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Diurnal oscillations in gut bacterial load and composition eclipse seasonal and lifetime dynamics in wild meerkats

Risely, Alice; Wilhelm, Kerstin; Clutton-Brock, Tim; Manser, Marta B.; Sommer, Simone

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Authors

Profile image of Alice Risely

Dr Alice Risely A.Risely@salford.ac.uk
Research Fellow in Biology and Wildlife

Kerstin Wilhelm

Tim Clutton-Brock

Marta B. Manser

Simone Sommer



Abstract

Circadian rhythms in gut microbiota composition are crucial for metabolic function, yet the extent to which they govern microbial dynamics compared to seasonal and lifetime processes remains unknown. Here, we investigate gut bacterial dynamics in wild meerkats (Suricata suricatta) over a 20-year period to compare diurnal, seasonal, and lifetime processes in concert, applying ratios of absolute abundance. We found that diurnal oscillations in bacterial load and composition eclipsed seasonal and lifetime dynamics. Diurnal oscillations were characterised by a peak in Clostridium abundance at dawn, were associated with temperature-constrained foraging schedules, and did not decay with age. Some genera exhibited seasonal fluctuations, whilst others developed with age, although we found little support for microbial senescence in very old meerkats. Strong microbial circadian rhythms in this species may reflect the extreme daily temperature fluctuations typical of arid-zone climates. Our findings demonstrate that accounting for circadian rhythms is essential for future gut microbiome research.

Citation

Risely, A., Wilhelm, K., Clutton-Brock, T., Manser, M. B., & Sommer, S. (2021). Diurnal oscillations in gut bacterial load and composition eclipse seasonal and lifetime dynamics in wild meerkats. Nature Communications, 12, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-26298-5

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Sep 29, 2021
Publication Date Oct 14, 2021
Deposit Date Nov 10, 2023
Publicly Available Date Nov 13, 2023
Journal Nature Communications
Publisher Nature Publishing Group
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 12
DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-26298-5

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