Gut microbiome variation, fitness and senescence within a natural vertebrate population

自然脊椎动物群体中肠道微生物组的变异、适应性和衰老

• 批准号: NE/S010939/1
• 负责人: David Richardson
• 金额: $ 77万
• 依托单位: University of East Anglia
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2020 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=NE%2FS010939%2F1
• 关键词: Gut; microbiome; variation; fitness; senescence

That extensive individual variation in reproductive success, survival and senescence (ageing) exists in many animal population is clear, however what causes this variation remains largely unexplained. Understanding the drivers of this variation is of great importance, both because differential fitness is the basis of adaptive evolution, but also because such understanding may help improve the health and wellbeing of individuals.Studies on humans and captive animals have shown that variation in the composition of the gut microbiome (GM) - a complex microbial community comprising thousands of species - can play an important role in host function, influencing components such as digestion, immunity and development, and affecting the outcome of deleterious conditions and disease. Research has also suggested that changes in the GM can play a causal role in an individual's deterioration with age. Therefore, given that the GM appears to be integral to the health of its host, we can hypothesise that variation in the GM will have important consequences for an individual's survival and reproductive success. GM variation may also contribute to the extensive, and largely unexplained, differences in senescence observed among individuals within populations, including in humans. It is then surprising that so little work has been undertaken to determine how much GM variation exists among individuals within natural populations, or which factors drive this variation. More importantly, to our knowledge no studies have yet determined if individual GM variation is associated with reproductive success and senescence within a wild vertebrate population. Given that unnatural conditions can radically change an individual's GM, and complex interactions between the individual and its environment influence survival and reproductive success, studies under natural conditions are essential if we are to fully understand the causes and fitness consequences of GM variation.We aim to fill these gaps in our knowledge by undertaking a comprehensive investigation of the causes of individual variation in the bacterial GM, and, for the first time, how this is linked to fitness and senescence within a natural vertebrate population. We are perfectly placed to do this because our long-term study of a discrete population of the Seychelles warbler Acrocephalus sechellensis, allows us to follow and sample individuals throughout their lives. We have detailed environmental, genetic, biological condition and accurate survival and reproductive success data (unconfounded by dispersal) on individuals across their lives. We also have a 10-generation genetic pedigree of the population which, combined with contrasting patterns of social parentage (e.g. due to infidelity), provides the basis for a powerful analysis of the heritability of GM characteristics. Importantly, our NERC-funded pilot study successfully tested protocols for the sequencing and analysis of GM variation from faecal samples, and our results confirm that considerable individual variation in the GM exists within this population. We now have everything in place to facilitate the success of this novel and timely study.Assessing the natural co-variation that exists in a wild population is an essential step in exposing the evolutionary importance of the GM. This proposal will allow us to determine if the components required for natural selection - individual variation, differential fitness linked to that variation, and inheritance of that variation - exist in terms of the GM within a natural population. Such evidence would, for the first time, provide strong support for the idea that natural selection on vertebrate hosts is mediated by the GM. Knowledge of the causes and consequences of GM variation is also important from an applied perspective as it will inform how we can manage GM diversity to optimise our own health, and the traits and condition of the animals that we utilise or wish to conserve.

很明显，在许多动物种群中，繁殖成功、存活和衰老（衰老）存在着广泛的个体差异，但导致这种差异的原因在很大程度上仍然无法解释。了解这种变化的驱动因素非常重要，因为差异适应性是适应性进化的基础，也因为这种理解可能有助于改善个体的健康和福祉。对人类和圈养动物的研究表明，肠道微生物组（GM）组成的变化-一个由数千种物种组成的复杂微生物群落-可以在宿主功能中发挥重要作用，影响诸如消化、免疫和发育的成分，并影响有害状况和疾病的结果。研究还表明，转基因的变化可以在个人随着年龄的恶化中发挥因果作用。因此，考虑到转基因似乎是其宿主健康不可或缺的一部分，我们可以假设，转基因的变异将对个体的生存和繁殖成功产生重要影响。转基因变异也可能导致在种群内的个体（包括人类）之间观察到的广泛且基本上无法解释的衰老差异。令人惊讶的是，在确定自然种群中个体之间存在多少转基因变异，或哪些因素驱动这种变异方面，几乎没有进行任何工作。更重要的是，据我们所知，还没有研究确定个体转基因变异是否与野生脊椎动物种群的繁殖成功和衰老有关。鉴于非自然条件可以从根本上改变个体的转基因，并且个体与环境之间复杂的相互作用影响生存和繁殖成功，如果我们要充分了解转基因变异的原因和适应性后果，自然条件下的研究至关重要。我们的目标是通过对细菌转基因个体变异的原因进行全面调查来填补我们知识中的这些空白，以及，第一次，这是如何与自然脊椎动物种群中的健康和衰老联系在一起的。我们完全有能力做到这一点，因为我们对塞舌尔莺Acrocephalus sechellensis的离散种群的长期研究，使我们能够在整个生命中跟踪和采样个体。我们有详细的环境，遗传，生物条件和准确的生存和繁殖成功数据（不受分散的影响）。我们也有一个10代的遗传谱系的人口，结合对比模式的社会亲子关系（例如，由于不忠），提供了一个强大的分析的基础上遗传的转基因特征。重要的是，我们的NERC资助的试点研究成功地测试了粪便样本中转基因变异的测序和分析方案，我们的结果证实了转基因中存在相当大的个体变异。我们现在已经准备好了一切，以促进这项新颖而及时的研究的成功。评估野生种群中存在的自然共变异是揭示转基因进化重要性的重要一步。这一提议将使我们能够确定自然选择所需的组成部分--个体变异、与该变异相关的差异适合度以及该变异的遗传--是否存在于自然种群中的GM中。这些证据将首次为脊椎动物宿主的自然选择是由转基因介导的这一观点提供强有力的支持。从应用的角度来看，了解转基因变异的原因和后果也很重要，因为它将告知我们如何管理转基因多样性，以优化我们自己的健康，以及我们利用或希望保护的动物的特征和状况。

项目成果

Additional file 1 of Gut microbiome composition, not alpha diversity, is associated with survival in a natural vertebrate population

肠道微生物组组成的附加文件 1（而非 α 多样性）与自然脊椎动物种群的生存相关

• DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.17305314
• 发表时间: 2021
• 作者: Worsley S

Immunogenetic variation shapes the gut microbiome in a natural vertebrate population.

• DOI: 10.1186/s40168-022-01233-y
• 发表时间: 2022-03-08
• 期刊: Microbiome
• 影响因子: 15.5
• 作者: Davies CS;Worsley SF;Maher KH;Komdeur J;Burke T;Dugdale HL;Richardson DS
• 通讯作者: Richardson DS

A major myna problem; invasive predator removal benefits female survival and population growth of a translocated island endemic

八哥的主要问题；

• DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.22.537650
• 发表时间: 2023
• 作者: Brown T

Helpers compensate for age-related declines in parental care and offspring survival in a cooperatively breeding bird.

• DOI: 10.1002/evl3.213
• 发表时间: 2021-04
• 期刊: Evolution letters
• 影响因子: 5
• 作者: Hammers M;Kingma SA;van Boheemen LA;Sparks AM;Burke T;Dugdale HL;Richardson DS;Komdeur J
• 通讯作者: Komdeur J

Immunogenetic Variation Shapes the Gut Microbiome in a Natural Vertebrate Population

免疫遗传变异塑造了自然脊椎动物群体的肠道微生物组

• DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-703361/v1
• 发表时间: 2021
• 作者: Davies C