Diurnal oscillations in gut bacterial load and composition eclipse seasonal and lifetime dynamics in wild meerkats
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Date
Authors
Risely, Alice
Wilhelm, Kerstin
Clutton-Brock, Tim H.
Manser, Marta B.
Sommer, Simone
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Nature Research
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 temperatureconstrained 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.
Description
Keywords
Microbial dynamics, Gut bacterial load, Gut bacterial composition, Seasonal dynamics, Lifetime dynamics, Meerkat (Suricata suricatta)
Sustainable Development Goals
Citation
Risely, A., Wilhelm, K., Clutton-Brock, T. et al. Diurnal oscillations in gut bacterial load and composition eclipse seasonal and lifetime dynamics in wild meerkats. Nature Communications 12, 6017 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-26298-5.