Advances in bat gut microbiota research

doi:10.16829/j.slxb.151100

Abstract

Abstract: Bats (Chiroptera) are one of the most species-diverse groups of mammals, boasting a wide variety of species and a broad geographic distribution. They not only exhibit diverse feeding habits but also possess a unique immune system and relatively long lifespans, which have led them to develop distinctive adaptive mechanisms over the course of evolution. Although bats serve as natural hosts for various pathogens, they seldom display clinical symptoms—a phenomenon that may indicate a high tolerance to these pathogens or unique immunoregulatory strategies. The composition and function of bat gut microbiota are influenced by multiple factors, including feeding habits, habitat, and seasonal variations, thereby exhibiting a certain degree of uniqueness. This review systematically summarizes the compositional characteristics of bat gut microbiota, explores its association with the host’s feeding habits, and analyzes the impact of the microbial community on host health, with the aim of providing a reference for research on bat gut microbiota.

Key words: Bats (Chiroptera), Gut microbiota, Phylogeny, Dietary strategies, Immune modulation

摘要： 翼手目动物（俗称蝙蝠）是物种多样性最高的哺乳动物类群之一，拥有丰富的种类和广泛的地理分布。不仅表现出多样化的食性，还具有独特的免疫系统和较长的寿命，使其在长期进化过程中形成了独特的适应机制。尽管蝙蝠作为多种病原体的宿主，却很少表现临床症状，这种现象可能表明蝙蝠具有较高的病原体耐受性或独特的免疫调控策略。蝙蝠肠道微生物群的组成和功能受到食性、栖息地与季节等多重因素的影响，呈现出一定的独特性。本文系统综述了蝙蝠肠道微生物群的组成特征，探讨了其与宿主食性之间的关联，并分析了微生物群对宿主健康的影响，以期为蝙蝠肠道菌群相关研究提供参考。

关键词: 蝙蝠（翼手目）, 肠道微生物群, 系统发育, 饮食策略, 免疫调节

CLC Number:

Q958.1

HUANG Xinlei, LANG wei, FENG Jiang, LIU Boyu. Advances in bat gut microbiota research[J]. ACTA THERIOLOGICA SINICA, 2026, 46(5): 638-649.

黄鑫磊, 郎伟, 冯江, 刘博宇. 蝙蝠肠道微生物研究进展[J]. 兽类学报, 2026, 46(5): 638-649.

Add to citation manager EndNote|Ris|BibTeX

URL: https://www.mammal.cn/EN/10.16829/j.slxb.151100

https://www.mammal.cn/EN/Y2026/V46/I5/638

References

Abt M C,Osborne L C,Monticelli L A,Doering T A,Alenghat T, Sonnenberg G F,Paley M A,Antenus M,Williams K L,Erikson J, Wherry E J, Artis D, 2012. Commensal bacteria calibrate the activation threshold of innate antiviral immunity[J]. Immunity, 37 (1):158-170. DOI:10. 1016/j. immuni. 2012. 04. 011.
Abumandour M,Pérez W,2017. Morphological and scanning electron microscopy studies of the stomach of the egyptian fruit bat(Rousettus aegyptiacus)[J]. International Journal of Morphology, 35 (1):242-250. DOI:10. 4067/S0717- 95022017000100040.
Arellano-Hernández H D, Montes-Carreto L M, Guerrero J A, Martinez-Romero E, 2024. The fecal microbiota of the mouse-eared bat (Myotis velifer) with new records of microbial taxa for bats[J]. Public Library of Science ONE, 19 (12):e0314847. DOI:10. 1371/journal. pone. 0314847.
Aylward M, Beselaar L C, Alagaili A N, Amor N M S, Mohammed O B,Kotzé S H,2019. A comparative morphological and histological study of the gastrointestinal tract of four insectivorous bat species:Asellia tridens,Chaerephon pumilus,Nycteris thebaica,Rhinopoma hardwickii[J]. Journal of Morphology,280(8):1106-1117. DOI:10. 1002/jmor. 21004.
Baker M L, Schountz T, Wang L F, 2013. Antiviral immune responses of bats:a review[J]. Zoonoses Public Health,60 (1):104-116. DOI:10. 1111/j. 1863-2378. 2012. 01528. x.
Banerjee A,Baker M L,Kulcsar K,Misra V,Plowright R,Mossman K,2020. Novel insights into immune systems of bats[J]. Front Immunol,11:26. DOI:10. 3389/fimmu. 2020. 00026.
Bárcena C, Valdés-Mas R, Mayoral P, Garabaya C, Durand S, Rodríguez F, Fernández-García M T, Salazar N, Nogacka A M,Garatachea N,Bossut N,Aprahamian F,Lucia A,Kroemer G, Freije J M P, Quirós P M, López-Otín C, 2019. Healthspan and lifespan extension by fecal microbiota transplantation into progeroid mice[J]. Nature Medicine, 25 (8):1234-1242. DOI:10. 1038/s41591-019-0504-5. Bazzoni E,Cacciotto C,Zobba R,Pittau M,Martella V,Alberti A, 2024. Bat ecology and microbiome of the gut:a narrative review of associated potentials in emerging and zoonotic diseases[J]. Animals (Basel), 14 (20):3043. DOI:10. 3390/ani 14203043.
Berman T S, Weinberg M, Moreno K R, Czirják G, Yovel Y, 2023. In sickness and in health:the dynamics of the fruit bat gut microbiota under a bacterial antigen challenge and its association with the immune response[J]. Front Immunol, 14:1152107. DOI:10. 3389/fimmu. 2023. 1152107.
Bernardi F, Ungaro F, D'Amico F, Zilli A, Parigi T L, Massimino L,Allocca M,Danese S,Furfaro F,2024. The role of viruses in the pathogenesis of immune-mediated gastro-intestinal diseases[J]. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 25(15):8301. DOI:10. 3390/ijms25158301.
Borrego-Ruiz A,Borrego J J,2024. Influence of human gut microbiome on the healthy and the neurodegenerative aging[J]. Experimental Gerontology, 194:112497. DOI:10. 1016/j. exger. 2024. 112497.
Carey H V, Walters W A,Knight R, 2013. Seasonal restructuring of the ground squirrel gut microbiota over the annual hibernation cycle[J]. American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 304 (1):R33-R42. DOI:10. 1152/ajpregu. 00387. 2012.
Carrillo-Araujo M, Taş N, Alcántara-Hernández R J, Gaona O, Schondube J E, Medellín R A, Jansson J K, Falcón L I, 2015. Phyllostomid bat microbiome composition is associated to host phylogeny and feeding strategies[J]. Front Microbiol, 6:447. DOI:10. 3389/fmicb. 2015. 00447.
Caviedes-Vidal E, McWhorter T J, Lavin S R, Chediack J G, Tracy C R, Karasov W H, 2007. The digestive adaptation of flying vertebrates:high intestinal paracellular absorption compensates for smaller guts[J]. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 104 (48):19132-19137. DOI:10. 1073/pnas. 0703159104.
Clark R I,Salazar A,Yamada R,Fitz-Gibbon S,Morselli M,Alcaraz J,Rana A,Rera M,Pellegrini M,Ja W W,Walker D W, 2015. Distinct shifts in microbiota composition during drosophila aging impair intestinal function and drive mortality[J]. Cell Reports, 12 (10):1656-1667. DOI:10. 1016/j. celrep. 2015. 08. 004.
Cooper L N,Ansari M Y,Capshaw G,Galazyuk A,Lauer A M, Moss C F,Sears K E,Stewart M,Teeling E C,Wilkinson G S,Wilson R C,Zwaka T P,Orman R,2024. Bats as instructive animal models for studying longevity and aging[J]. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1541 (1):10-23. DOI:10. 1111/nyas. 15233.
Dai W T,Leng H X,Li J,Li A Q,Li Z L,Zhu Y,Li X L,Jin LR,Sun K P,Feng J,2024. The role of host traits and geography in shaping the gut microbiome of insectivorous bats[J]. mSphere,9 (4). DOI:10. 1128/msphere. 00087-24.
Datul B B, Flores R J D, Montecillo A D, De Leon M P, 2024. Gut bacterial community profile of frugivorous bats from cathedral cave in cavinti,laguna,philippines[J]. Microbiology Resource Announcements, 13 (9):e0042624. DOI:10. 1128/ mra. 00426-24.
Delsuc F,Metcalf J L,Wegener Parfrey L,Song S J,González A, Knight R, 2014. Convergence of gut microbiomes in myrmecophagous mammals[J]. Molecular Ecology, 23 (6):1301-1317. DOI:10. 1098/rspb. 2023. 2223.
Demian W L,Cormier O,Mossman K,2024. Immunological features of bats:resistance and tolerance to emerging viruses[J]. Trends Immunol,45 (3):198-210. DOI:10. 1016/j. it. 2024. 01. 008.
Dietrich M, Kearney T, Seamark E C, Markotter W, 2017. The excreted microbiota of bats:evidence of niche specialisation based on multiple body habitats[J]. FEMS Microbiology Letters, 364 (1):fnw284. DOI:10. 1093/femsle/fnw284.
Dietrich M, Kearney T, Seamark E C J, Paweska J T, Markotter W,2018. Synchronized shift of oral,faecal and urinary microbiotas in bats and natural infection dynamics during seasonal reproduction[J]. Royal Society Open Science,5 (5):180041. DOI:10. 1098/rsos. 180041.
Edenborough K M, Mu A, Mühldorfer K, Lechner J, Lander A, Bokelmann M, Couacy-Hymann E, Radonic A, Kurth A, 2020. Microbiomes in the insectivorous bat species Mops condylurus rapidly converge in captivity[J]. Public Library of Science ONE, 15 (3):e0223629. DOI:10. 1371/journal. pone. 0223629.
Fan C,Zhang L,Jia S,Tang X,Fu H,Li W,Liu C,Zhang H, Cheng Q,Zhang Y,2022. Seasonal variations in the composition and functional profiles of gut microbiota reflect dietary changes in plateau pikas[J]. Integrative Zoology, 17 (3):379-395. DOI:10. 1111/1749-4877. 12630.
Fassarella M,Blaak E E,Penders J,Nauta A,Smidt H,Zoetendal E G,2021. Gut microbiome stability and resilience:elucidating the response to perturbations in order to modulate gut health[J]. Gut, 70 (3):595-605. DOI:10. 1136/gutjnl- 2020-321747.
Federici L,Masulli M,De Laurenzi V,Allocati N,2022. An overview of bats microbiota and its implication in transmissible diseases[J]. Frontiers in Microbiology, 13:1012189. DOI:10. 3389/fmicb. 2022. 1012189.
Fleischer R,Schmid D W,Wasimuddin, Brändel S D, Rasche A, Corman V M,Drosten C,Tschapka M,Sommer S,2022. Interaction between MHC diversity and constitution, gut microbiota and astrovirus infections in a neotropical bat[J]. Molecular Ecology,31 (12):3342-3359. DOI:10. 1111/mec. 16491.
Fofanov V Y,Furstenau T N,Sanchez D,Hepp C M,Cocking J, Sobek C,Pagel N,Walker F,Chambers C L,2018. Guano exposed:impact of aerobic conditions on bat fecal microbiota[J]. Ecology And Evolution,8 (11):5563-5574. DOI:10. 1002/ ece3. 4084.
Gaona O, Gómez-Acata E S, Cerqueda-García D, Neri-Barrios C X,Falcón L I,2019. Fecal microbiota of different reproductive stages of the central population of the lesser-long nosed bat,Leptonycteris yerbabuenae[J]. Public Library of Science ONE,14(7):e0219982. DOI:10. 1371/journal. pone. 0219982.
Gill N,Finlay B B,2011. The gut microbiota:challenging immunology[J]. Nature Reviews Immunology,11 (10):636-637. DOI:10. 1038/nri3061.
Hammer T J,Sanders J G,Fierer N,2019. Not all animals need a microbiome[J]. FEMS Microbiology Letters, 366 (10):fnac058. DOI:10. 1093/femsle/fnz117.
Haneishi Y,Furuya Y,Hasegawa M,Picarelli A,Rossi M,Miyamoto J, 2023. Inflammatory bowel diseases and gut microbiota[J]. International Journal of Molecular Sciences,24 (4):3817. DOI:10. 3390/ijms24043817.
Hang S,Paik D,Yao L,Kim E,Trinath J,Lu J,Ha S,Nelson B N,Kelly S P,Wu L,Zheng Y,Longman R S,Rastinejad F, Devlin A S, Krout M R, Fischbach M A, Littman D R, Huh J R, 2019. Bile acid metabolites control TH17 and Tregcell differentiation[J]. Nature, 576 (7785):143-148. DOI:10. 1038/s41586-019-1785-z.
Hashimi M,Sebrell T A,Hedges J F,Snyder D,Lyon K N,Byrum S D, Mackintosh S G, Crowley D, Cherne M D, Skwarchuk D,Robison A,Sidar B,Kunze A,Loveday E K, Taylor M P,Chang C B,Wilking J N,Walk S T,Schountz T, Jutila M A,Bimczok D,2023. Antiviral responses in a Jamaican fruit bat intestinal organoid model of SARS-CoV-2 infection[J]. Nature Communications, 14 (1):6882. DOI:10. 1038/s41467-023-42610-x.
Henry R,Galbraith P,Coutts S,Prosser T,Boyce J,McCarthy D T, 2018. What's the risk? Identifying potential human pathogens within grey-headed flying foxes faeces[J]. Public Library of Science ONE,13 (1):e0191301. DOI:10. 1371/journal. pone. 0191301.
Hölzer M,Schoen A,Wulle J,Müller M A,Drosten C,Marz M, Weber F, 2019. Virus- and interferon alpha-induced transcriptomes of cells from the microbat Myotis daubentonii[J]. iScience,19:647-661. DOI:10. 1016/j. isci. 2019. 08. 016.
Huang L,Dai W T,Sun X Y,Pu Y T,Feng J,Jin L R,Sun K P, 2025. Diet-driven diversity of antibiotic resistance genes in wild bats:implications for public health[J]. Microbiological Research,293:128086. DOI:10. 1016/j. micres. 2025. 128086.
Ingala M R,Becker D J,Bak Holm J,Kristiansen K,Simmons N B, 2019. Habitat fragmentation is associated with dietary shifts and microbiota variability in common vampire bats[J]. Ecology And Evolution, 9 (11):6508-6523. DOI:10. 1002/ece3. 5228.
Ingala M R, Simmons N B, Wultsch C, Krampis K, Speer K A, Perkins S L,2018. Comparing microbiome sampling methods in a wild mammal:fecal and intestinal samples record different signals of host ecology, evolution[J]. Frontiers in Microbiology, 9:00803. DOI:10. 3389/fmicb. 2018. 00803.
Jain R,Pandey A,Pasupuleti M,Pande V,2017. Prolonged production and aggregation complexity of cold-active lipase from Pseudomonas proteolytica (GBPI_Hb61) isolated from cold desert Himalaya[J]. Molecular Biotechnology, 59:34-45. DOI:10. 1007/s12033-016-9989-z.
Jang D-H, Shin J-W, Shim E, Ohtani N, Jeon O H, 2024. The connection between aging, cellular senescence and gut microbiome alterations:a comprehensive review[J]. Aging Cell, 23(10):14315. DOI:10. 1111/acel. 14315.
Jones D N,Ravelomanantsoa N A F,Yeoman C J,Plowright R K, Brook C E,2022. Do gastrointestinal microbiomes play a role in bats' unique viral hosting capacity?[J]. Trends in Microbiology,30 (7):632-642. DOI:10. 1016/j. tim. 2021. 12. 009.
Koh A,De Vadder F,Kovatcheva-Datchary P,Bäckhed F,2016. From dietary fiber to host physiology:short-chain fatty acids as key bacterial metabolites[J]. Cell,165 (6):1332-1345. DOI:10. 1016/j. cell. 2016. 05. 041.
Le Bouguénec C, Schouler C, 2011. Sugar metabolism, an additional virulence factor in enterobacteria[J]. International Journal of Medical Microbiology, 301 (1):1-6. DOI:10. 1016/j. ijmm. 2010. 04. 021.
Li J, Li L, Jiang H, Yuan L, Zhang L, Ma J E, Zhang X, Cheng M, Chen J, 2018. Fecal bacteriome and mycobiome in bats with diverse diets in South China[J]. Current Microbiology, 75 (10):1352-1361. DOI:10. 1007/s00284-018-1530-0.
Li Z H,Xiong W X,Liang Z,Wang J Y,Zeng Z Y,Kolat D, Li X, Zhou D, Xu X W, Zhao L Y, 2024a. Critical role of the gut microbiota in immune responses and cancer immunotherapy[J]. Journal of Hematology&Oncology,17 (1):33. DOI:10. 1186/s13045-024-01541-w.
Liu B,Chen X,Zhou L,Li J,Wang D,Yang W,Wu H,Yao J, Yang G,Wang C,Feng J,Jiang T,2022. The gut microbiota of bats confers tolerance to influenza virus (H1N1) infection in mice[J]. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 69 (5):e1469-e1487. DOI:10. 1111/tbed. 14478.
Liu S,Du J,Chen Y,Fan Q,Yue X,Zhao L,Guo D,Wang Y, 2025. Impact of gender and reproductive states on diets and intestinal microbiota in Pratt's leaf-nosed bats (Hipposideros pratti)[J]. Comp Biochem Physiol Part D Genomics Proteomics,54:101459. DOI:10. 1016/j. cbd. 2025. 101459.
Liu S,Xiao Y,Wang X,Guo D,Wang Y,Wang Y,2023. Effects of microhabitat temperature variations on the gut microbiotas of free-living hibernating animals[J]. Microbiology Spectrum,11 (4). DOI:10. 1128/spectrum. 00433-23.
Luo S,Huang X,Chen S,Li J,Wu H,He Y,Zhou L,Liu B, Feng J, 2025. The gut microbiota of the greater horseshoe bat confers rapidly corresponding immune cells in mice[J]. Animals, 15 (5):14478. DOI:10. 1111/tbed. 14478.
Lutz H L,Jackson E W,Webala P W,Babyesiza W S,Kerbis Peterhans J C, Demos T C, Patterson B D, Gilbert J A, 2019. Ecology and host identity outweigh evolutionary history in shaping the bat microbiome[J]. mSystems,4 (6):e00511-19. DOI:10. 1128/mSystems. 00511-19.
Maukonen M,Koponen K K,Havulinna A S,Kaartinen N E,Niiranen T, Méric G, Pajari A-M, Knight R, Salomaa V, Männistö S, 2024. Associations of plant-based foods, red and processed meat, and dairy with gut microbiome in Finnish adults[J]. European Journal of Nutrition,63 (6):2247-2260. DOI:10. 1007/s00394-024-03406-x.
Melville D W, Meyer M, Risely A, Wilhelm K, Baldwin H J, Badu E K, Nkrumah E E, Oppong S K, Schwensow N, Tschapka M,Vallo P,Corman V M,Drosten C,Sommer S, 2025. Hibecovirus (genus Betacoronavirus) infection linked to gut microbial dysbiosis in bats[J]. International Society for Microbial Ecology Communications, 5 (1):ycae154. DOI:10. 1093/ismeco/ycae154.
Mena Canata D A,Benfato M S,Pereira F D,Ramos Pereira M J, Hackenhaar F S,Mann M B,Frazzon A P G,Rampelotto P H, 2024. Comparative analysis of the gut microbiota of bat species with different feeding habits[J]. Biology (Basel), 13 (6):363. DOI:10. 3390/biology13060363.
Moon C D,Young W,Maclean P H,Cookson A L,Bermingham E N,2018. Metagenomic insights into the roles of Proteobacteria in the gastrointestinal microbiomes of healthy dogs and cats[J]. Microbiologyopen, 7 (5):e677. DOI:10. 1002/ mbo3. 677.
Morni M A,William-Dee J,Jinggong E R,Al-Shuhada Sabaruddin N,Azhar N A A,Iman M A,Larsen P A,Seelan J S S,Bilung L M,Khan F A A,2025. Gut microbiome community profiling of Bornean bats with different feeding guilds[J]. Anim Microbiome,7 (1):21. DOI:10. 1186/s42523-025-00389-w.
Mukhopadhya I, Hansen R, El-Omar E M, Hold G L, 2012. IBD-what role do proteobacteria play?[J]. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology,9 (4):219-230. DOI:10. 1038/ nrgastro. 2012. 14.
O'Shea T J,Cryan P M,Cunningham A A,Fooks A R,Hayman D T,Luis A D,Peel A J,Plowright R K,Wood J L,2014. Bat flight and zoonotic viruses[J]. Emerging Infectious Diseases,20(5):741-745. DOI:10. 3201/eid2005. 130539.
Popov I V, Berezinskaia I S, Popov I V, Martiusheva I B, Tkacheva E V,Gorobets V E,Tikhmeneva I A,Aleshukina A V,Tverdokhlebova T I,Chikindas M L,Venema K,Ermakov A M, 2023. Cultivable gut microbiota in synanthropic bats:shifts of its composition and diversity associated with hibernation[J]. Animals (Basel), 13 (23). DOI:10. 3390/ani 13233658.
Popov I V, Popov I V, Chebotareva I P, Tikhmeneva I A, Peshkova D A,Krikunova A A,Tkacheva E V,Algburi A R,Abdulhameed A M,Jargalsaikhan A,Ganbold O,Chikindas M L, Venema K,Ermakov A M,2025. Differences in gut microbiota composition, diversity, and predicted functional activity between wild and captive zoo Carollia perspicillata in a One Health perspective[J]. Brazilian Journal of Microbiology, 56 (2):1291-1302. DOI:10. 1007/s42770-025-01630-z.
Prem Anand A A,Sripathi K,2004. Digestion of cellulose and xylan by symbiotic bacteria in the intestine of the Indian flying fox(Pteropus giganteus)[J]. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol, 139 (1):65-69. DOI:10. 1016/j. cbpb. 2004. 07. 006
Reikvam D H, Erofeev A, Sandvik A, Grcic V, Jahnsen F L, Gaustad P,McCoy K D,Macpherson A J,Meza-Zepeda L A, Johansen F E,2011. Depletion of murine intestinal microbiota:effects on gut mucosa and epithelial gene expression[J]. Public Library of Science ONE,6 (3):e17996. DOI:10. 1371/journal. pone. 0017996.
Ross F C, Patangia D, Grimaud G, Lavelle A, Dempsey E M, Ross R P,Stanton C,2024. The interplay between diet and the gut microbiome:implications for health and disease[J]. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 22 (11):671-686. DOI:10. 1038/ s41579-024-01068-4.
Rosser E C,Oleinika K,Tonon S,Doyle R,Bosma A,Carter N A,Harris K A,Jones S A,Klein N,Mauri C,2014. Regulatory B cells are induced by gut microbiota-driven interleukin-1β and interleukin-6 production[J]. Nature Medicine, 20 (11):1334-1339. DOI:10. 1038/nm. 3680.
Smith P,Willemsen D,Popkes M,Metge F,Gandiwa E,Reichard M,Valenzano D R,2017. Regulation of life span by the gut microbiota in the short-lived African turquoise killifish[J]. Elife, 6:27014. DOI:10. 7554/eLife. 27014.
Song S J,Sanders J G,Delsuc F,Metcalf J,Amato K,Taylor M W,Mazel F,Lutz H L,Winker K,Graves G R,Humphrey G,Gilbert J A,Hackett S J,White K P,Skeen H R,Kurtis S M,Withrow J,Braile T,Miller M,McCracken K G,Maley J M,Ezenwa V O,Williams A,Blanton J M,McKenzie V J, Knight R,2020. Comparative analyses of vertebrate gut microbiomes reveal convergence between birds and bats[J]. mBio, 11(1):e02901-19. DOI:10. 1128/mBio. 02901-19.
Steed A L, Christophi G P, Kaiko G E, Sun L, Goodwin V M, Jain U,Esaulova E,Artyomov M N,Morales D J,Holtzman M J, Boon A C M,Lenschow D J,Stappenbeck T S,2017. The microbial metabolite desaminotyrosine protects from influenza through type I interferon[J]. Science, 357 (6350):498-502. DOI:10. 1126/science. aam5336.
Suarez R K,Welch K C,2017. Sugar metabolism in hummingbirds and nectar bats[J]. Nutrients, 9 (7):743. DOI:10. 3390/ nu9070743.
Sun M F,Zhu Y L,Zhou Z L,Jia X B,Xu Y D,Yang Q,Cui C, Shen Y Q, 2018. Neuroprotective effects of fecal microbiota transplantation on MPTP-induced Parkinson's disease mice:gut microbiota, glial reaction and TLR4/TNF-α signaling pathway[J]. Brain Behavior and Immunity, 70:48-60. DOI:10. 1016/j. bbi. 2018. 02. 005.
Tarango M,Kolby J E,Goodman O L B,Anderson C J,Tinsman J,Kirkey J,Liew A,Jones M,Firth C,Reaser J K,2025. Going batty:US bat imports raise concerns for species conservation and human health[J]. One Health, 20:100999. DOI:10. 1016/j. onehlt. 2025. 100999.
Turnbaugh P J, Gordon J I, 2009. The core gut microbiome, energy balance and obesity[J]. The Journal of Physiology, 587(17):4153-4158. DOI:10. 1113/jphysiol. 2009. 174136.
Ur Rahman Shah S A,Hao Y,Tang B,Ahmad M,He D,Nabi G, Zheng J,Wan X,Wang C,Wang K,2025. The association of seasonal dietary shift with fecal metabolome and microbiota in the captive Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis)[J]. Environmental Research, 271:121082. DOI:10. 1016/j. envres. 2025. 121082.
Van Hul M,Cani P D,Petitfils C,De Vos W M,Tilg H,El-Omar E M,2024. What defines a healthy gut microbiome?[J]. Gut, 73 (11):1893-1908. DOI:10. 1136/gutjnl-2024-333378.
Vengust M,Knapic T,Weese J S,2018. The fecal bacterial microbiota of bats;Slovenia[J]. Public Library of Science ONE,13(5):e0196728. DOI:10. 1371/journal. pone. 0196728.
Víquez R L, Speer K, Wilhelm K, Simmons N, Medellín R A, Sommer S,Tschapka M,2021. A faithful gut:core features of gastrointestinal microbiota of long-distance migratory bats remain stable despite dietary shifts driving differences in specific bacterial taxa[J]. Microbiology Spectrum,9 (3):e01525-21. DOI:10. 1128/Spectrum. 01525-21.
Wasimuddin,Brändel S D,Tschapka M,Page R,Rasche A,Corman V M,Drosten C,Sommer S,2018. Astrovirus infections induce age-dependent dysbiosis in gut microbiomes of bats[J]. The ISME Journal, 12 (12):2883-2893. DOI:10. 1038/ s41396-018-0239-1
Wilhoit K,Yamanouchi S,Chen B-J,Yamasaki Y Y,Ishikawa A, Inoue J, Iwasaki W, Kitano J, 2025. Convergent evolution and predictability of gene copy numbers associated with diets in mammals[J]. Genome Biology and Evolution, 17 (2):evaf008. DOI:10. 1093/gbe/evaf008.
Wong A C P,Lau S K P,Woo P C Y,2025. Bats as a mixing vessel for generation of novel coronaviruses:Co-circulation and co-infection of coronaviruses and other viruses[J]. Virology, 604:110426. DOI:10. 1016/j. virol. 2025. 110426.
Wu H,Xing Y,Sun H,Mao X,2019. Gut microbial diversity in two insectivorous bats:Insights into the effect of different sampling sources[J]. Microbiologyopen, 8 (4):e00670, DOI:10. 1002/mbo3. 670.
Xiao G, Liu S, Xiao Y, Zhu Y, Zhao H, Li A, Li Z, Feng J, 2019. Seasonal changes in gut microbiota diversity and composition in the greater horseshoe bat[J]. Frontiers in Microbiology, 10:2247. DOI:10. 3389/fmicb. 2019. 02247.
Xiao Y,Wu Y,Sun K,Wang H,Zhang B,Song S,Du Z,Jiang T,Shi L,Wang L,Lin A,Yue X,Li C,Chen T,Feng J, 2015. Differential expression of hepatic genes of the greater horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum) between the summer active and winter torpid states[J]. Public Library of Science ONE, 10 (12):e0145702. DOI:10. 1371/journal. pone. 0145702.
Zepeda Mendoza M L,Xiong Z,Escalera-Zamudio M,Runge A K, Thézé J,Streicker D,Frank H K,Loza-Rubio E,Liu S,Ryder O A,Samaniego Castruita J A,Katzourakis A,Pacheco G, Taboada B, Löber U, Pybus O G, Li Y, Rojas-Anaya E, Bohmann K,Carmona Baez A,Arias C F,Liu S,Greenwood A D, Bertelsen M F, White N E, Bunce M, Zhang G, Sicheritz-Pontén T,Gilbert M P T,2018. Hologenomic adaptations underlying the evolution of sanguivory in the common vampire bat[J]. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 2 (4):659-668. DOI:10. 1038/s41559-018-0476-8.
Zhang G,Cowled C,Shi Z,Huang Z,Bishop-Lilly K A,Fang X, Wynne J W, Xiong Z, Baker M L, Zhao W, Tachedjian M, Zhu Y, Zhou P, Jiang X, Ng J, Yang L, Wu L, Xiao J, Feng Y,Chen Y,Sun X,Zhang Y,Marsh G A,Crameri G, Broder C C,Frey K G,Wang L F,Wang J,2013. Comparative analysis of bat genomes provides insight into the evolution of flight and immunity[J]. Science,339 (6118):456-460. DOI:10. 1126/science. 1230835.
Zhao T,Wei Y,Zhu Y,Xie Z,Hai Q,Li Z,Qin D,2022. Gut microbiota and rheumatoid arthritis:From pathogenesis to novel therapeutic opportunities[J]. Frontiers in Immunology, 13:1007165. DOI:10. 3389/fimmu. 2022. 1007165.
Zhou P, Tachedjian M, Wynne J W, Boyd V, Cui J, Smith I, Cowled C,Ng J H,Mok L,Michalski W P,Mendenhall I H, Tachedjian G, Wang L F, Baker M L, 2016. Contraction of the type I IFN locus and unusual constitutive expression of IFN-α in bats[J]. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 113 (10):2696-2701. DOI:10. 1073/pnas. 1518240113.
Zoetendal E G, Raes J, van den Bogert B, Arumugam M, Booijink C C,Troost F J,Bork P,Wels M,de Vos W M,Kleerebezem M, 2012. The human small intestinal microbiota is driven by rapid uptake and conversion of simple carbohydrates[J]. The ISME Journal, 6 (7):1415-1426. DOI:10. 1038/ismej. 2011. 212.

[1]	GAO Xiaolong, ZHANG Wanxiang, ZHAI Hongjuan, ZHU Hanyi, ZHANG Zhibin. The role of gut microbiota differences in the coexistence of norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) and Asian house rats (Rattus tanezumi) in Hainan [J]. ACTA THERIOLOGICA SINICA, 2026, 46(5): 705-719.
[2]	ZHANG Zewei, WANG Siyu, LI Guoliang. Effects of habitat type and seasonal changes on the gut microbiota of Brandt’s voles [J]. ACTA THERIOLOGICA SINICA, 2026, 46(5): 688-704.
[3]	XUE Qiyuan, CAI He, ZHANG Yifei, GAO Yi, GUO Qiuying, ZHANG Zhihui, JIN Zhimin, ZHANG Junsheng, LIU Zhu. Gut microbiota structure and function in Sorex caecutiens across different seasons within the same region [J]. ACTA THERIOLOGICA SINICA, 2026, 46(5): 734-743.
[4]	ZHANG Tianxin, ZHU Wanlong. Cross-scale physiological and ecological effects of gut microbiota in small mammals under food restriction [J]. ACTA THERIOLOGICA SINICA, 2026, 46(5): 650-669.
[5]	WANG Binpeng, ZHANG Danhui, YANG Zhimei, PAN Yueting, LUO Xiaobin, MO Ran, ZAN Linsen, WANG Xiaoyu, MEI Chugang. Analysis of structural and functional differences in the gut microbiota between juvenile and adult captive giant pandas in the Qinling region [J]. ACTA THERIOLOGICA SINICA, 2026, 46(5): 744-758.
[6]	LIU Qing, PENG Buqing, DENG Yu, LIU Shuang, WANG Jing, GUO Keji, GUO Xianglong, Abu ul Hassan Faiz, LIU Shaoying, CHEN Shunde. Taxonomic status of Suncus etruscus in China and the first record of the genus Suncus from the Xizang Autonomous Region [J]. ACTA THERIOLOGICA SINICA, 2026, 46(4): 544-554.
[7]	Mingkun TANG, Xuming WANG, Yingxun LIU, Rui LIAO, Buqing PENG, Xin WANG, Shaoying LIU. A taxonomic and phylogenetic study of the genus Rhizomys (Rodentia: Spalacidae) in China [J]. ACTA THERIOLOGICA SINICA, 2026, 46(3): 307-319.
[8]	Yishun QIAN, Xin MOU, Bin LUO, Xiaoping LI, Yunli LUO, Song LI. Two new species of Myotis (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from southwestern China [J]. ACTA THERIOLOGICA SINICA, 2026, 46(3): 320-336.
[9]	Yuting SUN, Dongdong YANG, Yinhu LI, Congran GONG, Han HU, Lina SU, Peiwei LI, Yan LIU, Hongfeng ZHANG, Xiaomin WU. Effect of sex on the gut microbiota of Tibetan antelopes [J]. ACTA THERIOLOGICA SINICA, 2026, 46(2): 278-286.
[10]	Yuxiang LI, Xi TIAN, Chunbing LIU, Li YU. The effects of captivity on gut microbiota of wild mammals [J]. ACTA THERIOLOGICA SINICA, 2026, 46(1): 1-19.
[11]	NIE Yonggang, ZHANG Chao, GAO Huayao, LIU Hanqing, XIE Bing. Advances in conservation research of large- and medium-sized terrestrial mammals in China [J]. ACTA THERIOLOGICA SINICA, 2025, 45(5): 559-576.
[12]	SUN Kai, ZHU Zhaoling, Naheya, HAO Shuxiang, LIANG Yongliang, XU Hao, Alima, LIU Zhen-sheng, TENG Liwei. Gender difference in gut microbiota composition of blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) on the eastern slope of the Helan Mountains between summer and winter [J]. ACTA THERIOLOGICA SINICA, 2025, 45(4): 492-502.
[13]	LIU Yingxun, PENG Buqing, WANG Xuming, LIAO Rui, PAN Xuan, LIU Shaoying. First record of Nepalese brown-toothed shrew (Episoriculus soluensis) in China [J]. ACTA THERIOLOGICA SINICA, 2024, 44(5): 551-557.
[14]	ZHAO Xing, MA Rui, WU Wei, LI Mingxi, CHEN Chao, ZHOU Yanshan, HONG Mingsheng, QI Dunwu. Changing patterns of cortisol and gut microbiota in Ailurus fulgens under different living environments [J]. ACTA THERIOLOGICA SINICA, 2024, 44(4): 427-435.
[15]	ZHU Changyue, ZHONG Xukai, WANG Yuxin, LI Wenyong, QI Xuming, FAN Pengfei. Pelage colour change in Hainan gibbon (Nomascus hainanus) [J]. ACTA THERIOLOGICA SINICA, 2024, 44(1): 1-13.