Fecal Short-Chain Fatty Acid Concentrations Increase in Newly Paired Male Marmosets (Callithrix jacchus)

Authors

Lifeng Zhu, University of Nebraska at Omaha & University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Mallory J. Suhr Van Haute, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Haley R. Hassenstab, University of Nebraska at Omaha
Caroline Smith, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Devin J. Rose, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Aaryn C. Must, University of Nebraska at Omaha & University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Andrew K. Benson, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Jeffrey A. French, University of Nebraska at Omaha & University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Date of this Version

2020

Citation

Zhu L, Suhr Van Haute MJ, Hassenstab HR, Smith C, Rose DJ, Mustoe AC, Benson AK, French JA. 2020. Fecal short-chain fatty acid concentrations increase in newly paired male marmosets (Callithrix jacchus). mSphere 5: e00794-20. https://doi.org/10.1128/mSphere .00794-20.

Comments

2020 Zhu et al.

Abstract

The role by which the gut microbiome influences host health (e.g., energy equilibrium and immune system) may be partly mediated by short-chain fatty acids, which are bacterial fermentation products from the dietary fibers. However, little is known about longitudinal changes in gut microbiome metabolites during cohabitation alongside social contact. In common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus), the gut microbiome community is influenced by social contact, as newly paired males and females develop convergent microbial profiles. Here, we monitored the dynamics of short-chain fatty acid concentrations in common marmoset feces from the prepairing (PRE) to postpairing (POST) stages. In males, we observed that the con- centrations of acetate, propionate, isobutyrate, and isovalerate significantly increased in the POST stage compared to the PRE stage. However, no significant changes were found in females. We further found that the propionate concentration was significantly positively correlated with the abundance of Phascolarctobacterium in the male feces. Thus, the sex difference in the changes in the concentrations of short-chain fatty acids might be related to sex-biased gut microbiome transmission after pairing. We suggest that the significant changes in the gut microbiomes and some short-chain fatty acids of the common marmoset during cohabitation may contribute to physiological homeostasis during pairing.