Phenotypic plasticity is a rapid response mechanism that enable organisms to acclimate and survive in changing environments. Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) survives and thrives in different and even invasive habitats, thereby indicating its high phenotypic plasticity. However, the underpinnings of the high plasticity of E. sinensis are not comprehensively investigated. In this study, we conducted the integrated gut microbiome and muscle metabolome analysis on E. sinensis collected from three different environments, namely, artificial pond, Yangcheng Lake, and Yangtze River, to uncover the mechanism of high phenotypic plasticity of E. sinensis. Our study presented three divergent gut microbiotas and muscle metabolic profiles that corresponded to the three environments. The composition and diversity of the core gut microbiota (Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Tenericutes, and Firmicutes) varied among the different environments. Meanwhile, the metabolites associated with amino acids, fatty acids, and terpene compounds displayed significantly different concentration levels in the three environments. Results revealed that the gut microbiome community and muscle metabolome were significantly affected by the habitat environments. This finding indicated the high phenotypic plasticity in terms of gut microbiome and muscle metabolome of E. sinensis when it faces environmental changes, which would benefit acclimation and adaptation to diverse and even invasive environments.

中文翻译：

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不同环境下中华绒螯蟹 (Eriocheir sinensis) 肠道微生物组和肌肉代谢组的高可塑性。

表型可塑性是一种快速反应机制，使生物体能够在不断变化的环境中适应环境并生存。中华绒螯蟹 ( Eriocheir sinensis ) 在不同甚至入侵的栖息地中生存和繁衍，从而表明其具有很高的表型可塑性。然而，尚未全面研究E. sinensis高可塑性的基础。在本研究中，我们对从人工池塘、阳澄湖和长江三个不同环境中采集的中华桉进行了肠道微生物组和肌肉代谢组学综合分析，以揭示中华桉表型可塑性高的机制. 我们的研究提出了与三种环境相对应的三种不同的肠道微生物群和肌肉代谢概况。核心肠道微生物群（变形菌门、拟杆菌门、拟杆菌门和厚壁菌门）的组成和多样性因环境而异。同时，与氨基酸、脂肪酸和萜烯化合物相关的代谢物在三种环境中显示出显着不同的浓度水平。结果表明，肠道微生物群落和肌肉代谢组受到栖息环境的显着影响。这一发现表明，中华肠虫的肠道微生物组和肌肉代谢组具有较高的表型可塑性当它面临环境变化时，这将有利于适应和适应多样化甚至入侵的环境。