1
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Qiao N, Gaur G, Modesto M, Chinnici F, Scarafile D, Borruso L, Marin AC, Spiezio C, Valente D, Sandri C, Gänzle MG, Mattarelli P. Physiological and genomic characterization of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum isolated from Indri indri in Madagascar. J Appl Microbiol 2023; 134:lxad255. [PMID: 37934609 DOI: 10.1093/jambio/lxad255] [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: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Indri indri is a lemur of Madagascar which is critically endangered. The analysis of the microbial ecology of the intestine offers tools to improve conservation efforts. This study aimed to achieve a functional genomic analysis of three Lactiplantibacillus plantarum isolates from indris. METHODS AND RESULTS Samples were obtained from 18 indri; 3 isolates of Lp. plantarum were obtained from two individuals. The three isolates were closely related to each other, with <10 single nucleotide polymorphisms, suggesting that the two individuals shared diet-associated microbes. The genomes of the three isolates were compared to 96 reference strains of Lp. plantarum. The three isolates of Lp. plantarum were not phenotypically resistant to antibiotics but shared all 17 genes related to antimicrobial resistance that are part of the core genome of Lp. plantarum. The genomes of the three indri isolates of Lp. plantarum also encoded for the 6 core genome genes coding for enzymes related to metabolism of hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acids. The phenotype for metabolism of hydroxycinnamic acids by indri isolates of Lp. plantarum matched the genotype. CONCLUSIONS Multiple antimicrobial resistance genes and gene coding for metabolism of phenolic compounds were identified in the genomes of the indri isolates, suggesting that Lp. plantarum maintains antimicrobial resistance in defense of antimicrobial plant secondary pathogens and that their metabolism by intestinal bacteria aids digestion of plant material by primate hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanzhen Qiao
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2P5, Canada
| | - Gautam Gaur
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2P5, Canada
| | - Monica Modesto
- Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna 40126, Italy
| | - Fabio Chinnici
- Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna 40126, Italy
| | - Donatella Scarafile
- Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna 40126, Italy
| | - Luigimaria Borruso
- Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bolzano-Bozen, Bolzano 39100, Italy
| | - Antonio Castro Marin
- Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna 40126, Italy
| | - Caterina Spiezio
- Department of Animal Health Care and Management, Parco Natura Viva, Bussolengo (Verona) 37012, Italy
| | - Daria Valente
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Turin 10124, Italy
| | - Camillo Sandri
- Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna 40126, Italy
- Department of Animal Health Care and Management, Parco Natura Viva, Bussolengo (Verona) 37012, Italy
| | - Michael G Gänzle
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2P5, Canada
| | - Paola Mattarelli
- Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna 40126, Italy
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2
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Safika S, Indrawati A, Afiff U, Hastuti YT, Zureni Z, Jati AP. First Study on profiling of gut microbiome in wild and captive Sumatran orangutans ( Pongo abelii). Vet World 2023; 16:717-727. [PMID: 37235163 PMCID: PMC10206964 DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2023.717-727] [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: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and Aim Orangutans are an "umbrella species" for conserving tropical forests in Sumatra and Kalimantan. There are remarkable changes between the gut microbiomes of wild and captive Sumatran orangutans. This study aimed to profile gut microbiota of wild and captive Sumatran orangutans. Materials and Methods Nine fecal samples collected from wild orangutans and nine fecal samples collected from captive orangutans were divided into three replicates. Each replicate randomly combined three pieces and were analyzed on the Illumina platform. A bioinformatics study of 16S rRNA according to Qiime2 (Version 2021.4) and microbiome profiling analysis was conducted. Results The relative abundance of different microbial taxa varied significantly between wild and captive Sumatran orangutans. Among the operational taxonomic units, various proportions of Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Euryarchaeota, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria and Verrucomicrobia predominated. Solobacterium was found only in 19% of captive orangutans. Methanobrevibacter was identified to be prevalent among wild orangutans (16%). Analysis of the core microbiome from the combined wild and captive data revealed seven species as cores. According to linear discriminant analysis effect size, Micrococcus luteus, Bacteroidescaccae, Lachnospiraceae bacterium, Ruthenibacterium lactatiformans, Haemophilus haemolyticus, and Chishuiella spp. were microbiome biomarkers in captive orangutans, whereas Roseburia inulinivorans, Collinsella aerofaciens, Oscillibacter spp., and Eubacterium hallii were microbiome biomarkers in wild orangutans. Conclusion There were differences in the microbiome biomarkers of wild and captive Sumatran orangutans. This study is important for understanding the role of gut bacteria in the health of Sumatran orangutans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Safika Safika
- Division of Medical Microbiology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, IPB University, Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Agustin Indrawati
- Division of Medical Microbiology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, IPB University, Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Usamah Afiff
- Division of Medical Microbiology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, IPB University, Bogor, Indonesia
| | | | - Zureni Zureni
- Class II Agricultural Quarantine Center Medan, Indonesia
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3
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Combrink L, Humphreys IR, Washburn Q, Arnold HK, Stagaman K, Kasschau KD, Jolles AE, Beechler BR, Sharpton TJ. Best practice for wildlife gut microbiome research: A comprehensive review of methodology for 16S rRNA gene investigations. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1092216. [PMID: 36910202 PMCID: PMC9992432 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1092216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Extensive research in well-studied animal models underscores the importance of commensal gastrointestinal (gut) microbes to animal physiology. Gut microbes have been shown to impact dietary digestion, mediate infection, and even modify behavior and cognition. Given the large physiological and pathophysiological contribution microbes provide their host, it is reasonable to assume that the vertebrate gut microbiome may also impact the fitness, health and ecology of wildlife. In accordance with this expectation, an increasing number of investigations have considered the role of the gut microbiome in wildlife ecology, health, and conservation. To help promote the development of this nascent field, we need to dissolve the technical barriers prohibitive to performing wildlife microbiome research. The present review discusses the 16S rRNA gene microbiome research landscape, clarifying best practices in microbiome data generation and analysis, with particular emphasis on unique situations that arise during wildlife investigations. Special consideration is given to topics relevant for microbiome wildlife research from sample collection to molecular techniques for data generation, to data analysis strategies. Our hope is that this article not only calls for greater integration of microbiome analyses into wildlife ecology and health studies but provides researchers with the technical framework needed to successfully conduct such investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leigh Combrink
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States.,School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Ian R Humphreys
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | - Quinn Washburn
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | - Holly K Arnold
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | - Keaton Stagaman
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | - Kristin D Kasschau
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | - Anna E Jolles
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States.,Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | - Brianna R Beechler
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | - Thomas J Sharpton
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States.,Department of Statistics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
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4
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Gregor R, Probst M, Eyal S, Aksenov A, Sasson G, Horovitz I, Dorrestein PC, Meijler MM, Mizrahi I. Mammalian gut metabolomes mirror microbiome composition and host phylogeny. THE ISME JOURNAL 2022; 16:1262-1274. [PMID: 34903850 PMCID: PMC9038745 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-021-01152-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
In the past decade, studies on the mammalian gut microbiome have revealed that different animal species have distinct gut microbial compositions. The functional ramifications of this variation in microbial composition remain unclear: do these taxonomic differences indicate microbial adaptations to host-specific functionality, or are these diverse microbial communities essentially functionally redundant, as has been indicated by previous metagenomics studies? Here, we examine the metabolic content of mammalian gut microbiomes as a direct window into ecosystem function, using an untargeted metabolomics platform to analyze 101 fecal samples from a range of 25 exotic mammalian species in collaboration with a zoological center. We find that mammalian metabolomes are chemically diverse and strongly linked to microbiome composition, and that metabolome composition is further correlated to the phylogeny of the mammalian host. Specific metabolites enriched in different animal species included modified and degraded host and dietary compounds such as bile acids and triterpenoids, as well as fermentation products such as lactate and short-chain fatty acids. Our results suggest that differences in microbial taxonomic composition are indeed translated to host-specific metabolism, indicating that taxonomically distant microbiomes are more functionally diverse than redundant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Gregor
- Department of Chemistry, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel
- National Institute of Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel
| | - Maraike Probst
- National Institute of Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel
| | - Stav Eyal
- National Institute of Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel
| | - Alexander Aksenov
- Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Goor Sasson
- National Institute of Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel
| | - Igal Horovitz
- The Zoological Center Tel Aviv-Ramat Gan, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Pieter C Dorrestein
- Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Michael M Meijler
- Department of Chemistry, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel.
- National Institute of Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel.
| | - Itzhak Mizrahi
- National Institute of Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel.
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel.
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5
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Schulz D, Pšenková-Profousová I, Červená B, Procter M, Neba TF, Modrý D, Petrželková KJ, Qablan MA. Occurrence and diversity of anaerobic gut fungi in wild forest elephants and buffaloes inhabiting two separated forest ecosystems in Central West Africa. JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE BIOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.25225/jvb.21033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Doreen Schulz
- Department of Pathology and Parasitology, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ilona Pšenková-Profousová
- Department of Pathology and Parasitology, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Barbora Červená
- Department of Pathology and Parasitology, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Miranda Procter
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; e-mail: ,
| | - Terence Fuh Neba
- World Wildlife Fund, Primate Habituation Project, Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas, Bangui, Central African Republic; e-mail:
| | - David Modrý
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic; e-mail: ,
| | - Klára J. Petrželková
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic; e-mail: ,
| | - Moneeb A. Qablan
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; e-mail: ,
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6
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Fu H, Zhang L, Fan C, Liu C, Li W, Li J, Zhao X, Jia S, Zhang Y. Domestication Shapes the Community Structure and Functional Metagenomic Content of the Yak Fecal Microbiota. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:594075. [PMID: 33897627 PMCID: PMC8059439 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.594075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Domestication is a key factor of genetic variation; however, the mechanism by which domestication alters gut microbiota is poorly understood. Here, to explore the variation in the structure, function, rapidly evolved genes (REGs), and enzyme profiles of cellulase and hemicellulose in fecal microbiota, we studied the fecal microbiota in wild, half-blood, and domestic yaks based on 16S rDNA sequencing, shotgun-metagenomic sequencing, and the measurement of short-chain-fatty-acids (SCFAs) concentration. Results indicated that wild and half-blood yaks harbored an increased abundance of the phylum Firmicutes and reduced abundance of the genus Akkermansia, which are both associated with efficient energy harvesting. The gut microbial diversity decreased in domestic yaks. The results of the shotgun-metagenomic sequencing showed that the wild yak harbored an increased abundance of microbial pathways that play crucial roles in digestion and growth of the host, whereas the domestic yak harbored an increased abundance of methane-metabolism-related pathways. Wild yaks had enriched amounts of REGs in energy and carbohydrate metabolism pathways, and possessed a significantly increased abundance of cellulases and endohemicellulases in the glycoside hydrolase family compared to domestic yaks. The concentrations of acetic, propionic, n-butyric, i-butyric, n-valeric, and i-valeric acid were highest in wild yaks. Our study displayed the domestic effect on the phenotype of composition, function in gut microbiota, and SCFAs associated with gut microbiota, which had a closely association with the growth performance of the livestock. These findings may enlighten the researchers to construct more links between economic characteristics and gut microbiota, and develop new commercial strains in livestock based on the biotechnology of gut microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haibo Fu
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China.,Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Liangzhi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China.,Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining, China
| | - Chao Fan
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China.,Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chuanfa Liu
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China.,Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining, China
| | - Wenjing Li
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China.,Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining, China
| | - Jiye Li
- Datong Yak Breeding Farm of Qinghai Province, Datong, China
| | - Xinquan Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China.,Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining, China
| | - Shangang Jia
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yanming Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China.,Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Ecological Genomics, Xining, China
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7
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Pereira AC, Bandeira V, Fonseca C, Cunha MV. Crosstalk Between Culturomics and Microbial Profiling of Egyptian Mongoose ( Herpestes ichneumon) Gut Microbiome. Microorganisms 2020; 8:E808. [PMID: 32471180 PMCID: PMC7355707 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8060808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 05/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Recently, we unveiled taxonomical and functional differences in Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon) gut microbiota across sex and age classes by microbial profiling. In this study, we generate, through culturomics, extended baseline information on the culturable bacterial and fungal microbiome of the species using the same specimens as models. Firstly, this strategy enabled us to explore cultivable microbial community differences across sexes and to ascertain the influence exerted by biological and environmental contexts of each host in its microbiota signature. Secondly, it permitted us to compare the culturomics and microbial profiling approaches and their ability to provide information on mongoose gut microbiota. In agreement with microbial profiling, culturomics showed that the core gut cultivable microbiota of the mongoose is dominated by Firmicutes and, as previously found, is able to distinguish sex- and age class-specific genera. Additional information could be obtained by culturomics, with six new genera unveiled. Richness indices and the Shannon index were concordant between culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches, highlighting significantly higher values when using microbial profiling. However, the Simpson index underlined higher values for the culturomics-generated data. These contrasting results were due to a differential influence of dominant and rare taxa on those indices. Beta diversity analyses of culturable microbiota showed similarities between adults and juveniles, but not in the data series originated from microbial profiling. Additionally, whereas the microbial profiling indicated that there were several bioenvironmental features related to the bacterial gut microbiota of the Egyptian mongoose, a clear association between microbiota and bioenvironmental features could not be established through culturomics. The discrepancies found between the data generated by the two methodologies and the underlying inferences, both in terms of β-diversity and role of bioenvironmental features, confirm that culture-independent, sequence-based methods have a higher ability to assess, at a fine scale, the influence of abiotic and biotic factors on the microbial community composition of mongoose' gut. However, when used in a complementary perspective, this knowledge can be expanded by culturomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- André C. Pereira
- National Institute for Agrarian and Veterinary Research (INIAV, IP), Wildlife, Hunting and Biodiversity R&D Unit, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal;
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
- Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute (BioISI), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Victor Bandeira
- Departamento de Biologia & CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; (V.B.); (C.F.)
| | - Carlos Fonseca
- Departamento de Biologia & CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; (V.B.); (C.F.)
| | - Mónica V. Cunha
- National Institute for Agrarian and Veterinary Research (INIAV, IP), Wildlife, Hunting and Biodiversity R&D Unit, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal;
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
- Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute (BioISI), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
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8
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Sun CH, Liu HY, Liu B, Yuan BD, Lu CH. Analysis of the Gut Microbiome of Wild and Captive Père David's Deer. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2331. [PMID: 31636626 PMCID: PMC6787558 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Père David’s deer (Elaphurus davidianus or milu) is a highly endangered species originating from China, and many deer are currently being raised in captivity for gradual re-introduction to the wild. Wild and captive deer currently live in the same region but have vastly different diets. In this study, we used 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing to identify the healthy core microbiome in the gut of wild and captive Père David’s deer and investigate how dietary factors influence the gut microbiome by comparing their differences. A core shared gut microbiome was identified in healthy Père David’s deer, which was similar to that of other ruminants, mainly comprising the phyla Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. There were no differences in the richness or diversity of the gut microbiome between the wild and captive deer. However, PCA and ANOSIM demonstrated clear differences in the microbial community structure between the captive and wild deer, which mainly manifested as changes in the relative abundance of 39 bacterial genera. As the majority of these genera were not dominant in the deer gut, no significant difference was detected in functional modules related to the microbiome between the two groups. Therefore, the difference in dietary factors does not appear to affect the healthy core gut microbiome between captive and wild Père David’s deer, suggesting strong co-evolution and the possibility of re-establishment in the wild. These data could guide future applications of population management in Père David’s deer conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-He Sun
- College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hong-Yi Liu
- College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Bin Liu
- College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China.,Jiangsu Dafeng Père David's Deer National Nature Reserve, Yancheng, China
| | - Bao-Dong Yuan
- College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China.,College of Biology and Food, Shangqiu Normal University, Shangqiu, China
| | - Chang-Hu Lu
- College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
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9
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Hale VL, Tan CL, Niu K, Yang Y, Zhang Q, Knight R, Amato KR. Gut microbiota in wild and captive Guizhou snub-nosed monkeys, Rhinopithecus brelichi. Am J Primatol 2019; 81:e22989. [PMID: 31106872 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Revised: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Many colobine species-including the endangered Guizhou snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus brelichi) are difficult to maintain in captivity and frequently exhibit gastrointestinal (GI) problems. GI problems are commonly linked to alterations in the gut microbiota, which lead us to examine the gut microbial communities of wild and captive R. brelichi. We used high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene to compare the gut microbiota of wild (N = 7) and captive (N = 8) R. brelichi. Wild monkeys exhibited increased gut microbial diversity based on the Chao1 but not Shannon diversity metric and greater relative abundances of bacteria in the Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae families. Microbes in these families digest complex plant materials and produce butyrate, a short chain fatty acid critical to colonocyte health. Captive monkeys had greater relative abundances of Prevotella and Bacteroides species, which degrade simple sugars and carbohydrates, like those present in fruits and cornmeal, two staples of the captive R. brelichi diet. Captive monkeys also had a greater abundance of Akkermansia species, a microbe that can thrive in the face of host malnutrition. Taken together, these findings suggest that poor health in captive R. brelichi may be linked to diet and an altered gut microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa L Hale
- Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
| | - Chia L Tan
- LVDI International, San Marcos, California.,Nonhuman Primate Conservation and Research Institute, Tongren University, Tongren, Guizhou, China
| | - Kefeng Niu
- Institute of Eastern-Himalaya Biodiversity Research, Dali University, Dali, Yunnan, China
| | - Yeqin Yang
- Nonhuman Primate Conservation and Research Institute, Tongren University, Tongren, Guizhou, China
| | - Qikun Zhang
- Hangzhou KaiTai Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Hangzhou, China
| | - Rob Knight
- Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California.,Computer Science and Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
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10
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Ingala MR, Simmons NB, Wultsch C, Krampis K, Speer KA, Perkins SL. Comparing Microbiome Sampling Methods in a Wild Mammal: Fecal and Intestinal Samples Record Different Signals of Host Ecology, Evolution. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:803. [PMID: 29765359 PMCID: PMC5938605 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 04/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The gut microbiome is a community of host-associated symbiotic microbes that fulfills multiple key roles in host metabolism, immune function, and tissue development. Given the ability of the microbiome to impact host fitness, there is increasing interest in studying the microbiome of wild animals to better understand these communities in the context of host ecology and evolution. Human microbiome research protocols are well established, but wildlife microbiome research is still a developing field. Currently, there is no standardized set of best practices guiding the collection of microbiome samples from wildlife. Gut microflora are typically sampled either by fecal collection, rectal swabbing, or by destructively sampling the intestinal contents of the host animal. Studies rarely include more than one sampling technique and no comparison of these methods currently exists for a wild mammal. Although some studies have hypothesized that the fecal microbiome is a nested subset of the intestinal microbiome, this hypothesis has not been formally tested. To address these issues, we examined guano (feces) and distal intestinal mucosa from 19 species of free-ranging bats from Lamanai, Belize, using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to compare microbial communities across sample types. We found that the diversity and composition of intestine and guano samples differed substantially. In addition, we conclude that signatures of host evolution are retained by studying gut microbiomes based on mucosal tissue samples, but not fecal samples. Conversely, fecal samples retained more signal of host diet than intestinal samples. These results suggest that fecal and intestinal sampling methods are not interchangeable, and that these two microbiotas record different information about the host from which they are isolated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa R Ingala
- The Richard Gilder Graduate School, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Mammalogy, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, United States.,Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, United States
| | - Nancy B Simmons
- The Richard Gilder Graduate School, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Mammalogy, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, United States
| | - Claudia Wultsch
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, United States
| | - Konstantinos Krampis
- Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY, United States.,Center for Translational and Basic Research, Hunter College, New York, NY, United States.,Institute of Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Kelly A Speer
- The Richard Gilder Graduate School, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Mammalogy, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, United States.,Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, United States
| | - Susan L Perkins
- The Richard Gilder Graduate School, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, United States.,Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, United States.,Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, United States
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Borbón-García A, Reyes A, Vives-Flórez M, Caballero S. Captivity Shapes the Gut Microbiota of Andean Bears: Insights into Health Surveillance. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:1316. [PMID: 28751883 PMCID: PMC5507997 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 06/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The Andean bear is an endemic species of the tropical Andes who has an almost exclusively plant-based diet. Since herbivorous mammals do not carry enzymes for fiber degradation, the establishment of symbiosis with cellulolytic microorganisms in their gastrointestinal (GI) tract is necessary to help them fulfill their nutritional needs. Furthermore, as described for other mammals, a stable, diverse, and balanced gut microbial composition is an indicator of a healthy status of the host; under disturbances this balance can be lost, leading to potential diseases of the host. The goal of this study was to describe the gut microbiota of wild and captive Andean bears and determine how habitat status influences the composition and diversity of the gut symbiotic community. Fecal samples from wild (n = 28) and captive (n = 8) Andean bears were collected in "Reserva Pantano de Martos" and "Fundación Bioandina", Colombia. Composition and diversity analyses were performed using amplicons from the V4 region of the 16S rDNA gene sequenced using the Ion PGM platform. PICRUSt algorithm was applied to predict the gene content of the gut microbiome of wild and captive Andean bears. A total of 5,411 and 838 OTUs were identified for wild and captive bears, respectively. Captive bears contained a lower number of bacterial phyla (n = 7) compared to wild individuals (n = 9). Proteobacteria (59.03%) and Firmicutes (14.03%) were the phyla that contributed the most to differences between wild and captive bears (overall dissimilarity = 87.72%). At family level, Enterobacteriaceae drove the main differences between the two groups (13.7%). PICRUSt metagenomics predictions suggested a similar pattern of relative abundance of gene families associated with the metabolism of carbohydrates across samples in wild individuals, despite the taxonomic differences of their gut microbiota. Captivity alters the availability and diversity of food resources, which likely reduces microbiota richness and diversity compared to wild individuals. Further considerations should be taken into account for nutritional schemes improving ex-situ conservation and its potential as a surveillance tool of endangered populations of wild Andean bears.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Borbón-García
- Research Group on Computational Biology and Microbial Ecology, Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de los AndesBogotá, Colombia.,Max Planck Tandem Group in Computational Biology, Universidad de los AndesBogotá, Colombia.,Laboratorio de Ecología Molecular de Vertebrados Acuáticos, Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de los AndesBogotá, Colombia
| | - Alejandro Reyes
- Research Group on Computational Biology and Microbial Ecology, Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de los AndesBogotá, Colombia.,Max Planck Tandem Group in Computational Biology, Universidad de los AndesBogotá, Colombia.,Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint LouisMO, United States
| | - Martha Vives-Flórez
- Centro de Investigaciones Microbiológicas, Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de los AndesBogotá, Colombia
| | - Susana Caballero
- Laboratorio de Ecología Molecular de Vertebrados Acuáticos, Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de los AndesBogotá, Colombia
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12
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Mercer RG, Walker BD, Yang X, McMullen LM, Gänzle MG. The locus of heat resistance (LHR) mediates heat resistance in Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli and Enterobacter cloacae. Food Microbiol 2016; 64:96-103. [PMID: 28213040 DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2016.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2016] [Revised: 10/21/2016] [Accepted: 12/26/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Enterobacteriaceae comprise food spoilage organisms as well as food-borne pathogens including Escherichia coli. Heat resistance in E. coli was attributed to a genomic island called the locus of heat resistance (LHR). This genomic island is also present in several other genera of Enterobacteriaceae, but its function in the enteric pathogens Salmonella enterica and Enterobacter cloacae is unknown. This study aimed to determine the frequency of the LHR in food isolates of E. coli, and its influence on heat resistance in S. enterica and Enterobacter spp. Cell counts of LHR-positive strains of E. coli, S. enterica and E. cloacae were reduced by less than 1, 1, and 4 log (cfu/mL), respectively, after exposure to 60 °C for 5 min, while cell counts of LHR-negative strains of the same species were reduced by more than 7 log (cfu/mL). Introducing an exogenous copy of the LHR into heat-sensitive enteropathogenic E. coli and S. enterica increased heat resistance to a level that was comparable to LHR-positive wild type strains. Cell counts of LHR-positive S. enterica were reduced by less than 1 log(cfu/mL) after heating to 60 °C for 5 min. Survival of LHR-positive strains was improved by increasing the NaCl concentration from 0 to 4%. Cell counts of LHR-positive strains of E. coli and S. enterica were reduced by less than 2 log (cfu/g) in ground beef patties cooked to an internal core temperature of 71 °C. This study indicates that LHR-positive Enterobacteriaceae pose a risk to food safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan G Mercer
- University of Alberta, Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Brian D Walker
- University of Alberta, Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Xianqin Yang
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lacombe Research Centre, 6000 C&E Trail, Lacombe, Alberta, Canada
| | - Lynn M McMullen
- University of Alberta, Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Michael G Gänzle
- University of Alberta, Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
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Song C, Wang B, Tan J, Zhu L, Lou D, Cen X. Comparative analysis of the gut microbiota of black bears in China using high-throughput sequencing. Mol Genet Genomics 2016; 292:407-414. [PMID: 28028611 DOI: 10.1007/s00438-016-1282-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2016] [Accepted: 12/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) is a protected species from eastern Asia. In China, the Asiatic black bear occurs in 17 provinces from northeast to southwest regions. To date, information on microbial diversity in the gut of the Asiatic black bears from different populations remains limited. To determine the species composition and community structure of the gut microbiota in the Asiatic black bear, we characterized 36 fecal samples from Sichuan, Yunnan, and Heilongjiang provinces, China, by pyrosequencing the 16S V3-V4 hypervariable regions using the Illumina Miseq platform. Results showed that Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were the predominant phyla in the samples, which were largely comprised Escherichia-Shigella, Peptostreptococcaceae_incertae_sedis, Turicibacter, Streptococcus, and Clostridium. By analyzing the community structure from these 36 samples, we found that there were significant differences in the species diversity and richness between Sichuan, Yunnan, and Heilongjiang populations. In conclusion, our results reveal the species composition and structure of the gut microbiota in captive black bears in China, and suggest that biogeography could affect the black bear' gut microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can Song
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology (Chongqing University), Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, No. 174, Shapingba Main Street, Chongqing, 400030, China
| | - Bochu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology (Chongqing University), Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China.
- Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, No. 174, Shapingba Main Street, Chongqing, 400030, China.
| | - Jun Tan
- School of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University of Education, Chongqing, China.
- Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, No. 174, Shapingba Main Street, Chongqing, 400030, China.
| | - Liancai Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology (Chongqing University), Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, No. 174, Shapingba Main Street, Chongqing, 400030, China
| | - Deshuai Lou
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology (Chongqing University), Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, No. 174, Shapingba Main Street, Chongqing, 400030, China
| | - Xiaoxi Cen
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology (Chongqing University), Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, No. 174, Shapingba Main Street, Chongqing, 400030, China
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Amato KR. Incorporating the gut microbiota into models of human and non-human primate ecology and evolution. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2016; 159:S196-215. [PMID: 26808106 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The mammalian gut is home to a diverse community of microbes. Advances in technology over the past two decades have allowed us to examine this community, the gut microbiota, in more detail, revealing a wide range of influences on host nutrition, health, and behavior. These host-gut microbe interactions appear to shape host plasticity and fitness in a variety of contexts, and therefore represent a key factor missing from existing models of human and non-human primate ecology and evolution. However, current studies of the gut microbiota tend to include limited contextual data or are clinical, making it difficult to directly test broad anthropological hypotheses. Here, I review what is known about the animal gut microbiota and provide examples of how gut microbiota research can be integrated into the study of human and non-human primate ecology and evolution with targeted data collection. Specifically, I examine how the gut microbiota may impact primate diet, energetics, disease resistance, and cognition. While gut microbiota research is proliferating rapidly, especially in the context of humans, there remain important gaps in our understanding of host-gut microbe interactions that will require an anthropological perspective to fill. Likewise, gut microbiota research will be an important tool for filling remaining gaps in anthropological research.
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15
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Molecular Diagnostic Assays for the Detection and Control of Zoonotic Diseases. Mol Microbiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1128/9781555819071.ch23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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16
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17
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Becker AAMJ, Janssens GPJ, Snauwaert C, Hesta M, Huys G. Integrated community profiling indicates long-term temporal stability of the predominant faecal microbiota in captive cheetahs. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0123933. [PMID: 25905625 PMCID: PMC4408007 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0123933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2014] [Accepted: 03/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the symbiotic relationship between gut microbes and their animal host requires characterization of the core microbiota across populations and in time. Especially in captive populations of endangered wildlife species such as the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), this knowledge is a key element to enhance feeding strategies and reduce gastrointestinal disorders. In order to investigate the temporal stability of the intestinal microbiota in cheetahs under human care, we conducted a longitudinal study over a 3-year period with bimonthly faecal sampling of 5 cheetahs housed in two European zoos. For this purpose, an integrated 16S rRNA DGGE-clone library approach was used in combination with a series of real-time PCR assays. Our findings disclosed a stable faecal microbiota, beyond intestinal community variations that were detected between zoo sample sets or between animals. The core of this microbiota was dominated by members of Clostridium clusters I, XI and XIVa, with mean concentrations ranging from 7.5-9.2 log10 CFU/g faeces and with significant positive correlations between these clusters (P<0.05), and by Lactobacillaceae. Moving window analysis of DGGE profiles revealed 23.3-25.6% change between consecutive samples for four of the cheetahs. The fifth animal in the study suffered from intermediate episodes of vomiting and diarrhea during the monitoring period and exhibited remarkably more change (39.4%). This observation may reflect the temporary impact of perturbations such as the animal’s compromised health, antibiotic administration or a combination thereof, which temporarily altered the relative proportions of Clostridium clusters I and XIVa. In conclusion, this first long-term monitoring study of the faecal microbiota in feline strict carnivores not only reveals a remarkable compositional stability of this ecosystem, but also shows a qualitative and quantitative similarity in a defined set of faecal bacterial lineages across the five animals under study that may typify the core phylogenetic microbiome of cheetahs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne A. M. J. Becker
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Department of Nutrition, Genetics and Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
- * E-mail:
| | - Geert P. J. Janssens
- Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Department of Nutrition, Genetics and Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Cindy Snauwaert
- BCCM/LMG Bacteria Collection, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Myriam Hesta
- Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Department of Nutrition, Genetics and Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Geert Huys
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- BCCM/LMG Bacteria Collection, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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Diet is a major factor governing the fecal butyrate-producing community structure across Mammalia, Aves and Reptilia. ISME JOURNAL 2015; 9:832-43. [PMID: 25343515 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2014.179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2014] [Revised: 08/22/2014] [Accepted: 09/03/2014] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Butyrate-producing bacteria have an important role in maintaining host health. They are well studied in human and medically associated animal models; however, much less is known for other Vertebrata. We investigated the butyrate-producing community in hindgut-fermenting Mammalia (n = 38), Aves (n = 8) and Reptilia (n = 8) using a gene-targeted pyrosequencing approach of the terminal genes of the main butyrate-synthesis pathways, namely butyryl-CoA:acetate CoA-transferase (but) and butyrate kinase (buk). Most animals exhibit high gene abundances, and clear diet-specific signatures were detected with but genes significantly enriched in omnivores and herbivores compared with carnivores. But dominated the butyrate-producing community in these two groups, whereas buk was more abundant in many carnivorous animals. Clustering of protein sequences (5% cutoff) of the combined communities (but and buk) placed carnivores apart from other diet groups, except for noncarnivorous Carnivora, which clustered together with carnivores. The majority of clusters (but: 5141 and buk: 2924) did not show close relation to any reference sequences from public databases (identity <90%) demonstrating a large 'unknown diversity'. Each diet group had abundant signature taxa, where buk genes linked to Clostridium perfringens dominated in carnivores and but genes associated with Ruminococcaceae bacterium D16 were specific for herbivores and omnivores. Whereas 16S rRNA gene analysis showed similar overall patterns, it was unable to reveal communities at the same depth and resolution as the functional gene-targeted approach. This study demonstrates that butyrate producers are abundant across vertebrates exhibiting great functional redundancy and that diet is the primary determinant governing the composition of the butyrate-producing guild.
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Jans C, Meile L, Lacroix C, Stevens MJA. Genomics, evolution, and molecular epidemiology of the Streptococcus bovis/Streptococcus equinus complex (SBSEC). INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2014; 33:419-36. [PMID: 25233845 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2014.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2014] [Revised: 09/10/2014] [Accepted: 09/11/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The Streptococcus bovis/Streptococcus equinus complex (SBSEC) is a group of human and animal derived streptococci that are commensals (rumen and gastrointestinal tract), opportunistic pathogens or food fermentation associates. The classification of SBSEC has undergone massive changes and currently comprises 7 (sub)species grouped into four branches based on sequences identities: the Streptococcus gallolyticus, the Streptococcus equinus, the Streptococcus infantarius and the Streptococcus alactolyticus branch. In animals, SBSEC are causative agents for ruminal acidosis, potentially laminitis and infective endocarditis (IE). In humans, a strong association was established between bacteraemia, IE and colorectal cancer. Especially the SBSEC-species S. gallolyticus subsp. gallolyticus is an emerging pathogen for IE and prosthetic joint infections. S. gallolyticus subsp. pasteurianus and the S. infantarius branch are further associated with biliary and urinary tract infections. Knowledge on pathogenic mechanisms is so far limited to colonization factors such as pili and biofilm formation. Certain strain variants of S. gallolyticus subsp. macedonicus and S. infantarius subsp. infantarius are associated with traditional dairy and plant-based food fermentations and display traits suggesting safety. However, due to their close relationship to virulent strains, their use in food fermentation has to be critically assessed. Additionally, implementing accurate and up-to-date taxonomy is critical to enable appropriate treatment of patients and risk assessment of species and strains via recently developed multilocus sequence typing schemes to enable comparative global epidemiology. Comparative genomics revealed that SBSEC strains harbour genomics islands (GI) that seem acquired from other streptococci by horizontal gene transfer. In case of virulent strains these GI frequently encode putative virulence factors, in strains from food fermentation the GI encode functions that are pivotal for strain performance during fermentation. Comparative genomics is a powerful tool to identify acquired pathogenic functions, but there is still an urgent need for more physiological and epidemiological data to understand SBSEC-specific traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Jans
- Laboratory of Food Biotechnology, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zürich, Schmelzbergstrasse 7, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Leo Meile
- Laboratory of Food Biotechnology, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zürich, Schmelzbergstrasse 7, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christophe Lacroix
- Laboratory of Food Biotechnology, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zürich, Schmelzbergstrasse 7, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marc J A Stevens
- Laboratory of Food Biotechnology, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zürich, Schmelzbergstrasse 7, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
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Becker AAMJ, Hesta M, Hollants J, Janssens GPJ, Huys G. Phylogenetic analysis of faecal microbiota from captive cheetahs reveals underrepresentation of Bacteroidetes and Bifidobacteriaceae. BMC Microbiol 2014; 14:43. [PMID: 24548488 PMCID: PMC3936777 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-14-43] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2013] [Accepted: 01/24/2014] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Imbalanced feeding regimes may initiate gastrointestinal and metabolic diseases in endangered felids kept in captivity such as cheetahs. Given the crucial role of the host’s intestinal microbiota in feed fermentation and health maintenance, a better understanding of the cheetah’s intestinal ecosystem is essential for improvement of current feeding strategies. We determined the phylogenetic diversity of the faecal microbiota of the only two cheetahs housed in an EAZA associated zoo in Flanders, Belgium, to gain first insights in the relative distribution, identity and potential role of the major community members. Results Taxonomic analysis of 16S rRNA gene clone libraries (702 clones) revealed a microbiota dominated by Firmicutes (94.7%), followed by a minority of Actinobacteria (4.3%), Proteobacteria (0.4%) and Fusobacteria (0.6%). In the Firmicutes, the majority of the phylotypes within the Clostridiales were assigned to Clostridium clusters XIVa (43%), XI (38%) and I (13%). Members of the Bacteroidetes phylum and Bifidobacteriaceae, two groups that can positively contribute in maintaining intestinal homeostasis, were absent in the clone libraries and detected in only marginal to low levels in real-time PCR analyses. Conclusions This marked underrepresentation is in contrast to data previously reported in domestic cats where Bacteroidetes and Bifidobacteriaceae are common residents of the faecal microbiota. Next to methodological differences, these findings may also reflect the apparent differences in dietary habits of both felid species. Thus, our results question the role of the domestic cat as the best available model for nutritional intervention studies in endangered exotic felids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne A M J Becker
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
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Schwab C, Cristescu B, Northrup JM, Stenhouse GB, Gänzle M. Diet and environment shape fecal bacterial microbiota composition and enteric pathogen load of grizzly bears. PLoS One 2011; 6:e27905. [PMID: 22194798 PMCID: PMC3240615 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0027905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2011] [Accepted: 10/27/2011] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Diet and environment impact the composition of mammalian intestinal microbiota; dietary or health disturbances trigger alterations in intestinal microbiota composition and render the host susceptible to enteric pathogens. To date no long term monitoring data exist on the fecal microbiota and pathogen load of carnivores either in natural environments or in captivity. This study investigates fecal microbiota composition and the presence of pathogenic Escherichia coli and toxigenic clostridia in wild and captive grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) and relates these to food resources consumed by bears. Methodology/Principal Findings Feces were obtained from animals of two wild populations and from two captive animals during an active bear season. Wild animals consumed a diverse diet composed of plant material, animal prey and insects. Captive animals were fed a regular granulated diet with a supplement of fruits and vegetables. Bacterial populations were analyzed using quantitative PCR. Fecal microbiota composition fluctuated in wild and in captive animals. The abundance of Clostridium clusters I and XI, and of C. perfringens correlated to regular diet protein intake. Enteroaggregative E. coli were consistently present in all populations. The C. sordellii phospholipase C was identified in three samples of wild animals and for the first time in Ursids. Conclusion This is the first longitudinal study monitoring the fecal microbiota of wild carnivores and comparing it to that of captive individuals of the same species. Location and diet affected fecal bacterial populations as well as the presence of enteric pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarissa Schwab
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
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Schwab C, Gänzle M. Comparative analysis of fecal microbiota and intestinal microbial metabolic activity in captive polar bears. Can J Microbiol 2011; 57:177-85. [PMID: 21358758 DOI: 10.1139/w10-113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The composition of the intestinal microbiota depends on gut physiology and diet. Ursidae possess a simple gastrointestinal system composed of a stomach, small intestine, and indistinct hindgut. This study determined the composition and stability of fecal microbiota of 3 captive polar bears by group-specific quantitative PCR and PCR-DGGE (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis) using the 16S rRNA gene as target. Intestinal metabolic activity was determined by analysis of short-chain fatty acids in feces. For comparison, other Carnivora and mammals were included in this study. Total bacterial abundance was approximately log 8.5 DNA gene copies·(g feces)-1 in all 3 polar bears. Fecal polar bear microbiota was dominated by the facultative anaerobes Enterobacteriaceae and enterococci, and the Clostridium cluster I. The detection of the Clostridium perfringens α-toxin gene verified the presence of C. perfringens. Composition of the fecal bacterial population was stable on a genus level; according to results obtained by PCR-DGGE, dominant bacterial species fluctuated. The total short-chain fatty acid content of Carnivora and other mammals analysed was comparable; lactate was detected in feces of all carnivora but present only in trace amounts in other mammals. In comparison, the fecal microbiota and metabolic activity of captive polar bears mostly resembled the closely related grizzly and black bears.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarissa Schwab
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
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Rana SW, Kumar A, Walia SK, Berven K, Cumper K, Walia SK. Isolation of Tn1546-like elements in vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium isolated from wood frogs: an emerging risk for zoonotic bacterial infections to humans. J Appl Microbiol 2010; 110:35-43. [PMID: 20880145 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2672.2010.04860.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
AIM Isolation and characterization of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), mainly Enterococcus faecium, from the faecal pellet of wood frogs (Rana sylvatica). METHODS AND RESULTS The frog VRE isolates were tested for their susceptibility to various antibiotics and were found resistant to ampicillin (Am), chloramphenicol (Cm), erythromycin (Em), gentamicin (Gm), tetracycline (Tc), teicoplanin (Tp) and vancomycin (Vn). The linkage of multiple antibiotic resistances to Em, Tc, Tp and Vn was observed in 84% of resistant Ent. faecium. Inducible antibiotic resistance (MIC ≥ 512 μg ml(-1) ) to Vn was also detected in these isolates. PCR analysis revealed the presence of vanA in all strains, and none of the strains were positive for vanB, indicating the existence of vanA phenotype. Furthermore, the PCR-RFLP analysis of the frog vanA amplicon with PstI, BamHI and SphI generated identical restriction patterns similar to Tn1546-like elements found in human VRE isolates. DNA homoduplex analysis also confirmed that vanA from the frog VRE has DNA sequence homology with the vanA of Tn1546-like elements of human and animal isolates. Blastx analysis of frog vanA sequence showed similarities with protein sequences generated from protein database of Vn-resistant Ent. faecium, Baccilus circulans, Paenibacillus apiarius and Oerskovia turbata isolates. Horizontal transfer of Vn resistance was not detected in frog isolates as revealed by filter mating conjugal experiment. CONCLUSIONS In summary, our results demonstrated that wood frogs carry Vn-resistant bacteria, and resistance genes (vanA) are located on Tn1546-like elements. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY This study highlights a previously less recognized role of amphibians as sentinels for multidrug-resistant bacteria and alerts the public health workers for an emerging risk of zoonotic bacterial infections to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- S W Rana
- Department of Biological Sciences, Oakland University, Rochester, MI 48309, USA
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