Comprehensive sampling across seasons and habitats revealed the composition and functional attributes of gut microbiota enterotypes in subterranean rodents
Rodents are global pests due to their broad diets, with gut microbiota enterotypes playing a key role in digestion. This study focuses on the Gansu zokor, a subterranean pest rodent on the Loess Plateau. Through extensive seasonal and habitat sampling, we identified two distinct enterotypes (E1 and E2) with significant differences in diversity and composition. Both are dominated by Bacillota and Bacteroidota, but E2 has a higher Bacillota/Bacteroidota ratio, linked to greater host body weight and BMI. E1 is enriched in probiotics and lipid metabolism genes, while E2 shows more pathogens and genes for terpenoid metabolism. Co-occurrence networks and microbial assembly processes also differ between enterotypes. These findings clarify the gut microbiota's role in zokor adaptation and provide insights for microbial pest control strategies.