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Context-dependent effects of glucocorticoids on the lizard gut microbiome

MacLeod, Kirsty J. LU ; Kohl, Kevin D. ; Trevelline, Brian K. and Langkilde, Tracy (2022) In Molecular Ecology 31(1). p.185-196
Abstract

The vertebrate gut microbiota (bacterial, archaeal and fungal communities of the gastrointestinal tract) can have profound effects on the physiological processes of their hosts. Although relatively stable, changes in microbiome structure and composition occur due to changes in the environment, including exposure to stressors and associated increases in glucocorticoid hormones. Although a growing number of studies have linked stressor exposure to microbiome changes, few studies have experimentally explored the specific influence of glucocorticoids on the microbiome in wild animals, or across ecologically important processes (e.g., reproductive stages). Here we tested the response of the gut microbiota of adult female Sceloporus undulatus... (More)

The vertebrate gut microbiota (bacterial, archaeal and fungal communities of the gastrointestinal tract) can have profound effects on the physiological processes of their hosts. Although relatively stable, changes in microbiome structure and composition occur due to changes in the environment, including exposure to stressors and associated increases in glucocorticoid hormones. Although a growing number of studies have linked stressor exposure to microbiome changes, few studies have experimentally explored the specific influence of glucocorticoids on the microbiome in wild animals, or across ecologically important processes (e.g., reproductive stages). Here we tested the response of the gut microbiota of adult female Sceloporus undulatus across gestation to ecologically relevant elevations of a stress-relevant glucocorticoid hormone (CORT) in order to determine (i) how experimentally elevated CORT influenced microbiome characteristics, and (ii) whether this relationship was dependent on reproductive context (i.e., whether females were gravid or not, and, in those that were gravid, gestational stage). We show that the effects of CORT on gut microbiota are complex and depend on both gestational state and stage. CORT treatment altered microbial community membership and resulted in an increase in microbiome diversity in late-gestation females, and microbial community membership varied according to treatment. In nongravid females, CORT treatment decreased interindividual variation in microbial communities, but this effect was not observed in late-gestation females. Our results highlight the need for a more holistic understanding of the downstream physiological effects of glucocorticoids, as well as the importance of context (here, gestational state and stage) in interpreting stress effects in ecology.

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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
glucocorticoid, lizard, microbiome, stress response
in
Molecular Ecology
volume
31
issue
1
pages
185 - 196
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:85118253674
  • pmid:34661319
ISSN
0962-1083
DOI
10.1111/mec.16229
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Authors. Molecular Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
id
7d46a00b-9d21-48c4-a0ee-63bf5a93a0b9
date added to LUP
2021-11-13 11:38:47
date last changed
2024-06-15 20:20:50
@article{7d46a00b-9d21-48c4-a0ee-63bf5a93a0b9,
  abstract     = {{<p>The vertebrate gut microbiota (bacterial, archaeal and fungal communities of the gastrointestinal tract) can have profound effects on the physiological processes of their hosts. Although relatively stable, changes in microbiome structure and composition occur due to changes in the environment, including exposure to stressors and associated increases in glucocorticoid hormones. Although a growing number of studies have linked stressor exposure to microbiome changes, few studies have experimentally explored the specific influence of glucocorticoids on the microbiome in wild animals, or across ecologically important processes (e.g., reproductive stages). Here we tested the response of the gut microbiota of adult female Sceloporus undulatus across gestation to ecologically relevant elevations of a stress-relevant glucocorticoid hormone (CORT) in order to determine (i) how experimentally elevated CORT influenced microbiome characteristics, and (ii) whether this relationship was dependent on reproductive context (i.e., whether females were gravid or not, and, in those that were gravid, gestational stage). We show that the effects of CORT on gut microbiota are complex and depend on both gestational state and stage. CORT treatment altered microbial community membership and resulted in an increase in microbiome diversity in late-gestation females, and microbial community membership varied according to treatment. In nongravid females, CORT treatment decreased interindividual variation in microbial communities, but this effect was not observed in late-gestation females. Our results highlight the need for a more holistic understanding of the downstream physiological effects of glucocorticoids, as well as the importance of context (here, gestational state and stage) in interpreting stress effects in ecology.</p>}},
  author       = {{MacLeod, Kirsty J. and Kohl, Kevin D. and Trevelline, Brian K. and Langkilde, Tracy}},
  issn         = {{0962-1083}},
  keywords     = {{glucocorticoid; lizard; microbiome; stress response}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{185--196}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Molecular Ecology}},
  title        = {{Context-dependent effects of glucocorticoids on the lizard gut microbiome}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mec.16229}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/mec.16229}},
  volume       = {{31}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}