Cultivable Gut Microbiota in Synanthropic Bats: Shifts of Its Composition and Diversity Associated with Hibernation

Abstract

The role of bats in the global microbial ecology no doubt is significant due to their unique immune responses, ability to fly, and long lifespan, all contributing to pathogen spread. Some of these animals hibernate during winter, which results in the altering of their physiology. However, gut microbiota shifts during hibernation is little studied. In this research, we studied cultivable gut microbiota composition and diversity of Nyctalus noctula before, during, and after hibernation in a bat rehabilitation center. Gut microorganisms were isolated on a broad spectrum of culture media, counted, and identified with mass spectrometry. Linear modeling was used to investigate associations between microorganism abundance and N. noctula physiological status, and alpha- and beta-diversity indexes were used to explore diversity changes. As a result, most notable changes were observed in Serratia liquefaciens, Hafnia alvei, Staphylococcus sciuri, and Staphylococcus xylosus, which were significantly more highly abundant in hibernating bats, while Citrobacter freundii, Klebsiella oxytoca, Providencia rettgeri, Citrobacter braakii, and Pedicoccus pentosaceus were more abundant in active bats before hibernation. The alpha-diversity was the lowest in hibernating bats, while the beta-diversity differed significantly among all studied periods. Overall, this study shows that hibernation contributes to changes in bat cultivable gut microbiota composition and diversity.

Gut Microbiota Composition of Insectivorous Synanthropic and Fructivorous Zoo Bats: A Direct Metagenomic Comparison

“…Thus, we speculate that we observed bacteria that survived low temperatures within the bats' bodies. Our recent study shows that hibernation results in the decrease of the gut microbiota diversity in bats, as food deprivation and low body temperature create unfavorable conditions for gut microbes [65]. Therefore, it is important to mention that the diversity of gut microbiota of studied insectivorous bats could have been decreased, as they awoke from hibernation at the moment of the study.…”

Effects of Hibernation on Colonic Epithelial Tissue and Gut Microbiota in Wild Chipmunks (Tamias sibiricus)

“…Hibernation affects the composition of the gut microbiota in Syrian hamsters [24]. Similarly, the effects of hibernation on the gut microbiota have been found in other mammals, such as dwarf lemurs [25], brown bears [26], and bats [27]. Among amphibians, for example, studies of the Japanese wrinkled frogs (Glandirana rugosa) [28] Strauchbufo raddei [29] and Fejervarya limnocharis [30] have also revealed the impact of hibernation on the gut microbiota.…”