Patterns of host gene expression associated with harboring a foregut microbial community

Kevin D Kohl; Kelly F Oakeson; Diane Dunn; David K Meyerholz; Colin Dale; Robert B Weiss; M Denise Dearing

doi:10.1186/s12864-017-4101-z

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Patterns of host gene expression associated with harboring a foregut microbial community

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Patterns of host gene expression associated with harboring a foregut microbial community

Kevin D Kohl, Kelly F Oakeson, Diane Dunn, David K Meyerholz, Colin Dale, Robert B Weiss and M Denise Dearing

BMC genomics, Vol.18(1), pp.697-697

09/06/2017

DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-4101-z

PMCID: PMC5585965

PMID: 28874116

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Abstract

Harboring foregut microbial communities is considered a key innovation that allows herbivorous mammals to colonize new ecological niches. However, the functions of these chambers have only been well studied at the molecular level in ruminants. Here, we investigate gene expression in the foregut chamber of herbivorous rodents and ask whether these gene expression patterns are consistent with results in ruminants. We compared gene expression in foregut tissues of two rodent species: Stephen's woodrat (Neotoma stephensi), which harbors a dense foregut microbial community, and the lab rat (Rattus norvegicus), which lacks such a community. We found that woodrats have higher abundances of transcripts associated with smooth muscle processes, specifically a higher expression of the smoothelin-like 1 gene, which may assist in contractile properties of this tissue to retain food material in the foregut chamber. The expression of genes associated with keratinization and cornification exhibited a complex pattern of differences between the two species, suggesting distinct molecular mechanisms. Lab rats exhibited higher abundances of transcripts associated with immune function, likely to inhibit microbial growth in the foregut of this species. Some of our results were consistent with previous findings in ruminants (high expression of facilitative glucose transporters, lower expression of B4galnt2), suggestive of possible convergent evolution, while other results were unclear, and perhaps represent novel host-microbe interactions in rodents. Overall, our results suggest that harboring a foregut microbiota is associated with changes to the functions and host-microbe interactions of the foregut tissues.

Symbiosis

Gene Expression Profiling

Genomics

Gastrointestinal Microbiome

Details

Title: Subtitle: Patterns of host gene expression associated with harboring a foregut microbial community
Creators: Kevin D Kohl - Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, 465 21st Ave South, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA. kevin.d.kohl@gmail.com
Kelly F Oakeson - Department of Biology, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
Diane Dunn - Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, 15 North 2030 East, Salt Lake City, 84112, USA
David K Meyerholz - Department of Pathology, University of Iowa, 200 Hawkins Dr, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
Colin Dale - Department of Biology, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
Robert B Weiss - Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, 15 North 2030 East, Salt Lake City, 84112, USA
M Denise Dearing - Department of Biology, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: BMC genomics, Vol.18(1), pp.697-697
DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-4101-z
PMID: 28874116
PMCID: PMC5585965
NLM abbreviation: BMC Genomics
ISSN: 1471-2164
eISSN: 1471-2164
Grant note: P30 DK054759 / NIDDK NIH HHS
Language: English
Date published: 09/06/2017
Academic Unit: Pathology
Record Identifier: 9984083279202771

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