Data from: Gut microbiome dysbiosis is associated with host genetics in the Norwegian Lundehund

A group of diseases have been shown to correlate with a phenomenon called
microbiome dysbiosis, where the bacterial species composition of the gut
becomes abnormal. The gut microbiome of an animal is influenced by many
factors including diet, exposures to bacteria during post-gestational
growth, lifestyle, and disease status. Studies also show that host
genetics can affect microbiome composition. We sought to test whether host
genetic background is associated with gut microbiome composition in the
Norwegian Lundehund dog, a highly inbred breed with an effective
population size of 13 individuals. The Lundehund has a high rate of a
protein-losing enteropathy in the small intestine that is often reported
as Lundehund syndrome, which negatively affects longevity and
life-quality. An outcrossing project with the Buhund, Norrbottenspets and
Icelandic sheepdog was recently established to reintroduce genetic
diversity to the Lundehund and improve its health. To assess whether there
was an association between host genetic diversity and the microbiome
composition, we sampled the fecal microbiomes of 75 dogs of the parental
(Lundehund), F1 (Lundehund x Buhund), and F2 (F1 x Lundehund) generations.
We found significant variation in microbiome composition from the parental
Lundehund generation compared to the outcross progeny. The variation
observed in purebred Lundehunds corresponded to dysbiosis as seen by a
highly variable microbiome composition with an elevated Firmicutes to
Bacteroidetes ratio and an increase in the prevalence of Streptococcus
bovis/Streptococcus equinus complex, a known pathobiont that can cause
several diseases. We tracked several other environmental factors including
diet, the presence of a cat in the household, living on a farm and the use
of probiotics, but we did not find evidence of an effect of these on
microbiome composition and alpha diversity. In conclusion, we found an
association between host genetics and gut microbiome composition, which in
turn may be associated with the high incidence of Lundehund syndrome in
the purebred parental dogs.