Study On The Personality And Gut Microbiota Of Phrynocephalus Vlangalii

Animal personality refers to the difference in behavior that does not change over time between individuals and is associated with different situations or environments.Meanwhile,it is often connected with life history or physiology to explain the adaptive evolution of animals to the environment.One of the most widely used theories is the Pace-of-life syndrome(POLS)hypothesis,in which positive individuals(e.g.aggressive,brave,quick to explore,and active)have faster growth rates,earlier reproduction,higher levels of energy metabolism,and shorter life spans than negative individuals.However,few studies are focused on high-altitude species in testing the POLS hypothesis.In fact,the extreme environmental conditions at high altitude could significantly affect the energy income of animals.Thus,a series of adaptive evolution must occur in order to maintain their pace-of-life(POL)in this environment.As verified by large numbers of studies,gut microbiota plays an important role in regulating many physiological functions of animals.However,there are few reports on the relationship between gut microbiota and the personality of high-altitude animals.Elucidating the relationship between gut microbiota and the personality of high-altitude animals is conducive to further revealing the adaptive evolution of high-altitude animals to the environment.In this study,Phrynocephalus vlangalii from two populations of high altitude(Maduo,MD)and low altitude(Delingha,DLH)on the Tibetan Plateau were selected.First of all,four behavioral patterns had been recorded through behavioral observation.Secondly,a test for consistency differences(repeatability within individuals and differences between individuals)was performed to identify personality.And then,the correlation between different personalities was analyzed using behavioral syndromes.What’ more,POLS hypothesis was tested by using principal component analysis to classify individuals with positive(Pos)and negative(Shy)coping styles and compare their growth rates.Finally,16 S r RNA high-throughput sequencing technology was adopted to compare the composition and function of gut microbiota in different coping styles of Phrynocephalus vlangalii,and further explore the relationship between coping styles and gut microbiota.The main results are as follows:1.There were some differences in consistency of behavior of populations at different altitudes.The MD population of Phrynocephalus vlangalii showed consistent differences in four behaviors,namely boldness,exploration,foraging and activity.However,DLH population only had consistent differences in boldness.Namely,only boldness was found in DLH population.2.There were differences in behavioral syndrome among different populations at different altitudes.There was no correlation between personalities,namely no behavior syndrome in DLH population.There were two behavioral syndromes in MD population.Besides,exploration and activity were positively correlated,whereas boldness and foraging were positively correlated.3.The relationship between coping style and physiology was different in different altitude populations.There was a covariation between coping style and growth rate of Phrynocephalus vlangalii MD population,which was consistent with POLS hypothesis.However,no significant relationship was found between DLH population coping style and physiology.4.Coping styles coevolved with intestinal microbiome composition.There were significant differences in gut microbiota Alpha diversity between DLH group and Shy group.Moreover,Shannon and Simpson indexes of intestinal microbe in the Shy group were significantly higher than those in the Pos group,but there was no significant difference in Beta diversity.There was a significant difference in intestinal microbial Beta diversity between Pos group and Shy group in MD population,but no significant difference in Alpha diversity.5.The relationship between coping style and gut microbiota function was different in populations at different altitudes.As shown by KEGG Pathway analysis,the coping styles coevolved with gut microbiota functions in MD population,and the average relative abundance of lipid metabolism,glycan biosynthesis and metabolism,excretory system and xenobiotics biodegradation and metabolism in Pos group was significantly higher than that in Shy group.However,no significant difference in metabolic pathways was found between DLH population Pos group and Shy group.In conclusion,MD population of Phrynocephalus vlangalii has four personalities,with covariation of coping style and physiology,which is consistent with POLS hypothesis.Under the energy constraints of high altitude,positive individuals develop a series of adaptations in order to maintain their rapid growth.In terms of the food access,personalities support each other,boldness is positively correlated with foraging,and braver individuals have more efficient food access.In terms of the food assimilation,coping styles form a coevolutionary relationship with intestinal microbes,and gut microbiota in positive individuals help improve nutrient absorption and assimilation rates of the host.However,there is no behavioral syndrome in DLH population.Besides,no significant correlation is found between coping style and growth rate and gut microbiota function,which may be due to its abundant resources in distribution area and low energy selection pressure.Based on the POLS hypothesis,this study has explored the relationship between coping styles and gut microbiota in high-altitude animals,which provides a new idea for the study of high-altitude adaptation in poikilotherms.