Gut Biogeography Accentuates Sex-Related Differences in the Murine Microbiome

Recent studies have highlighted the influence of factors such as sex and sex-linked hormones on microbiome composition, raising concerns about the generalizability of findings. Here, we explore whether gut geography, specifically the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract (GI), contributes to sex-li...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Microorganisms (Basel) 2024-01, Vol.12 (1), p.221
Main Authors: Ortiz-Alvarez de la Campa, Melanie, Curtis-Joseph, Noelle, Beekman, Chapman, Belenky, Peter
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age
Biogeography
Digestive system
Discriminant analysis
Experimental research
Females
Gastrointestinal system
Gastrointestinal tract
Gender differences
Genetic aspects
Geography
gut microbiota
Hormones
Intestine
Localization
Males
Mice
Microbiological research
Microbiomes
Microbiota (Symbiotic organisms)
Microorganisms
Multivariate analysis
murine microbiome
Physiological aspects
rRNA 16S
Sex
Sex differences
Sex linkage
Small intestine
Stomach
Taxonomy
Testosterone
upper gastrointestinal tract
Variance analysis
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Recent studies have highlighted the influence of factors such as sex and sex-linked hormones on microbiome composition, raising concerns about the generalizability of findings. Here, we explore whether gut geography, specifically the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract (GI), contributes to sex-linked microbiome differences in mice. We collected microbial samples throughout the length of the GI from male and female C57B6/J mice at 6- and 8-weeks old, and conducted 16S rRNA sequencing. Our findings revealed significant sex-related differences, with more abundant in the male colon, while females exhibited higher levels of across all organs at 6 weeks. We also observed decreased Shannon alpha diversity in the small intestine compared to the lower GI, and this diversity decreased further at 8 weeks. Interestingly, our results suggest that age mitigates sex-related, but not gut geography-related differences in beta diversity, with implications for experimental outcomes and treatment strategies. This study underscores the dynamic nature of microbial diversity, influenced by sex, age, and GI localization, emphasizing the need for a more comprehensive understanding of microbiome dynamics in experimental research and clinical interventions.
ISSN:2076-2607
2076-2607
DOI:10.3390/microorganisms12010221