Research Unveils How Plateau Animals' Microbes Adapt
Research has uncovered the microbial adaptation mechanisms in animals that inhabit plateau environments.
TroibNews 
A recent study has revealed the significant influence of altitude on the gut microbiota of the plateau pika, a small mammal native to the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau in western China. This research sheds light on the microbial adaptation mechanisms of animals living in high-altitude environments.
The study, carried out by scientists from the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was published in the journal Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part D: Genomics and Proteomics.
The Qinghai-Xizang Plateau presents extreme challenges for animal physiological adaptation due to its low oxygen levels, frigid temperatures, and limited food resources—conditions in which gut microbiota play a vital role.
Qu Jiapeng, a researcher at NWIPB and the study's lead, emphasized the importance of exploring how changes in altitude affect the gut microbiota of plateau animals in order to unveil the microbial ecological mechanisms that facilitate adaptation to these environments.
The research team examined variations in gut microbial community structure and function in plateau pikas at different altitudes on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. They utilized 16S rRNA sequencing and analyses of short-chain fatty acid content to assess the structure, functionality, and metabolic characteristics of gut microbiota across altitudes.
Findings indicated that the diversity and complexity of the gut microbiota in plateau pikas significantly decreased with rising altitude. However, their adaptation to high altitude was supported by an enriched gut microbiome and the upregulation of essential metabolic pathways.
"The study is not only of significance in discovering the ecological adaptation of the plateau pika, but also sheds light on understanding small mammals' adaptation mechanisms to high-altitude environments," Qu stated.
Anna Muller for TROIB News
The study, carried out by scientists from the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was published in the journal Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part D: Genomics and Proteomics.
The Qinghai-Xizang Plateau presents extreme challenges for animal physiological adaptation due to its low oxygen levels, frigid temperatures, and limited food resources—conditions in which gut microbiota play a vital role.
Qu Jiapeng, a researcher at NWIPB and the study's lead, emphasized the importance of exploring how changes in altitude affect the gut microbiota of plateau animals in order to unveil the microbial ecological mechanisms that facilitate adaptation to these environments.
The research team examined variations in gut microbial community structure and function in plateau pikas at different altitudes on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. They utilized 16S rRNA sequencing and analyses of short-chain fatty acid content to assess the structure, functionality, and metabolic characteristics of gut microbiota across altitudes.
Findings indicated that the diversity and complexity of the gut microbiota in plateau pikas significantly decreased with rising altitude. However, their adaptation to high altitude was supported by an enriched gut microbiome and the upregulation of essential metabolic pathways.
"The study is not only of significance in discovering the ecological adaptation of the plateau pika, but also sheds light on understanding small mammals' adaptation mechanisms to high-altitude environments," Qu stated.
Anna Muller for TROIB News
