Whole genome sequencing of Lactobacillus species isolated from the prairie vole gastrointestinal tract. Lactobacillus species

Prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) are among the relatively few mammalian species that form permanent monogamous pair bonds that are readily quantifiable in the lab. This characteristic makes prairie voles an excellent animal model in which to study the interaction between the gut microbiota and social behavior. Bacteria of the genus Lactobacillus are known to exert beneficial (probiotic) effects on their host. In order to study potentially probiotic traits of lactobacilli, we isolated Lactobacillus strains from the prairie vole gastrointestinal tract and sequenced the genomes of some of these isolates.

草原田鼠（Microtus ochrogaster）是少数可在实验室中便捷量化其永久性一夫一妻配对结合行为的哺乳动物物种之一。这一特性使草原田鼠成为研究肠道菌群与社会行为间相互作用的理想动物模型。乳酸杆菌属（Lactobacillus）细菌已被证实可对宿主产生有益的益生（probiotic）作用。为探究乳酸杆菌潜在的益生特性，我们从草原田鼠的胃肠道中分离得到乳酸杆菌菌株，并对其中部分分离株的基因组进行了测序。