DOI: 10.5061/dryad.wstqjq2t2
title: Something in the water: Aquatic microbial communities influence the larval amphibian gut microbiota, neurodevelopment, and behavior

description: Microorganisms colonize the gastrointestinal tract of animals and
 establish symbiotic host-associated microbial communities that influence
 vertebrate physiology. More specifically, these gut microbial communities
 influence neurodevelopment through the microbiota-gut-brain (MGB) axis. We
 tested the hypothesis that larval amphibian neurodevelopment is affected
 by the aquatic microbial community present in their housing water. Newly
 hatched Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens) tadpoles were raised in
 pond water that was unmanipulated (natural) or autoclaved. Tadpoles raised
 in autoclaved pond water had a gut microbiota with reduced bacterial
 diversity and altered community composition, had decreased behavioral
 responses to sensory stimuli, were larger in overall body mass, had
 relatively heavier brains, and had altered brain shape when compared with
 tadpoles raised in natural pond water. Further, the diversity and
 composition of the gut microbiota was associated with tadpole behavioral
 responses and brain measurements. Our results suggest that aquatic
 microbial communities shape tadpole behavior and brain development,
 providing strong support for the occurrence of the MGB axis in amphibians.
 Lastly, the dramatic role played by aquatic microbial communities on
 vertebrate neurodevelopment and behavior should be considered in future
 wildlife conservation efforts.
description: # Something-in-the-Water 1. Title: **Aquatic microbial communities
 influence the larval amphibian gut microbiota, neurodevelopment, and
 behavior** 2. Author Information A. Principal Investigator Contact
 Information Name: Dr. Sarah Woodley Institution: Duquesne University
 Address: Pittsburgh, PA USA Email: B. Associate
 or Co-investigator Contact Information Name: Kyle Emerson Institution:
 Duquesne University Address: Pittsburgh,PA USA Email:
 3. Date of data collection (single date, range,
 approximate date): 2021-2022 4. Geographic location of data collection:
 Pittsburgh, PA USA 5. Information about funding sources that supported the
 collection of the data: NIH grant P51 OD011092 for operation of the Oregon
 National Primate Research Center. ## SHARING/ACCESS INFORMATION 1. Links
 to publications that cite or use the data: Emerson, Kyle; Woodley, Sarah
 (Forthcoming 2024). Something in the water: Aquatic microbial communities
 influence the larval amphibian gut microbiota, neurodevelopment, and
 behavior. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 1. Recommended citation for
 this dataset: Emerson, Kyle; Woodley, Sarah (Forthcoming 2024). Something
 in the water: Aquatic microbial communities influence the larval amphibian
 gut microbiota, neurodevelopment, and behavior [Dataset]. Dryad.
 ## DATA & FILE
 OVERVIEW 1. File List: A) Emerson_2023_data.xlsx B) Emerson - Sheet
 Information.csv C) Emerson - metadata.csv D) Emerson - Baseline
 Behavior.csv E) Emerson - Empty Vial Behavior.csv F) Emerson - Vial With
 Food Behavior.csv G) Emerson - Food Slurry Behavior.csv 1. Relationship
 between files, if important: File A is the entire data set. File B
 contains all of the abbreviations used in the data files. Files D - G are
 separate files for behavioral assays. 2. Additional related data collected
 that was not included in the current data package: None 3. Are there
 multiple versions of the dataset? No A. If yes, name of file(s) that was
 updated: NA i. Why was the file updated? NA ii. When was the file updated?
 NA ## DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: Emerson - metadata.csv 1. Number of
 variables: 40 2. Number of cases/rows: 72 3. Variable List: *
 Microbial_Trtmt: Whether tadpoles were raised in Natural pond water (1) or
 autoclaved pond water (2) * Replicate: What bin they were housed in *
 Date_Euthanized: Date of euthanasia after dependent variable collection *
 Date_Died: Date a tadpole naturally died during the experiment *
 Corticosterone: Plasma Corticosterone levels (ng/mL) * TW: Telencephalon
 Width (mm) * TL: Telencephalon Length (mm) * OTW: Optic Tectum Width (mm)
 * OTL: Optic Tectum Length (mm) * DW: Diencephalon Width (mm) * DL:
 Diencephalon Length (mm) * MW: Medulla Width (mm) * RC1 - RC3: Principal
 Components 1-3 (PCs) calculated for Relative Brain Shape using Principal
 Component Analysis * ASV: Amplicon Sequence Variants calculated for the
 gut microbiota * Shannon: Shannon Diversity Index calculated for the gut
 microbiota * Faiths: Faith's Phylogenetic Diversity calculated for
 the gut microbiota * VisEmpty_RC1 - RC3: Principal Components 1-3 (PCs)
 calculated for tadpole behavioral responses during the Empty Vial test
 using Principal Component Analysis * VisFood_RC1 - RC3: Principal
 Components 1-3 (PCs) calculated for tadpole behavioral responses during
 the Vial filled with Frog Brittle test using Principal Component Analysis.
 * Olfactory_RC1 - RC3: Principal Components 1-3 (PCs) calculated for
 tadpole behavioral responses during the Food Slurry test using Principal
 Component Analysis. 1. Missing data codes: None 2. Specialized formats or
 other abbreviations used: None ## DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: Emerson -
 Baseline Behavior.csv, Emerson - Empty Vial Behavior.csv, Emerson - Vial
 with Food Behavior. csv, and Emerson - Food Slurry Behavior.csv 1. Number
 of variables: 40 2. Number of cases/rows: 20 3. Variable List: *
 Microbial_Trtmt: Whether tadpoles were raised in Natural pond water (1) or
 autoclaved pond water (2) * Av. Speed: Average Speed of tadpoles during
 behavioral test * Mob. Av. Speed: Average speed of tadpoles when mobile
 during behavioral test * Average Accel: Average acceleration of tadpoles
 during behavioral test * Mobility Rate: Percentage of time mobile of
 tadpoles during behavioral test * Visible Frames: Number of video frames
 in which the tadpole was visible during the behavioral test. * Invisible
 Frames: Number of video frames in which the tadpole was invisible during
 the behavioral test. * Explored areas: Number of different segmented areas
 tadpoles entered during the behavioral test. * Exploration Rate:
 Percentage of total areas tadpoles entered during the behavioral test. *
 Total Distance: Total distance a tadpole traveled during a behavioral
 test. * Frozen Events: Number of instances that a tadpole was not moving
 for longer than one cumulative second during a behavioral test. * Total
 Time Frozen: Total time a tadpole spent stationary during a behavioral
 test. * Average time frozen: Average amount of cumulative time a tadpole
 spent stationary during a behavioral test. * Time in Center: Total time a
 tadpole spent in an area of the arena that was not adjacent to the walls
 of the arena during a behavioral test. * Time near object/cue: Time a
 tadpole spent in the same area as an added visual or olfactory cue during
 a behavioral test. 1. Missing data codes: None 2. Specialized formats or
 other abbreviations used: None ## Abstract and Further Experimental
 Information We tested the hypothesis that larval amphibian
 neurodevelopment is affected by the aquatic microbial community present in
 their housing water. Newly hatched Northern Leopard Frog (*Lithobates
 pipiens*) tadpoles were raised in pond water that was unmanipulated
 (natural) or autoclaved. Tadpoles raised in autoclaved pond water had a
 gut microbiota with reduced bacterial diversity and altered community
 composition, had decreased behavioral responses to sensory stimuli, were
 larger in overall body mass, had relatively heavier brains, and had
 altered brain shape when compared with tadpoles raised in natural pond
 water. Further, the diversity and composition of the gut microbiota were
 associated with tadpole behavioral responses and brain measurements. Our
 results suggest that aquatic microbial communities shape tadpole behavior
 and brain development, providing strong support for the occurrence of the
 MGB axis in amphibians. Lastly, the dramatic role played by aquatic
 microbial communities on vertebrate neurodevelopment and behavior should
 be considered in future wildlife conservation efforts.