Gut microbiome alterations and hepatic metabolic flexibility in the Gansu zokor, Eospalax cansus: adaptation to hypoxic niches

The Gansu zokor (Eospalax cansus), a typical subterranean rodent endemic to the Chinese Loess Plateau, spends almost the whole life in its self-constructed underground burrows and has strong adaptability to ambient hypoxia. Energy adaptation is the key to supporting hypoxia tolerance, and recent studies have shown that the intestinal microbiota has evident effect on energy metabolism. However, how the gut microbiome of Gansu zokor will change in response to hypoxia and the metabolic role played by microbiome have not been reported. Thus, we exposed Gansu zokors to severe hypoxia of 6.5% O2 (6 or 44 hours) or moderate hypoxia of 10.5% O2 (44 hours or 4 weeks) and then analyzed 16S rRNA sequencing, metagenomic sequencing, liver carbohydrate metabolites and related molecular levels. Our results showed that hypoxia altered the microbiota composition of Gansu zokor, and the relative contribution of Ileibacterium to carbohydrate metabolism became increased under hypoxia, such as glycolysis and fructose metabolism.