Into the Wild: A novel wild-derived inbred strain resource expands the genomic and phenotypic diversity of laboratory mouse models.

The laboratory mouse has served as the premier animal model system for both basic and preclinical investigations for over a century. However, laboratory mice capture only a subset of the genetic variation found in wild mouse populations, ultimately limiting the potential of classical inbred strains to uncover phenotype-associated variants and pathways. Wild mouse populations are reservoirs of genetic diversity that could facilitate the discovery of new functional and disease-associated alleles, but the scarcity of commercially available, well-characterized wild mouse strains limits their broader adoption in biomedical research.

The keystone gut species boosts gut microbial biomass and voluntary physical activity in mice.

The gut bacteria of the family are consistently associated with metabolic health, but their role in promoting host health is not fully understood. Here, we explored the effect of amendment on voluntary physical activity and the gut microbiome. We inoculated male and female germ-free mice with an obese human donor microbiota together with live or heat-killed for 28 days and measured physical activity in respirometry cages.

Into the Wild: A novel wild-derived inbred strain resource expands the genomic and phenotypic diversity of laboratory mouse models.

The laboratory mouse has served as the premier animal model system for both basic and preclinical investigations for a century. However, laboratory mice capture a narrow subset of the genetic variation found in wild mouse populations. This consideration inherently restricts the scope of potential discovery in laboratory models and narrows the pool of potentially identified phenotype-associated variants and pathways.

The genomic basis of high-elevation adaptation in wild house mice (Mus musculus domesticus) from South America.

Understanding the genetic basis of environmental adaptation in natural populations is a central goal in evolutionary biology. The conditions at high elevation, particularly the low oxygen available in the ambient air, impose a significant and chronic environmental challenge to metabolically active animals with lowland ancestry. To understand the process of adaptation to these novel conditions and to assess the repeatability of evolution over short timescales, we examined the signature of selection from complete exome sequences of house mice (Mus musculus domesticus) sampled across two elevational transects in the Andes of South America.

The genomics of rapid climatic adaptation and parallel evolution in North American house mice.

Parallel changes in genotype and phenotype in response to similar selection pressures in different populations provide compelling evidence of adaptation. House mice (Mus musculus domesticus) have recently colonized North America and are found in a wide range of environments. Here we measure phenotypic and genotypic differentiation among house mice from five populations sampled across 21° of latitude in western North America, and we compare our results to a parallel latitudinal cline in eastern North America.

The role of the microbiota in human genetic adaptation.

As human populations spread across the world, they adapted genetically to local conditions. So too did the resident microorganism communities that everyone carries with them. However, the collective influence of the diverse and dynamic community of resident microbes on host evolution is poorly understood.

The gut microbiota and Bergmann's rule in wild house mice.

The extent to which the gut microbiota may play a role in latitudinal clines of body mass variation (i.e., Bergmann's rule) remains largely unexplored.

Host genetic determinants of the gut microbiota of wild mice.

Identifying a common set of genes that mediate host-microbial interactions across populations and species of mammals has broad relevance for human health and animal biology. However, the genetic basis of the gut microbial composition in natural populations remains largely unknown outside of humans. Here, we used wild house mouse populations as a model system to ask three major questions: (a) Does host genetic relatedness explain interindividual variation in gut microbial composition? (b) Do population differences in the microbiota persist in a common environment? (c) What are the host genes associated with microbial richness and the relative abundance of bacterial genera? We found that host genetic distance is a strong predictor of the gut microbial composition as characterized by 16S amplicon sequencing.

Transmission modes of the mammalian gut microbiota.

Mammals house a diversity of bacteria that affect health in various ways, but the routes by which bacterial lineages are transmitted between hosts remain poorly understood. We experimentally determined microbiota transmission modes by deriving 17 inbred mouse lines from two wild populations and monitoring their gut microbiotas for up to 11 host generations. Individual- and population-level microbiota compositions were maintained within mouse lines throughout the experiment, indicating predominantly vertical inheritance of the microbiota.

Altitudinal variation of the gut microbiota in wild house mice.

The maintenance of oxygen homeostasis in the gut is critical for the maintenance of a healthy gut microbiota. However, few studies have explored how the concentration of atmospheric oxygen affects the gut microbiota in natural populations. High-altitude environments provide an opportunity to study the potential effects of atmospheric oxygen on the composition and function of the gut microbiota.

The genomic basis of environmental adaptation in house mice.

House mice (Mus musculus) arrived in the Americas only recently in association with European colonization (~400-600 generations), but have spread rapidly and show evidence of local adaptation. Here, we take advantage of this genetic model system to investigate the genomic basis of environmental adaptation in house mice. First, we documented clinal patterns of phenotypic variation in 50 wild-caught mice from a latitudinal transect in Eastern North America.

Molecular analyses of the agouti allele in the Japanese house mouse identify a novel variant of the agouti gene.

It has been thought that the Japanese house mouse carries the A allele at the agouti locus causing light-colored bellies, but they do not always show this coloration. Thus, the presence of the A allele seems to be doubtful in them. To ascertain whether the A allele is present, a two-pronged approach was used.

Dispersal limitation promotes the diversification of the mammalian gut microbiota.

The gut bacterial communities of mammals have profound effects on host fitness, but the processes that generate and maintain gut bacterial diversity remain poorly understood. We mapped compositional variation (i.e.

Links between Natural Variation in the Microbiome and Host Fitness in Wild Mammals.

Recent studies in model organisms have shown that compositional variation in the microbiome can affect a variety of host phenotypes including those related to digestion, development, immunity, and behavior. Natural variation in the microbiome within and between natural populations and species may also affect host phenotypes and thus fitness in the wild. Here, I review recent evidence that compositional variation in the microbiome may affect host phenotypes and fitness in wild mammals.

Spatial Heterogeneity of Gut Microbial Composition along the Gastrointestinal Tract in Natural Populations of House Mice.

There is a growing appreciation of the role of gut microbial communities in host biology. However, the nature of variation in microbial communities among different segments of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is not well understood. Here, we describe microbial communities from ten different segments of the GI tract (mouth, esophagus, stomach, duodenum, ileum, proximal cecum, distal cecum, colon, rectum, and feces) in wild house mice using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing.

Isolation and characterization of Neisseria musculi sp. nov., from the wild house mouse.

Members of the genus Neisseria have been isolated from or detected in a wide range of animals, from non-human primates and felids to a rodent, the guinea pig. By means of selective culture, biochemical testing, Gram staining and PCR screening for the Neisseria-specific internal transcribed spacer region of the rRNA operon, we isolated four strains of the genus Neisseria from the oral cavity of the wild house mouse, Mus musculus subsp. domesticus.

Speciation and reduced hybrid female fertility in house mice.

In mammals, intrinsic postzygotic isolation has been well studied in males but has been less studied in females, despite the fact that female gametogenesis and pregnancy provide arenas for hybrid sterility or inviability that are absent in males. Here, we asked whether inviability or sterility is observed in female hybrids of Mus musculus domesticus and M. m.

Long Frontal Projections Help Battus philenor (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) Larvae Find Host Plants.

Animals sometimes develop conspicuous projections on or near their heads as, e.g., weaponry, burrowing or digging tools, and probes to search for resources.

Geographical variation of human gut microbial composition.

Although we know there is considerable variation in gut microbial composition within host species, little is known about how this variation is shaped and why such variation exists. In humans, obesity is associated with the relative abundance of two dominant bacterial phyla: an increase in the proportion of Firmicutes and a decrease in the proportion of Bacteroidetes. As there is evidence that humans have adapted to colder climates by increasing their body mass (e.

Cross-experimental analysis of coat color variations and morphological characteristics of the japanese wild mouse, Mus musculus.

There are many coat colors in the laboratory mouse, Mus musculus. On the basis of traditional genetics, there are four loci, A-D, related to coat color expressions. As shown by previous studies, Japanese wild mice have gray backs and white bellies and are assumed to carry the A(w) allele at the A (agouti) locus, which is dominant over any other alleles.