Effects of laboratory domestication on the rodent gut microbiome

AbstractThe domestication of the laboratory mouse has influenced the composition of its native gut microbiome, which is now known to differ from that of its wild ancestor. However, limited exploration of the rodent gut microbiome beyond the model species Mus musculus has made it difficult to interpret microbiome variation in a broader phylogenetic context. Here, we analyse 120 de novo and 469 public metagenomically-sequenced faecal and caecal samples from 16 rodent hosts representing wild, laboratory and captive lifestyles. Distinct gut bacterial communities were observed between rodent host genera, with broadly distributed species originating from the as-yet-uncultured bacterial genera UBA9475 and UBA2821 in the families Oscillospiraceae and Lachnospiraceae, respectively. In laboratory mice, Helicobacteraceae were generally depleted relative to wild mice and specific Muribaculaceae populations were enriched in different laboratory facilities, suggesting facility-specific outgrowths of this historically dominant rodent gut family. Several bacterial families of clinical interest, including Akkermansiaceae, Streptococcaceae and Enterobacteriaceae, were inferred to have gained over half of their representative species in mice within the laboratory environment, being undetected in most wild rodents and suggesting an association between laboratory domestication and pathobiont emergence.

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Identification of novel murine parvovirus strains by epidemiological analysis of naturally infected mice

Journal of General Virology ◽

10.1099/vir.0.81547-0 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 87 (6) ◽

pp. 1543-1556 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

David G. Besselsen ◽

Melissa J. Romero ◽

April M. Wagner ◽

Kenneth S. Henderson ◽

Robert S. Livingston

Keyword(s):

Genomic Organization ◽

Laboratory Mouse ◽

Rflp Analysis ◽

Laboratory Mice ◽

Rodent Host ◽

Minute Virus Of Mice ◽

Epidemiological Analysis ◽

Coding Regions ◽

Minute Virus ◽

Sequence Identities

Random-source DNA samples obtained from naturally infected laboratory mice (n=381) were evaluated by PCR and RFLP analysis to determine the prevalence of murine parvovirus strains circulating in contemporary laboratory mouse colonies. Mouse parvovirus (MPV) was detected in 77 % of samples, Minute virus of mice (MVM) was detected in 16 % of samples and both MVM and MPV were detected in 7 % of samples. MVMm, a strain recently isolated from clinically ill NOD-μ chain knockout mice, was detected in 91 % of MVM-positive samples, with the Cutter strain of MVM (MVMc) detected in the remaining samples. The prototypic and immunosuppressive strains of MVM were not detected in any of the samples. MPV-1 was detected in 78 % of the MPV-positive samples and two newly identified murine parvoviruses, tentatively named MPV-2 and MPV-3, were detected in 21 and 1 % of the samples, respectively. The DNA sequence encompassing coding regions of the viral genome and the predicted protein sequences for MVMm, MPV-2 and MPV-3 were determined and compared with those of other rodent parvovirus strains and LuIII parvovirus. The genomic organization for the newly identified viral strains was similar to that of other rodent parvoviruses, and nucleotide sequence identities indicated that MVMm was most similar to MVMc (96.1 %), MPV-3 was most similar to hamster parvovirus (HaPV) (98.1 %) and MPV-2 was most similar to MPV-1 (95.3 %). The genetic similarity of MPV-3 and HaPV suggests that HaPV epizootics in hamsters may result from cross-species transmission, with mice as the natural rodent host for this virus.

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t-Specific DNA polymorphisms among wild mice from Israel and Spain.

Genetics ◽

10.1093/genetics/119.1.157 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 119 (1) ◽

pp. 157-160

Author(s):

F Figueroa ◽

E Neufeld ◽

U Ritte ◽

J Klein

Keyword(s):

Laboratory Mouse ◽

The Other ◽

Dna Polymorphisms ◽

Chromosome 17 ◽

Mouse Strains ◽

Laboratory Mice ◽

Wild Type ◽

Wild Mice ◽

T Complex ◽

Length Polymorphisms

Abstract Lehrach and his coworkers have isolated a series of DNA probes that specifically hybridize with different regions of mouse chromosome 17 within the t complex. The probes display restriction fragment length polymorphisms, RFLPs, which are specific for the t haplotypes in all laboratory mouse strains tested thus far. Some of these probes have been used to test wild mice populations for these t-associated DNA forms. It is demonstrated that populations from Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Yugoslavia, Australia, Costa Rica, and Venezuela contain chromosomes in which all the tested DNA loci display the t-specific polymorphisms. The frequency of mice carrying these chromosomes is as high as 31%. Wild mice from Israel and Spain, on the other hand, carry chromosomes displaying t-specific DNA forms only at one or two of the probed loci, while the other loci carry the wild-type (+) forms. These chromosomes thus resemble the partial t haplotypes known from the study of laboratory mice. One possible interpretation of these findings is that these DNA polymorphisms contributed to the assembly of the complete t haplotypes and that these haplotypes may have originated in the Middle East.

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Assays for monitoringToxoplasma gondiiinfectivity in the laboratory mouse

10.1101/584474 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Qiuling Wang ◽

L. David Sibley

Keyword(s):

Definitive Host ◽

Chronic Infection ◽

Laboratory Mouse ◽

House Mice ◽

Laboratory Mice ◽

Wild Rodents ◽

Transmission Cycle ◽

Natural Variants ◽

Parasite Strains

AbstractToxoplasmais a widespread parasite of animals including many rodents that are a natural part of the transmission cycle between cats, which serve as the definitive host. Although wild rodents, including house mice, are relatively resistant, laboratory mice are highly susceptible to infection. As such, laboratory mice and have been used to compare pathogenesis of natural variants, and to evaluate the contributions of both host and parasite genes to infection. Protocols are provided here for evaluating acute and chronic infection with different parasite strains in laboratory mice. These protocols should provide uniform standards for evaluating natural variants and attenuated mutants and for comparing outcomes across different studies and between different laboratories.

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Laboratory mice born to wild mice have natural microbiota and model human immune responses

Science ◽

10.1126/science.aaw4361 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 365 (6452) ◽

pp. eaaw4361 ◽

Cited By ~ 85

Author(s):

Stephan P. Rosshart ◽

Jasmin Herz ◽

Brian G. Vassallo ◽

Ashli Hunter ◽

Morgan K. Wall ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Immune Responses ◽

Laboratory Mouse ◽

Preclinical Studies ◽

Laboratory Mice ◽

Wild Mice ◽

Multiple Organs ◽

Biological Phenomena ◽

Bacterial Microbiome ◽

Human Immune ◽

Natural Microbiota

Laboratory mouse studies are paramount for understanding basic biological phenomena but also have limitations. These include conflicting results caused by divergent microbiota and limited translational research value. To address both shortcomings, we transferred C57BL/6 embryos into wild mice, creating “wildlings.” These mice have a natural microbiota and pathogens at all body sites and the tractable genetics of C57BL/6 mice. The bacterial microbiome, mycobiome, and virome of wildlings affect the immune landscape of multiple organs. Their gut microbiota outcompete laboratory microbiota and demonstrate resilience to environmental challenges. Wildlings, but not conventional laboratory mice, phenocopied human immune responses in two preclinical studies. A combined natural microbiota- and pathogen-based model may enhance the reproducibility of biomedical studies and increase the bench-to-bedside safety and success of immunological studies.

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Evidences against a significant role of Mus musculus as natural host for Angiostrongylus costaricensis

Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo ◽

10.1590/s0036-46651996000300002 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 38 (3) ◽

pp. 171-175 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Fernanda Teixeira dos Santos ◽

Viviane M. Pinto ◽

Carlos Graeff-Teixeira

Keyword(s):

Significant Role ◽

Mus Musculus ◽

Natural Infection ◽

Laboratory Mice ◽

Wild Populations ◽

Wild Rodents ◽

Wild Mice ◽

Swiss Mice ◽

Natural Hosts

Wild rodents have been described as the most important hosts for Angiostrongylus costaricensis in Central America and southern Brazil. Sinantropic rodents apparently do not play a significant role as natural hosts. A search for natural infection failed to document worms in 14 mice captured in the house of a patient with diagnosis of abdominal angiostrongylosis and experimental infection of a "wild" Mus musculus strain and groups of albino Swiss mice were carried out. Mortality was not significantly different and varied from 42% to 80% for Swiss mice and from 26% to 80% for "wild" mice. The high mortality of a "wild" M. musculus infected with A. costaricensis was very similar to what is observed with most laboratory mice strains. These data may be taken as indications that M. musculus is not a well adapted host for A. costaricensis, although susceptibility was apparently higher with "wild" populations of M. musculus as compared to Swiss strain.

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Homology of p53 intronic sequences between four laboratory mouse strains and Japanese wild mouse (Mus musculus molossinus Mishima)

Genome ◽

10.1139/g94-145 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 37 (6) ◽

pp. 1022-1026 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Masayuki Tokumitsu ◽

Katsuhiro Ogawa

Keyword(s):

Loss Of Heterozygosity ◽

Mus Musculus ◽

Laboratory Mouse ◽

Wild Mouse ◽

P53 Gene ◽

Inbred Strains ◽

Mouse Strains ◽

Restriction Enzyme Digestion ◽

Laboratory Mice ◽

Wild Mice

Strain variation in the mouse p53 gene sequences was investigated in various regions of the gene in 14 inbred strains of laboratory mice and one Japanese wild mouse strain (Mus musculus molossinus Mishima, M. MOL-MSM). Nucleotides within p53 introns 1 and 7, found to be identical in 10 of the laboratory strains (129/J, A/J, AKR/J, BALB/cJ, C3H/HeJ, C57BL/6J, CBA/J, CE/J, NZB, and SWR/J), were substituted for other nucleotide sequences in common with M. MOL-MSM and the four other strains (DBA/1J, DBA/2J, I/LnJ, and P/J). The latter were documented to have originated from a common ancestor. These observations thus suggested the possibility that the p53 gene may have become substituted by outcrossing of this ancestral strain with Asian mice; this is presumably related to the documentation that Japanese mice brought to western countries were used as laboratory mice early in this century. To establish p53 gene heterozygosity, female C3H/HeJ and male DBA/2J mice were mated to produce F1, hybrids (C3D2F1,). Electrophoresis of PCR fragments including polymorphic regions with or without restriction enzyme digestion, allowed clear distinction of paternal and maternal p53 alleles. These markers, therefore, should be useful for studying the loss of heterozygosity of the p53 gene during the carcinogenic process.Key words: p53 gene, polymorphism, Japanese wild mice, laboratory mice, loss of heterozygosity.

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Murine lymphocytic choriomeningitis: the history of a natural cross-infection from wild to laboratory mice

Laboratory Animals ◽

10.1258/002367777780936422 ◽

1977 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 219-222 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

H. H. Skinner ◽

E. H. Knight ◽

Rosemary Grove

Keyword(s):

Laboratory Mouse ◽

Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis ◽

Laboratory Mice ◽

Wild Mice ◽

Source Of Infection ◽

The United Kingdom ◽

Indirect Exposure ◽

History Of ◽

Wild House Mice ◽

Spread Of Infection

A new locus of wild house mice tolerantly infected with the virus of lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM) has been identified in the United Kingdom. Evidence is presented which indicates that these mice were the source of infection in a laboratory mouse breeding colony, the mode of transmission probably being bites on tails and limbs exposed through wire-grid flooring. The results of an experiment which simulated indirect exposure of SPF mice to tolerantly infected wild mice supported earlier observations that without injury to the epidermis the risk of spread of infection from the infective urine, saliva or faeces is low.

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New insights into the microbiota of wild mice

Mammalian Genome ◽

10.1007/s00335-021-09887-z ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ho-Keun Kwon ◽

Je Kyung Seong

Keyword(s):

Translational Research ◽

Laboratory Mouse ◽

Biomedical Science ◽

Laboratory Mice ◽

Wild Mice ◽

Invaluable Tool ◽

Life Threatening ◽

Pros And Cons ◽

Increasing Demand ◽

Mouse System

AbstractLaboratory mice have long been an invaluable tool in biomedical science and have made significant contributions in research into life-threatening diseases. However, the translation of research results from mice to humans often proves difficult due to the incomplete nature of laboratory animal-based research. Hence, there is increasing demand for complementary methods or alternatives to laboratory mice that can better mimic human physiological traits and potentially bridge the translational research gap. Under these circumstances, the natural/naturalized mice including “wild”, “dirty”, “wildling”, and “wilded” systems have been found to better reflect some aspects of human pathophysiology. Here, we discuss the pros and cons of the laboratory mouse system and contemplate how wild mice and wild microbiota are able to help in refining such systems to better mimic the real-world situation and contribute to more productive translational research.

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Sequence Diversity, Intersubgroup Relationships, and Origins of the Mouse Leukemia Gammaretroviruses of Laboratory and Wild Mice

Journal of Virology ◽

10.1128/jvi.03186-15 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 90 (8) ◽

pp. 4186-4198 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Devinka Bamunusinghe ◽

Zohreh Naghashfar ◽

Alicia Buckler-White ◽

Ronald Plishka ◽

Surendranath Baliji ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Host Range ◽

Y Chromosome ◽

House Mouse ◽

Laboratory Mouse ◽

Wild Mouse ◽

Sequence Diversity ◽

Laboratory Mice ◽

Wild Mice ◽

Mouse Leukemia ◽

Leukemia Viruses

ABSTRACTMouse leukemia viruses (MLVs) are found in the common inbred strains of laboratory mice and in the house mouse subspecies ofMus musculus. Receptor usage and envelope (env) sequence variation define three MLV host range subgroups in laboratory mice: ecotropic, polytropic, and xenotropic MLVs (E-, P-, and X-MLVs, respectively). These exogenous MLVs derive from endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) that were acquired by the wild mouse progenitors of laboratory mice about 1 million years ago. We analyzed the genomes of seven MLVs isolated from Eurasian and American wild mice and three previously sequenced MLVs to describe their relationships and identify their possible ERV progenitors. The phylogenetic tree based on the receptor-determining regions ofenvproduced expected host range clusters, but these clusters are not maintained in trees generated from other virus regions. Colinear alignments of the viral genomes identified segmental homologies to ERVs of different host range subgroups. Six MLVs show close relationships to a small xenotropic ERV subgroup largely confined to the inbred mouse Y chromosome.envvariations define three E-MLV subtypes, one of which carries duplications of various sizes, sequences, and locations in the proline-rich region ofenv. Outside theenvregion, all E-MLVs are related to different nonecotropic MLVs. These results document the diversity in gammaretroviruses isolated from globally distributedMussubspecies, provide insight into their origins and relationships, and indicate that recombination has had an important role in the evolution of these mutagenic and pathogenic agents.IMPORTANCELaboratory mice carry mouse leukemia viruses (MLVs) of three host range groups which were acquired from their wild mouse progenitors. We sequenced the complete genomes of seven infectious MLVs isolated from geographically separated Eurasian and American wild mice and compared them with endogenous germ line retroviruses (ERVs) acquired early in house mouse evolution. We did this because the laboratory mouse viruses derive directly from specific ERVs or arise by recombination between different ERVs. The six distinctively different wild mouse viruses appear to be recombinants, often involving different host range subgroups, and most are related to a distinctive, largely Y-chromosome-linked MLV ERV subtype. MLVs with ecotropic host ranges show the greatest variability with extensive inter- and intrasubtype envelope differences and with homologies to other host range subgroups outside the envelope. The sequence diversity among these wild mouse isolates helps define their relationships and origins and emphasizes the importance of recombination in their evolution.

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Gut microbiome modulates behaviour and life history in two wild rodents

10.1101/2020.02.09.940981 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Joël W. Jameson ◽

Denis Réale ◽

Steven W. Kembel

Keyword(s):

Life History ◽

Home Range ◽

Antibiotic Treatment ◽

Relative Abundance ◽

Gut Microbiome ◽

Wild Rodents ◽

Wild Mice ◽

Microbiome Composition ◽

Bacterial Phyla ◽

In The Wild

ABSTRACTLaboratory studies demonstrate that the gut microbiome can regulate host anxiety and exploratory behaviour. While this has implications for human health, it could have ecological and evolutionary implications for wild populations, a hitherto untested hypothesis. We tested whether the microbiome can directly modulate host behaviour and thereby affect life history in wild mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) and voles (Myodes gapperi). We compared the microbiome composition, exploration and anxiety behaviours, and home range of mice and voles before and after chronic antibiotic treatment and measured survival during treatment. Treated animals had lower diversity and relative abundance of most bacterial phyla save for Proteobacteria which increased in relative abundance. In mice, antibiotic treatment increased exploration and decreased home range without impacting survival. In voles, it lowered survival such that we could not test its effect on behaviour. Therefore, the microbiome can directly impact behaviour and host life history in the wild.

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