短尾猴的社会网络对肠道菌群发育的影响机理研究

As an important “virtual organ”, the gut microbiota plays important roles in animals’ digestive, immune and metabolic. The gut microbes can be transmitted through affiliative behaviors in a social network, understanding the relationships between social behavior and gut microbiota have emerged as a hot topic in behavioral ecology and microbial ecology. Many studies have shown that the development of gut microbiota and postnatal growth are synchronization, and the host’s social network has become more complicated during this period, but if social network can affect on the development of gut microbiota is poorly understood. In this project, we take the Tibetan macaque（Macaca thibetana） social group at Mt. Huangshan as a subject, using the high-throughput sequencing and Social network analysis methods to study the development process of gut microbiota and the types of social behavior during period. Furthermore, the roles of environmental factors, individual property, and social behavior in the development of gut microbiota will be evaluated. Taken together, we disccuss how the social network affect the development of gut microbiota. Therefore, this project could clarify the process of gut microbiota in wild living Tibetan macaques, and provide evidence for the roles of social behavior and social network in the development of gut microbiota. Meanwhile, the results will also provide new insight into understanding the relationships among social interactions, development of gut microbiota and animal’s health maintenance.

肠道菌群是动物重要的“功能器官”，参与动物的消化、免疫、代谢等功能。社会网络是维系群内个体关系的纽带，影响肠道微生物的传播，是行为生态学和微生态学交叉研究的热点领域。已有大量研究表明肠道菌群随动物生长而发育，但肠道微生物是否随社会网络传播而影响菌群发育缺少研究。本项目运用高通量测序与社会网络分析等技术方法，以栖息于黄山的短尾猴（Macaca thibetana）A1群体为对象，研究肠道菌群的发育规律、各发育阶段的社会行为类型，分析环境因子、个体属性、社会行为类型与菌群发育的关系，探讨社会网络结构对肠道菌群发育的影响机理。本研究是课题组前期研究的深入，研究结果有助于阐明野生短尾猴肠道菌群发育的规律，揭示社会行为与社会网络在肠道菌群发育中的重要作用；同时，为认识和理解社会行为交往、肠道菌群发育与机体健康维持的关系提供新的视角。

肠道菌群是动物重要的“功能器官”，参与动物的消化、免疫、代谢等功能。社会网络是维系群内个体关系的纽带，影响肠道微生物的传播，是行为生态学和微生态学交叉研究的热点领域。本项目运用运用生物信息、高通量测序、非损伤性遗传分析等技术方法，以栖息于黄山的短尾猴（Macaca thibetana）A1群体为对象，研究肠道菌群的发育规律、各发育阶段的社会行为类型，分析环境因子、个体属性、社会行为类型与菌群发育的关系，探讨社会网络结构对肠道菌群发育的影响机理。得到了以下创新成果：（1）发现环境变异影响藏酋猴肠道菌群组成、结构和功能，特别是人类活动改变藏酋猴生存环境对藏酋猴健康具有重要负面影响；（2）开展了野生灵长类动物肠道真菌菌群和环境真菌之间的关系研究，发现植物饮食可能比土壤真菌更有助于肠道真菌菌群的建立；（3）发现繁殖状态与雌性肠道菌群密切相关，断奶期对母婴肠道菌菌动态具有重要影响；（4）开展了藏酋猴社会行为发育研究，初步揭示了社会网络结构对肠道菌群发育的影响机制。