Microbial Biogeography along the Gastrointestinal Tract Segments of Sympatric Subterranean Rodents (Eospalax baileyi and Eospalax cansus)

Captivity Shifts Gut Microbiota Communities in Plateau Zokor (Eospalax baileyi)

The gut microbiota in animals is a dynamic ecosystem influenced by both the host itself and the environment it inhabits. It is known that short-term captivity can significantly impact the gut microbiota of plateau zokors, leading to substantial inter-individual variation. However, the specific changes in the assembly process of the gut microbiota in plateau zokors during captivity remain unclear. In this study, we conducted a comparative analysis on the assembly process of the gut microbiota in 22 male plateau zokors from the same location in Qinglin Township, Datong County, Qinghai Province, before (W) and after (L) laboratory rearing. We performed a single-factor correlation network analysis on the top 50 genera with relative abundance in each group. The results revealed that captivity increased the complexity of the gut microbiota in plateau zokors, indicating a higher number of interactions between different microbial species. However, this increase in complexity was accompanied by a decrease in stability, suggesting a higher degree of variability and potential disruption in the microbial community. According to the results of the neutral community model, the gut microbiota of plateau zokors in the W had a higher Nm value (Nm = 48,135) compared to the L (Nm = 39,671), indicating that species dispersal of the gut microbiota was greater in the wild than in captivity. In the wild, the modified stochasticity ratio (MST) was less than 0.5, suggesting that deterministic processes dominated. However, after 15 days of laboratory rearing, the MST became greater than 0.5, indicating a shift toward stochastic processes, and this difference was highly significant (p < 0.001). This differs from research related to aboveground animals. This study provides theoretical support for the application of gut microbiota in subterranean endangered species.

Main Factors Influencing the Gut Microbiota of Datong Yaks in Mixed Group

Simple Summary

This study examined the differences and similarities in gut microbial diversity and ecological assembly processes of Datong yaks, including domestic males and females and wild males, which were fed together on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in a mixed group. The results revealed that mixed grouping could influence the gut microbiota of these three groups of yaks and improve the gut microbial diversity of domestic females. The findings of this study can help to understand the effects of mixed grouping on the gut microbiota of livestock on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and improve the production of Datong yaks.

Abstract

The Datong yak (Bos grunniens) is the first artificial breed of yaks in the world and has played an important role in the improvement of domestic yak quality on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The Datong yak breeding farm in the Qinghai province of China is the main place for the breeding and feeding of Datong yaks. It hosts domestic Datong yaks and wild male yaks, mainly in mixed groups. Different managements have different effects on livestock. The gut microbiota is closely related to the health and immunity of Datong yaks, and mixed grouping can affect the composition and diversity of the gut microbiota of Datong yaks. To reveal the effects of mixed grouping on the gut microbiota of Datong yaks and wild yaks and identify the main dominant factors, we compared the gut microbial diversities of domestic males and females and wild males based on 16S rRNA V3–V4 regions using fresh fecal samples. The data showed significant differences in the gut microbial diversity of these three groups, and the α-diversity was the highest in wild males. Different factors influence the gut microbiota, and the main influencing factors were different in different groups, including sex differences, host genetics, and physical interactions. We also compared ecological assembly processes in the three groups. The results showed that mixed grouping contributed to the improvement of gut microbial diversity in domestic females. Our study provides effective and feasible suggestions for the feeding and management of the Datong yaks.

Seasonal and Soil Microbiota Effects on the Adaptive Strategies of Wild Goitered Gazelles Based on the Gut Microbiota

Seasonal variation in extreme environments is a threat to endangered species. The gut microbiota is important in the adaptive strategies of wild herbivores, and herbivores will contact the soil microbiota when they are feeding. However, there are no studies about the effects of soil microbiota on the gut microbiota of wild herbivores. Understanding the seasonal adaptive strategies of wild herbivores based on their gut microbiota and the effects of soil microbiota on the herbivorous gut microbiota is indispensable for making optimal conservation recommendations. To address those issues, we compared the diversity and functions of gut microbiota in goitered gazelles between winter and summer with a non-invasive fecal sampling method from the Qaidam Basin based on 16S rRNA V3–V4 regions. The data showed that seasonal variations caused the significant changes in gut microbiota at α-and β-diversity levels. The main gut microbial function was “Metabolism.” It showed significant seasonal changes. The goitered gazelles adapted to the seasonal changes by increasing the relative abundance of Firmicutes, Christensenellaceae, Bacteroides and the function about “Metabolism” in the winter to improve the adaptability. We also compared the effects of soil microbiota on the gut microbiota between winter and summer, covering source tracking analysis and the seasonal differences in ecological assembly processes. The contribution of soil microbiota on the gut microbiota of goitered gazelles was 5.3095% and 15.6347% in winter and summer, respectively, which was greater than on species of animals living underground. Seasonal variation also influenced the ecological processes of microbiota both in the gut and soil. Due to the differences in environments, the ecological processes between fecal microbiota and soil microbiota showed significant differences, and they were dominated by stochastic processes and deterministic processes, respectively. The soil microbiota has contributed to the gut microbiota, but not a decisive factor. Our research laid the foundation on the seasonal and soil microbiota effects on the adaptive strategies of goitered gazelles, and is the first study to explain the soil microbiota influence on the gut microbiota of wild herbivores.