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Analysis of institutional authors

Casto-Rebollo, CAuthorBlasco, AAuthorIbáñez-Escriche, NCorresponding Author

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Selection for environmental variance shifted the gut microbiome composition driving animal resilience

Publicated to:Microbiome. 11 (1): 147- - 2023-07-04 11(1), DOI: 10.1186/s40168-023-01580-4

Authors: Casto-Rebollo, Cristina; Argente, Maria Jose; Garcia, Maria Luz; Pena, Ramona Natacha; Blasco, Agustin; Ibanez-Escriche, Noelia

Affiliations

Miguel Hernandez Univ, Ctr Invest & Innovac Agroalimentaria & Agroambient - Author
Univ Lleida, AGROTECNIO Ctr, Dept Ciencia Anim, Lleida - Author
Univ Politecn Valencia, Inst Anim Sci & Technol - Author

Abstract

Background Understanding how the host's microbiome shapes phenotypes and participates in the host response to selection is fundamental for evolutionists and animal and plant breeders. Currently, selection for resilience is considered a critical step in improving the sustainability of livestock systems. Environmental variance (V-E), the within-individual variance of a trait, has been successfully used as a proxy for animal resilience. Selection for reduced V-E could effectively shift gut microbiome composition; reshape the inflammatory response, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels; and drive animal resilience. This study aimed to determine the gut microbiome composition underlying the V-E of litter size (LS), for which we performed a metagenomic analysis in two rabbit populations divergently selected for low (n = 36) and high (n = 34) V-E of LS. Partial least square-discriminant analysis and alpha- and beta-diversity were computed to determine the differences in gut microbiome composition among the rabbit populations. Results We identified 116 KEGG IDs, 164 COG IDs, and 32 species with differences in abundance between the two rabbit populations studied. These variables achieved a classification performance of the V-E rabbit populations of over than 80%. Compared to the high V-E population, the low V-E (resilient) population was characterized by an underrepresentation of Megasphaera sp., Acetatifactor muris, Bacteroidetes rodentium, Ruminococcus bromii, Bacteroidetes togonis, and Eggerthella sp. and greater abundances of Alistipes shahii, Alistipes putredinis, Odoribacter splanchnicus, Limosilactobacillus fermentum, and Sutterella, among others. Differences in abundance were also found in pathways related to biofilm formation, quorum sensing, glutamate, and amino acid aromatic metabolism. All these results suggest differences in gut immunity modulation, closely related to resilience. Conclusions This is the first study to show that selection for V-E of LS can shift the gut microbiome composition. The results revealed differences in microbiome composition related to gut immunity modulation, which could contribute to the differences in resilience among rabbit populations. The selection-driven shifts in gut microbiome composition should make a substantial contribution to the remarkable genetic response observed in the V-E rabbit populations.

Keywords

AlistipesAnimalAnimal experimentAnimalsArticleBacteriaBacteroidesBacteroidetesBiofilmCholesterolCholesterol levelControlled studyEggerthellaEnvironmentFecesFirmicutesGastrointestinal microbiomeGeneticsGenomeInflammationInflammatory bowel diseaseIntestine floraKeggLachnospiraceaeLactobacillusLeporidaeMegasphaeraMetagenomeMicrobiotaMicrofloraNonhumanOdoribacter splanchnicusPhenotypePrincipal component analysisRabbitsRuminococcusTriacylglycerolUlcerative colitisVariance

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal Microbiome due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2023, it was in position 8/161, thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Microbiology. Notably, the journal is positioned above the 90th percentile.

From a relative perspective, and based on the normalized impact indicator calculated from World Citations provided by WoS (ESI, Clarivate), it yields a value for the citation normalization relative to the expected citation rate of: 2.33. This indicates that, compared to works in the same discipline and in the same year of publication, it ranks as a work cited above average. (source consulted: ESI Nov 14, 2024)

This information is reinforced by other indicators of the same type, which, although dynamic over time and dependent on the set of average global citations at the time of their calculation, consistently position the work at some point among the top 50% most cited in its field:

  • Weighted Average of Normalized Impact by the Scopus agency: 1.82 (source consulted: FECYT Feb 2024)
  • Field Citation Ratio (FCR) from Dimensions: 7.51 (source consulted: Dimensions Jun 2025)

Specifically, and according to different indexing agencies, this work has accumulated citations as of 2025-06-13, the following number of citations:

  • WoS: 12
  • Scopus: 12
  • Europe PMC: 8
  • OpenCitations: 11

Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2025-06-13:

  • The use, from an academic perspective evidenced by the Altmetric agency indicator referring to aggregations made by the personal bibliographic manager Mendeley, gives us a total of: 25.
  • The use of this contribution in bookmarks, code forks, additions to favorite lists for recurrent reading, as well as general views, indicates that someone is using the publication as a basis for their current work. This may be a notable indicator of future more formal and academic citations. This claim is supported by the result of the "Capture" indicator, which yields a total of: 25 (PlumX).

With a more dissemination-oriented intent and targeting more general audiences, we can observe other more global scores such as:

  • The Total Score from Altmetric: 15.93.
  • The number of mentions on the social network X (formerly Twitter): 14 (Altmetric).

It is essential to present evidence supporting full alignment with institutional principles and guidelines on Open Science and the Conservation and Dissemination of Intellectual Heritage. A clear example of this is:

  • The work has been submitted to a journal whose editorial policy allows open Open Access publication.

Leadership analysis of institutional authors

There is a significant leadership presence as some of the institution’s authors appear as the first or last signer, detailed as follows: First Author (CASTO REBOLLO, CRISTINA) and Last Author (IBAÑEZ ESCRICHE, NOELIA).

the author responsible for correspondence tasks has been IBAÑEZ ESCRICHE, NOELIA.