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Inbred Mouse Populations Exhibit Intergenerational Changes in Intestinal Microbiota Composition and Function
Jocelyn M Choo1, Paul J Trim2, Lex E X Leong1
1Infection and Immunity Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, AdelaideSA, Australia.
Frontiers in Microbiology
|April 27, 2017
Summary
The mouse intestinal microbiome changes significantly across generations in a controlled facility, impacting experimental results. Understanding these microbiome dynamics is crucial for reproducible research.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Genomics
- Metabolomics
Background:
- Inbred mice are vital models for human physiology research.
- Murine intestinal microbiota significantly impacts experimental outcomes.
- Microbiome dynamics in experimental mouse populations are poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate changes in the intestinal microbiome across six generations of C57BL/6J mice.
- Assess the impact of a controlled facility environment on microbiome composition and function.
- Relate microbiome shifts to experimental reproducibility.
Main Methods:
- 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing for fecal microbiota composition.
- Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry for fecal metabolome analysis.
- Longitudinal assessment across multiple mouse generations.
Main Results:
- Significant divergence in intestinal microbiota observed between founder and second-generation mice.
- Inter-generational variance in bacterial taxa (Akkermansia, Turicibacter, Bifidobacterium) and fecal metabolome.
- Microbiome and metabolome shifts correlated with facility acclimation and housing conditions.
Conclusions:
- Mouse intestinal microbiome composition and function change across generations.
- These microbiome dynamics introduce variance impacting experimental reproducibility.
- Consideration of microbiome changes is essential for robust experimental design and interpretation.
