Murine Genetic Background Has a Stronger Impact on the Composition of the Gut Microbiota than Maternal Inoculation or Exposure to Unlike Exogenous Microbiota

Abstract

The gut microbiota is a complex ecosystem, affected by both environmental factors and host genetics. Here, we aim at uncovering the bacterial taxa whose gut persistence is controlled by host genetic variation. We used a murine model based on inbred lines BALB/c and C57BL/6J and their F₁ reciprocal hybrids (♀C57BL/6J × ♂BALB/c; ♀BALB/c × ♂C57BL/6J). To guarantee genetic similarity of F₁ offspring, including the sex chromosomes, we used only female mice. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we found that the genetically different inbred lines present different microbiota, whereas their genetically identical F₁ reciprocal hybrids presented similar microbiota. Moreover, the F₁ microbial composition differed from that of both parental lines. Twelve taxa were shown to have genetically controlled gut persistence, while none were found to show maternal effects. Nine of these taxa were dominantly inherited by the C57BL/6J line. Cohousing of the parental inbred lines resulted in a temporary and minor shift in microbiota composition, which returned back to the former microbial composition following separation, indicating that each line tends to maintain a unique bacterial signature reflecting the line. Taken together, our findings indicate that mouse genetics has an effect on the microbial composition in the gut, which is greater than maternal effect and continuous exposure to different microbiota of the alternative line. Uncovering the bacterial taxa associated with host genetics and understanding their role in the gut ecosystem could lead to the development of genetically oriented probiotic products, as part of the personalized medicine approach.IMPORTANCE The gut microbiota play important roles for their host. The link between host genetics and their microbial composition has received increasing interest. Using a unique reciprocal cross model, generating genetically similar F₁ hybrids with different maternal inoculation, we demonstrate the inheritance of gut persistence of 12 bacterial taxa. No taxa identified as maternally transmitted. Moreover, cohabitation of two genetically different inbred lines did not dramatically affect the microbiota composition. Taken together, our results demonstrate the importance of the genetic effect over maternal inoculation or effect of exposure to unlike exogenous microbiota. These findings may lead to the development of personalized probiotic products, specifically designed according to the genetic makeup.

Keywords: genetically inherited gut persistence; maternal inoculation; microbiota; mouse inbred lines.