Data from: Synchronized shift of oral, fecal and urinary microbiotas in bats and natural infection dynamics during seasonal reproduction

Seasonal reproduction is a period of extreme physiological and behavioral changes, yet we know little about how it may affect host microbial communities (i.e. microbiota) and pathogen transmission. Here, we investigated shifts of the bacterial microbiota in saliva, urine and faeces during the seasonal reproduction of bats in South Africa, and test for an interaction in shedding patterns of both bacterial (Leptospira) and viral (adeno- and herpes-viruses) agents. Based on a comparative approach in two cave-dwelling bat species and high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, we demonstrated a clear signature in microbiota changes over the reproduction season, consistent across the multiple body habitats investigated, and associated with sex, age and reproductive condition of bats. We observed in parallel highly dynamic shedding patterns for both bacteria and viruses, but did not find a significant association between viral shedding and bacterial microbiota composition. Indeed, only Leptospira shedding was associated with alterations in both the diversity and composition of the urinary microbiota. These results illustrate how seasonal reproduction in bats substantially affects microbiota composition and infection dynamics, and have broad implications for the understanding of disease ecology in important reservoir hosts, such as bats.

季节性繁殖是宿主经历极端生理与行为剧变的阶段，但目前学界对其如何影响宿主微生物群（microbiota）以及病原体传播仍知之甚少。本研究以南非的蝙蝠为研究对象，针对其季节性繁殖阶段，调查了唾液、尿液与粪便中细菌微生物群的动态变化，并检验了细菌（Leptospira，钩端螺旋体属）与病毒（腺病毒、疱疹病毒）的排毒模式是否存在交互作用。本研究通过对两种穴居蝙蝠的比较分析，并结合16S rRNA基因高通量测序技术，证实蝙蝠繁殖季内的微生物群变化存在显著特征，该特征在所有被调查的机体微生境中均保持一致，且与蝙蝠的性别、年龄及繁殖状态显著相关。研究同时观察到细菌与病毒的排毒模式均呈现高度动态性，但未发现病毒排毒与细菌微生物群组成之间存在显著关联。事实上，仅钩端螺旋体的排毒与尿液微生物群的多样性及组成变化均存在关联。上述结果阐明了蝙蝠的季节性繁殖如何显著影响微生物群组成与感染动态，这对于理解蝙蝠等重要自然储存宿主的疾病生态学具有广泛的参考价值。