Yao Fucheng, Li Chuang, Chen Yingtong, Zhang Jiaen, Shi Zhaoji, Qin Zhong
Department of Ecology, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.
Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.
Front Microbiol. 2025 Jul 16;16:1616681. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1616681. eCollection 2025.
The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in host immunity and metabolism and may facilitate the adaptation of invasive species to new environments. During hibernation, gut microbial communities undergo compositional shifts to help hosts cope with low temperatures and food scarcity. However, the dynamics of gut microbiota during hibernation in invasive animals remain poorly understood. Here, we conducted an hibernation experiment on the invasive freshwater snail to investigate changes in its gut microbiota over the course of hibernation. Gut samples were collected at pre-hibernation (day 0) and on the 15th, 30th, 60th, 90th, and 120th days of hibernation, followed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Results showed that the survival rate of snails reached 85.7% after 120 days. The Shannon diversity index of gut microbiota increased with the duration of hibernation. Although species richness remained relatively stable, increased evenness led to higher alpha diversity. After 60 days of hibernation, the structure of gut microbial community changed. The dominant phylum shifted from to (formerly ) as hibernation progressed. Short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) producing genera such as , , , and increased in abundance during hibernation, likely providing an energy source for both the gut and host. Gut microbiota changes appeared to be driven largely by stochastic assembly processes. Additionally, anaerobic bacteria and potential pathogens increased in abundance during hibernation. These adaptive shifts in gut microbiota may help maintain host metabolic and immune functions during hibernation and potentially contribute to the invasiveness of .
肠道微生物群在宿主免疫和新陈代谢中发挥着关键作用，可能有助于入侵物种适应新环境。在冬眠期间，肠道微生物群落会发生组成变化，以帮助宿主应对低温和食物短缺。然而，入侵动物在冬眠期间肠道微生物群的动态变化仍知之甚少。在此，我们对入侵淡水螺进行了一项冬眠实验，以研究其肠道微生物群在冬眠过程中的变化。在冬眠前（第0天）以及冬眠的第15、30、60、90和120天采集肠道样本，随后进行16S rRNA基因测序。结果显示，120天后蜗牛的存活率达到85.7%。肠道微生物群的香农多样性指数随冬眠时间的延长而增加。虽然物种丰富度保持相对稳定，但均匀度的增加导致了更高的α多样性。冬眠60天后，肠道微生物群落结构发生变化。随着冬眠的进行，优势菌门从[具体菌门1]转变为[具体菌门2]（原为[具体菌门3]）。在冬眠期间，产生短链脂肪酸（SCFAs）的属，如[具体属1]、[具体属2]、[具体属3]和[具体属4]的丰度增加，可能为肠道和宿主提供能量来源。肠道微生物群的变化似乎主要由随机组装过程驱动。此外，厌氧菌和潜在病原体在冬眠期间丰度增加。肠道微生物群的这些适应性变化可能有助于在冬眠期间维持宿主的代谢和免疫功能，并可能有助于[具体物种]的入侵性。
