{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,14]],"date-time":"2026-09-14T21:46:28Z","timestamp":1789422388574,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":71,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,20]],"date-time":"2026-04-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1776643200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission"},{"name":"College of Arts and Sciences, Northern Michigan University"},{"name":"College of Arts and Sciences, Northern Michigan University"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    American black bears\u2019 (\n                    <jats:italic>Ursus americanus<\/jats:italic>\n                    ) omnivorous feeding strategy, simple gut morphology, and rapid transit time prevent regulation of the gut microbiome (GMB). We analyzed stable isotopes and 16S rRNA sequences from 48 wild bears to assess the impacts of diet, age, gut site, and sex on GMB composition and PICRUSt2-predicted functional pathways. While alpha and beta diversity did not differ, we identified bacterial taxa and predicted pathways enriched based on gut site and sex.\n                    <jats:italic>Enterococcus, Incertae, Papillibacter<\/jats:italic>\n                    , and\n                    <jats:italic>Shuttleworthia<\/jats:italic>\n                    were enriched in jejunum samples (linear discriminant analysis effect size\u2009\u2265\u20093.5, p\u2009=\u20090.0374); and 6 genera drove colonic Bray-Curtis distances (SIMPER):\n                    <jats:italic>Weisella<\/jats:italic>\n                    (p\u2009=\u20090.0099),\n                    <jats:italic>Anaeroplasma<\/jats:italic>\n                    (p\u2009=\u20090.0495),\n                    <jats:italic>Megamonas<\/jats:italic>\n                    (p\u2009=\u20090.0099),\n                    <jats:italic>Cellulosilyticum<\/jats:italic>\n                    (p\u2009=\u20090.0495),\n                    <jats:italic>Escherichia-Shigella<\/jats:italic>\n                    (p\u2009=\u20090.0396) and\n                    <jats:italic>Ochrobactrum<\/jats:italic>\n                    (p\u2009=\u20090.0297). EdgeR identified isoflavonoid biosynthesis (p-adj\u2009=\u20090.001) and isoterpenoid biosynthesis (p-adj\u2009=\u20090.006) enriched in the colon, and SNARE interaction in vesicular transport (p-adj\u2009=\u20090.000) and secondary bile acid synthesis (p-adj\u2009=\u20090.005) enriched in females. Our findings provide nuanced insights to specific taxa and putative metabolic pathways that reflect sex and gut site differences in black bears, with important implications for understanding bear physiology and informing wildlife management.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0345317","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,20]],"date-time":"2026-04-20T17:46:12Z","timestamp":1776707172000},"page":"e0345317","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Gut site and sex-specific enrichment of bacterial taxa and predicted metabolic pathways in wild American black bear (Ursus americanus)"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"21","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9874-1146","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Erin A.","family":"McKenney","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Erik","family":"De Jesus","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Taylor","family":"Hatfield","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dorian","family":"Hayes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-4202-4958","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Kaleb","family":"Holder","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Christian","family":"Ivarsson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Natalie","family":"Morais","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hunter","family":"Payne","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kalle","family":"Simpson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Adrianna M.","family":"Staal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Holly","family":"Thompson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rachael","family":"Hildreth","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Colleen","family":"Olfenbuttel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Diana J. R.","family":"Lafferty","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,20]]},"reference":[{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0345317.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"309","DOI":"10.1007\/s11252-023-01338-8","article-title":"Mammalian functional diversity and trait responses to anthropogenic and environmental factors across the contiguous USA","volume":"26","author":"CC Rega-Brodsky","year":"2023","journal-title":"Urban Ecosyst"},{"key":"pone.0345317.ref002","unstructured":"Olfenbuttel C. North Carolina Black Bear Annual Report: Updated with 2023 data [Internet]. 2024 [cited 2025 June 11]. doi:https:\/\/www.ncwildlife.gov\/media\/1401\/download?attachment"},{"key":"pone.0345317.ref003","unstructured":"Black Bear Management Plan -2012-2022 [Internet]. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission; 2012 [cited 2025 June 27]. doi:https:\/\/www.ncwildlife.gov\/media\/1399\/download?attachment"},{"issue":"6086","key":"pone.0345317.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1262","DOI":"10.1126\/science.1223813","article-title":"Host-gut microbiota metabolic interactions","volume":"336","author":"JK Nicholson","year":"2012","journal-title":"Science"},{"key":"pone.0345317.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"14862","DOI":"10.1038\/srep14862","article-title":"Habitat fragmentation is associated to gut microbiota diversity of an endangered primate: implications for conservation","volume":"5","author":"C Barelli","year":"2015","journal-title":"Sci Rep"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0345317.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"485","DOI":"10.2980\/15-4-3100","article-title":"Black bear adaptation to low productivity in the boreal forest","volume":"15","author":"A Mosnier","year":"2008","journal-title":"\u00c9coscience"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0345317.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"87","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2907.2008.00120.x","article-title":"Applications of stable isotope techniques to the ecology of mammals","volume":"38","author":"K Crawford","year":"2008","journal-title":"Mammal Review"},{"issue":"11","key":"pone.0345317.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2080","DOI":"10.1139\/z96-236","article-title":"Use of stable isotopes to determine diets of living and extinct bears","volume":"74","author":"GV Hilderbrand","year":"1996","journal-title":"Can J Zool"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0345317.ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"732","DOI":"10.1111\/oik.01741","article-title":"Testing the niche variation hypothesis with a measure of body condition","volume":"124","author":"DJR Lafferty","year":"2014","journal-title":"Oikos"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0345317.ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"703","DOI":"10.1890\/0012-9658(2002)083[0703:USITET]2.0.CO;2","article-title":"Using stable isotopes to estimate trophic position: models, methods, and assumptions","volume":"83","author":"DM Post","year":"2002","journal-title":"Ecology"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0345317.ref011","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"127","DOI":"10.1139\/cjz-2019-0062","article-title":"Increased trophic position of black bear (Ursus americanus) at the northern fringe of its distribution range","volume":"98","author":"M Bonin","year":"2020","journal-title":"Can J Zool"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0345317.ref012","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"495","DOI":"10.1016\/0016-7037(78)90199-0","article-title":"Influence of diet on the distribution of carbon isotopes in animals","volume":"42","author":"MJ DeNiro","year":"1978","journal-title":"Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0345317.ref013","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"341","DOI":"10.1016\/0016-7037(81)90244-1","article-title":"Influence of diet on the distribution of nitrogen isotopes in animals","volume":"45","author":"MJ Deniro","year":"1981","journal-title":"Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta"},{"issue":"46","key":"pone.0345317.ref014","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"17855","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.0809870105","article-title":"Carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in fast food: signatures of corn and confinement","volume":"105","author":"AH Jahren","year":"2008","journal-title":"Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0345317.ref015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"339","DOI":"10.1093\/jmammal\/gyab154","article-title":"Human-provisioned foods reduce gut microbiome diversity in American black bears (Ursus americanus)","volume":"103","author":"SJ Gillman","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Mammal"},{"issue":"8","key":"pone.0345317.ref016","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1332","DOI":"10.1139\/z00-069","article-title":"Using stable carbon (\u03b413C) and nitrogen (\u03b415N) isotopes to infer trophic relationships among black and grizzly bears in the upper Columbia River basin, British Columbia","volume":"78","author":"KA Hobson","year":"2000","journal-title":"Can J Zool"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0345317.ref017","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0085122","article-title":"Stochasticity in natural forage production affects use of urban areas by black bears: implications to management of human-bear conflicts","volume":"9","author":"S Baruch-Mordo","year":"2014","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0345317.ref018","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"54","DOI":"10.1093\/jmammal\/gyv153","article-title":"Are American black bears in an agricultural landscape being sustained by crops?","volume":"97","author":"MA Ditmer","year":"2016","journal-title":"Journal of Mammalogy"},{"issue":"8","key":"pone.0345317.ref019","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"721","DOI":"10.1139\/cjz-2020-0263","article-title":"Spring diet of American black bears (Ursus americanus) in a moose (Alces alces) \u2013 woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) system in northern Ontario, Canada","volume":"99","author":"AAD McLaren","year":"2021","journal-title":"Canadian Journal of Zoology"},{"key":"pone.0345317.ref020","volume-title":"Comparative Physiology of the Vertebrate Digestive System","author":"CE Stevens","year":"2004"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0345317.ref021","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"20779","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-020-77282-w","article-title":"Wild black bears harbor simple gut microbial communities with little difference between the jejunum and colon","volume":"10","author":"SJ Gillman","year":"2020","journal-title":"Sci Rep"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0345317.ref022","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"162","DOI":"10.5962\/p.356753","article-title":"Food habits of the Black Bear, Ursus americanus, and habitat use in Gaspesie Park, eastern Quebec","volume":"108","author":"F Boileau","year":"1994","journal-title":"The Canadian field-naturalist"},{"issue":"11","key":"pone.0345317.ref023","article-title":"The gut microbiome of wild American marten in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan","volume":"17","author":"DJR Lafferty","year":"2022","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0345317.ref024","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"316","DOI":"10.1093\/jmammal\/gyab140","article-title":"Mink (Neovison vison) fecal microbiomes are influenced by sex, temperature, and time postdefecation","volume":"103","author":"DJR Lafferty","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Mammal"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0345317.ref025","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"15415","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-022-19527-4","article-title":"Correlating gut microbial membership to brown bear health metrics","volume":"12","author":"SM Trujillo","year":"2022","journal-title":"Sci Rep"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0345317.ref026","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0266698","article-title":"Intrinsic and extrinsic factors influence on an omnivore\u2019s gut microbiome","volume":"17","author":"SM Trujillo","year":"2022","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0345317.ref027","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1111\/mec.17695","article-title":"Functional Insights Into the Effect of Feralisation on the Gut Microbiota of Cats Worldwide","volume":"34","author":"O Aizpurua","year":"2025","journal-title":"Mol Ecol"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0345317.ref028","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"159","DOI":"10.2192\/URSUS-D-10-00032.1","article-title":"Habitat selection by female American black bears in northern Wisconsin","volume":"22","author":"MH Sadeghpour","year":"2011","journal-title":"Ursus"},{"key":"pone.0345317.ref029","article-title":"Bait use by black bears (Ursus americanus) in northeastern Wisconsin: applications of GPS telemetry, GIS and remote photography [Doctoral dissertation]","author":"M Johnson","year":"2007","journal-title":"University of Wisconsin-Green Bay"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0345317.ref030","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1943","DOI":"10.1007\/s42991-022-00310-x","article-title":"Tooth wear and the apparent consumption of human foods among American black bears (Ursus americanus) in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA","volume":"102","author":"KA Hatch","year":"2022","journal-title":"Mamm Biol"},{"issue":"7","key":"pone.0345317.ref031","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1161","DOI":"10.1002\/jwmg.21304","article-title":"Consumption of intentional food subsidies by a hunted carnivore","volume":"81","author":"R Kirby","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Wildl Manag"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0345317.ref032","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1002\/jwmg.22681","article-title":"No evidence hunting bait increases American black bear population growth in Maine, USA","volume":"89","author":"DJ Morin","year":"2025","journal-title":"J Wildl Manag"},{"key":"pone.0345317.ref033","unstructured":"Olfenbuttel C. personal communication. 2017."},{"key":"pone.0345317.ref034","unstructured":"North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. eRegulations. 2024 [cited 2025 June 27]. North Carolina Inland Fishing, Hunting, and Trapping Regulations Digest 2024-2025. doi:https:\/\/www.eregulations.com\/northcarolina\/hunting\/bear-regulations"},{"key":"pone.0345317.ref035","volume-title":"Wildlife Feeding and Baiting in North Carolina","author":"North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission","year":"2024"},{"key":"pone.0345317.ref036","article-title":"Gut site and gut morphology predict microbiome structure and function in ecologically diverse lemurs","author":"LK Greene","year":"2022","journal-title":"Microb Ecol"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0345317.ref037","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0124618","article-title":"Patterns of gut bacterial colonization in three primate species","volume":"10","author":"EA McKenney","year":"2015","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0345317.ref038","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1332","DOI":"10.1093\/jmammal\/gyaa108","article-title":"From diet to hair and blood: empirical estimation of discrimination factors for C and N stable isotopes in five terrestrial mammals","volume":"101","author":"\u00c8 Rioux","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Mammal"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0345317.ref039","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"46","DOI":"10.1034\/j.1600-0706.2002.960105.x","article-title":"Structure of tropical river food webs revealed by stable isotope ratios","volume":"96","author":"DB Jepsen","year":"2002","journal-title":"Oikos"},{"issue":"11","key":"pone.0345317.ref040","article-title":"Sex, Diet, and the Social Environment: Factors Influencing Hair Cortisol Concentration in Free-Ranging Black Bears (Ursus americanus)","volume":"10","author":"DJR Lafferty","year":"2015","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"pone.0345317.ref041","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100456","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fochx.2022.100456","article-title":"Geographical origin classification of peanuts and processed fractions using stable isotopes","volume":"16","author":"SA Wadood","year":"2022","journal-title":"Food Chem X"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0345317.ref042","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0125042","article-title":"Trophic discrimination factors of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes in hair of corn fed wild boar","volume":"10","author":"M Hol\u00e1","year":"2015","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0345317.ref043","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"389","DOI":"10.2307\/3797827","article-title":"Age Determination in the Black Bear","volume":"30","author":"SA Marks","year":"1966","journal-title":"The Journal of Wildlife Management"},{"issue":"8","key":"pone.0345317.ref044","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1645","DOI":"10.1139\/z90-244","article-title":"Digestive and metabolic efficiencies of grizzly and black bears","volume":"68","author":"GT Pritchard","year":"1990","journal-title":"Can J Zool"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0345317.ref045","article-title":"Analysis of gut microbiota and the effect of lauric acid against necrotic enteritis in Clostridium perfringens and Eimeria side-by-side challenge model","volume":"14","author":"W-Y Yang","year":"2019","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"pone.0345317.ref046","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"135830","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2019.135830","article-title":"A significant number of multi-drug resistant Enterococcus faecalis in wildlife animals; long-term consequences and new or known reservoirs of resistance?","volume":"705","author":"A Nowakiewicz","year":"2020","journal-title":"Sci Total Environ"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0345317.ref047","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"557","DOI":"10.1111\/1749-4877.12112","article-title":"Fecal microbial diversity and putative function in captive western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), common chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), Hamadryas baboons (Papio hamadryas) and binturongs (Arctictis binturong)","volume":"9","author":"EA McKenney","year":"2014","journal-title":"Integr Zool"},{"key":"pone.0345317.ref048","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"457","DOI":"10.1099\/jmm.0.052258-0","article-title":"Prevalence and characterization of Clostridium perfringens from the faecal microbiota of elderly Irish subjects","volume":"62","author":"B Lakshminarayanan","year":"2013","journal-title":"J Med Microbiol"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0345317.ref049","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"13424","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-019-49462-w","article-title":"Discrepant gut microbiota markers for the classification of obesity-related metabolic abnormalities","volume":"9","author":"Q Zeng","year":"2019","journal-title":"Sci Rep"},{"issue":"01","key":"pone.0345317.ref050","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.17756\/jocd.2016-001","article-title":"Obesity and the Link to Chronic Disease Development","volume":"01","author":"R Hakkak","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Obes Chronic Dis"},{"issue":"12","key":"pone.0345317.ref051","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2070","DOI":"10.1002\/1873-3468.13064","article-title":"Metabolism of hydrogen gases and bile acids in the gut microbiome","volume":"592","author":"PB Hylemon","year":"2018","journal-title":"FEBS Lett"},{"key":"pone.0345317.ref052","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"121","DOI":"10.1002\/9781119850007.ch3","article-title":"Gut Microbial Ecology","author":"EA McKenney","year":"2023","journal-title":"Microbial Fermentations in Nature and as Designed Processes. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0345317.ref053","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"111","DOI":"10.1038\/s41579-025-01205-7","article-title":"Lactobacilli biology, applications and host interactions","volume":"24","author":"A Mej\u00eda-Caballero","year":"2026","journal-title":"Nat Rev Microbiol"},{"issue":"7484","key":"pone.0345317.ref054","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"559","DOI":"10.1038\/nature12820","article-title":"Diet rapidly and reproducibly alters the human gut microbiome","volume":"505","author":"LA David","year":"2014","journal-title":"Nature"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0345317.ref055","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"14482","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-018-32759-7","article-title":"The critical role of dietary foliage in maintaining the gut microbiome and metabolome of folivorous sifakas","volume":"8","author":"LK Greene","year":"2018","journal-title":"Sci Rep"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0345317.ref056","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"518","DOI":"10.1152\/japplphysiol.00652.2024","article-title":"Exploring the complex relationship between psychosocial stress and the gut microbiome: implications for inflammation and immune modulation","volume":"138","author":"K Marwaha","year":"2025","journal-title":"J Appl Physiol (1985)"},{"key":"pone.0345317.ref057","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"107837","DOI":"10.1016\/j.biotechadv.2021.107837","article-title":"Metabolic engineering of microbes for monoterpenoid production","volume":"53","author":"K Zhu","year":"2021","journal-title":"Biotechnol Adv"},{"key":"pone.0345317.ref058","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100217","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fochx.2022.100217","article-title":"Terpenes and terpenoids as main bioactive compounds of essential oils, their roles in human health and potential application as natural food preservatives","volume":"13","author":"A Masyita","year":"2022","journal-title":"Food Chem X"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0345317.ref059","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"348","DOI":"10.1002\/ffj.1948","article-title":"Antimicrobial combined action of terpenes against the food\u2010borne microorganisms Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus","volume":"24","author":"MN Gallucci","year":"2009","journal-title":"Flavour & Fragrance J"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0345317.ref060","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0246161","article-title":"Secondary bile acid ursodeoxycholic acid alters weight, the gut microbiota, and the bile acid pool in conventional mice","volume":"16","author":"JA Winston","year":"2021","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0345317.ref061","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"13426","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-018-31695-w","article-title":"Sex differences in lipid metabolism are affected by presence of the gut microbiota","volume":"8","author":"A Baars","year":"2018","journal-title":"Sci Rep"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0345317.ref062","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"559","DOI":"10.2307\/2390145","article-title":"The effects of prolonged fasting of the body composition and reproductive success of female polar bears (Ursus maritimus)","volume":"9","author":"SN Atkinson","year":"1995","journal-title":"Funct Ecol"},{"key":"pone.0345317.ref063","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ecolmodel.2013.09.002","article-title":"Energetics of hibernation and reproductive trade-offs in brown bears","volume":"270","author":"C L\u00f3pez-Alfaro","year":"2013","journal-title":"Ecol Model"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0345317.ref064","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1020","DOI":"10.1644\/1545-1542(2002)083<1020:BMALCB>2.0.CO;2","article-title":"Body mass and lipid changes by hibernating reproductive and nonreproductive black bears (Ursus americanus)","volume":"83","author":"HJ Harlow","year":"2002","journal-title":"J Mammal"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0345317.ref065","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"685","DOI":"10.1038\/s41587-020-0548-6","article-title":"PICRUSt2 for prediction of metagenome functions","volume":"38","author":"GM Douglas","year":"2020","journal-title":"Nat Biotechnol"},{"key":"pone.0345317.ref066","unstructured":"2020 County Gazetteer Files \u2013 North Carolina [Internet]. United States Census Bureau; 2022 Aug [cited 2023 Sept 10]. Available from: https:\/\/www2.census.gov\/geo\/docs\/maps-data\/data\/gazetteer\/2020_Gazetteer\/2020_gaz_counties_37.txt"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0345317.ref067","first-page":"1335165","article-title":"Down for the count: Cryptosporidium infection depletes the gut microbiome in Coquerel\u2019s sifakas","volume":"28","author":"EA McKenney","year":"2017","journal-title":"Microb Ecol Health Dis"},{"issue":"7","key":"pone.0345317.ref068","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"581","DOI":"10.1038\/nmeth.3869","article-title":"DADA2: High-resolution sample inference from Illumina amplicon data","volume":"13","author":"BJ Callahan","year":"2016","journal-title":"Nat Methods"},{"key":"pone.0345317.ref069","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.7717\/peerj.9593","article-title":"Improved normalization of species count data in ecology by scaling with ranked subsampling (SRS): application to microbial communities","volume":"8","author":"L Beule","year":"2020","journal-title":"PeerJ"},{"issue":"8","key":"pone.0345317.ref070","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1093\/bioinformatics\/btad470","article-title":"Ggpicrust2: an R package for PICRUSt2 predicted functional profile analysis and visualization","volume":"39","author":"C Yang","year":"2023","journal-title":"Bioinformatics"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0345317.ref071","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1186\/gb-2011-12-6-r60","article-title":"Metagenomic biomarker discovery and explanation","volume":"12","author":"N Segata","year":"2011","journal-title":"Genome Biol"}],"container-title":["PLOS One"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0345317","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,20]],"date-time":"2026-04-20T17:46:30Z","timestamp":1776707190000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0345317"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Nathan","family":"Wolf","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"editor"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,20]]},"references-count":71,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,20]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0345317","relation":{},"ISSN":["1932-6203"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1932-6203","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,20]]}}}