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 concentrations 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.IMPORTANCE This study addressed a knowledge gap about longitudinal changes in the gut microbiome metabolites during animal pairing. This research in the laboratory common marmoset can control for the confounding factors such as diet and other environmental conditions. Phascolarctobacterium showed the highest contribution to the sex-biased transmission of the female to the male after pairing. Here, we observed the sex difference in the increase in short-chain fatty acid concentration in the feces of newly paired marmosets, which may be caused by the sex-biased gut microbiome transmission after pairing.
Highlights
Marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) are family-living primates, with groups consisting of adult males and females, who form long-term socially monogamous and cooperative breeding relationships, and their offspring
We have previously reported that newly paired marmosets displayed a significant convergence in their gut microbiomes during the first 8 weeks of cohabitation: significantly increase in the abundance of five genera (Phascolarctobacterium, Alloprevotella, Anaerobiospirillum, Sutterella, and Coprobacter) in both male
Phascolarctobacterium showed the highest contribution in the gut microbiome transmission in the newly paired marmosets, and this microbiome group exhibited the highest contribution to the sex-biased transmission pattern of the female to the male [1]
Summary
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/foodsciefacpub Part of the Food Science Commons. Lifeng; Suhr Van Haute, Mallory J.; Hassenstab, Haley R.; Smith, Caroline; Rose, Devin J.; Must, Aaryn C.; Benson, Andrew K.; and French, Jeffrey A., "Fecal Short-Chain Fatty Acid Concentrations Increase in Newly Paired Male Marmosets (Callithrix jacchus)" (2020). This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Food Science and Technology Department at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications in Food Science and Technology by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska Lincoln. This article is available at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ foodsciefacpub/393
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
