Conventional Co-Housing Modulates Murine Gut Microbiota and Hematopoietic Gene Expression

Specific-pathogen-free (SPF) mice have improved hematopoietic characteristics relative to germ-free mice, however, it is not clear whether improvements in hematopoietic traits will continue when the level of microorganism exposure is further increased. We co-housed SPF C57BL/6 mice in a conventional facility (CVT) and found a significant increase in gut microbiota diversity along with increased levels of myeloid cells and T cells, especially effector memory T cells. Through single cell RNA sequencing of sorted KL (c-Kit(+)Lin(-)) cells, we imputed a decline in long-term hematopoietic stem cells and an increase in granulocyte-monocyte progenitors in CVT mice with up-regulation of genes associated with cell survival. Bone marrow transplantation through competitive repopulation revealed a significant increase in KSL (c-Kit(+)Sca-1(+)Lin(-)) cell reconstitution in recipients of CVT donor cells which occurred when donors were co-housed for both one and twelve months. However, there was minimal to no gain in mature blood cell engraftment in recipients of CVT donor cells relative to those receiving SPF donor cells. We conclude that co-housing SPF mice with mice born in a conventional facility increased gut microbiota diversity, augmented myeloid cell production and T cell activation, stimulated KSL cell reconstitution, and altered hematopoietic gene expression.