Meeting Abstract

P2-69   -   The role of the microbiome in responses to heat stress in endotherms Booker, Y*; Ishaq, S; Levesque, DL; Tuskegee University; University of Maine; University of Maine yb35773@gmail.com

The rise in global temperature, in part due to anthropogenic climate change, has caused a sudden need to identify how organisms will respond to environmental stress. Our knowledge of vertebrate-microbe interactions derives partly from research on ectotherms and the interactions that their microbes have within their own microbial environment. Endotherms' ability to thermoregulate, however, changes our understanding of (1) how animals have developed heat tolerance in heat-stressed situations and (2) how this internal mechanism affects mammals' adaptation and physiology over time. We hypothesize that the microbiome is critical to understanding mammals' heat tolerance, and that this microbial community can aid researchers in better understanding the processes that allow mammals to coexist within their environment. Therefore, a literature review was conducted to evaluate the response of the gut microbiome to heat stress. The results of the study show variations in microbial diversity and composition in response to heat stress. Additionally, studies have shown a change in metabolic adaptability which suggest that the microbiome plays a significant role in energy homeostasis. In conclusion, the microbiome does play a role in the response to mammals to heat stress, and further studies need to be conducted to solidify an understanding of the mechanisms by which this process occurs.