Associations between memory performance and Bifidobacterium pseudolongum abundance in the canine gut microbiome
Xiaolei Ma,
Lucia Lazarowski,
Yue Zhang,
Sarah Krichbaum,
Jordan G. Smith,
Jingyi Zheng,
Wenqi Cao,
Pamela S. Haney,
Robyn R. Wilborn,
Stuart B. Price,
Melissa Singletary,
Paul Waggoner,
Xu Wang
Affiliations
Xiaolei Ma
Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA; Center for Advanced Science, Innovation and Commerce, Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
Lucia Lazarowski
Canine Performance Sciences Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36489, USA; Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
Yue Zhang
Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
Sarah Krichbaum
Canine Performance Sciences Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36489, USA
Jordan G. Smith
Canine Performance Sciences Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36489, USA; Department of Psychological Sciences, College of Liberal Arts, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
Jingyi Zheng
Department of Mathematics and Statistics, College of Science and Mathematics, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
Wenqi Cao
Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
Pamela S. Haney
Canine Performance Sciences Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36489, USA
Robyn R. Wilborn
Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
Stuart B. Price
Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
Melissa Singletary
Canine Performance Sciences Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36489, USA; Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
Paul Waggoner
Canine Performance Sciences Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36489, USA; Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
Xu Wang
Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA; HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL 35806, USA; Scott-Ritchey Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA; Corresponding author
Summary: Memory has been identified as the least heritable cognitive trait in canines, suggesting a significant influence of non-genetic factors. We observed a trend that overall memory scores (OMS) improve with age in a cohort of 27 young dogs, but considerable plasticity exists. Employing linear discriminant analysis of gut microbiome data from dogs exhibiting low and high OMS, a single bacterial species, Bifidobacterium pseudolongum, was identified and confirmed to be correlated with elevated OMS. Subsequent analysis using a random forest regression model revealed that sex, litter, and breed identity had minimal predictive importance. Age had some predictive value but failed to achieve statistical significance in this dataset. In sharp contrast, the abundance of 17 bacterial taxa in the microbiome showed a stronger predictive capacity for memory performance. Our findings provide insights into microbiome underpinnings of mammalian cognitive functions and suggest avenues for developing psychobiotics to enhance canine memory and learning.
