Gut microbiota is associated with spatial memory and seed-hoarding behavior of South China field mice (Apodemus draco)

Frontiers in Microbiology

Microbiology

Zhenshan Wang¹  Enping Feng²  Xifu Yang³  Zhibin Zhang⁴  Kunming Zhao⁵  Hanyi Zhu⁶  Ying Li⁶ 

[1] College of Life Science, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei Province, China;College of Life Science, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei Province, China;State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management on Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China;State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management on Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China;State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management on Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China;CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China;State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management on Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China;College of Ecology and Environment, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, China;State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management on Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China;College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China;

关键词: seed hoarding;    spatial memory;    gut microbiota;    fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT);    rodents;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fmicb.2023.1236359

 received in 2023-06-07, accepted in 2023-08-25,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundScatter-hoarding animals store food in multiple locations within their home range and rely on spatial memory for subsequent localization and retrieval. The relationship between memory and scatter-hoarding behavior has been widely demonstrated, but the association of gut microbiota with spatial memory and seed-hoarding behavior of animals remains unclear.MethodsIn this study, by using enclosure behavior tests, memory tests including an object location test (OLT) and a novel object recognition test (NORT), and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) experiment, we evaluated the role of gut microbiota in affecting the memory and seed-hoarding behavior of rodents. According to their scatter-hoarding intensity, South China field mice (Apodemus draco) were divided into scatter-hoarding group (SG) and non-scatter-hoarding group (NG).ResultsWe found that the SG performed better than the NG in the NORT. FMT from SG donor mice altered the NG recipient mice’s gut microbiota structure. Further tests demonstrated FMT from SG donor mice increased memory of NG recipient mice in laboratory tests and seed larder hoarding intensity of NG recipient mice in enclosures.ConclusionOur results suggest gut microbiota could modulate the memory and seed-hoarding behavior of animals.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
Copyright © 2023 Feng, Yang, Zhao, Li, Zhu, Wang and Zhang.