Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 23, 2026

Microbial Communities in Nature and Laboratory - Interview
29:13

Microbial Communities in Nature and Laboratory - Interview

Published on: May 28, 2007

6.8K

Dynamic and Asymmetric Changes of the Microbial Communities after Cohousing in Laboratory Mice

Roberta Caruso1, Masashi Ono2, Marie E Bunker1

  • 1Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.

Cell Reports
|June 13, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Cohousing mice facilitates horizontal microbiota transmission, normalizing gut microbial communities. Transmission kinetics and abundance are asymmetric, with the resulting microbiota resembling the Jackson mouse strain more closely.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Animal Models
  • Gut Microbiome Research

Background:

  • Horizontal transmission of microbiota is a common method for normalizing gut microbial communities in laboratory mice.
  • Limited understanding exists regarding the dynamics of microbial communities and transmission levels following cohousing.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the dynamics and extent of horizontal microbiota transmission between different mouse strains after weaning.
  • To analyze changes in fecal microbiota composition and bacterial species abundance over time post-cohousing.

Main Methods:

  • Fecal microbiota analysis was performed on Jackson and Taconic C57BL/6 mice after cohousing.
  • Changes in microbial community composition and operational taxonomic unit (OTU) abundance were tracked over 28 days.

Main Results:

  • Significant microbiota changes were detected by day 3, plateauing by day 7, and nearing comparable composition by day 28.
  • Bacterial species transmission exhibited asymmetric kinetics and abundance, favoring the Jackson mouse microbiota.
  • Specific OTUs showed rapid increases in Taconic mice, while mucus-associated bacteria increased with delayed kinetics in Jackson mice.

Conclusions:

  • Horizontal transmission effectively alters and normalizes the gut microbiota in cohoused mice.
  • The transmission process is asymmetric, leading to strain-specific microbiota profiles.
  • Understanding these dynamics is crucial for experimental design involving microbiota manipulation in mice.
Keywords:
Illumina MiSeq 16S rRNA gene sequencingJackson miceTaconic miceage-dependent change of microbiotacohousing-dependent microbiota transitionfecal microbiotahorizontal transmissionmicrobiota normalizationmothersex- and age-independent changes of microbiota

More Related Videos

Biology of Microbial Communities - Interview14:42

Biology of Microbial Communities - Interview

Published on: May 28, 2007

9.1K
Investigating the Microbial Community in the Termite Hindgut - Interview21:02

Investigating the Microbial Community in the Termite Hindgut - Interview

Published on: May 28, 2007

11.2K

Related Concept Videos

Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing01:28

Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing

Quorum sensing is a mechanism of bacterial communication that enables coordinated gene expression in response to changes in population density. This facilitates collective behaviors that enhance survival, resource acquisition, and ecological adaptation. This process relies on small signaling molecules called autoinducers that accumulate as bacterial populations grow. When a critical threshold concentration of autoinducers is reached, bacterial cells collectively modify gene expression,...
545
What are Populations and Communities?00:30

What are Populations and Communities?

Overview
37.4K
Rotation of Asymmetric Top01:11

Rotation of Asymmetric Top

By definition, a spherically symmetric body has the same moment of inertia about any axis passing through its center of mass. This situation changes if there is no spherical symmetry. Since most rigid bodies are not spherically symmetric, these require special treatment.
The relationship between the angular momentum of any rigid body and its angular velocity, both of which are vectors, involves the moment of inertia. The moment of inertia is a scalar quantity only for spherically symmetric...
1.5K
Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer01:35

Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer

Biological membranes show uneven distribution of different types of lipids in the inner and outer layers, resulting in transverse asymmetric membranes. The treatment of the erythrocyte membrane with the enzyme phospholipase confirmed the asymmetric nature of the lipid bilayer. The enzyme hydrolyzes lipids into fatty acids and hydrophilic groups. The phospholipase acts only on the outer layer of the membrane, while the inner layer remains intact. The phospholipase treatment resulted in 80%...
9.7K
Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation02:17

Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation

Catalytic hydrogenation of alkenes is a transition-metal catalyzed reduction of the double bond using molecular hydrogen to give alkanes. The mode of hydrogen addition follows syn stereochemistry.
The metal catalyst used can be either heterogeneous or homogeneous. When hydrogenation of an alkene generates a chiral center, a pair of enantiomeric products is expected to form. However, an enantiomeric excess of one of the products can be facilitated using an enantioselective reaction or an...
3.8K
Community Based Intervention01:30

Community Based Intervention

Community-based interventions in mental health represent a paradigm shift from institution-centered care to treatments embedded within the fabric of local communities. By prioritizing inclusion and leveraging existing societal structures, this approach fosters a supportive environment conducive to addressing mental health challenges while promoting individual dignity and agency.
Foundations of Community Mental Health Programs
Central to the success of community-based interventions is the...
287