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Stapleton TE, Lindsey LM, Sundar H, Dearing MD. Rodents consuming the same toxic diet harbor a unique functional core microbiome. Anim Microbiome 2024; 6:43. [PMID: 39080711 PMCID: PMC11289948 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-024-00330-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Gut microbiota are intrinsic to an herbivorous lifestyle, but very little is known about how plant secondary compounds (PSCs), which are often toxic, influence these symbiotic partners. Here we interrogated the possibility of unique functional core microbiomes in populations of two species of woodrat (Neotoma lepida and bryanti) that have independently converged to feed on the same toxic diet (creosote bush; Larrea tridentata) and compared them to populations that do not feed on creosote bush. Leveraging this natural experiment, we collected samples across a large geographic region in the U.S. desert southwest from 20 populations (~ 150 individuals) with differential ingestion of creosote bush and analyzed three gut regions (foregut, cecum, hindgut) using16S sequencing and shotgun metagenomics. In each gut region sampled, we found a distinctive set of microbes in individuals feeding on creosote bush that were more abundant than other ASVs, enriched in creosote feeding woodrats, and occurred more frequently than would be predicted by chance. Creosote core members were from microbial families e.g., Eggerthellaceae, known to metabolize plant secondary compounds and three of the identified core KEGG orthologs (4-hydroxybenzoate decarboxylase, benzoyl-CoA reductase subunit B, and 2-pyrone-4, 6-dicarboxylate lactonase) coded for enzymes that play important roles in metabolism of plant secondary compounds. The results support the hypothesis that the ingestion of creosote bush sculpts the microbiome across all major gut regions to select for functional characteristics associated with the degradation of the PSCs in this unique diet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tess E Stapleton
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA.
| | - LeAnn M Lindsey
- School of Computing, University of Utah, 50 Central Campus Dr, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Hari Sundar
- School of Computing, University of Utah, 50 Central Campus Dr, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - M Denise Dearing
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
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2
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DeCandia AL, Adeduro L, Thacher P, Crosier A, Marinari P, Bortner R, Garelle D, Livieri T, Santymire R, Comizzoli P, Maslanka M, Maldonado JE, Koepfli KP, Muletz-Wolz C, Bornbusch SL. Gut bacterial composition shows sex-specific shifts during breeding season in ex situ managed black-footed ferrets. J Hered 2024; 115:385-398. [PMID: 37886904 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esad065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The gut microbiome of mammals engages in a dynamic relationship with the body and contributes to numerous physiological processes integral to overall health. Understanding the factors shaping animal-associated bacterial communities is therefore paramount to the maintenance and management in ex situ wildlife populations. Here, we characterized the gut microbiome of 48 endangered black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) housed at Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (Front Royal, Virginia, USA). We collected longitudinal fecal samples from males and females across two distinct reproductive seasons to consider the role of host sex and reproductive physiology in shaping bacterial communities, as measured using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Within each sex, gut microbial composition differed between breeding and non-breeding seasons, with five bacterial taxa emerging as differentially abundant. Between sexes, female and male microbiomes were similar during non-breeding season but significantly different during breeding season, which may result from sex-specific physiological changes associated with breeding. Finally, we found low overall diversity consistent with other mammalian carnivores alongside high relative abundances of potentially pathogenic microbes such as Clostridium, Escherichia, Paeniclostridium, and (to a lesser degree) Enterococcus-all of which have been associated with gastrointestinal or reproductive distress in mammalian hosts, including black-footed ferrets. We recommend further study of these microbes and possible therapeutic interventions to promote more balanced microbial communities. These results have important implications for ex situ management practices that can improve the gut microbial health and long-term viability of black-footed ferrets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra L DeCandia
- Biology Department, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United States
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Laura Adeduro
- Biology Department, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Piper Thacher
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, United States
- Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation, George Mason University, Front Royal, VA, United States
| | - Adrienne Crosier
- Center for Animal Care Sciences, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, United States
| | - Paul Marinari
- Center for Animal Care Sciences, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, United States
| | - Robyn Bortner
- National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center, Carr, CO, United States
| | - Della Garelle
- National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center, Carr, CO, United States
| | - Travis Livieri
- Prairie Wildlife Research, Stevens Point, WI, United States
| | - Rachel Santymire
- Biology Department, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Pierre Comizzoli
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, United States
| | - Michael Maslanka
- Department of Nutrition Science, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Jesús E Maldonado
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Klaus-Peter Koepfli
- Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation, George Mason University, Front Royal, VA, United States
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, United States
| | - Carly Muletz-Wolz
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Sally L Bornbusch
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, United States
- Department of Nutrition Science, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, United States
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3
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Mafra D, Borges NA, Baptista BG, Martins LF, Borland G, Shiels PG, Stenvinkel P. What Can the Gut Microbiota of Animals Teach Us about the Relationship between Nutrition and Burden of Lifestyle Diseases? Nutrients 2024; 16:1789. [PMID: 38892721 PMCID: PMC11174762 DOI: 10.3390/nu16111789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The gut microbiota performs several crucial roles in a holobiont with its host, including immune regulation, nutrient absorption, synthesis, and defense against external pathogens, significantly influencing host physiology. Disruption of the gut microbiota has been linked to various chronic conditions, including cardiovascular, kidney, liver, respiratory, and intestinal diseases. Studying how animals adapt their gut microbiota across their life course at different life stages and under the dynamics of extreme environmental conditions can provide valuable insights from the natural world into how the microbiota modulates host biology, with a view to translating these into treatments or preventative measures for human diseases. By modulating the gut microbiota, opportunities to address many complications associated with chronic diseases appear. Such a biomimetic approach holds promise for exploring new strategies in healthcare and disease management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Mafra
- Graduate Program in Medical Sciences and Graduate Program in Nutrition Sciences, Federal Fluminense University (UFF), Niterói 24020-141, Brazil;
- Graduate Program in Biological Sciences—Physiology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro 21941-909, Brazil
| | - Natália A. Borges
- Graduate Program in Food, Nutrition, and Health, Institute of Nutrition, State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro 21941-909, Brazil;
| | - Beatriz G. Baptista
- Graduate Program in Medical Sciences and Graduate Program in Nutrition Sciences, Federal Fluminense University (UFF), Niterói 24020-141, Brazil;
| | - Layla F. Martins
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo 05508-220, Brazil;
| | - Gillian Borland
- School of Molecular Biosciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK; (G.B.); (P.G.S.)
| | - Paul G. Shiels
- School of Molecular Biosciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK; (G.B.); (P.G.S.)
| | - Peter Stenvinkel
- Division of Renal Medicine, Department of Clinical Science, Technology and Intervention, Karolinska Institutet, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden;
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van der Meijs RM, van Leeuwen W, Prins C, Wittink F, Pirovano W, Duijsings D, van den Bogert B, Bruins-van Sonsbeek LGR. GUT MICROBIOME DIVERSITY OF THREE RHINOCEROS SPECIES IN EUROPEAN ZOOS. J Zoo Wildl Med 2024; 55:301-312. [PMID: 38875187 DOI: 10.1638/2023-0046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The wild rhinoceros populations have declined drastically in the past decades because the rhinoceros are heavily hunted for their horns. Zoological institutions aim to conserve rhinoceros populations in captivity, but one of the challenges of ex situ conservation is to provide food sources that resemble those available in the wild. Considering that the mammalian gut microbiota is a pivotal player in their host's health, the gut microbiota of rhinoceros may also play a role in the bioavailability of nutrients. Therefore, this study aims to characterize the fecal microbiome composition of grazing white rhinoceros (WR; Ceratotherium simum) and greater one-horned rhinoceros (GOHR; Rhinoceros unicornis) as well as the browsing black rhinoceros (BR; Diceros bicornis) kept in European zoos. Over the course of 1 yr, 166 fecal samples in total were collected from 9 BR (n = 39), 10 GOHR (n = 56), and 14 WR (n = 71) from 23 zoological institutions. The bacterial composition in the samples was determined using 16S rRNA gene Illumina sequencing. The fecal microbiomes of rhinoceros clustered by species, with BR clustering more distantly from GOHR and WR. Furthermore, the data report clustering of rhinoceros microbiota according to individual rhinoceros and institutional origin, showing that zoological institutions play a significant role in shaping the gut microbiome of rhinoceros species. In addition, BR exhibit a relatively higher microbial diversity than GOHR and WR. BR seem more susceptible to microbial gut changes and appear to have a more diverse microbiome composition among individuals than GOHR and WR. These data expand on the role of gut microbes and can provide baseline data for continued efforts in rhinoceros conservation and health status.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Willem van Leeuwen
- University of Applied Sciences Leiden, Zernikedreef, 2333 CK Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Casper Prins
- BaseClear B.V., Sylviusweg, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Floyd Wittink
- University of Applied Sciences Leiden, Zernikedreef, 2333 CK Leiden, The Netherlands
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Zheng P, Gao W, Cong S, Leng L, Wang T, Shi L. High-Energy Supplemental Feeding Shifts Gut Microbiota Composition and Function in Red Deer ( Cervus elaphus). Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1428. [PMID: 38791646 PMCID: PMC11117297 DOI: 10.3390/ani14101428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Winter supplemental feeding (SF) is commonly used to improve the survival of captive wildlife. To investigate the impact of winter supplementation on the gut microbiota of wildlife, we assessed changes in the gut microbiota of red deer (Cervus elaphus) during the supplementary and non-supplementary feeding (NSF) groups using 16S rRNA sequencing technology. We found no significant differences in the diversity of the gut microbiota between SF and NSF except for the Simpson's index. However, the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes, Lentisphaerae, and Proteobacteria in the gut microbiota was significantly higher during SF. Further, genera such as Intestinimonas, Rikenella, Lawsonibacter, Muribaculum, and Papillibacter were more abundant during SF. Beta diversity analysis showed significant differences between SF and NSF. The microbes detected during SF were primarily associated with lipid metabolism, whereas those detected during NSF were linked to fiber catabolism. High-energy feed affects the gut microbial composition and function in red deer. During SF, the gut microbes in red deer were enriched in microorganisms associated with butyrate and lipid metabolism, such as R. microfusus, M. intestinale, and Papillibacter cinnamivorans. These gut microbes may be involved in ameliorating obesity associated with high-energy diets. In summary, SF is a reasonable and effective management strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Zheng
- College of Animal Sciences, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China; (P.Z.); (W.G.)
- Key Laboratory of Ecological Adaptation and Evolution of Extreme Environment Biology in Xinjiang, College of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China; (L.L.); (T.W.)
| | - Weizhen Gao
- College of Animal Sciences, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China; (P.Z.); (W.G.)
- Key Laboratory of Ecological Adaptation and Evolution of Extreme Environment Biology in Xinjiang, College of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China; (L.L.); (T.W.)
| | - Shaobo Cong
- Xinjiang Tianshan Wildlife Park, Urumqi 830039, China;
| | - Lin Leng
- Key Laboratory of Ecological Adaptation and Evolution of Extreme Environment Biology in Xinjiang, College of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China; (L.L.); (T.W.)
| | - Tao Wang
- Key Laboratory of Ecological Adaptation and Evolution of Extreme Environment Biology in Xinjiang, College of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China; (L.L.); (T.W.)
| | - Lei Shi
- College of Animal Sciences, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China; (P.Z.); (W.G.)
- Key Laboratory of Ecological Adaptation and Evolution of Extreme Environment Biology in Xinjiang, College of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China; (L.L.); (T.W.)
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Wang Y, Zhai J, Tang B, Dong Y, Sun S, He S, Zhao W, Lancuo Z, Jia Q, Wang W. Metagenomic comparison of gut communities between wild and captive Himalayan griffons. Front Vet Sci 2024; 11:1403932. [PMID: 38784654 PMCID: PMC11112026 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1403932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Himalayan griffons (Gyps himalayensis), known as the scavenger of nature, are large scavenging raptors widely distributed on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and play an important role in maintaining the balance of the plateau ecosystem. The gut microbiome is essential for host health, helping to maintain homeostasis, improving digestive efficiency, and promoting the development of the immune system. Changes in environment and diet can affect the composition and function of gut microbiota, ultimately impacting the host health and adaptation. Captive rearing is considered to be a way to protect Himalayan griffons and increase their population size. However, the effects of captivity on the structure and function of the gut microbial communities of Himalayan griffons are poorly understood. Still, availability of sequenced metagenomes and functional information for most griffons gut microbes remains limited. Methods In this study, metagenome sequencing was used to analyze the composition and functional structures of the gut microbiota of Himalayan griffons under wild and captive conditions. Results Our results showed no significant differences in the alpha diversity between the two groups, but significant differences in beta diversity. Taxonomic classification revealed that the most abundant phyla in the gut of Himalayan griffons were Fusobacteriota, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes_A, Bacteroidota, Firmicutes, Actinobacteriota, and Campylobacterota. At the functional level, a series of Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome (KEGG) functional pathways, carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) categories, virulence factor genes (VFGs), and pathogen-host interactions (PHI) were annotated and compared between the two groups. In addition, we recovered nearly 130 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs). Discussion In summary, the present study provided a first inventory of the microbial genes and metagenome-assembled genomes related to the Himalayan griffons, marking a crucial first step toward a wider investigation of the scavengers microbiomes with the ultimate goal to contribute to the conservation and management strategies for this near threatened bird.
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Affiliation(s)
- You Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, Qinghai, China
- College of Eco-Environmental Engineering, Qinghai University, Xining, Qinghai, China
| | - Jundie Zhai
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, Qinghai, China
- College of Eco-Environmental Engineering, Qinghai University, Xining, Qinghai, China
| | - Boyu Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, Qinghai, China
- College of Eco-Environmental Engineering, Qinghai University, Xining, Qinghai, China
| | - Yonggang Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, Qinghai, China
- College of Eco-Environmental Engineering, Qinghai University, Xining, Qinghai, China
| | - Shengzhen Sun
- Animal Disease Prevention and Control Center of Qinghai Province, Xining, Qinghai, China
| | - Shunfu He
- Xining Wildlife Park of Qinghai Province, Xining, Qinghai, China
| | - Wenxin Zhao
- Xining Wildlife Park of Qinghai Province, Xining, Qinghai, China
| | - Zhuoma Lancuo
- College of Finance and Economics, Qinghai University, Xining, Qinghai, China
| | - Qiangqiang Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, Qinghai, China
| | - Wen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, Qinghai, China
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Amin A, Mekadim C, Modrackova N, Bolechova P, Mrazek J, Neuzil-Bunesova V. Microbiome composition and presence of cultivable commensal groups of Southern Tamanduas (Tamandua tetradactyla) varies with captive conditions. Anim Microbiome 2024; 6:21. [PMID: 38698458 PMCID: PMC11064412 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-024-00311-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Southern Tamanduas (Tamandua tetradactyla) belong to the specialized placental myrmecophages. There is not much information about their intestinal microbiome. Moreover, due to their food specialization, it is difficult to create an adequate diet under breeding conditions. Therefore, we used 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing to analyze the fecal microbiome of captive Southern Tamanduas from four locations in the Czech Republic and evaluated the impact of the incoming diet and facility conditions on microbiome composition. Together with the microbiome analysis, we also quantified and identified cultivable commensals. The anteater fecal microbiome was dominated by the phyla Bacillota and Bacteroidota, while Pseudomonadota, Spirochaetota, and Actinobacteriota were less abundant. At the taxonomic family level, Lachnospiraceae, Prevotellaceae, Bacteroidaceae, Oscillospiraceae, Erysipelotrichaceae, Spirochaetaceae, Ruminococcaceae, Leuconostocaceae, and Streptococcaceae were mainly represented in the fecal microbiome of animals from all locations. Interestingly, Lactobacillaceae dominated in the location with a zoo-made diet. These animals also had significantly lower diversity of gut microbiome in comparison with animals from other locations fed mainly with a complete commercial diet. Moreover, captive conditions of analyzed anteater included other factors such as the enrichment of the diet with insect-based products, probiotic interventions, the presence of other animals in the exposure, which can potentially affect the composition of the microbiome and cultivable microbes. In total, 63 bacterial species from beneficial commensal to opportunistic pathogen were isolated and identified using MALDI-TOF MS in the set of more than one thousand selected isolates. Half of the detected species were present in the fecal microbiota of most animals, the rest varied across animals and locations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Amin
- Department of Microbiology, Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamycka 129, 165 00, Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Chahrazed Mekadim
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, The Czech Academy of Sciences, v. v. i., Videnska 1083, 142 20, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Nikol Modrackova
- Department of Microbiology, Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamycka 129, 165 00, Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Bolechova
- Department of Ethology and Companion Animal Science, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamycka 129, 165 00, Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Mrazek
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, The Czech Academy of Sciences, v. v. i., Videnska 1083, 142 20, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Vera Neuzil-Bunesova
- Department of Microbiology, Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamycka 129, 165 00, Prague 6, Czech Republic.
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Subrata SA, Yuda P, Artama WT, de-Garine Wichatitsky M, André A, Michaux J. Rusa deer microbiota: the importance of preliminary data analysis for meaningful diversity comparisons. Int Microbiol 2024:10.1007/s10123-024-00521-x. [PMID: 38589705 DOI: 10.1007/s10123-024-00521-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
The microbiome is an important consideration for the conservation of endangered species. Studies provided evidence of the effect of behavior and habitat change on the microbiota of wild animals and reported various inferences. It indicates the complexity of factors influencing microbiota diversity, including incomplete sampling procedures. Data abnormality may arise due to the procedures warranting preliminary analysis, such as rarefaction, before downstream analysis. This present study demonstrated the effect of data rarefaction and aggregation on the comparison of wild rusa deer's gut microbial diversity. Eighty-five feces samples were collected from 11 deer populations inhabiting three national parks in Java and Bali islands. Using the Illumina Nova-Seq platform, fragments of 16s rRNA gene were sequenced, and raw data of 51,389 reads corresponding to 2 domains, 22 phyla, 45 classes, 83 orders, 182 families, and 460 genera of bacteria were obtained. Data rarefaction was applied at two different library sizes (minimum and fixed) and aggregation (11 populations into 3 research sites) to investigate its effect on the microbial diversity comparison. There are significant differences in alpha diversity between populations, but not research sites, at all library sizes of rarefaction. A similar finding is also found in beta diversity. Moreover, data rarefaction and aggregation result in different values of the diversity metrics. This present study shows that statistical analysis remains a substantial concern in microbiome studies applied to conservation biology. It suggests reporting a more detailed data normalization in microbiome studies as an inherent control of suboptimal sampling, particularly when involving feces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sena A Subrata
- Faculty of Forestry, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
| | - Pramana Yuda
- Faculty of Technobiology, Universitas Atma Jaya Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Wayan T Artama
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | | | - Adrien André
- Conservation Genetics Unit, Department of Life Sciences, University of Liège, Liege, Belgium
| | - Johan Michaux
- Conservation Genetics Unit, Department of Life Sciences, University of Liège, Liege, Belgium
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Park Y, Min J, Kim W, Park W. Kaistella rhinocerotis sp. nov., isolated from the faeces of rhinoceros and reclassification of Chryseobacterium faecale as Kaistella faecalis comb. nov. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2024; 74. [PMID: 38602466 DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.006338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Strain Ran72T, a novel Gram-stain-negative, obligately aerobic, non-motile, and rod-shaped bacterium, was isolated from the faeces of the rhinoceros species Ceratotherium simum. The novel bacterial strain grew optimally in Reasoner's 2A medium under the following conditions: 0 % (w/v) NaCl, pH 7.5, and 30 °C. Based on phylogenetic analysis using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, strain Ran72T was found to be most closely related to Chryseobacterium faecale F4T (98.4 %), Kaistella soli DKR-2T (98.0 %), and Kaistella haifensis H38T (97.4 %). A comprehensive genome-level comparison between strain Ran72T with C. faecale F4T, K. soli DKR-2T, and K. haifensis H38T revealed average nucleotide identity, digital DNA-DNA hybridization, and average amino acid identity values of ≤74.9, ≤19.3, and ≤78.7 %, respectively. The major fatty acids were anteiso-C15 : 0 (22.3 %), with MK-6 being the predominant respiratory quinone. The major polar lipids of strain Ran72T were phosphatidylethanolamine, four unidentified aminolipids, and two unidentified lipids. Based on our chemotaxonomic, genotypic, and phenotype characterizations, strain Ran72T was identified as representing a novel species in the genus Kaistella, for which the name Kaistella rhinocerotis sp. nov. is proposed, with the type strain Ran72T (=KACC 23136T=JCM 36038T). Based on the outcomes of our phylogenomic study, Chryseobacterium faecale should be reclassified under the genus Kaistella as Kaistella faecalis comb. nov.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yerim Park
- Laboratory of Molecular Environmental Microbiology, Department of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Jihyeon Min
- Laboratory of Molecular Environmental Microbiology, Department of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Wonjae Kim
- Laboratory of Molecular Environmental Microbiology, Department of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Woojun Park
- Laboratory of Molecular Environmental Microbiology, Department of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
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10
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Bornbusch SL, Power ML, Schulkin J, Drea CM, Maslanka MT, Muletz-Wolz CR. Integrating microbiome science and evolutionary medicine into animal health and conservation. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:458-477. [PMID: 37956701 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Microbiome science has provided groundbreaking insights into human and animal health. Similarly, evolutionary medicine - the incorporation of eco-evolutionary concepts into primarily human medical theory and practice - is increasingly recognised for its novel perspectives on modern diseases. Studies of host-microbe relationships have been expanded beyond humans to include a wide range of animal taxa, adding new facets to our understanding of animal ecology, evolution, behaviour, and health. In this review, we propose that a broader application of evolutionary medicine, combined with microbiome science, can provide valuable and innovative perspectives on animal care and conservation. First, we draw on classic ecological principles, such as alternative stable states, to propose an eco-evolutionary framework for understanding variation in animal microbiomes and their role in animal health and wellbeing. With a focus on mammalian gut microbiomes, we apply this framework to populations of animals under human care, with particular relevance to the many animal species that suffer diseases linked to gut microbial dysfunction (e.g. gut distress and infection, autoimmune disorders, obesity). We discuss diet and microbial landscapes (i.e. the microbes in the animal's external environment), as two factors that are (i) proposed to represent evolutionary mismatches for captive animals, (ii) linked to gut microbiome structure and function, and (iii) potentially best understood from an evolutionary medicine perspective. Keeping within our evolutionary framework, we highlight the potential benefits - and pitfalls - of modern microbial therapies, such as pre- and probiotics, faecal microbiota transplants, and microbial rewilding. We discuss the limited, yet growing, empirical evidence for the use of microbial therapies to modulate animal gut microbiomes beneficially. Interspersed throughout, we propose 12 actionable steps, grounded in evolutionary medicine, that can be applied to practical animal care and management. We encourage that these actionable steps be paired with integration of eco-evolutionary perspectives into our definitions of appropriate animal care standards. The evolutionary perspectives proposed herein may be best appreciated when applied to the broad diversity of species under human care, rather than when solely focused on humans. We urge animal care professionals, veterinarians, nutritionists, scientists, and others to collaborate on these efforts, allowing for simultaneous care of animal patients and the generation of valuable empirical data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally L Bornbusch
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 20008, USA
- Department of Nutrition Science, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 20008, USA
| | - Michael L Power
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 20008, USA
| | - Jay Schulkin
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Washington School of Medicine, 1959 NE Pacific St., Box 356460, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Christine M Drea
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, 104 Biological Sciences, Campus Box 90383, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Michael T Maslanka
- Department of Nutrition Science, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 20008, USA
| | - Carly R Muletz-Wolz
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 20008, USA
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11
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Ning R, Li C, Xia M, Zhang Y, Gan Y, Huang Y, Zhang T, Song H, Zhang S, Guo W. Pseudomonas-associated bacteria play a key role in obtaining nutrition from bamboo for the giant panda ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca). Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0381923. [PMID: 38305171 PMCID: PMC10913395 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03819-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Gut microbiota plays a vital role in obtaining nutrition from bamboo for giant pandas. However, low cellulase activity has been observed in the panda's gut. Besides, no specific pathway has been implicated in lignin digestion by gut microbiota of pandas. Therefore, the mechanism by which they obtain nutrients is still controversial. It is necessary to elucidate the precise pathways employed by gut microbiota of pandas to degrade lignin. Here, the metabolic pathways for lignin degradation in pandas were explored by comparing 209 metagenomic sequencing data from wild species with different feeding habits. Lignin degradation central pathways, including beta-ketoadipate and homogentisate pathway, were enriched in the gut of wild bamboo-eating pandas. The gut microbiome of wild bamboo-eating specialists was enriched with genes from pathways implicated in degrading ferulate and p-coumarate into acetyl-CoA and succinyl-CoA, which can potentially provide the raw materials for metabolism in pandas. Specifically, Pseudomonas, as the most dominant gut bacteria genus, was found to be the main bacteria to provide genes involved in lignin or lignin derivative degradation. Herein, three Pseudomonas-associated strains isolated from the feces of wild pandas showed the laccase, lignin peroxidase, and manganese peroxidase activity and extracellular lignin degradation ability in vitro. A potential mechanism for pandas to obtain nutrition from bamboo was proposed based on the results. This study provides novel insights into the adaptive evolution of pandas from the perspective of lignin metabolism. IMPORTANCE Although giant pandas only feed on bamboo, the mechanism of lignin digestion in pandas is unclear. Here, the metabolic pathways for lignin degradation in wild pandas were explored by comparing gut metagenomic from species with different feeding habits. Results showed that lignin degradation central pathways, including beta-ketoadipate and homogentisate pathway, were enriched in the gut of wild bamboo-eating pandas. Genes from pathways involved in degrading ferulate and p-coumarate via beta-ketoadipate pathway were also enriched in bamboo-eating pandas. The final products of the above process, such as acetyl-CoA, can potentially provide the raw materials for metabolism in pandas. Specifically, Pseudomonas, as the most dominant gut bacteria genus, mainly provides genes involved in lignin degradation. Herein, Pseudomonas-associated strains isolated from the feces of pandas could degrade extracellular lignin. These findings suggest that gut microbiome of pandas is crucial in obtaining nutrition from lignin via Pseudomonas, as the main lignin-degrading bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruihong Ning
- Sichuan Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Prevention and Control Technology of Veterinary Drug Residue in Animal-origin Food, School of Laboratory Medicine, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization, Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Caiwu Li
- Key Laboratory of State Forestry and Grassland Administration (SFGA) on Conservation Biology of Rare Animals in the Giant Panda National Park, The China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP), Chengdu, China
| | - Maohua Xia
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Captive Wildlife Technology, Beijing Zoo, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Sichuan Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Prevention and Control Technology of Veterinary Drug Residue in Animal-origin Food, School of Laboratory Medicine, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
| | - Yunong Gan
- Sichuan Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Prevention and Control Technology of Veterinary Drug Residue in Animal-origin Food, School of Laboratory Medicine, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
| | - Yan Huang
- Key Laboratory of State Forestry and Grassland Administration (SFGA) on Conservation Biology of Rare Animals in the Giant Panda National Park, The China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP), Chengdu, China
| | - Tianyou Zhang
- Chimelong Safari Park in Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haitao Song
- Key Laboratory of State Forestry and Grassland Administration (SFGA) on Conservation Biology of Rare Animals in the Giant Panda National Park, The China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP), Chengdu, China
| | - Siyuan Zhang
- Sichuan Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Prevention and Control Technology of Veterinary Drug Residue in Animal-origin Food, School of Laboratory Medicine, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, China National Nuclear Corporation 416 Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Wei Guo
- Sichuan Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Prevention and Control Technology of Veterinary Drug Residue in Animal-origin Food, School of Laboratory Medicine, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization, Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
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12
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Gani M, Mohd-Ridwan AR, Sitam FT, Kamarudin Z, Selamat SS, Awang NMZ, Karuppannan KV, Md-Zain BM. Habitat shapes the gut microbiome diversity of Malayan tigers (Panthera tigris jacksoni) as revealed through metabarcoding 16S rRNA profiling. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 40:111. [PMID: 38416247 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-023-03868-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
The gut microbiome refers to the microorganism community living within the digestive tract. The environment plays a crucial role in shaping the gut microbiome composition of animals. The gut microbiome influences the health and behavior of animals, including the critically endangered Malayan tiger (Panthera tigris jacksoni). However, the gut microbiome composition of Malayan tigers, especially those living in their natural habitats, remains poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, we used next-generation sequencing DNA metabarcoding techniques to analyze the gut microbiome of wild Malayan tigers using fecal samples collected from their natural habitats and in captivity. Our aim was to determine the gut microbiota composition of the Malayan tiger, considering the different types of habitat environments. The results revealed a diverse microbial community within the gut microbiome of Malayan tigers. The prominent phyla that were observed included Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteriota, Fusobacteriota and Bacteroidota. Beta diversity analysis revealed significant differences in gut microbiome composition of Malayan tigers that inhabited oil palm plantations, in villages and protected areas. Diversity analysis also revealed significant difference in the gut microbiome between wild and captive Malayan tigers. However, the distinctions of gut microbiome between wild and captive alpha diversity did not yield significant differences. The differences in microbiome diversity resulted from the interplay of dietary intake and environmental factors. This information will facilitate the establishment of focused conservation approaches and enhance our understanding of the effect of microbiome composition on Malayan tiger health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Millawati Gani
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
- National Wildlife Forensic Laboratory (NWFL), Ex-Situ Conservation Division, Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN), KM 10 Jalan Cheras, 56100, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Abd Rahman Mohd-Ridwan
- Centre for Pre-University Studies, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia
| | - Frankie Thomas Sitam
- National Wildlife Forensic Laboratory (NWFL), Ex-Situ Conservation Division, Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN), KM 10 Jalan Cheras, 56100, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Zubaidah Kamarudin
- National Wildlife Rescue Centre (NWRC), Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN), 35600, Sungkai, Perak, Malaysia
| | - Siti Suzana Selamat
- National Wildlife Rescue Centre (NWRC), Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN), 35600, Sungkai, Perak, Malaysia
| | - Nik Mohd Zamani Awang
- National Wildlife Rescue Centre (NWRC), Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN), 35600, Sungkai, Perak, Malaysia
| | - Kayal Vizi Karuppannan
- National Wildlife Forensic Laboratory (NWFL), Ex-Situ Conservation Division, Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN), KM 10 Jalan Cheras, 56100, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Badrul Munir Md-Zain
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.
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13
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Dosi A, Meziti A, Tounta E, Koemtzopoulos K, Komnenou A, Dendrinos P, Kormas K. Fecal and skin microbiota of two rescued Mediterranean monk seal pups during rehabilitation. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0280523. [PMID: 38084980 PMCID: PMC10783143 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02805-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE This study showed that during the rehabilitation of two rescued Mediterranean monk seal pups (Monachus monachus), the skin and fecal bacterial communities showed similar succession patterns between the two individuals. This finding means that co-housed pups share their microbiomes, and this needs to be considered in cases of infection outbreaks and their treatment. The housing conditions, along with the feeding scheme and care protocols, including the admission of antibiotics as prophylaxis, probiotics, and essential food supplements, resulted in bacterial communities with no apparent pathogenic bacteria. This is the first contribution to the microbiome of the protected seal species of M. monachus and contributes to the animal's conservation practices through its microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aggeliki Dosi
- Department of Ichthyology and Aquatic Environment, University of Thessaly, Volos, Greece
| | - Alexandra Meziti
- Department of Ichthyology and Aquatic Environment, University of Thessaly, Volos, Greece
| | - Eleni Tounta
- MOm/Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal, Athens, Greece
| | - Kimon Koemtzopoulos
- MOm/Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal, Athens, Greece
| | - Anastasia Komnenou
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Panagiotis Dendrinos
- MOm/Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal, Athens, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Kormas
- Department of Ichthyology and Aquatic Environment, University of Thessaly, Volos, Greece
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Zhang B, Shi M, Xu S, Zhang H, Li Y, Hu D. Analysis on Changes and Influencing Factors of the Intestinal Microbiota of Alpine Musk Deer between the Place of Origin and Migration. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:3791. [PMID: 38136828 PMCID: PMC10740494 DOI: 10.3390/ani13243791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
In China, the population of wild musk deer, belonging to the family Moschidae, has drastically decreased in recent years owing to human activities and environmental changes. During the 1990s, artificial breeding of Alpine musk deer was conducted in Xinglong Mountain, Gansu Province, China, and their ex situ conservation was explored for over a decade. Ex situ protection is beneficial for expanding the population of animals and maintaining their genetic diversity; however, it can also induce metabolic diseases and parasitic infections and reduce reproductive capacity. The gut microbiota of animals has a considerable impact on host energy metabolism and immune regulation, thereby playing a crucial role in the overall health and reproductive success of the host. In this study, by comparing the differences in the intestinal microbiome of the musk deer according to their place of origin and migration, the changes in their gut microbiota and the influencing factors were explored to provide a theoretical basis for monitoring the health status of the musk deer. We used 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing technology to analyze the structure and diversity of the gut microbiota of Alpine musk deer in Gansu (G, place of origin) and Sichuan (S, place of migration). The results showed that the dominant bacteria and genera in the intestinal microbiome of captive musk deer were similar in the places of origin and migration, but significant differences were observed in their relative abundance (p < 0.05). Regarding Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, which are related to plant cellulose digestion, the relative abundance in group G was higher than that in group S; regarding Proteobacteria and Verrucomicrobia, which are related to fat and starch intake, the relative abundance in group S was higher than that in group G; the relative abundance of Bacillus and Clostridium sensu stricto, which are related to fiber digestibility, was higher in group G than in group S; the relative abundance of conditional pathogens Acinetobacter and Escherichia-Shigella was higher in group S than in group G. The results of α and β diversity analysis also showed significant differences between the two groups (p < 0.05). The ACE and Shannon indices of musk deer in group G were considerably higher than those in group S, and the Simpson index of musk deer in group S was greater than that in group G, indicating that the abundance and diversity of intestinal microbiome were higher in musk deer of Gansu than those of Sichuan. Comparison of the changes in the intestinal microbiome of the musk deer according to the place of origin and migration showed that the plant cellulose content in the food of the musk deer, the fat content in the concentrated feed, and changes in the feeding environment have an impact on the intestinal microbiome. Effective monitoring of the health and immunity of the musk deer is crucial for ensuring their overall health, which in turn will aid in formulating a scientific and reasonable management plan for their conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baofeng Zhang
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Minghui Shi
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Shanghua Xu
- Guangxi Forestry Research Institute, Nanning 530002, China
| | - Haonan Zhang
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Yimeng Li
- Department of Life Sciences, National Natural History Museum of China, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Defu Hu
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
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15
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Pohlin F, Frei C, Meyer LCR, Roch FF, Quijada NM, Conrady B, Neubauer V, Hofmeyr M, Cooper D, Stalder G, Wetzels SU. Capture and transport of white rhinoceroses ( Ceratotherium simum) cause shifts in their fecal microbiota composition towards dysbiosis. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 11:coad089. [PMID: 38026796 PMCID: PMC10673814 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coad089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Translocations of Rhinocerotidae are commonly performed for conservation purposes but expose the animals to a variety of stressors (e.g. prolonged fasting, confinement, novel environment, etc.). Stress may change the composition of gut microbiota, which can impact animal health and welfare. White rhinoceroses in particular can develop anorexia, diarrhea and enterocolitis after translocation. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations of age, sex and translocation on the rhinoceros' fecal bacterial microbiota composition. fecal samples were collected from rhinoceroses at capture (n = 16) and after a >30-hour road transport (n = 7). DNA was isolated from these samples and submitted for 16S rRNA V3-V4 phylotyping. Alpha diversity indices of the rhinoceros' fecal microbiota composition of different age, sex and before and after transport were compared using non-parametric statistical tests and beta diversity indices using Permutational Multivariate Analysis Of Variance (PERMANOVA). Resulting P-values were alpha-corrected (Padj.). Alpha and beta diversity did not differ between rhinoceroses of different age and sex. However, there was a significant difference in beta diversity between fecal samples collected from adult animals at capture and after transport. The most abundant bacterial phyla in samples collected at capture were Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes (85.76%), represented by Lachnospiraceae, Ruminococcaceae and Prevotellaceae families. The phyla Proteobacteria (Padj. = 0.009) and Actinobacteria (Padj. = 0.012), amongst others, increased in relative abundance from capture to after transport encompassing potentially pathogenic bacterial families such as Enterobacteriaceae (Padj. = 0.018) and Pseudomonadaceae (Padj. = 0.022). Important commensals such as Spirochaetes (Padj. = 0.009), Fibrobacteres (Padj. = 0.018) and Lachnospiraceae (Padj. = 0.021) decreased in relative abundance. These results indicate that the stressors associated with capture and transport cause an imbalanced fecal microbiota composition in white rhinoceroses that may lead to potentially infectious intestinal disorders. This imbalance may result from recrudescence of normally innocuous pathogens, increased shedding of pathogens or increased vulnerability to new pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Friederike Pohlin
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria
- Centre for Veterinary Wildlife Research, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Soutpan Road, 0110 Onderstepoort, South Africa
- Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Soutpan Road, 0110 Onderstepoort, South Africa
| | - Carolin Frei
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria
- Centre for Veterinary Wildlife Research, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Soutpan Road, 0110 Onderstepoort, South Africa
- Unit for Food Microbiology, Institute for Food Safety, Food Technology and Veterinary Public Health, Department for Farm Animal and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Leith C R Meyer
- Centre for Veterinary Wildlife Research, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Soutpan Road, 0110 Onderstepoort, South Africa
- Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Soutpan Road, 0110 Onderstepoort, South Africa
| | - Franz-Ferdinand Roch
- Unit for Food Microbiology, Institute for Food Safety, Food Technology and Veterinary Public Health, Department for Farm Animal and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Narciso M Quijada
- Unit for Food Microbiology, Institute for Food Safety, Food Technology and Veterinary Public Health, Department for Farm Animal and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
- Department of Microbiology and Genetics, Institute for Agribiotechnology Research (CIALE), University of Salamanca, Parque Científico de Villamayor, Calle Río Duero 12, 37185 Villamayor (Salamanca), Spain
| | - Beate Conrady
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Grønnegårdsvej 15, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
- Complexity Science Hub Vienna, Josefstädterstr. 38, 1080 Vienna, Austria
| | - Viktoria Neubauer
- Unit for Food Microbiology, Institute for Food Safety, Food Technology and Veterinary Public Health, Department for Farm Animal and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
- FFoQSI - Austrian Competence Centre for Feed and Food Quality, Safety and Innovation, Technopark 1D, 3430 Tulln, Austria
| | - Markus Hofmeyr
- Centre for Veterinary Wildlife Research, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Soutpan Road, 0110 Onderstepoort, South Africa
- Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Soutpan Road, 0110 Onderstepoort, South Africa
- Great Plains Conservation and Rhinos Without Borders, Boseja, Maun, Botswana
- Rhino Recovery Fund/Wildlife Conservation Network and Oak Foundation, 1 Kingsway, London WC2B 6AN, United Kingdom
| | - Dave Cooper
- Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Cascades 3202, South Africa
| | - Gabrielle Stalder
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefanie U Wetzels
- Unit for Food Microbiology, Institute for Food Safety, Food Technology and Veterinary Public Health, Department for Farm Animal and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
- FFoQSI - Austrian Competence Centre for Feed and Food Quality, Safety and Innovation, Technopark 1D, 3430 Tulln, Austria
- Tierarztpraxis Brugger, Kitzsteinhornstraße 43, 5700 Zell am See, Austria
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Clough J, Schwab S, Mikac K. Gut Microbiome Profiling of the Endangered Southern Greater Glider ( Petauroides volans) after the 2019-2020 Australian Megafire. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:3583. [PMID: 38003202 PMCID: PMC10668662 DOI: 10.3390/ani13223583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Studying the gut microbiome can provide valuable insights into animal health and inform the conservation management of threatened wildlife. Gut microbiota play important roles in regulating mammalian host physiology, including digestion, energy metabolism and immunity. Dysbiosis can impair such physiological processes and compromise host health, so it is essential that the gut microbiome be considered in conservation planning. The southern greater glider (Petauroides volans) is an endangered arboreal marsupial that faced widespread habitat fragmentation and population declines following the 2019-2020 Australian bushfire season. This study details baseline data on the gut microbiome of this species. The V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was amplified from scats collected from individuals inhabiting burnt and unburnt sites across southeastern Australia and sequenced to determine bacterial community composition. Southern greater glider gut microbiomes were characterised by high relative abundances of Firmicutes and Bacteroidota, which is consistent with that reported for other marsupial herbivores. Significant differences in gut microbial diversity and community structure were detected among individuals from different geographic locations. Certain microbiota and functional orthologues were also found to be significantly differentially abundant between locations. The role of wildfire in shaping southern greater glider gut microbiomes was shown, with some significant differences in the diversity and abundance of microbiota detected between burnt and unburnt sites. Overall, this study details the first data on greater glider (Petauroides) gut microbiomes, laying the foundation for future studies to further explore relationships between microbial community structure, environmental stressors and host health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordyn Clough
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia;
| | - Sibylle Schwab
- School of Medical, Indigenous and Health Sciences, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | - Katarina Mikac
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia;
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Klure DM, Dearing MD. Seasonal restructuring facilitates compositional convergence of gut microbiota in free-ranging rodents. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2023; 99:fiad127. [PMID: 37838471 PMCID: PMC10622585 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiad127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Gut microbes provide essential services to their host and shifts in their composition can impact host fitness. However, despite advances in our understanding of how microbes are assembled in the gut, we understand little about the stability of these communities within individuals, nor what factors influence its composition over the life of an animal. For this reason, we conducted a longitudinal survey of the gut microbial communities of individual free-ranging woodrats (Neotoma spp.) across a hybrid zone in the Mojave Desert, USA, using amplicon sequencing approaches to characterize gut microbial profiles and diet. We found that gut microbial communities were individualized and experienced compositional restructuring as a result of seasonal transitions and changes in diet. Turnover of gut microbiota was highest amongst bacterial subspecies and was much lower at the rank of Family, suggesting there may be selection for conservation of core microbial functions in the woodrat gut. Lastly, we identified an abundant core gut bacterial community that may aid woodrats in metabolizing a diet of plants and their specialized metabolites. These results demonstrate that the gut microbial communities of woodrats are highly dynamic and experience seasonal restructuring which may facilitate adaptive plasticity in response to changes in diet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dylan M Klure
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 S 1400 E rm 201, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, United States
| | - M Denise Dearing
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 S 1400 E rm 201, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, United States
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18
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Hanski E, Khanyari M, Li J, Bates KA, Zuther S, Maiden MCJ, Kock R, Knowles SCL. Gut microbiota of the critically endangered Saiga antelope across two wild populations in a year without mass mortality. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17236. [PMID: 37821478 PMCID: PMC10567781 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44393-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The Saiga are migratory antelopes inhabiting the grasslands of Eurasia. Over the last century, Saiga have been pushed to the brink of extinction by mass mortality events and intense poaching. Yet, despite the high profile of the Saiga as an animal of conservation concern, little is known of its biology. In particular, the gut microbiota of Saiga has not been studied, despite its potential importance in health. Here, we characterise the gut microbiota of Saiga from two geographically distinct populations in Kazakhstan and compare it with that of other antelope species. We identified a consistent gut microbial diversity and composition among individuals and across two Saiga populations during a year without die-offs, with over 85% of bacterial genera being common to both populations despite vast geographic separation. We further show that the Saiga gut microbiota resembled that of five other antelopes. The putative causative agent of Saiga mass die-offs, Pasteurella multocida, was not detected in the Saiga microbiota. Our findings provide the first description of the Saiga gut microbiota, generating a baseline for future work investigating the microbiota's role in health and mass die-offs, and supporting the conservation of this critically endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eveliina Hanski
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
| | | | - Jingdi Li
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Steffen Zuther
- Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan, Astana, Kazakhstan
- Frankfurt Zoological Society, Frankfurt, Germany
| | | | - Richard Kock
- Centre for Emerging, Endemic and Exotic Diseases, The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, London, UK
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Malukiewicz J, D'arc M, Dias CA, Cartwright RA, Grativol AD, Moreira SB, Souza AR, Tavares MCH, Pissinatti A, Ruiz-Miranda CR, Santos AFA. Bifidobacteria define gut microbiome profiles of golden lion tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia) and marmoset (Callithrix sp.) metagenomic shotgun pools. Sci Rep 2023; 13:15679. [PMID: 37735195 PMCID: PMC10514281 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-42059-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Gut microbiome disruptions may lead to adverse effects on wildlife fitness and viability, thus maintaining host microbiota biodiversity needs to become an integral part of wildlife conservation. The highly-endangered callitrichid golden lion tamarin (GLT-Leontopithecus rosalia) is a rare conservation success, but allochthonous callitrichid marmosets (Callithrix) serve as principle ecological GLT threats. However, incorporation of microbiome approaches to GLT conservation is impeded by limited gut microbiome studies of Brazilian primates. Here, we carried out analysis of gut metagenomic pools from 114 individuals of wild and captive GLTs and marmosets. More specifically, we analyzed the bacterial component of ultra filtered samples originally collected as part of a virome profiling study. The major findings of this study are consistent with previous studies in showing that Bifidobacterium, a bacterial species important for the metabolism of tree gums consumed by callitrichids, is an important component of the callitrichid gut microbiome - although GTLs and marmosets were enriched for different species of Bifidobacterium. Additionally, the composition of GLT and marmoset gut microbiota is sensitive to host environmental factors. Overall, our data expand baseline gut microbiome data for callitrichids to allow for the development of new tools to improve their management and conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Malukiewicz
- Primate Genetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, 37077, Germany.
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05403-000, Brazil.
| | - Mirela D'arc
- Laboratório de Diversidade e Doenças Virais, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Cecilia A Dias
- Centro de Primatologia, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Reed A Cartwright
- School of Life Sciences and the Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85281, USA
| | | | - Silvia Bahadian Moreira
- Centro de Primatologia do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto Estadual do Ambiente, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | | | - Alcides Pissinatti
- Centro de Primatologia do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto Estadual do Ambiente, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Carlos R Ruiz-Miranda
- Laboratorio das Ciencias Ambientais, Centro de Biociencias e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, 28013-602, Brazil
| | - André F A Santos
- Laboratório de Diversidade e Doenças Virais, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
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20
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Volmer JG, McRae H, Morrison M. The evolving role of methanogenic archaea in mammalian microbiomes. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1268451. [PMID: 37727289 PMCID: PMC10506414 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1268451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Methanogenic archaea (methanogens) represent a diverse group of microorganisms that inhabit various environmental and host-associated microbiomes. These organisms play an essential role in global carbon cycling given their ability to produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas, as a by-product of their energy production. Recent advances in culture-independent and -dependent studies have highlighted an increased prevalence of methanogens in the host-associated microbiome of diverse animal species. Moreover, there is increasing evidence that methanogens, and/or the methane they produce, may play a substantial role in human health and disease. This review addresses the expanding host-range and the emerging view of host-specific adaptations in methanogen biology and ecology, and the implications for host health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- James G. Volmer
- Centre for Microbiome Research, School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba, QLD, Australia
| | - Harley McRae
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland Frazer Institute, Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba, QLD, Australia
| | - Mark Morrison
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland Frazer Institute, Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba, QLD, Australia
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21
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Jiang F, Song P, Liu D, Zhang J, Qin W, Wang H, Liang C, Gao H, Zhang T. Marked variations in gut microbial diversity, functions, and disease risk between wild and captive alpine musk deer. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2023:10.1007/s00253-023-12675-1. [PMID: 37421471 PMCID: PMC10390370 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12675-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023]
Abstract
Maintaining a healthy status is crucial for the successful captive breeding of endangered alpine musk deer (Moschus chrysogaster, AMD), and captive breeding programs are beneficial to the ex-situ conservation and wild population recovery of this species. Meanwhile, the gut microbiota is essential for host health, survival, and environmental adaptation. However, changes in feeding environment and food can affect the composition and function of gut microbiota in musk deer, ultimately impacting their health and adaptation. Therefore, regulating the health status of wild and captive AMD through a non-invasive method that targets gut microbiota is a promising approach. Here, 16S rRNA gene sequencing was employed to reveal the composition and functional variations between wild (N = 23) and captive (N = 25) AMD populations. The results indicated that the gut microbiota of wild AMD exhibited significantly higher alpha diversity (P < 0.001) and greater abundance of the phylum Firmicutes, as well as several dominant genera, including UCG-005, Christensenellaceae R7 group, Monoglobus, Ruminococcus, and Roseburia (P < 0.05), compared to captive AMD. These findings suggest that the wild AMD may possess more effective nutrient absorption and utilization, a more stable intestinal microecology, and better adaption to the complex natural environment. The captive individuals displayed higher metabolic functions with an increased abundance of the phylum Bacteroidetes and certain dominant genera, including Bacteroides, Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group, NK4A214 group, and Alistipes (P < 0.05), which contributed to the metabolic activities of various nutrients. Furthermore, captive AMD showed a higher level of 11 potential opportunistic pathogens and a greater enrichment of disease-related functions compared to wild AMD, indicating that wild musk deer have a lower risk of intestinal diseases and more stable intestinal structure in comparison to captive populations. These findings can serve as a valuable theoretical foundation for promoting the healthy breeding of musk deer and as a guide for evaluating the health of wild-released and reintroduced musk deer in the future. KEY POINTS: • Wild and captive AMD exhibit contrasting gut microbial diversity and certain functions. • With higher diversity, certain bacteria aid wild AMD's adaptation to complex habitats. • Higher potential pathogens and functions increase disease risk in captive AMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 23 Xinning Rd, Chengxi District, Qinghai, 810001, Xining, China
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining, 810001, Qinghai, China
| | - Pengfei Song
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 23 Xinning Rd, Chengxi District, Qinghai, 810001, Xining, China
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining, 810001, Qinghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Daoxin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 23 Xinning Rd, Chengxi District, Qinghai, 810001, Xining, China
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining, 810001, Qinghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jingjie Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 23 Xinning Rd, Chengxi District, Qinghai, 810001, Xining, China
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining, 810001, Qinghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Wen Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, 810016, Qinghai, China
| | - Haijing Wang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 23 Xinning Rd, Chengxi District, Qinghai, 810001, Xining, China
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining, 810001, Qinghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Chengbo Liang
- College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining, 810016, Qinghai, China
| | - Hongmei Gao
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 23 Xinning Rd, Chengxi District, Qinghai, 810001, Xining, China
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining, 810001, Qinghai, China
| | - Tongzuo Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 23 Xinning Rd, Chengxi District, Qinghai, 810001, Xining, China.
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining, 810001, Qinghai, China.
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22
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Cao K, Wang Y, Bai X, Wang J, Zhang L, Tang Y, Thuku RC, Hou W, Mo G, Chen F, Jin L. Comparison of Fecal Antimicrobial Resistance Genes in Captive and Wild Asian Elephants. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:antibiotics12050859. [PMID: 37237762 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12050859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) is a flagship species of tropical rainforests, and it has generated much concern. In this case, the gut bacterial communities of captive and wild Asian elephants are particularly noteworthy. We aim to compare the differences in bacterial diversity and antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) subtypes in fecal samples of Asian elephants from different habitats, which may affect host health. Analyses reveal that differences in the dominant species of gut bacteria between captive and wild Asian elephants may result in significant differences in ARGs. Network analysis of bacterial communities in captive Asian elephants has identified potentially pathogenic species. Many negative correlations in network analysis suggest that different food sources may lead to differences in bacterial communities and ARGs. Results also indicate that the ARG levels in local captive breeding of Asian elephants are close to those of the wild type. However, we found that local captive elephants carry fewer ARG types than their wild counterparts. This study reveals the profile and relationship between bacterial communities and ARGs in different sources of Asian elephant feces, providing primary data for captive breeding and rescuing wild Asian elephants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaixun Cao
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Yepeng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Jinzhong 030801, China
| | - Xuewei Bai
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Jinzhong 030801, China
| | - Jishan Wang
- Asian Elephant Research Center of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Kunming 650031, China
- Southwest Survey and Planning Institute of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Kunming 650031, China
| | - Liting Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Yongjing Tang
- Asian Elephant Research Center of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Kunming 650031, China
- Southwest Survey and Planning Institute of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Kunming 650031, China
| | - Rebecca Caroline Thuku
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Wei Hou
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Jinzhong 030801, China
| | - Guoxiang Mo
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Fei Chen
- Asian Elephant Research Center of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Kunming 650031, China
- Southwest Survey and Planning Institute of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Kunming 650031, China
| | - Lin Jin
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences/Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Jinzhong 030801, China
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23
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Burnham CM, McKenney EA, van Heugten KA, Minter LJ, Trivedi S. Effects of age, seasonality, and reproductive status on the gut microbiome of Southern White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum) at the North Carolina zoo. Anim Microbiome 2023; 5:27. [PMID: 37147724 PMCID: PMC10163733 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-023-00249-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Managed southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum) serve as assurance populations for wild conspecifics threatened by poaching and other anthropocentric effects, though many managed populations experience subfertility and reproductive failure. Gut microbiome and host health are inextricably linked, and reproductive outcomes in managed southern white rhinoceros may be mediated in part by their diet and gut microbial diversity. Thus, understanding microbial dynamics within managed populations may help improve conservation efforts. We characterized the taxonomic composition of the gut microbiome in the managed population of female southern white rhinoceros (n = 8) at the North Carolina Zoo and investigated the effects of seasonality (summer vs. winter) and age classes (juveniles (n = 2; 0-2 years), subadults (n = 2; 3-7 years), and adults (n = 4; >7 years)) on microbial richness and community structure. Collection of a fecal sample was attempted for each individual once per month from July-September 2020 and January-March 2021 resulting in a total of 41 samples analyzed. Microbial DNA was extracted and sequenced using the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA bacterial gene. Total operational taxonomic units (OTUs), alpha diversity (species richness, Shannon diversity), and beta diversity (Bray-Curtis dissimilarity, linear discriminant analysis effect size) indices were examined, and differentially enriched taxa were identified. RESULTS There were differences (p < 0.05) in alpha and beta diversity indices across individuals, age groups, and sampling months. Subadult females had higher levels of Shannon diversity (Wilcoxon, p < 0.05) compared to adult females and harbored a community cluster distinct from both juveniles and adults. Samples collected during winter months (January-March 2021) possessed higher species richness and statistically distinct communities compared to summer months (July-September 2020) (PERMANOVA, p < 0.05). Reproductively active (n = 2) and currently nonreproductive adult females (n = 2) harbored differentially enriched taxa, with the gut microbiome of nonreproductive females significantly enriched (p = 0.001) in unclassified members of Mobiluncus, a genus which possesses species associated with poor reproductive outcomes in other animal species when identified in the cervicovaginal microbiome. CONCLUSION Together, our results increase the understanding of age and season related microbial variation in southern white rhinoceros at the North Carolina Zoo and have identified a potential microbial biomarker for reproductive concern within managed female southern white rhinoceros.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina M Burnham
- Department of Animal Science, North Carolina State University, 120 W Broughton Dr, Raleigh, NC, 27607, USA
| | - Erin A McKenney
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, 100 Brooks Ave, Raleigh, NC, 27607, USA
| | - Kimberly Ange- van Heugten
- Department of Animal Science, North Carolina State University, 120 W Broughton Dr, Raleigh, NC, 27607, USA
| | - Larry J Minter
- North Carolina Zoo, 4401 Zoo Parkway, Asheboro, NC, 27205, USA
| | - Shweta Trivedi
- Department of Animal Science, North Carolina State University, 120 W Broughton Dr, Raleigh, NC, 27607, USA.
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24
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Dallas JW, Warne RW. Captivity and Animal Microbiomes: Potential Roles of Microbiota for Influencing Animal Conservation. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2023; 85:820-838. [PMID: 35316343 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-022-01991-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
During the ongoing biodiversity crisis, captive conservation and breeding programs offer a refuge for species to persist and provide source populations for reintroduction efforts. Unfortunately, captive animals are at a higher disease risk and reintroduction efforts remain largely unsuccessful. One potential factor in these outcomes is the host microbiota which includes a large diversity and abundance of bacteria, fungi, and viruses that play an essential role in host physiology. Relative to wild populations, the generalized pattern of gut and skin microbiomes in captivity are reduced alpha diversity and they exhibit a significant shift in community composition and/or structure which often correlates with various physiological maladies. Many conditions of captivity (antibiotic exposure, altered diet composition, homogenous environment, increased stress, and altered intraspecific interactions) likely lead to changes in the host-associated microbiome. To minimize the problems arising from captivity, efforts can be taken to manipulate microbial diversity and composition to be comparable with wild populations through methods such as increasing dietary diversity, exposure to natural environmental reservoirs, or probiotics. For individuals destined for reintroduction, these strategies can prime the microbiota to buffer against novel pathogens and changes in diet and improve reintroduction success. The microbiome is a critical component of animal physiology and its role in species conservation should be expanded and included in the repertoire of future management practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason W Dallas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University, 1125 Lincoln Drive, Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA.
| | - Robin W Warne
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University, 1125 Lincoln Drive, Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA
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25
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Fenn J, Taylor C, Goertz S, Wanelik KM, Paterson S, Begon M, Jackson J, Bradley J. Discrete patterns of microbiome variability across timescales in a wild rodent population. BMC Microbiol 2023; 23:87. [PMID: 36997846 PMCID: PMC10061908 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-023-02824-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Mammalian gastrointestinal microbiomes are highly variable, both within individuals and across populations, with changes linked to time and ageing being widely reported. Discerning patterns of change in wild mammal populations can therefore prove challenging. We used high-throughput community sequencing methods to characterise the microbiome of wild field voles (Microtus agrestis) from faecal samples collected across 12 live-trapping field sessions, and then at cull. Changes in α- and β-diversity were modelled over three timescales. Short-term differences (following 1–2 days captivity) were analysed between capture and cull, to ascertain the degree to which the microbiome can change following a rapid change in environment. Medium-term changes were measured between successive trapping sessions (12–16 days apart), and long-term changes between the first and final capture of an individual (from 24 to 129 days). The short period between capture and cull was characterised by a marked loss of species richness, while over medium and long-term in the field, richness slightly increased. Changes across both short and long timescales indicated shifts from a Firmicutes-dominant to a Bacteroidetes-dominant microbiome. Dramatic changes following captivity indicate that changes in microbiome diversity can be rapid, following a change of environment (food sources, temperature, lighting etc.). Medium- and long-term patterns of change indicate an accrual of gut bacteria associated with ageing, with these new bacteria being predominately represented by Bacteroidetes. While the patterns of change observed are unlikely to be universal to wild mammal populations, the potential for analogous shifts across timescales should be considered whenever studying wild animal microbiomes. This is especially true if studies involve animal captivity, as there are potential ramifications both for animal health, and the validity of the data itself as a reflection of a ‘natural’ state of an animal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Fenn
- grid.4563.40000 0004 1936 8868School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD UK
| | - Christopher Taylor
- grid.4563.40000 0004 1936 8868School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD UK
| | - Sarah Goertz
- grid.4563.40000 0004 1936 8868School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD UK
| | - Klara M. Wanelik
- grid.10025.360000 0004 1936 8470University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Steve Paterson
- grid.10025.360000 0004 1936 8470University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Mike Begon
- grid.10025.360000 0004 1936 8470University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Joe Jackson
- grid.8752.80000 0004 0460 5971University of Salford, Salford, UK
| | - Jan Bradley
- grid.4563.40000 0004 1936 8868School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD UK
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26
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Volmer JG, Soo RM, Evans PN, Hoedt EC, Astorga Alsina AL, Woodcroft BJ, Tyson GW, Hugenholtz P, Morrison M. Isolation and characterisation of novel Methanocorpusculum species indicates the genus is ancestrally host-associated. BMC Biol 2023; 21:59. [PMID: 36949471 PMCID: PMC10035134 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01524-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND With an increasing interest in the manipulation of methane produced from livestock cultivation, the microbiome of Australian marsupials provides a unique ecological and evolutionary comparison with 'low-methane' emitters. Previously, marsupial species were shown to be enriched for novel lineages of Methanocorpusculum, as well as Methanobrevibacter, Methanosphaera, and Methanomassiliicoccales. Despite sporadic reports of Methanocorpusculum from stool samples of various animal species, there remains little information on the impacts of these methanogens on their hosts. RESULTS Here, we characterise novel host-associated species of Methanocorpusculum, to explore unique host-specific genetic factors and their associated metabolic potential. We performed comparative analyses on 176 Methanocorpusculum genomes comprising 130 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) recovered from 20 public animal metagenome datasets and 35 other publicly available Methanocorpusculum MAGs and isolate genomes of host-associated and environmental origin. Nine MAGs were also produced from faecal metagenomes of the common wombat (Vombatus ursinus) and mahogany glider (Petaurus gracilis), along with the cultivation of one axenic isolate from each respective animal; M. vombati (sp. nov.) and M. petauri (sp. nov.). CONCLUSIONS Through our analyses, we substantially expand the available genetic information for this genus by describing the phenotypic and genetic characteristics of 23 host-associated species of Methanocorpusculum. These lineages display differential enrichment of genes associated with methanogenesis, amino acid biosynthesis, transport system proteins, phosphonate metabolism, and carbohydrate-active enzymes. These results provide insights into the differential genetic and functional adaptations of these novel host-associated species of Methanocorpusculum and suggest that this genus is ancestrally host-associated.
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Affiliation(s)
- James G Volmer
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland Frazer Institute, Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba, 4102, Australia
- Centre for Microbiome Research, School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba, 4102, Australia
| | - Rochelle M Soo
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences and Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, 4072, Australia
| | - Paul N Evans
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences and Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, 4072, Australia
| | - Emily C Hoedt
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland Frazer Institute, Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba, 4102, Australia
- Current Address: NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence (CRE) in Digestive Health, Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI), Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Ana L Astorga Alsina
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland Frazer Institute, Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba, 4102, Australia
| | - Benjamin J Woodcroft
- Centre for Microbiome Research, School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba, 4102, Australia
| | - Gene W Tyson
- Centre for Microbiome Research, School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba, 4102, Australia
| | - Philip Hugenholtz
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences and Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, 4072, Australia
| | - Mark Morrison
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland Frazer Institute, Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba, 4102, Australia.
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27
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Zhang XX, Lv QB, Yan QL, Zhang Y, Guo RC, Meng JX, Ma H, Qin SY, Zhu QH, Li CQ, Liu R, Liu G, Li SH, Sun DB, Ni HB. A Catalog of over 5,000 Metagenome-Assembled Microbial Genomes from the Caprinae Gut Microbiota. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0221122. [PMID: 36321901 PMCID: PMC9769736 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02211-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Most microbiome studies regarding the ruminant digestive tract have focused on the rumen microbiota, whereas only a few studies were performed on investigating the gut microbiota of ruminants, which limits our understanding of this important component. Herein, the gut microbiota of 30 Caprinae animals (sheep and goats) from six provinces in China was characterized using ultradeep (>100 Gbp per sample) metagenome shotgun sequencing. An inventory of Caprinae gut microbial species containing 5,046 metagenomic assembly genomes (MAGs) was constructed. Particularly, 2,530 of the genomes belonged to uncultured candidate species. These genomes largely expanded the genomic repository of the current microbes in the Caprinae gut. Several enzymes and biosynthetic gene clusters encoded by these Caprinae gut species were identified. In summary, our study extends the gut microbiota characteristics of Caprinae and provides a basis for future studies on animal production and animal health. IMPORTANCE We constructed a microbiota catalog containing 5,046 MAGs from Caprinae gut from six regions of China. Most of the MAGs do not overlap known databases and appear to be potentially new species. We also characterized the functional spectrum of these MAGs and analyzed the differences between different regions. Our study enriches the understanding of taxonomic, functional, and metabolic diversity of Caprinae gut microbiota. We are confident that the manuscript will be of utmost interest to a wide range of readers and be widely applied in future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Xuan Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
- Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of the Prevention and Control of Bovine Diseases, College of Animal Science, Heilongjiang Bayi Agriculture University, Daqing, Heilongjiang Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Bovine Disease Control in Northeast China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural affairs of the People's Republic of China, Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Bovine Diseases, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, China
| | - Qing-Bo Lv
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
- Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of the Prevention and Control of Bovine Diseases, College of Animal Science, Heilongjiang Bayi Agriculture University, Daqing, Heilongjiang Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Bovine Disease Control in Northeast China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural affairs of the People's Republic of China, Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Bovine Diseases, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, China
| | - Qiu-Long Yan
- Department of Microbiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Yue Zhang
- Puensum Genetech Institute, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Ruo-Chun Guo
- Puensum Genetech Institute, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Jin-Xin Meng
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
| | - He Ma
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
| | - Si-Yuan Qin
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research, Ministry of Education, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
- Center for Biological Disaster Prevention and Control, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Qing-He Zhu
- Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of the Prevention and Control of Bovine Diseases, College of Animal Science, Heilongjiang Bayi Agriculture University, Daqing, Heilongjiang Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Bovine Disease Control in Northeast China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural affairs of the People's Republic of China, Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Bovine Diseases, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, China
| | - Chun-Qiu Li
- Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of the Prevention and Control of Bovine Diseases, College of Animal Science, Heilongjiang Bayi Agriculture University, Daqing, Heilongjiang Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Bovine Disease Control in Northeast China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural affairs of the People's Republic of China, Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Bovine Diseases, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, China
| | - Rui Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
| | - Gang Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
| | - Sheng-Hui Li
- Puensum Genetech Institute, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Dong-Bo Sun
- Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of the Prevention and Control of Bovine Diseases, College of Animal Science, Heilongjiang Bayi Agriculture University, Daqing, Heilongjiang Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Bovine Disease Control in Northeast China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural affairs of the People's Republic of China, Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Bovine Diseases, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, China
| | - Hong-Bo Ni
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Bovine Disease Control in Northeast China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural affairs of the People's Republic of China, Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Bovine Diseases, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, China
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Kothmann KH, Jons A, Wilhelmi B, Kasozi N, Graham L, Gent R, Atkin SL, Swart AC, Newell-Fugate AE. Non-invasive assessment of fecal glucocorticoid, progesterone, and androgen metabolites and microbiome in free-ranging southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum) in South Africa. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2022; 329:114099. [PMID: 35914652 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2022.114099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Increased poaching in northern South Africa has necessitated relocation of large numbers of southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum) to the Eastern Cape Province. The climate and grassland ecology of this province differ from that of northern South Africa which may impact the health of this species. This assessment of fecal steroid levels and microbiome in 10 free-ranging southern white rhinoceros in the Eastern Cape will provide insights into white rhinoceros physiology in this biome. Fecal steroid metabolites were analyzed using enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and ultra-performance convergence chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPC2-MS/MS). Fecal microbial composition was assessed via next generation sequencing. EIAs with antibodies raised against progesterone (P4; mouse monoclonal - CL425 clone), testosterone (T; rabbit polyclonal), corticosterone (B; sheep polyclonal) were utilized. Pregnant females had large quantities of fecal progesterone metabolites (FPMs) detected by CL425 EIA. Pregnant females also had native P4 and 11α-hydroxydihydroprogesterone (11αOHDHP4; 4-pregnen-11α-ol-3,20-dione) detected by UPC2-MS/MS but these concentrations were 1000-fold less than the concentrations of FPMs detected by the CL425 EIA. By contrast, non-pregnant females had FPM concentrations detected by CL425 EIA which were similar to native P4 and 11αOHDHP4 concentrations detected by UPC2-MS/MS. Mean fecal androgen metabolite (FAM) concentrations detected by the T EIA were similar between males and females. 11-ketoandrostenedione (11KA4) detected by UPC2-MS/MS was higher in females than males. However, there was no difference between males and females in the concentration of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGMs) detected by the B EIA. Bacteroidia, followed by Clostridia, was the most abundant classes of fecal microbes. The unfiltered microbiome of females was more diverse than that of males. The core fecal microbiome of young rhinoceros had a higher observed species richness (Shannon diversity index, and Simpson diversity index) than that of old rhinoceros. In the alpha male, immobilization was associated with an increase in FGMs detected by 11-deoxycortisol (S) detected by UPC2-MS/MS coupled with decreased abundance of Spirochaetia. We detected substantially different FAM and FPM concentrations from those previously reported for both captive and wild white rhinoceros. Comparison of our UPC2-MS/MS and EIA results underscores the fact that most EIAs are highly cross reactive for many steroid metabolites. Our data also demonstrates a distinct effect of stress not only on FGMs but also on the fecal microbiome. This is the first non-invasive assessment of fecal steroid metabolites by UPC2-MS/MS and the fecal microbiome in wild white rhinoceros.
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Affiliation(s)
- K H Kothmann
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - A Jons
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Health Science Center, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - B Wilhelmi
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140 South Africa
| | - N Kasozi
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140 South Africa
| | - L Graham
- Ikahala Veterinary Wildlife Services, Paterson 6131 South Africa
| | - R Gent
- Department of Biochemistry, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7600 South Africa
| | - S L Atkin
- Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Bahrain
| | - A C Swart
- Department of Biochemistry, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7600 South Africa; Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7600 South Africa
| | - A E Newell-Fugate
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
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29
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Díaz-Abad L, Bacco-Mannina N, Miguel Madeira F, Serrao EA, Regalla A, Patrício AR, Frade PR. Red, Gold and Green: Microbial Contribution of Rhodophyta and Other Algae to Green Turtle ( Chelonia mydas) Gut Microbiome. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10101988. [PMID: 36296266 PMCID: PMC9610419 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10101988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The fitness of the endangered green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) may be strongly affected by its gut microbiome, as microbes play important roles in host nutrition and health. This study aimed at establishing environmental microbial baselines that can be used to assess turtle health under altered future conditions. We characterized the microbiome associated with the gastrointestinal tract of green turtles from Guinea Bissau in different life stages and associated with their food items, using 16S rRNA metabarcoding. We found that the most abundant (% relative abundance) bacterial phyla across the gastrointestinal sections were Proteobacteria (68.1 ± 13.9% “amplicon sequence variants”, ASVs), Bacteroidetes (15.1 ± 10.1%) and Firmicutes (14.7 ± 21.7%). Additionally, we found the presence of two red algae bacterial indicator ASVs (the Alphaproteobacteria Brucella pinnipedialis with 75 ± 0% and a Gammaproteobacteria identified as methanotrophic endosymbiont of Bathymodiolus, with <1%) in cloacal compartments, along with six bacterial ASVs shared only between cloacal and local environmental red algae samples. We corroborate previous results demonstrating that green turtles fed on red algae (but, to a lower extent, also seagrass and brown algae), thus, acquiring microbial components that potentially aid them digest these food items. This study is a foundation for better understanding the microbial composition of sea turtle digestive tracts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Díaz-Abad
- CCMAR—Centre of Marine Sciences, CIMAR, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- IMBRSea, International Master of Science in Marine Biological Resources, IMBRSea Universities Consortium, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Fernando Miguel Madeira
- cE3c—Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, CHANGE—Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ester A. Serrao
- CCMAR—Centre of Marine Sciences, CIMAR, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- CIBIO/InBIO—Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Aissa Regalla
- IBAP—Instituto da Biodiversidade e das Áreas Protegidas Dr. Alfredo Simão da Silva, Bissau 1220, Guinea-Bissau
| | - Ana R. Patrício
- MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Ispa—Instituto Universitário, 1149-041 Lisbon, Portugal
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn TR10 9FE, Cornwall, UK
| | - Pedro R. Frade
- CCMAR—Centre of Marine Sciences, CIMAR, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Natural History Museum Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria
- Correspondence:
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30
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Kuthyar S, Watson K, Huang S, Brent LJN, Platt M, Horvath J, Gonzalez-Martinez J, Martínez M, Godoy-Vitorino F, Knight R, Dominguez-Bello MG, Amato KR. Limited microbiome differences in captive and semi-wild primate populations consuming similar diets. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2022; 98:fiac098. [PMID: 36047944 PMCID: PMC9528791 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiac098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Gut microbial communities are shaped by a myriad of extrinsic factors, including diet and the environment. Although distinct human populations consistently exhibit different gut microbiome compositions, variation in diet and environmental factors are almost always coupled, making it difficult to disentangle their relative contributions to shaping the gut microbiota. Data from discrete animal populations with similar diets can help reduce confounds. Here, we assessed the gut microbiota of free-ranging and captive rhesus macaques with at least 80% diet similarity to test the hypothesis that hosts in difference environments will have different gut microbiomes despite a shared diet. Although we found that location was a significant predictor of gut microbial composition, the magnitude of observed differences was relatively small. These patterns suggest that a shared diet may limit the typical influence of environmental microbial exposure on the gut microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahana Kuthyar
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University 1810 Hinman Avenue Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Karli Watson
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder 1777 Exposition Drive Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Shi Huang
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego 9500 Gilman Drive La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Lauren J N Brent
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter Stocker Rd, Exeter EX4 4PY, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Platt
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 415 Curie Blvd Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Psychology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, 425 S. University Ave Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6018, USA
- Department of Marketing, Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania, 3620 Locust Walk, Philadelphia, PA, USA 19104, PA, USA
| | - Julie Horvath
- Research and Collections, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, 11 W Jones St, Raleigh, NC, 27601, USA
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences Department, North Carolina Central University, 1801 Fayetteville St, Durham, NC, 27707, USA
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, 104 Biological Sciences Campus Box 90383 Durham, NC, 27708, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, 3510 Thomas Hall Campus Box 7614 Raleigh, NC, USA 27695, USA
| | - Janis Gonzalez-Martinez
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico Cayo Santiago, Punta Santiago, Puerto Rico, Humacao 00741, Puerto Rico
| | - Melween Martínez
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico Cayo Santiago, Punta Santiago, Puerto Rico, Humacao 00741, Puerto Rico
| | - Filipa Godoy-Vitorino
- Department of Microbiology and Medical Zoology, School of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, PO BOX 365067 San Juan, PR 00936-5067, Puerto Rico
| | - Rob Knight
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego 9500 Gilman Drive La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Computer Sciences and Engineering, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Maria Gloria Dominguez-Bello
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University, 76 Lipman Dr, New Brunswick, NJ, USA 08901, USA
- Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA 1810, USA
| | - Katherine R Amato
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University 1810 Hinman Avenue Evanston, IL 60208, USA
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Ni Q, Dong S, Xing B, Zeng B, Kong F, Xu H, Yao Y, Li D, Zhang M, Fan X, Yang D, Yang M, Xie M. Oral and fecal microbiome of confiscated Bengal slow lorises in response to confinement duration. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:941261. [PMID: 36238588 PMCID: PMC9553000 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.941261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Slow lorises are small arboreal and nocturnal primates. Due to the illegal trade, a large number of slow lorises were confiscated into wildlife sanctuaries or rescue centers. The re-release has been considered a preferable approach for alleviating the captive pressure, but inappropriate and long-term confinement make it difficult to achieve this goal. In this study, we investigated and compared the fecal and oral microbiome of Bengal slow lorises (Nycticebus bengalensis) under long-term captivity (LC) and short-term captivity (SC) groups based on 16s rRNA high-throughput gene sequencing. The oral microbiome displayed higher Chao1 richness but lower Shannon and Simpson indices than the fecal microbiome. The Bengal slow lorises under long-term captivity had abundant pathogenic genera in both gut and oral microbiomes, such as Desulfovibrio, Actinomyces, Capnocytophaga, Neisseria, and Fusobacterium, while some specific bacterial taxa associated with intestinal balance were more enriched in the SC group. Due to the plant gum scarcity in the diet, both groups had a low abundance of Bifidobacterium. Function profile prediction indicated that the LC group was enriched with genetic information processing and metabolism pathways due to the stable food intake. The increased membrane transport and xenobiotic metabolism and degradation functions in the SC group could be explained by the function of the host microbiome in facilitating adaptation to changing environments and diets. The results demonstrated that the oral microbiome had the potential to be used as a regular surveillance tool. Also, current captive management should be improved to ensure reintroduction success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingyong Ni
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- *Correspondence: Qingyong Ni,
| | - Shasha Dong
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Bolin Xing
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Bo Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Fanli Kong
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Yaan, China
| | - Huailiang Xu
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Yaan, China
| | - Yongfang Yao
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Yaan, China
| | - Diyan Li
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Mingwang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaolan Fan
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Deying Yang
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Mingyao Yang
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Meng Xie
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Yaan, China
- Meng Xie,
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32
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Kapsetaki SE, Marquez Alcaraz G, Maley CC, Whisner CM, Aktipis A. Diet, Microbes, and Cancer Across the Tree of Life: a Systematic Review. Curr Nutr Rep 2022; 11:508-525. [PMID: 35704266 PMCID: PMC9197725 DOI: 10.1007/s13668-022-00420-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Cancers are a leading cause of death in humans and for many other species. Diet has often been associated with cancers, and the microbiome is an essential mediator between diet and cancers. Here, we review the work on cancer and the microbiome across species to search for broad patterns of susceptibility associated with different microbial species. RECENT FINDINGS Some microbes, such as Helicobacter bacteria, papillomaviruses, and the carnivore-associated Fusobacteria, consistently induce tumorigenesis in humans and other species. Other microbes, such as the milk-associated Lactobacillus, consistently inhibit tumorigenesis in humans and other species. We systematically reviewed over a thousand published articles and identified links between diet, microbes, and cancers in several species of mammals, birds, and flies. Future work should examine a larger variety of host species to discover new model organisms for human preclinical trials, to better understand the observed variance in cancer prevalence across species, and to discover which microbes and diets are associated with cancers across species. Ultimately, this could help identify microbial and dietary interventions to diagnose, prevent, and treat cancers in humans as well as other animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania E Kapsetaki
- Arizona Cancer Evolution Center, Biodesign Institute and School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
- Biodesign Center for Biocomputing, Security and Society, Arizona State University, Tempe, USA.
| | - Gissel Marquez Alcaraz
- Arizona Cancer Evolution Center, Biodesign Institute and School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Biodesign Center for Biocomputing, Security and Society, Arizona State University, Tempe, USA
| | - Carlo C Maley
- Arizona Cancer Evolution Center, Biodesign Institute and School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Biodesign Center for Biocomputing, Security and Society, Arizona State University, Tempe, USA
| | - Corrie M Whisner
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA
- Biodesign Center for Health Through Microbiomes, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Athena Aktipis
- Arizona Cancer Evolution Center, Biodesign Institute and School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
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33
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Zhou Z, Tang L, Yan L, Jia H, Xiong Y, Shang J, Shao C, Zhang Q, Wang H, He L, Hu D, Zhang D. Wild and Captive Environments Drive the Convergence of Gut Microbiota and Impact Health in Threatened Equids. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:832410. [PMID: 35814657 PMCID: PMC9259803 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.832410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
To explore how the living environment influences the establishment of gut microbiota in different species, as well as the extent to which changes in the living environment caused by captive breeding affect wildlife’s gut microbiota and health, we used 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and shotgun metagenomic sequencing to compare the gut microbiome of two species of threatened equids, the Przewalski’s Horse and the Asian wild ass, in the wild and captivity. The results revealed that different species of Equidae living in the same environment showed remarkable convergence of gut microflora. At the same time, captive populations exhibited significantly “unhealthy” microbiota, such as low Alpha diversity, high levels of potentially pathogenic bacteria and biomarkers of physical or psychological disease, and enrichment of microbial functions associated with exogenous exposure and susceptibility, implying that the artificial environment created by captivity may adversely impact the health of wildlife to some extent. Our findings demonstrate the importance of the environmental factors for the establishment of gut microbiota and host health and provide new insights into the conservation of wildlife in captivity from the perspective of the microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhichao Zhou
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Liping Tang
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Liping Yan
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Huiping Jia
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Xiong
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Jin Shang
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | | | - Qiangwei Zhang
- Gansu Endangered Animals Protection Center, Wuwei, China
| | - Hongjun Wang
- Gansu Endangered Animals Protection Center, Wuwei, China
| | - Lun He
- China Wildlife Conservation Association, Beijing, China
| | - Defu Hu
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Dong Zhang
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Dong Zhang, ;
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Zhang K, Wang X, Gong X, Sui J. Gut Microbiome Differences in Rescued Common Kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) Before and After Captivity. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:858592. [PMID: 35794924 PMCID: PMC9251364 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.858592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gut microbes significantly impact animal health, yet research on the gut microbiota of most birds, especially raptors, is lacking. This study investigated the effects of dietary and environmental changes on the composition and abundance of gut microbiota in 17 rescued common kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) through 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing of microorganisms in the feces of the birds. Firmicutes (relative abundance, 43.63%), Proteobacteria (37.26%), Actinobacteria (7.31%), and Bacteroidetes (5.48%) were the dominant phyla in the gut microbiota of the common kestrels. A comparison of the gut microbiota before and after captivity revealed that community composition and abundance of the common kestrel gut microbiota differed among different living conditions including diet and environment. At the phylum level, the abundance of Firmicutes was higher (P < 0.05), and that of Proteobacteria was lower (P < 0.05), after captivity (54.62 and 27.16%, respectively) compared with before captivity (33.67 and 46.41%, respectively), but no significant differences were found among other phyla. At the genus level, the abundance of Lactobacillus was higher (P < 0.05) after captivity (15.77%) compared with the abundance before captivity (5.02%). Hierarchical clustering and principal component analyses showed that common kestrels in different living conditions exhibited differences (P < 0.05) in gut microbiota at phylum and genus levels. Functional prediction of gene sequences using PICRUSt2 further revealed that pathways related to glucose metabolism and amino acid metabolism were enhanced (P < 0.05) after captivity. Collectively, the findings from this study demonstrated that the relative abundance of specific microbes in the gut of the rescued common kestrels either increased or decreased, and that dietary and environment changes might be the predominant factors affecting the gut microbiota of these birds during rescue or captivity.
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Gut Microbial Composition of Pacific Salmonids Differs across Oregon River Basins and Hatchery Ancestry. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10050933. [PMID: 35630377 PMCID: PMC9144809 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10050933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The gut microbiome may represent a relatively untapped resource in the effort to manage and conserve threatened or endangered fish populations, including wild and hatchery-reared Pacific salmonids. To clarify this potential, we defined how steelhead trout gut microbiome composition varies across watersheds and as a function of ancestry. First, we measured this variation across watersheds using wild steelhead trout sampled from nine locations spanning three river basins. While gut microbial composition differs across basins, there exist bacterial clades that are ubiquitous across all populations. Correlating the phylogenetic composition of clades with geographic distance reveals 395 clades of bacteria whose ecological distribution implicates their co-diversification with steelheads. Second, we quantified how microbiome composition varies between first generation hatchery-reared steelhead and traditional hatchery-reared steelhead. Despite being subject to the same hatchery management strategies, fish bred from wild parents carry distinct microbiomes from those bred from hatchery broodstock, implicating the role of genotype on microbiome composition. Finally, we integrated all data from both studies to reveal two distinct, yet robust clusters of community composition. Collectively, our study documents for the first time how the steelhead gut microbiome varies by geography or broodstock and uncovers microbial taxa that may indicate the watershed or hatchery from which an individual was sourced.
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Bornbusch SL, Greene LK, Rahobilalaina S, Calkins S, Rothman RS, Clarke TA, LaFleur M, Drea CM. Gut microbiota of ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) vary across natural and captive populations and correlate with environmental microbiota. Anim Microbiome 2022; 4:29. [PMID: 35484581 PMCID: PMC9052671 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-022-00176-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Inter-population variation in host-associated microbiota reflects differences in the hosts' environments, but this characterization is typically based on studies comparing few populations. The diversity of natural habitats and captivity conditions occupied by any given host species has not been captured in these comparisons. Moreover, intraspecific variation in gut microbiota, generally attributed to diet, may also stem from differential acquisition of environmental microbes-an understudied mechanism by which host microbiomes are directly shaped by environmental microbes. To more comprehensively characterize gut microbiota in an ecologically flexible host, the ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta; n = 209), while also investigating the role of environmental acquisition, we used 16S rRNA sequencing of lemur gut and soil microbiota sampled from up to 13 settings, eight in the wilderness of Madagascar and five in captivity in Madagascar or the U.S. Based on matched fecal and soil samples, we used microbial source tracking to examine covariation between the two types of consortia. RESULTS The diversity of lemur gut microbes varied markedly within and between settings. Microbial diversity was not consistently greater in wild than in captive lemurs, indicating that this metric is not necessarily an indicator of host habitat or environmental condition. Variation in microbial composition was inconsistent both with a single, representative gut community for wild conspecifics and with a universal 'signal of captivity' that homogenizes the gut consortia of captive animals. Despite the similar, commercial diets of captive lemurs on both continents, lemur gut microbiomes within Madagascar were compositionally most similar, suggesting that non-dietary factors govern some of the variability. In particular, soil microbial communities varied across geographic locations, with the few samples from different continents being the most distinct, and there was significant and context-specific covariation between gut and soil microbiota. CONCLUSIONS As one of the broadest, single-species investigations of primate microbiota, our study highlights that gut consortia are sensitive to multiple scales of environmental differences. This finding begs a reevaluation of the simple 'captive vs. wild' dichotomy. Beyond the important implications for animal care, health, and conservation, our finding that environmental acquisition may mediate aspects of host-associated consortia further expands the framework for how host-associated and environmental microbes interact across different microbial landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally L. Bornbusch
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC USA
| | | | | | - Samantha Calkins
- Department of Psychology, Program in Animal Behavior and Conservation, Hunter College, New York, NY USA
| | - Ryan S. Rothman
- Institute for the Conservation of Tropical Environments, Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY USA
| | - Tara A. Clarke
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC USA
| | - Marni LaFleur
- Department of Anthropology, University of San Diego, 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego, CA USA
| | - Christine M. Drea
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC USA
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The gut microbiome of exudivorous marmosets in the wild and captivity. Sci Rep 2022; 12:5049. [PMID: 35322053 PMCID: PMC8942988 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08797-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian captive dietary specialists like folivores are prone to gastrointestinal distress and primate dietary specialists suffer the greatest gut microbiome diversity losses in captivity compared to the wild. Marmosets represent another group of dietary specialists, exudivores that eat plant exudates, but whose microbiome remains relatively less studied. The common occurrence of gastrointestinal distress in captive marmosets prompted us to study the Callithrix gut microbiome composition and predictive function through bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA V4 region sequencing. We sampled 59 wild and captive Callithrix across four species and their hybrids. Host environment had a stronger effect on the gut microbiome than host taxon. Wild Callithrix gut microbiomes were enriched for Bifidobacterium, which process host-indigestible carbohydrates. Captive marmoset guts were enriched for Enterobacteriaceae, a family containing pathogenic bacteria. While gut microbiome function was similar across marmosets, Enterobacteriaceae seem to carry out most functional activities in captive host guts. More diverse bacterial taxa seem to perform gut functions in wild marmosets, with Bifidobacterium being important for carbohydrate metabolism. Captive marmosets showed gut microbiome composition aspects seen in human gastrointestinal diseases. Thus, captivity may perturb the exudivore gut microbiome, which raises implications for captive exudivore welfare and calls for husbandry modifications.
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Effect of Different Dietary Regimes on the Gut Microbiota and Fecal Metabolites of Père David’s Deer. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12050584. [PMID: 35268151 PMCID: PMC8909101 DOI: 10.3390/ani12050584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Père David’s deer is native to the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the Yellow River in China. However, the wild population became extinct in China around 1900. In 1986, 39 Père David’s deer were reintroduced into Dafeng. Up until now, its wild population has reached 2658, with a total of 6119 in 2021. At present, due to the continuous increase in the population, the repeated grazing on the same plants by the Père David’s deer has affected the re-growth of plants, which has led to insufficient natural food. Therefore, feeding supplement with silage is necessary. As a key nutritional factor, diet is the most important for the gut microbiota and metabolites of wild animals. In order to determine the effect of different dietary patterns on the nutrition and health of Père David’s deer in Dafeng Reserve in spring, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of Père David’s deer feces by UPLC-MS/MS and 16S rRNA gene sequencing to reveal its intestinal chemical environment and the differences in the fecal microbiome. Altogether, our data explored the significant changes in the gut microbiota and metabolic pathways during the transition from full silage to a combination diet with silage and plant in spring. These data provided important information to make more reasonable measures for Père David’s deer’s protection. Abstract A deep understanding of the effect of seasonal dietary changes on the nutrition and health of Père David’s deer in Dafeng Reserve will contribute greatly to Père David’s deer’s protection. In this reserve, there were three seasonal dietary regimes: feeding on naturally occurring plants (PLANT diet), silage (SILAGE diet), and a combination of natural plants and silage (COMB diet). To some extent, the COMB diet reflects the seasonal transition from silage to the all-natural plant diet, especially in early spring. However, little is known regarding the gut microbiota changes and metabolic consequences under the COMB diet. Based on 16S rRNA sequencing and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography combined with tandem mass spectrometry, the gut microbiota and fecal metabolites of Père David’s deer under these three diets were compared. Results showed the alpha diversity of the gut microbiota was significantly lower under the COMB diet compared to either the SILAGE or PLANT diets. Although no significant changes were observed in the core phyla, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, among the three dietary regimes, a significant lower abundance of several other phyla (Spirochaetes, Melainabacteria, Proteobacteria, and Verrucobacteria) was observed in the COMB diet compared to the SILAGE diet. A greater number of fecal metabolite differences was identified between the COMB and SILAGE or COMB and PLANT diets than between the SILAGE and PLANT diets, suggesting that the COMB diet had more of an effect on the metabolism of Père David’s deer. The integrated pathway analysis showed that several metabolic pathways were significantly affected by the different dietary regimes, such as tryptophan metabolism, vitamin metabolism, and the platelet activation pathways. These metabolic changes reflect the responses and adaptations of Père David’s deer to different diets. Taken overall, our data reveal the difference in the gut microbiota and metabolic pathways of Père David’s deer under three dietary regimes in Dafeng Reserve, which provides important information for Père David’s deer conservation.
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Lund D, Kieffer N, Parras-Moltó M, Ebmeyer S, Berglund F, Johnning A, Larsson DGJ, Kristiansson E. Large-scale characterization of the macrolide resistome reveals high diversity and several new pathogen-associated genes. Microb Genom 2022; 8. [PMID: 35084301 PMCID: PMC8914350 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Macrolides are broad-spectrum antibiotics used to treat a range of infections. Resistance to macrolides is often conferred by mobile resistance genes encoding Erm methyltransferases or Mph phosphotransferases. New erm and mph genes keep being discovered in clinical settings but their origins remain unknown, as is the type of macrolide resistance genes that will appear in the future. In this study, we used optimized hidden Markov models to characterize the macrolide resistome. Over 16 terabases of genomic and metagenomic data, representing a large taxonomic diversity (11 030 species) and diverse environments (1944 metagenomic samples), were searched for the presence of erm and mph genes. From this data, we predicted 28 340 macrolide resistance genes encoding 2892 unique protein sequences, which were clustered into 663 gene families (<70 % amino acid identity), of which 619 (94 %) were previously uncharacterized. This included six new resistance gene families, which were located on mobile genetic elements in pathogens. The function of ten predicted new resistance genes were experimentally validated in Escherichia coli using a growth assay. Among the ten tested genes, seven conferred increased resistance to erythromycin, with five genes additionally conferring increased resistance to azithromycin, showing that our models can be used to predict new functional resistance genes. Our analysis also showed that macrolide resistance genes have diverse origins and have transferred horizontally over large phylogenetic distances into human pathogens. This study expands the known macrolide resistome more than ten-fold, provides insights into its evolution, and demonstrates how computational screening can identify new resistance genes before they become a significant clinical problem.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Lund
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology and University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Nicolas Kieffer
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Marcos Parras-Moltó
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology and University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Stefan Ebmeyer
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Fanny Berglund
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anna Johnning
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology and University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Systems and Data Analysis, Fraunhofer-Chalmers Centre, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - D. G. Joakim Larsson
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Erik Kristiansson
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology and University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- *Correspondence: Erik Kristiansson,
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Chiang E, Deblois CL, Carey HV, Suen G. Characterization of captive and wild 13-lined ground squirrel cecal microbiotas using Illumina-based sequencing. Anim Microbiome 2022; 4:1. [PMID: 34980290 PMCID: PMC8722175 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-021-00154-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hibernating animals experience extreme changes in diet that make them useful systems for understanding host-microbial symbioses. However, most of our current knowledge about the hibernator gut microbiota is derived from studies using captive animals. Given that there are substantial differences between captive and wild environments, conclusions drawn from studies with captive hibernators may not reflect the gut microbiota's role in the physiology of wild animals. To address this, we used Illumina-based sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene to compare the bacterial cecal microbiotas of captive and wild 13-lined ground squirrels (TLGS) in the summer. As the first study to use Illumina-based technology to compare the microbiotas of an obligate rodent hibernator across the year, we also reported changes in captive TLGS microbiotas in summer, winter, and spring. RESULTS Wild TLGS microbiotas had greater richness and phylogenetic diversity with less variation in beta diversity when compared to captive microbiotas. Taxa identified as core operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and found to significantly contribute to differences in beta diversity were primarily in the families Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae. Captive TLGS microbiotas shared phyla and core OTUs across the year, but active season (summer and spring) microbiotas had different alpha and beta diversities than winter season microbiotas. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to compare the microbiotas of captive and wild rodent hibernators. Our findings suggest that data from captive and wild ground squirrels should be interpreted separately due to their distinct microbiotas. Additionally, as the first study to compare seasonal microbiotas of obligate rodent hibernators using Illumina-based 16S rRNA sequencing, we reported changes in captive TLGS microbiotas that are consistent with previous work. Taken together, this study provides foundational information for improving the reproducibility and experimental design of future hibernation microbiota studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edna Chiang
- Microbiology Doctoral Training Program, Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706 USA
| | - Courtney L. Deblois
- Microbiology Doctoral Training Program, Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706 USA
| | - Hannah V. Carey
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706 USA
| | - Garret Suen
- Present Address: Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706 USA
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Goldman SL, Sanders JG, Yan W, Denice A, Cornwall M, Ivey KN, Taylor EN, Gunderson AR, Sheehan MJ, Mjungu D, Lonsdorf EV, Pusey AE, Hahn BH, Moeller AH. Culture-enriched community profiling improves resolution of the vertebrate gut microbiota. Mol Ecol Resour 2022; 22:122-136. [PMID: 34174174 PMCID: PMC8688194 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 06/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Vertebrates harbour gut microbial communities containing hundreds of bacterial species, most of which have never been cultivated or isolated in the laboratory. The lack of cultured representatives from vertebrate gut microbiotas limits the description and experimental interrogation of these communities. Here, we show that representatives from >50% of the bacterial genera detected by culture-independent sequencing in the gut microbiotas of fence lizards, house mice, chimpanzees, and humans were recovered in mixed cultures from frozen faecal samples plated on a panel of nine media under a single growth condition. In addition, culturing captured >100 rare bacterial genera overlooked by culture-independent sequencing, more than doubling the total number of bacterial sequence variants detected. Our approach recovered representatives from 23 previously uncultured candidate bacterial genera, 12 of which were not detected by culture-independent sequencing. Results identified strategies for both indiscriminate and selective culturing of the gut microbiota that were reproducible across vertebrate species. Isolation followed by whole-genome sequencing of 161 bacterial colonies from wild chimpanzees enabled the discovery of candidate novel species closely related to the opportunistic pathogens of humans Clostridium difficile and Hungatella hathewayi. This study establishes culturing methods that improve inventories and facilitate isolation of gut microbiota constituents from a wide diversity of vertebrate species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha L. Goldman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Jon G. Sanders
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
- Cornell Institute of Host-Microbe Interactions and Disease, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Weiwei Yan
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Anthony Denice
- Project Chimps, Morganton, GA 30560, USA
- Present address: Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, Cle Elum, WA 98922, USA
| | - Margaret Cornwall
- Biological Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
| | - Kathleen N. Ivey
- Biological Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
- Present address: Department of Biology, University of Texas, Arlington, TX 76019, USA
| | - Emily N. Taylor
- Biological Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
| | - Alex R. Gunderson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | - Michael J. Sheehan
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth V. Lonsdorf
- Department of Psychology and Biological Foundations of Behavior Program, LSP 261B, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA 17603, USA
| | - Anne E. Pusey
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, 101 Biological Sciences Building, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Beatrice H. Hahn
- Departments of Medicine and Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Andrew H. Moeller
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
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Diaz J, Reese AT. Possibilities and limits for using the gut microbiome to improve captive animal health. Anim Microbiome 2021; 3:89. [PMID: 34965885 PMCID: PMC8715647 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-021-00155-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Because of its potential to modulate host health, the gut microbiome of captive animals has become an increasingly important area of research. In this paper, we review the current literature comparing the gut microbiomes of wild and captive animals, as well as experiments tracking the microbiome when animals are moved between wild and captive environments. As a whole, these studies report highly idiosyncratic results with significant differences in the effect of captivity on the gut microbiome between host species. While a few studies have analyzed the functional capacity of captive microbiomes, there has been little research directly addressing the health consequences of captive microbiomes. Therefore, the current body of literature cannot broadly answer what costs, if any, arise from having a captive microbiome in captivity. Addressing this outstanding question will be critical to determining whether it is worth pursuing microbial manipulations as a conservation tool. To stimulate the next wave of research which can tie the captive microbiome to functional and health impacts, we outline a wide range of tools that can be used to manipulate the microbiome in captivity and suggest a variety of methods for measuring the impact of such manipulation preceding therapeutic use. Altogether, we caution researchers against generalizing results between host species given the variability in gut community responses to captivity and highlight the need to understand what role the gut microbiome plays in captive animal health before putting microbiome manipulations broadly into practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Diaz
- Section of Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Aspen T Reese
- Section of Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
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Keady MM, Prado N, Lim HC, Brown J, Paris S, Muletz-Wolz CR. Clinical health issues, reproductive hormones, and metabolic hormones associated with gut microbiome structure in African and Asian elephants. Anim Microbiome 2021; 3:85. [PMID: 34930501 PMCID: PMC8686393 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-021-00146-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The gut microbiome is important to immune health, metabolism, and hormone regulation. Understanding host–microbiome relationships in captive animals may lead to mediating long term health issues common in captive animals. For instance, zoo managed African elephants (Loxodonta africana) and Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) experience low reproductive rates, high body condition, and gastrointestinal (GI) issues. We leveraged an extensive collection of fecal samples and health records from the Elephant Welfare Study conducted across North American zoos in 2012 to examine the link between gut microbiota and clinical health issues, reproductive hormones, and metabolic hormones in captive elephants. We quantified gut microbiomes of 69 African and 48 Asian elephants from across 50 zoos using Illumina sequencing of the 16S rRNA bacterial gene.
Results Elephant species differed in microbiome structure, with African elephants having lower bacterial richness and dissimilar bacterial composition from Asian elephants. In both species, bacterial composition was strongly influenced by zoo facility. Bacterial richness was lower in African elephants with recent GI issues, and richness was positively correlated with metabolic hormone total triiodothyronine (total T3) in Asian elephants. We found species-specific associations between gut microbiome composition and hormones: Asian elephant gut microbiome composition was linked to total T3 and free thyroxine (free T4), while fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGM) were linked to African elephant gut microbiome composition. We identified many relationships between bacterial relative abundances and hormone concentrations, including Prevotella spp., Treponema spp., and Akkermansia spp.
Conclusions We present a comprehensive assessment of relationships between the gut microbiome, host species, environment, clinical health issues, and the endocrine system in captive elephants. Our results highlight the combined significance of host species-specific regulation and environmental effects on the gut microbiome between two elephant species and across 50 zoo facilities. We provide evidence of clinical health issues, reproductive hormones, and metabolic hormones associated with the gut microbiome structure of captive elephants. Our findings establish the groundwork for future studies to investigate bacterial function or develop tools (e.g., prebiotics, probiotics, dietary manipulations) suitable for conservation and zoo management. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s42523-021-00146-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mia M Keady
- School for Systems Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA. .,Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, USA.
| | - Natalia Prado
- School for Systems Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA. .,Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, USA. .,Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, USA. .,Department of Biology, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY, USA.
| | - Haw Chuan Lim
- School for Systems Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA.,Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Janine Brown
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, USA
| | - Steve Paris
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, USA
| | - Carly R Muletz-Wolz
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, USA.
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Gut microbiome architecture of wild greater one-horned rhinoceros: a vulnerable species from Kaziranga National Park, India. J Genet 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s12041-021-01326-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Zoelzer F, Burger AL, Dierkes PW. Unraveling differences in fecal microbiota stability in mammals: from high variable carnivores and consistently stable herbivores. Anim Microbiome 2021; 3:77. [PMID: 34736528 PMCID: PMC8567652 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-021-00141-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Through the rapid development in DNA sequencing methods and tools, microbiome studies on a various number of species were performed during the last decade. This advance makes it possible to analyze hundreds of samples from different species at the same time in order to obtain a general overview of the microbiota. However, there is still uncertainty on the variability of the microbiota of different animal orders and on whether certain bacteria within a species are subject to greater fluctuations than others. This is largely due to the fact that the analysis in most extensive comparative studies is based on only a few samples per species or per study site. In our study, we aim to close this knowledge gap by analyzing multiple individual samples per species including two carnivore suborders Canoidea and Feloidea as well as the orders of herbivore Perissodactyla and Artiodactyla held in different zoos. To assess microbial diversity, 621 fecal samples from 31 species were characterized by sequencing the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene using Illumina MiSeq. RESULTS We found significant differences in the consistency of microbiota composition and in fecal microbial diversity between carnivore and herbivore species. Whereas the microbiota of Carnivora is highly variable and inconsistent within and between species, Perissodactyla and Ruminantia show fewer differences across species boundaries. Furthermore, low-abundance bacterial families show higher fluctuations in the fecal microbiota than high-abundance ones. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest that microbial diversity is significantly higher in herbivores than in carnivores, whereas the microbiota in carnivores, unlike in herbivores, varies widely even within species. This high variability has methodological implications and underlines the need to analyze a minimum amount of about 10 samples per species. In our study, we found considerable differences in the occurrence of different bacterial families when looking at just three and six samples. However, from a sample number of 10 onwards, these within-species fluctuations balanced out in most cases and led to constant and more reliable results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Zoelzer
- Bioscience Education and Zoo Biology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Anna Lena Burger
- Bioscience Education and Zoo Biology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Paul Wilhelm Dierkes
- Bioscience Education and Zoo Biology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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Abstract
Conservation research has historically been conducted at the macro level, focusing on animals and plants and their role in the wider ecosystem. However, there is a growing appreciation of the importance of microbial communities in conservation. Most microbiome research in conservation thus far has used amplicon sequencing methods to assess the taxonomic composition of microbial communities and inferred functional capabilities from these data. However, as manipulation of the microbiome as a conservation tool becomes more and more feasible, there is a growing need to understand the direct functional consequences of shifts in microbiome composition. This review outlines the latest advances in microbiome research from a functional perspective and how these data can be used to inform conservation strategies. This review will also consider some of the challenges faced when studying the microbiomes of wild animals and how they can be overcome by careful study design and sampling methods. Environmental changes brought about by climate change or direct human actions have the potential to alter the taxonomic composition of microbiomes in wild populations. Understanding how taxonomic shifts affect the function of microbial communities is important for identifying species most threatened by potential disruption to their microbiome. Preservation or even restoration of these functions has the potential to be a powerful tool in conservation biology and a shift towards functional characterisation of gut microbiome diversity will be an important first step.
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47
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Liu C, Hu J, Wu Y, Irwin DM, Chen W, Zhang Z, Yu L. Comparative study of gut microbiota from captive and confiscated-rescued wild pangolins. J Genet Genomics 2021; 48:825-835. [PMID: 34474998 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2021.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 07/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Pangolins are among the most critically endangered animals due to widespread poaching and worldwide trafficking. Captive breeding is considered to be one way to protect them and increase the sizes of their populations. However, comparative studies of captive and wild pangolins in the context of gut microbiota are rare. Here, the gut microbiome of captive and confiscated-rescued wild pangolins is compared, and the effects of different periods of captivity and captivity with and without antibiotic treatment are considered. We show that different diets and periods of captivity, as well as the application of antibiotic therapy, can alter gut community composition and abundance in pangolins. Compared to wild pangolins, captive pangolins have an increased capacity for chitin and cellulose/hemicellulose degradation, fatty acid metabolism, and short-chain fatty acid synthesis, but a reduced ability to metabolize exogenous substances. In addition to increasing the ability of the gut microbiota to metabolize nutrients in captivity, captive breeding imposes some risks for survival by resulting in a greater abundance of antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factors in captive pangolins than in wild pangolins. Our study is important for the development of guidelines for pangolin conservation, including health assessment, disease prevention, and rehabilitation of wild pangolin populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunbing Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
| | - Jingyang Hu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
| | - Yajiang Wu
- Guangzhou Zoo & Guangzhou Wildlife Research Center, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - David M Irwin
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Wu Chen
- Guangzhou Zoo & Guangzhou Wildlife Research Center, Guangzhou 510070, China.
| | - Zhigang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China.
| | - Li Yu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China.
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Yan L, Tang L, Zhou Z, Lu W, Wang B, Sun Z, Jiang X, Hu D, Li J, Zhang D. Metagenomics reveals contrasting energy utilization efficiencies of captive and wild camels (Camelus ferus). Integr Zool 2021; 17:333-345. [PMID: 34520120 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Captive conditions can affect the symbiotic microbiome of animals. In this study, we compared the structural and functional differences of the gastrointestinal microbiomes of wild Bactrian camels (Camelus ferus) between wild and captive populations, as well as their different host energy utilization performances through metagenomics. The results showed that wild-living camels harbored more microbial taxa related to the production of volatile fatty acids, fewer methanogens, and fewer genes encoding enzymes involved in methanogenesis, leading to higher energy utilization efficiency compared to that of captive-living camels. These findings suggest that the wild-living camel fecal microbiome demonstrates a series of adaptive characteristics that enable the host to adjust to a relatively barren field environment. Our study provides novel insights into the mechanisms of wildlife adaptations to habitats from the perspective of the microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liping Yan
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Liping Tang
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhichao Zhou
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Lu
- Gansu Endangered Animals Protection Center, Wuwei, China
| | - Bo Wang
- Gansu Endangered Animals Protection Center, Wuwei, China
| | - Zhicheng Sun
- Administrative Bureau of Dunhuang Xihu National Nature Reserve, Dunhuang, China
| | - Xue Jiang
- Administrative Bureau of Dunhuang Xihu National Nature Reserve, Dunhuang, China
| | - Defu Hu
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Junqing Li
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Dong Zhang
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
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Unveiling the Gut Microbiota and Resistome of Wild Cotton Mice, Peromyscus gossypinus, from Heavy Metal- and Radionuclide-Contaminated Sites in the Southeastern United States. Microbiol Spectr 2021; 9:e0009721. [PMID: 34431703 PMCID: PMC8552609 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00097-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) can be driven by direct selection from antibiotic use and indirect selection from substances such as heavy metals (HMs). While significant progress has been made to characterize the influence of HMs on the enrichment and dissemination of ARGs in the environment, there is still much we do not know. To fill this knowledge gap, we present a comprehensive analysis of gut bacteria associated with wild cotton mice (Peromyscus gossypinus) trapped from several areas affected by legacies of HM and radionuclide contamination. We explore how these contaminants affect gut microbial community (GMC) composition and diversity and the enrichment of antibiotic, biocide, and metal resistance genes. Although we were able to identify that a myriad of co-occurring antimicrobial and HM resistance genes appear in mice from all areas, including those without a history of contamination, the proportions of co-occurring ARGs and metal resistance genes (MRGs) are higher in sites with radionuclide contamination. These results support those from several previous studies and enhance our understanding of the coselection process, while providing new insights into the ubiquity of antimicrobial resistance in the resistome of wild animals. IMPORTANCE Antimicrobial resistance is a serious global public health concern because of its prevalence and ubiquitous distribution. The rapid dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes is thought to be the result of the massive overuse of antibiotics in agriculture and therapeutics. However, previous studies have demonstrated that the spread of antibiotic resistance genes can also be influenced by heavy metal contamination. This coselection phenomenon, whereby different resistance determinants are genetically linked on the same genetic element (coresistance) or a single genetic element provides resistance to multiple antimicrobial agents (cross-resistance), has profound clinical and environmental implications. In contrast to antibiotics, heavy metals can persist in the environment as a selection pressure for long periods of time. Thus, it is important to understand how antibiotic resistance genes are distributed in the environment and to what extent heavy metal contaminants may be driving their selection, which we have done in one environmental setting.
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50
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Jaffe AL, Thomas AD, He C, Keren R, Valentin-Alvarado LE, Munk P, Bouma-Gregson K, Farag IF, Amano Y, Sachdeva R, West PT, Banfield JF. Patterns of Gene Content and Co-occurrence Constrain the Evolutionary Path toward Animal Association in Candidate Phyla Radiation Bacteria. mBio 2021; 12:e0052121. [PMID: 34253055 PMCID: PMC8406219 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00521-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Candidate Phyla Radiation (CPR) bacteria are small, likely episymbiotic organisms found across Earth's ecosystems. Despite their prevalence, the distribution of CPR lineages across habitats and the genomic signatures of transitions among these habitats remain unclear. Here, we expand the genome inventory for Absconditabacteria (SR1), Gracilibacteria, and Saccharibacteria (TM7), CPR bacteria known to occur in both animal-associated and environmental microbiomes, and investigate variation in gene content with habitat of origin. By overlaying phylogeny with habitat information, we show that bacteria from these three lineages have undergone multiple transitions from environmental habitats into animal microbiomes. Based on co-occurrence analyses of hundreds of metagenomes, we extend the prior suggestion that certain Saccharibacteria have broad bacterial host ranges and constrain possible host relationships for Absconditabacteria and Gracilibacteria. Full-proteome analyses show that animal-associated Saccharibacteria have smaller gene repertoires than their environmental counterparts and are enriched in numerous protein families, including those likely functioning in amino acid metabolism, phage defense, and detoxification of peroxide. In contrast, some freshwater Saccharibacteria encode a putative rhodopsin. For protein families exhibiting the clearest patterns of differential habitat distribution, we compared protein and species phylogenies to estimate the incidence of lateral gene transfer and genomic loss occurring over the species tree. These analyses suggest that habitat transitions were likely not accompanied by large transfer or loss events but rather were associated with continuous proteome remodeling. Thus, we speculate that CPR habitat transitions were driven largely by availability of suitable host taxa and were reinforced by acquisition and loss of some capacities. IMPORTANCE Studying the genetic differences between related microorganisms from different environment types can indicate factors associated with their movement among habitats. This is particularly interesting for bacteria from the Candidate Phyla Radiation because their minimal metabolic capabilities require associations with microbial hosts. We found that shifts of Absconditabacteria, Gracilibacteria, and Saccharibacteria between environmental ecosystems and mammalian mouths/guts probably did not involve major episodes of gene gain and loss; rather, gradual genomic change likely followed habitat migration. The results inform our understanding of how little-known microorganisms establish in the human microbiota where they may ultimately impact health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander L Jaffe
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeleygrid.47840.3f, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Alex D Thomas
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeleygrid.47840.3f, Berkeley, California, USA
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, Colorado, USA
| | - Christine He
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeleygrid.47840.3f, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Ray Keren
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeleygrid.47840.3f, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Luis E Valentin-Alvarado
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeleygrid.47840.3f, Berkeley, California, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeleygrid.47840.3f, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Patrick Munk
- National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmarkgrid.5170.3, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Keith Bouma-Gregson
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeleygrid.47840.3f, Berkeley, California, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeleygrid.47840.3f, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Ibrahim F Farag
- School of Marine Science and Policy, University of Delaware, Lewes, Delaware, USA
| | - Yuki Amano
- Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories, Japan Atomic Energy Agencygrid.20256.33, Ibaraki, Japan
- Horonobe Underground Research Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agencygrid.20256.33, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Rohan Sachdeva
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeleygrid.47840.3f, Berkeley, California, USA
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeleygrid.47840.3f, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Patrick T West
- Department of Medicine (Hematology & Blood and Marrow Transplantation), Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Jillian F Banfield
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeleygrid.47840.3f, Berkeley, California, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeleygrid.47840.3f, Berkeley, California, USA
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeleygrid.47840.3f, Berkeley, California, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, California, USA
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