Abstract
We examine possible ways of functional adjustment of morphologically similar alimentary tracts in rodents with different dietary specializations. We study the structure of stomach and gut epithelial surface as well as the features of its colonization with microorganisms in five gerbil species: Psammomys obesus, Meriones crassus, Gerbillus henleyi, G. andersoni, and G. dasyurus. Data on the morphological diversity of mucosa-associated microbiota have been obtained and confirmed by the results of previous microbiology studies. Species differences in chymus acidity associated with dietary specialization have been determined. Variations in the activity of the endoglucanase microbial enzyme, which is crucial for rodents fed on cellulose-containing food, have also been detected. The importance of microbiota for functional adaptations to various food types in rodents with morphologically similar digestive tracts has been evaluated.
Highlights
A semiglandular stomach is a mandatory attribute of the digestive tract of all muroid rodents (Muroidea), regardless of their dietary specialization
The forestomach of rodents, as well as the cecum and colon, are abundantly populated with symbionts, some of which are attached to the epithelial surface in order to avoid washing out by the contents passing through the digestive tract
According to the available data, in the muroid species studied the proximal parts of the digestive tract are usually dominated by lactobacilli with a developed mechanism of attachment to the keratinizing epithelium
Summary
A semiglandular stomach is a mandatory attribute of the digestive tract of all muroid rodents (Muroidea), regardless of their dietary specialization. Cornification of a part of the gastric epithelium in rodents results from the evolutionary interaction of animals with microorganisms obligatory for the digestion of plant food. The morphology of the semiglandular stomach is extremely diverse and is usually associated with the role of cellulose-containing food in the diet of rodents (Vorontsov, 1967, 1982). Sometimes voles do not show an obvious association between the structure of the stomach and intestines and food specialization. Microtus arvalis and Ellobius talpinus with the discoglandular stomachs consume food with different fiber contents (Naumova, 1981; Naumova et al, 2018)
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