A1 Journal article (refereed)
Comparable response of wild rodent gut microbiome to anthropogenic habitat contamination (2021)

Lavrinienko, A., Hämäläinen, A., Hindström, R., Tukalenko, E., Boratyński, Z., Kivisaari, K., Mousseau, T. A., Watts, P. C., & Mappes, T. (2021). Comparable response of wild rodent gut microbiome to anthropogenic habitat contamination. Molecular Ecology, 30(14), 3485-3499. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.15945

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Lavrinienko, Anton; Hämäläinen, Anni; Hindström, Rasmus; Tukalenko, Eugene; Boratyński, Zbyszek; Kivisaari, Kati; Mousseau, Timothy A.; Watts, Phillip C.; Mappes, Tapio

Journal or series: Molecular Ecology

ISSN: 0962-1083

eISSN: 1365-294X

Publication year: 2021

Publication date: 06/05/2021

Volume: 30

Issue number: 14

Pages range: 3485-3499

Article number: mec.15945

Publisher: Wiley

Publication country: United Kingdom

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.15945

Research data link: https://www.ebi.ac.uk/ena/browser/view/PRJEB44039

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/75418

Abstract

Species identity is thought to dominate over environment in shaping wild rodent gut microbiota, but it remains unknown whether the responses of host gut microbiota to shared anthropogenic habitat impacts are species‐specific or if the general gut microbiota response is similar across host species. Here, we compare the influence of exposure to radionuclide contamination on the gut microbiota of four wild mouse species: Apodemus flavicollis, A. sylvaticus, A. speciosus, A. argenteus. Building on the evidence that radiation impacts bank vole (Myodes glareolus) gut microbiota, we hypothesised that radiation exposure has general impact on rodent gut microbiota. Because we sampled (n=288) two species pairs of Apodemus mice that occur in sympatry in habitats affected by the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear accidents, these comparisons provide an opportunity for a general assessment of the effects of exposure to environmental contamination (radionuclides) on gut microbiota across host phylogeny and geographical areas. In general agreement with our hypothesis, analyses of bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that radiation exposure alters the gut microbiota composition and structure in three out of the four species of Apodemus mice. The notable lack of association between the gut microbiota and soil radionuclide contamination in one mouse species from Fukushima (A. argenteus) likely reflects host “radiation escape” through its unique tree‐dwelling lifestyle. The finding that host ecology can modulate effects of radiation exposure offers an interesting counterpoint for future analyses into effects of radiation or any other toxic exposure on host and its associated microbiota. Our data show that exposure to radionuclide contamination associates with comparable gut microbiota responses across multiple species of rodents.

Keywords: intestines; microbes; bacteria; gastrointestinal microbiota; rodents; environmental effects; environmental pollution; ionising radiation

Free keywords: anthropogenic disturbance; environmental stress; gut microbiome; ionizing radiation; pollution

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Ministry reporting: Yes

Reporting Year: 2021

JUFO rating: 3