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Mikkelsen D, McGowan AM, Gibson JS, Lanyon JM, Horsman S, Seddon JM. Faecal bacterial communities differ amongst discrete foraging populations of dugongs along the east Australian coast. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2024; 100:fiae051. [PMID: 38658192 PMCID: PMC11141782 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiae051] [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: 09/09/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Gut bacterial communities play a vital role in a host's digestion and fermentation of complex carbohydrates, absorption of nutrients, and energy harvest/storage. Dugongs are obligate seagrass grazers with an expanded hindgut and associated microbiome. Here, we characterised and compared the faecal bacterial communities of dugongs from genetically distinct populations along the east coast of Australia, between subtropical Moreton Bay and tropical Cleveland Bay. Amplicon sequencing of fresh dugong faecal samples (n=47) revealed Firmicutes (62%) dominating the faecal bacterial communities across all populations. Several bacterial genera (Bacteroides, Clostridium sensu stricto 1, Blautia and Polaribacter) were detected in samples from all locations, suggesting their importance in seagrass digestion. Principal coordinate analysis showed the three southern-most dugong populations having different faecal bacterial community compositions from northern populations. The relative abundances of the genera Clostridium sensu stricto 13 and dgA-11 gut group were higher, but Bacteroides was lower, in the southern dugong populations, compared to the northern populations, suggesting potential adaptive changes associated with location. This study contributes to our knowledge of the faecal bacterial communities of dugongs inhabiting Australian coastal waters. Future studies of diet selection in relation to seagrass availability throughout the dugong's range will help to advance our understanding of the roles that seagrass species may play in affecting the dugong's faecal bacterial community composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deirdre Mikkelsen
- School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Alexandra M McGowan
- School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland 4343, Australia
| | - Justine S Gibson
- School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland 4343, Australia
| | - Janet M Lanyon
- School of the Environment, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Sara Horsman
- School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland 4343, Australia
| | - Jennifer M Seddon
- School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland 4343, Australia
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Rubio-Garcia A, Zomer AL, Guo R, Rossen JWA, van Zeijl JH, Wagenaar JA, Luiken REC. Characterising the gut microbiome of stranded harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) in rehabilitation. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0295072. [PMID: 38051704 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal rehabilitation centres provide a unique opportunity to study the microbiome of wild animals because subjects will be handled for their treatment and can therefore be sampled longitudinally. However, rehabilitation may have unintended consequences on the animals' microbiome because of a less varied and suboptimal diet, possible medical treatment and exposure to a different environment and human handlers. Our study describes the gut microbiome of two large seal cohorts, 50 pups (0-30 days old at arrival) and 23 weaners (more than 60 days old at arrival) of stranded harbour seals admitted for rehabilitation at the Sealcentre Pieterburen in the Netherlands, and the effect of rehabilitation on it. Faecal samples were collected from all seals at arrival, two times during rehabilitation and before release. Only seals that did not receive antimicrobial treatment were included in the study. The average time in rehabilitation was 95 days for the pups and 63 days for the weaners. We observed that during rehabilitation, there was an increase in the relative abundance of some of the Campylobacterota spp and Actinobacteriota spp. The alpha diversity of the pups' microbiome increased significantly during their rehabilitation (p-value <0.05), while there were no significant changes in alpha diversity over time for weaners. We hypothesize that aging is the main reason for the observed changes in the pups' microbiome. At release, the sex of a seal pup was significantly associated with the microbiome's alpha (i.e., Shannon diversity was higher for male pups, p-value <0.001) and beta diversity (p-value 0.001). For weaners, variation in the microbiome composition (beta diversity) at release was partly explained by sex and age of the seal (p-values 0.002 and 0.003 respectively). We mainly observed variables known to change the gut microbiome composition (e.g., age and sex) and conclude that rehabilitation in itself had only minor effects on the gut microbiome of seal pups and seal weaners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Rubio-Garcia
- Veterinary and Research Department, Sealcentre Pieterburen, Pieterburen, The Netherlands
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Utrecht University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Aldert L Zomer
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Utrecht University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ruoshui Guo
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Utrecht University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - John W A Rossen
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America
- Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases & Isala Academy, Isala hospital, Zwolle, The Netherlands
| | - Jan H van Zeijl
- Department of Medical Microbiology Friesland and Noordoostpolder, Certe, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
| | - Jaap A Wagenaar
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Utrecht University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, Lelystad, The Netherlands
| | - Roosmarijn E C Luiken
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Utrecht University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Fulham M, Power M, Gray R. Gut microbiota of endangered Australian sea lion pups is unchanged by topical ivermectin treatment for endemic hookworm infection. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1048013. [PMID: 36601397 PMCID: PMC9806137 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1048013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The gut microbiota is essential for the development and maintenance of the hosts' immune system. Disturbances to the gut microbiota in early life stages can result in long-lasting impacts on host health. This study aimed to determine if topical ivermectin treatment for endemic hookworm (Uncinaria sanguinis) infection in endangered Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea) pups resulted in gut microbial changes. The gut microbiota was characterised for untreated (control) (n = 23) and treated (n = 23) Australian sea lion pups sampled during the 2019 and 2020/21 breeding seasons at Seal Bay, Kangaroo Island. Samples were collected pre- and post-treatment on up to four occasions over a four-to-five-month period. The gut microbiota of untreated (control) and treated pups in both seasons was dominated by five bacterial phyla, Fusobacteria, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes. A significant difference in alpha diversity between treatment groups was seen in pups sampled during the 2020/21 breeding season (p = 0.008), with higher richness and diversity in treated pups. Modelling the impact of individual pup identification (ID), capture, pup weight (kg), standard length (cm), age and sex on beta diversity revealed that pup ID accounted for most of the variation (35% in 2019 and 42% in 2020/21), with pup ID, capture, and age being the only significant contributors to microbial variation (p < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in the composition of the microbiota between treatment groups in both the 2019 and 2020/21 breeding seasons, indicating that topical ivermectin treatment did not alter the composition of the gut microbiota. To our knowledge, this is the first study to characterise the gut microbiota of free-ranging Australian pinniped pups, compare the composition across multiple time points, and to consider the impact of parasitic treatment on overall diversity and microbial composition of the gut microbiota. Importantly, the lack of compositional changes in the gut microbiota with treatment support the utility of topical ivermectin as a safe and minimally invasive management strategy to enhance pup survival in this endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariel Fulham
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Michelle Power
- School of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia
| | - Rachael Gray
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia,*Correspondence: Rachael Gray,
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Age as a primary driver of the gut microbial composition and function in wild harbor seals. Sci Rep 2022; 12:14641. [PMID: 36030345 PMCID: PMC9420123 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18565-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Dietary changes are the major variation cause in the composition of the gut microbiota. The short lactation phase in phocids provides an exceptional opportunity to explore the microbiota's response to a quick transition from a milk-based to a solid diet. We investigated the effects of age and sex on the gut microbiota of harbor seals in Mexico using rectal and fecal samples from pups and adults. 16S gene sequencing revealed age explains most of the observed variations in microbial composition. Individuals with frequent contact (pups-female adults) have major microbial similarities than those with little or no contact (pups-male adults). Overall, adults and females (regardless of sex and age, respectively) have a greater microbial richness; as seals grow, the core microbiome shrinks, and microbial diversity increases. We found pathways related to milk and chitin digestion in pups' microbiomes, indicating pups were transitioning to a solid diet. An enrichment of routes related to dramatic weight loss and body mass indicated higher metabolic stress in pups in late breeding season, when they are weaned and start intermittent fasting. Our findings highlight the host-microbiome interaction in harbor seals during late breeding season in response to food shifts and metabolic stress.
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Glaeser SP, Silva LMR, Prieto R, Silva MA, Franco A, Kämpfer P, Hermosilla C, Taubert A, Eisenberg T. A Preliminary Comparison on Faecal Microbiomes of Free-Ranging Large Baleen (Balaenoptera musculus, B. physalus, B. borealis) and Toothed (Physeter macrocephalus) Whales. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2022; 83:18-33. [PMID: 33745062 PMCID: PMC8881428 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-021-01729-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Large baleen and toothed whales play crucial ecological roles in oceans; nonetheless, very little is known about their intestinal microbiomes. Based on striking differences in natural history and thus in feeding behaviours, it can be expected that intestinal microbiomes of large baleen whales and toothed whales are different. To test this hypothesis, the phylogenetic composition of faecal microbiomes was investigated by a 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequence-based approach for Bacteria and Archaea. Faecal samples from free-ranging large whales collected off the Azores Archipelago (Portugal) were used, comprising 13 individual baleen whales (one sei, two blue and ten fin whales) and four sperm whales. The phylogenetic composition of the Bacteria faecal microbiomes of baleen and toothed whales showed no significant differences at the phylum level. However, significant differences were detected at the family and genus levels. Most abundant phyla were Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Tenericutes and Spirochaeta. Few highly abundant bacterial genera were identified as key taxa with a high contribution to differences among baleen and toothed whales microbiomes. Only few archaeal sequences were detected, primarily Methanomassiliicoccales representing potential methanogenic Archaea. This is the first study that directly compares the faecal bacterial and archaeal microbiomes of free-ranging baleen and toothed whales which represent the two parvorders of Cetacea which members are fully aquatic large mammals which were evolutionary split millions of years ago.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie P Glaeser
- Institute of Applied Microbiology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, IFZ-Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392, Giessen, Germany.
| | - Liliana M R Silva
- Institute of Parasitology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Rui Prieto
- Institute of Marine Research (IMAR) and Okeanos R&D Centre, University of the Azores, Horta, Portugal
- MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Mónica A Silva
- Institute of Marine Research (IMAR) and Okeanos R&D Centre, University of the Azores, Horta, Portugal
| | - Angel Franco
- Institute of Applied Microbiology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, IFZ-Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Peter Kämpfer
- Institute of Applied Microbiology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, IFZ-Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Carlos Hermosilla
- Institute of Parasitology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Anja Taubert
- Institute of Parasitology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Tobias Eisenberg
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Hessian State Laboratory (LHL), Giessen, Germany
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Toro‐Valdivieso C, Toro F, Stubbs S, Castro‐Nallar E, Blacklaws B. Patterns of the fecal microbiota in the Juan Fernández fur seal (Arctocephalus philippii). Microbiologyopen 2021; 10:e1215. [PMID: 34459554 PMCID: PMC8302013 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.1215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
As apex predators, pinnipeds are considered to be useful bioindicators of marine and coastal environments. Endemic to a small archipelago in the South Pacific, the Juan Fernandez fur seal (JFFS) is one of the less-studied members of the pinniped family Otariidae. This study aimed to characterize the fecal microbiome of the JFFS for the first time, to establish a baseline for future studies of host-microbial-environment interactions and monitoring programs. During two consecutive reproductive seasons, 57 fecal samples were collected from seven different JFFS colonies within the Juan Fernandez Archipelago, Chile. Bacterial composition and abundance were characterized by sequencing the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. The overall microbiome composition was dominated by five phyla: Firmicutes (40% ±24), Fusobacteria (30% ±17), Bacteroidetes (22% ±10), Proteobacteria (6% ±4), and Actinobacteria (2% ±3). Alpha diversity was higher in Tierras Blancas. However, location was not found to be a dominant driver of microbial composition. Interestingly, the strongest signal in the data was a negative association between the genera Peptoclostridium and Fusobacterium, which explained 29.7% of the total microbial composition variability between samples. The genus Peptoclostridium has not been reported in other pinniped studies, and its role here is unclear, with interpretation challenging due to a lack of information regarding microbiome functionality in marine mammals. As a first insight into the JFFS fecal microbiome, these results contribute towards our understanding of the natural microbial diversity and composition in free-ranging pinnipeds.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Frederick Toro
- Facultad de Ciencias de la VidaUniversidad Andres BelloSantiagoChile
- Escuela de Medicina VeterinariaFacultad de Recursos Naturales y Medicina VeterinariaUniversidad Santo TomásViña del MarChile
- ONG PanthalassaRed de Estudios de Vertebrados Marinos en ChileSantiagoChile
- Ph.D. Program in Conservation MedicineFacultad de Ecología y Recursos NaturalesUniversidad Andrés BelloSantiagoChile
| | - Samuel Stubbs
- Department of Infectious Disease EpidemiologyLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineLondonUK
| | - Eduardo Castro‐Nallar
- Center for Bioinformatics and Integrative BiologyUniversidad Andres BelloSantiagoChile
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7
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The Bacterial Microbiome in the Small Intestine of Hooded Seals ( Cystophora cristata). Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8111664. [PMID: 33121092 PMCID: PMC7693863 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8111664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Arctic hooded seals (Cystophora cristata) are monogastric carnivores that go through extreme fasting and re-feeding in early life. They are born isolated on sea ice; suckle high-fat milk for four days and may then fast for up to one month before they start hunting and feeding on small prey (fish and crustaceans). Previous studies of the gut microbiota in pinnipeds have focused on the large intestine, while little data exist on the small intestinal microbiota. In this study, the bacterial microbiome in the proximal and distal small intestine of four captive two-year old seals (two males and two females) fed herring (Clupea harengus) was sampled post-mortem and characterized using 16S rRNA metabarcoding from the V1–V3 hypervariable region of the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. The seals were originally born in the wild and taken into human care at the end of the suckling period. Molecular-based analysis using Illumina Hiseq resulted in 569,910 16S rRNA sequences from the four seals (both sampling sites together). Taxonomical classification applying a naive Bayesian algorithm gave 412 Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs). Firmicutes was the major phylum across samples (Proximal (P): 90.5% of total sequences, on average; Distal (D): 94.5%), followed by Actinobacteria (P: 7%; D: 0.3%) and Proteobacteria (P: 1.7%; D: 1.9%). Bacterial spp. belonging to the Clostridium (P: 54.1%; D: 41.6%) and SMB53 (P: 15.3%; D: 21.5%) constituted the major genera in both the proximal and distal small intestine. Furthermore, comparison with hindgut and fecal samples from geographically diverse marine mammals highlighted similarities in the microbiome between our seals and those sharing similar aquatic environments. This study has provided a first reliable glimpse of the bacterial microbiota in the small intestine microbiome of hooded seals.
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Palmer R, Fleming GTA, Glaeser S, Semmler T, Flamm A, Ewers C, Kämpfer P, Budich O, Berrow S, O'Brien J, Siebert U, Collins E, Ruttledge M, Eisenberg T. Marine mammals are natural hosts of Oceanivirga salmonicida, a bacterial pathogen of Atlantic salmon. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2020; 139:161-174. [PMID: 32406871 DOI: 10.3354/dao03478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
During 1992 and 1993, a bacterial disease occurred in a seawater Atlantic salmon Salmo salar farm, causing serious mortalities. The causative agent was subsequently named as Oceanivirga salmonicida, a member of the Leptotrichiaceae. Searches of 16S rRNA gene sequence databases have shown sequence similarities between O. salmonicida and uncultured bacterial clones from the digestive tracts of marine mammals. In the current study, oral samples were taken from stranded dolphins (common dolphin Delphinus delphis, striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba) and healthy harbour seals Phoca vitulina. A bacterium with growth characteristics consistent with O. salmonicida was isolated from a common dolphin. The isolate was confirmed as O. salmonicida, by comparisons to the type strain, using 16S rRNA gene, gyrB, groEL, and recA sequence analyses, average nucleotide identity analysis, and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Metagenomic analysis indicated that the genus Oceanivirga represented a significant component of the oral bacterial microbiomes of the dolphins and seals. However, sequences consistent with O. salmonicida were only found in the dolphin samples. Analyses of marine mammal microbiome studies in the NCBI databases showed sequences consistent with O. salmonicida from the common dolphin, striped dolphin, bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus, humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae, and harbour seal. Sequences from marine environmental studies in the NCBI databases showed no sequences consistent with O. salmonicida. The findings suggest that several species of marine mammals are natural hosts of O. salmonicida.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roy Palmer
- Discipline of Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway H91TK33, Ireland
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Zheng Y, Hu G, Wu W, Qiu L, Li D, Bing X, Chen J. Reshaping fecal gut microbiota composition by growing with Polygonum cuspidatum, Houttuynia cordata, and Ipomoea aquatica. Can J Microbiol 2019; 65:522-529. [DOI: 10.1139/cjm-2018-0497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
We carried out sequencing of samples cultivated in floating beds with different Chinese medicinal herbs (Control, Houttuynia cordata Thunb., Polygonum cuspidatum, and a combination of H. cordata with Ipomoea aquatica Forssk.; named groups A, B, C, D, respectively) to analyze changes in the composition of gut microbiota of tilapia feces. Fusobacteria (ranging from 49.0% to 73.3%), Firmicutes (12.3%–37.8%), and Proteobacteria (5.1%–23.0%) were found to be the most dominant phyla present in all samples. The operational taxonomic units and the Ace and Chao1 indices of groups A and D were significantly higher than those of group C. Polygonum cuspidatum decreased the species richness and diversity of microbial communities in tilapia intestinal feces. The phylum WCHB1-60, order Enterobacteriales, and genus Plesiomonas significantly decreased (in group A); the species Plesiomonas shigelloides significantly decreased (in groups B and C); and the genus Leucobacter significantly increased (in group D) when compared with the control. The relative abundance of the class Verrucomicrobiae (groups B vs C) significantly decreased. In the presence of I. aquatica, the phylum Bacteroidetes significantly decreased, while the genera Leucobacter and Pelotomaculum significantly increased. The ratio of Bacteroidetes to Firmicutes was significantly higher in groups B and C relative to the controls, while it decreased significantly in group D. The algae (i.e., Anabaena and Microcystis) and beneficial pathogenic bacteria decreased in groups C and D, respectively. In addition, Enterovibrio decreased in all treatment groups. The present data demonstrate that floating bed cultivation with Chinese medicinal herbs significantly alters the gut microbiota of tilapia, which may enhance its immune activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Zheng
- Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
- Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Gengdong Hu
- Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
- Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wei Wu
- Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
- Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Liping Qiu
- Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
- Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Dandan Li
- Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
- Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xuwen Bing
- Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
- Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jiazhang Chen
- Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
- Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
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10
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Hermosilla C, Hirzmann J, Silva LMR, Brotons JM, Cerdà M, Prenger-Berninghoff E, Ewers C, Taubert A. Occurrence of anthropozoonotic parasitic infections and faecal microbes in free-ranging sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) from the Mediterranean Sea. Parasitol Res 2018; 117:2531-2541. [PMID: 29858939 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-018-5942-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) are the largest toothed whales and only living member of family Physeteridae. Present survey represents first report on cultivable faecal microbes and gastrointestinal helminths and protozoans infecting free-ranging sperm whales inhabiting Mediterranean Sea waters surrounding Balearic Archipelago, Spain. Twenty-five individual sperm whale scat samples, including one calf, were collected without disturbance of animals during the summer of 2016. Parasitological diagnostic methods, such as sodium acetate acetic formalin (SAF) method, carbol fuchsin-stained faecal smears, Giardia/Cryptosporidium coproantigen ELISAs and an Anisakis-specific PCR were applied for further identification. Five bacterial genera, i.e. Acinetobacter, Clostridium, Enterococcus, Staphylococcus and Streptococcus, and one fungus namely Cladosporium were identified. Parasitological infections included seven different parasite species with some of them bearing anthropozoonotic potential. Thus, four of these parasites were zoonotic, i.e. Anisakis, Balantidium, Diphyllobothriidae gen. sp. and Giardia. Additionally, Zalophotrema curilensis eggs, spirurid-like eggs and Cystoisospora-like oocysts were identified. Molecular characterization identified Anisakis physeteris as the species infecting these whales. This survey provides first records on occurrence of two zoonotic enteropathogenic protozoan parasites (Giardia and Balantidium) and of facultative pathogenic bacteria (Clostridium and Enterococcus) in sperm whales. Presented data should be considered as a baseline study for future monitoring surveys on anthropozoonotic pathogens affecting free-living sperm whale populations and enhance investigations on possible impact on public health as well as on isolated Mediterranean sperm whale subpopulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Hermosilla
- Institute of Parasitology, Biomedical Research Centre Seltersberg (BFS), Justus Liebig University Giessen, Schubertstr. 81, 35392, Giessen, Germany.
| | - J Hirzmann
- Institute of Parasitology, Biomedical Research Centre Seltersberg (BFS), Justus Liebig University Giessen, Schubertstr. 81, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - L M R Silva
- Institute of Parasitology, Biomedical Research Centre Seltersberg (BFS), Justus Liebig University Giessen, Schubertstr. 81, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - J M Brotons
- Tursiops Association, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - M Cerdà
- Tursiops Association, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - E Prenger-Berninghoff
- Institute for Hygiene and Infectious Diseases of Animals, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - C Ewers
- Institute for Hygiene and Infectious Diseases of Animals, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - A Taubert
- Institute of Parasitology, Biomedical Research Centre Seltersberg (BFS), Justus Liebig University Giessen, Schubertstr. 81, 35392, Giessen, Germany
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