种1]、[具体物种2]和[具体物种3]的盲肠内容物，并使用16S rRNA扩增子测序和DNA宏条形码技术进行分析，以确定肠道微生物群落结构和饮食组成。结果表明，[具体物种1]的肠道微生物丰富度和多样性显著高于[具体物种2]和[具体物种3]。[具体物种2]和[具体物种3]中占主导地位的肠道细菌属相似，这表明它们共同的遗传背景可能影响肠道微生物群的定殖和共生。这三个物种都食用植物性和动物性食物，但饮食偏好有所不同。与其他两个物种相比，[具体物种1]食用动物性食物的多样性显著更高。饮食与肠道微生物群之间的相关性分析表明，植物性食物显著提高了肠道微生物群的多样性和组成。相反，动物性食物的摄入显著降低了微生物多样性。这一发现表明宿主的遗传背景、饮食组成和肠道微生物群之间存在潜在联系。
