title: Effects of vendor and genetic background on the composition of the fecal microbiota of inbred mice.
abstract: The commensal gut microbiota has been implicated as a determinant in several human diseases and conditions. There is mounting evidence that the gut microbiota of laboratory mice (Mus musculus) similarly modulates the phenotype of mouse models used to study human disease and development. While differing model phenotypes have been reported using mice purchased from different vendors, the composition and uniformity of the fecal microbiota in mice of various genetic backgrounds from different vendors is unclear. Using culture-independent methods and robust statistical analysis, we demonstrate significant differences in the richness and diversity of fecal microbial populations in mice purchased from two large commercial vendors. Moreover, the abundance of many operational taxonomic units, often identified to the species level, as well as several higher taxa, differed in vendor- and strain-dependent manners. Such differences were evident in the fecal microbiota of weanling mice and persisted throughout the study, to twenty-four weeks of age. These data provide the first in-depth analysis of the developmental trajectory of the fecal microbiota in mice from different vendors, and a starting point from which researchers may be able to refine animal models affected by differences in the gut microbiota and thus possibly reduce the number of animals required to perform studies with sufficient statistical power.
authors: Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America; Mutant Mouse Resource and Research Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America; University of Missouri Metagenomics Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America.
authors: Aaron C
authors: AC
authors: Ericsson
authors: Department of Biostatistics, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America.
authors: J Wade
authors: JW
authors: Davis
authors: Informatics Research Core Facility, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America.
authors: William
authors: W
authors: Spollen
authors: DNA Core Facility, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America.
authors: Nathan
authors: N
authors: Bivens
authors: Informatics Research Core Facility, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America.
authors: Scott
authors: S
authors: Givan
authors: Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America.
authors: Catherine E
authors: CE
authors: Hagan
authors: DNA Core Facility, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America; Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America.
authors: Mark
authors: M
authors: McIntosh
authors: Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America; Mutant Mouse Resource and Research Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America; University of Missouri Metagenomics Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America.
authors: Craig L
authors: CL
authors: Franklin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory; D044822:Biodiversity; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000382:microbiology; D054892:Metagenome; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology*; D064307:Microbiota; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S