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Zhu D, Xie T, Du R, Guo L. Characterizing the Gut Microbiota of Eurasian Otter ( Lutra lutra chinensis) and Snub-Nosed Monkey ( Rhinopithecus roxellana) to Enhance Conservation Practices in the Foping National Nature Reserve of China. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12223097. [PMID: 36428325 PMCID: PMC9686598 DOI: 10.3390/ani12223097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the interaction between the microbial composition in the habitat and the gut of wildlife will contribute to conservation efforts since changes in the gut microbiome have been proven to influence the healthy and nutritional status of the host. This study analyzed the relationship between soil microbes and the microbial diversity and structure of the distal gut of the terrestrial golden snub-nosed monkey and Eurasian otter in the Foping National Nature Reserve (FNNR). A total of 15 otter fecal samples and 18 monkey fecal samples were collected from which 5 and 6 samples, respectively, were randomly selected for microbiome analysis. The remaining samples were used for fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) analysis. Soil samples from the otter and monkey habitats at each sampling point (eight in total) were also collected for microbiome analysis. The microbial phyla with the greatest relative abundance in soil or animal samples were Proteobacteria (41.2, 32.7, and 73.3% for soil, otters, and monkeys, respectively), Firmicutes (0.4% soil, 30.1% otters, and 14.4% monkeys), Bacteroidota (5.6% soil, 17.0% otters, and 8.3% monkeys), and Acidobacteriota (24.6% soil, 1.7% otters, and 0.1% monkeys). The estimation of alpha diversity indices revealed that the feature, Chao1, and Shannon indices of the soil microbiome were the greatest (p < 0.01) among the three groups, followed by those of the otter microbiome and those of the monkey microbiome (p < 0.01). Beta diversity analyses confirmed differences in the microbiota of the three types of samples. The determination of SCFA concentration in feces revealed that total volatile fatty acids, acetic acid, and isovaleric acid were greater (p < 0.05) in otters than in monkeys, while propionic acid followed the opposite pattern (p < 0.05). Correlation analysis of the microbiome and SCFA contents showed that propionic acid was positively correlated with significantly different bacterial groups, while acetic and butyric acid and total volatile acids were negatively correlated. This study confirmed that the fecal microbes of Eurasian otters and golden snub-nosed monkeys in the reserve are related to the soil microbial communities of their habitats, but they have different bacterial community structures and compositions, and there are different SCFA metabolic patterns in the gut of the two animals. The present study will help to improve wildlife protection in the FNNR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dapeng Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystem, Lanzhou 730020, China
- College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China
- Foping National Nature Reserve, Hanzhong 723000, China
| | - Tongtong Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystem, Lanzhou 730020, China
- College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China
| | - Ruifang Du
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystem, Lanzhou 730020, China
- College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China
| | - Long Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystem, Lanzhou 730020, China
- College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China
- Correspondence:
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Lafferty DJR, McKenney EA, Gillman SJ, Kailing CD, Walimaa MC, Kailing MJ, Roell BJ. The gut microbiome of wild American marten in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0275850. [PMID: 36327319 PMCID: PMC9632765 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Carnivores are ecologically important and sensitive to habitat loss and anthropogenic disruption. Here we measured trophic level and gut bacterial composition as proxies of carnivore ecological status across the Upper Peninsula, Michigan, for wild American marten (Martes americana; hereafter marten). In contrast to studies that have focused on omnivorous and herbivorous species, we find that marten, like other carnivore species without a cecum, are dominated by Firmicutes (52.35%) and Proteobacteria (45.31%) but lack Bacteroidetes. Additionally, a majority of the 12 major bacterial genera (occurring at ≥1%) are known hydrogen producers, suggesting these taxa may contribute to host energy requirements through fermentative production of acetate. Our study suggests that live trapping and harvest methods yield similar marten gut microbiome data. In addition, preserving undisturbed forest likely impacts marten ecology by measurably increasing marten trophic level and altering the gut microbiome. Our study underscores the utility of the gut microbiome as a tool to monitor the ecological status of wild carnivore populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana J. R. Lafferty
- Department of Biology, Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Science Lab, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, Michigan, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Erin A. McKenney
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Sierra J. Gillman
- School of Environment and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Chris D. Kailing
- Department of Biology, Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Science Lab, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Myles C. Walimaa
- Department of Earth, Environmental, and Geographical Sciences, Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Science Lab, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Macy J. Kailing
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
- Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Brian J. Roell
- Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Marquette, Michigan, United States of America
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Zhang W, Li T, Li Y, Ma Y, Xie HQ, Zou X, Wu J, Li Y, Wang R, Zhao B. Gut microbiota of Anabas testudineus (Bloch, 1792) in the e-waste dismantling region: In situ status and relationship with internal metal burden. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2022; 248:106171. [PMID: 35504175 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2022.106171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Due to the production of large quantities of electronic waste (e-waste), unsafe dismantling has caused serious pollution as well as toxicological impacts on both wildlife and humans. As an important aspect of physiology and health, the wildlife's gut microbiota and its changes induced by pollution have been recruiting increasing concerns. To reveal the gut microbiota-related ecotoxicology induced by e-waste dismantling, this study resolves the gut microbiota profile of Anabas testudineus, a native highly adapted nonmodel fish under the in situ exposure, and reveals whether and how the microbiota was altered. The comparisons are made by collecting samples from different e-waste polluted sites in Guiyu (a town in South China) and a nearby reference (nonpolluted) site. The overall gut microbiota landscape of A. testudineus is similar to that of other reported fishes, with an average of ∼300 OTUs, and constituted by Firmicutes (34.51%), Fusobacteria (29.16%) as the major phyla. Obviously different liver metal burdens/fingerprints were observed between the e-waste and reference sites. Accordingly, although the alpha-diversity (ACE, Simpson, and Shannon) of the gut microbiota did not significantly vary, a detailed exploration of the microbiota constitution indicated significant differences at various taxonomic levels, including a series of significantly different species and biomarkers, and showing site-specific beta-diversity clustering patterns. Interestingly, a few bacteria with greater abundance in the fish gut of e-waste polluted sites were also reported to present in other contaminated environments, have a role in wastewater treatment, be capable to transform metal, etc. Redundancy analysis (RDA) and Pearson association analyses indicated significant associations between Mn and Cetobacterium somerae (Pearson r = 0.3612, p = 0.0008) and between Pb and Clostridium colicanis (Pearson r = 0.5151, p < 0.0001). In summary, pollution from e-waste dismantling may have a role in altering the fish gut microbiota, and this research provides insights for better understanding e-waste ecotoxicology and improving future conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanglong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; College of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, Shandong 273165, China
| | - Tengzhou Li
- College of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, Shandong 273165, China
| | - Yufeng Li
- College of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, Shandong 273165, China
| | - Yongchao Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; Centre for Translational Medicine Research and Development, Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Heidi Qunhui Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xianghui Zou
- School of Life Sciences and Food Engineering, Hanshan Normal University, Chaozhou 521041, China
| | - Jiameng Wu
- College of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, Shandong 273165, China
| | - Yunping Li
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Renjun Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, Shandong 273165, China
| | - Bin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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Distinct gut microbiomes in two polar bear subpopulations inhabiting different sea ice ecoregions. Sci Rep 2022; 12:522. [PMID: 35017585 PMCID: PMC8752607 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-04340-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Gut microbiomes were analyzed by 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding for polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from the southern Beaufort Sea (SB), where sea ice loss has led to increased use of land-based food resources by bears, and from East Greenland (EG), where persistent sea ice has allowed hunting of ice-associated prey nearly year-round. SB polar bears showed a higher number of total (940 vs. 742) and unique (387 vs. 189) amplicon sequence variants and higher inter-individual variation compared to EG polar bears. Gut microbiome composition differed significantly between the two subpopulations and among sex/age classes, likely driven by diet variation and ontogenetic shifts in the gut microbiome. Dietary tracer analysis using fatty acid signatures for SB polar bears showed that diet explained more intrapopulation variation in gut microbiome composition and diversity than other tested variables, i.e., sex/age class, body condition, and capture year. Substantial differences in the SB gut microbiome relative to EG polar bears, and associations between SB gut microbiome and diet, suggest that the shifting foraging habits of SB polar bears tied to sea ice loss may be altering their gut microbiome, with potential consequences for nutrition and physiology.
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Contrasting gut microbiota in captive Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) by age. Arch Microbiol 2021; 203:5405-5416. [PMID: 34398307 PMCID: PMC8502154 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-021-02526-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 08/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the gut microbiota characteristics of endangered species such as the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra), especially in their early stages of life, could be essential for improving their management and ex situ conservation strategies. Here, we analyzed the gut microbiota diversity, composition, and function of captive Eurasian otters at different ages using high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing. We found that: (1) Clostridiaceae was abundant in all age stages; (2) Lactococcus in cubs is thought to predominate for digesting milk; (3) bacteria associated with amino acid metabolism increase with age, while bacteria associated with carbohydrate metabolism decrease with age, which is likely due to decrease in dietary carbohydrate content (e.g., milk) and increase in dietary protein contents (e.g., fishes) with age; and (4) fish-related bacteria were detected in feces of healthy adults and juveniles. Overall, the gut microbiota of captive Eurasian otters was taxonomically and functionally different by age, which is thought to be attributed to the difference in the diet in their life stages. This study provided baseline information regarding the gut microbiota of Eurasian otters for the first time and contributes to improvement in their management in captivity.
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