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Pečnerová P, Lord E, Garcia-Erill G, Hanghøj K, Rasmussen MS, Meisner J, Liu X, van der Valk T, Santander CG, Quinn L, Lin L, Liu S, Carøe C, Dalerum F, Götherström A, Måsviken J, Vartanyan S, Raundrup K, Al-Chaer A, Rasmussen L, Hvilsom C, Heide-Jørgensen MP, Sinding MHS, Aastrup P, Van Coeverden de Groot PJ, Schmidt NM, Albrechtsen A, Dalén L, Heller R, Moltke I, Siegismund HR. Population genomics of the muskox' resilience in the near absence of genetic variation. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17205. [PMID: 37971141 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Genomic studies of species threatened by extinction are providing crucial information about evolutionary mechanisms and genetic consequences of population declines and bottlenecks. However, to understand how species avoid the extinction vortex, insights can be drawn by studying species that thrive despite past declines. Here, we studied the population genomics of the muskox (Ovibos moschatus), an Ice Age relict that was at the brink of extinction for thousands of years at the end of the Pleistocene yet appears to be thriving today. We analysed 108 whole genomes, including present-day individuals representing the current native range of both muskox subspecies, the white-faced and the barren-ground muskox (O. moschatus wardi and O. moschatus moschatus) and a ~21,000-year-old ancient individual from Siberia. We found that the muskox' demographic history was profoundly shaped by past climate changes and post-glacial re-colonizations. In particular, the white-faced muskox has the lowest genome-wide heterozygosity recorded in an ungulate. Yet, there is no evidence of inbreeding depression in native muskox populations. We hypothesize that this can be explained by the effect of long-term gradual population declines that allowed for purging of strongly deleterious mutations. This study provides insights into how species with a history of population bottlenecks, small population sizes and low genetic diversity survive against all odds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrícia Pečnerová
- Section for Computational and RNA Biology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Copenhagen Zoo, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Edana Lord
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Genís Garcia-Erill
- Section for Computational and RNA Biology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kristian Hanghøj
- Section for Computational and RNA Biology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Malthe Sebro Rasmussen
- Section for Computational and RNA Biology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jonas Meisner
- Section for Computational and RNA Biology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Xiaodong Liu
- Section for Computational and RNA Biology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Tom van der Valk
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Cindy G Santander
- Section for Computational and RNA Biology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Liam Quinn
- Section for Computational and RNA Biology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Zealand University Hospital, Køge, Denmark
| | - Long Lin
- Section for Computational and RNA Biology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Shanlin Liu
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- The GLOBE Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Christian Carøe
- The GLOBE Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Fredrik Dalerum
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Biodiversity Research Institute (CSIC-UO-PA), Mieres, Spain
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa
| | - Anders Götherström
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, Stockholm, Sweden
- Archaeological Research Laboratory, Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Johannes Måsviken
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sergey Vartanyan
- North-East Interdisciplinary Scientific Research Institute N.A.N.A. Shilo, Russian Academy of Sciences, Magadan, Russia
| | | | - Amal Al-Chaer
- Section for Computational and RNA Biology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Linett Rasmussen
- Copenhagen Zoo, Frederiksberg, Denmark
- The GLOBE Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen
- Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Nuuk, Greenland
- Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mikkel-Holger S Sinding
- Section for Computational and RNA Biology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Nuuk, Greenland
| | - Peter Aastrup
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
- Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Niels Martin Schmidt
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
- Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Anders Albrechtsen
- Section for Computational and RNA Biology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Love Dalén
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rasmus Heller
- Section for Computational and RNA Biology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ida Moltke
- Section for Computational and RNA Biology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Hans Redlef Siegismund
- Section for Computational and RNA Biology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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2
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Sendell-Price AT, Ruegg KC, Robertson BC, Clegg SM. An island-hopping bird reveals how founder events shape genome-wide divergence. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:2495-2510. [PMID: 33826187 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
When populations colonize new areas, both strong selection and strong drift can be experienced due to novel environments and small founding populations, respectively. Empirical studies have predominantly focused on the phenotype when assessing the role of selection, and limited neutral-loci when assessing founder-induced loss of diversity. Consequently, the extent to which processes interact to influence evolutionary trajectories is difficult to assess. Genomic-level approaches provide the opportunity to simultaneously consider these processes. Here, we examine the roles of selection and drift in shaping genomic diversity and divergence in historically documented sequential island colonizations by the silvereye (Zosterops lateralis). We provide the first empirical demonstration of the rapid appearance of highly diverged genomic regions following population founding, the position of which are highly idiosyncratic. As these regions rarely contained loci putatively under selection, it is most likely that these differences arise via the stochastic nature of the founding process. However, selection is required to explain rapid evolution of larger body size in insular silvereyes. Reconciling our genomic data with these phenotypic patterns suggests there may be many genomic routes to the island phenotype, which vary across populations. Finally, we show that accelerated divergence associated with multiple founding steps is the product of genome-wide rather than localized differences, and that diversity erodes due to loss of rare alleles. However, even multiple founder events do not result in divergence and diversity levels seen in evolutionary older subspecies, and therefore do not provide a shortcut to speciation as proposed by founder-effect speciation models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley T Sendell-Price
- Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Kristen C Ruegg
- Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | | | - Sonya M Clegg
- Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Qld, Australia
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3
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Cuyler C, Rowell J, Adamczewski J, Anderson M, Blake J, Bretten T, Brodeur V, Campbell M, Checkley SL, Cluff HD, Côté SD, Davison T, Dumond M, Ford B, Gruzdev A, Gunn A, Jones P, Kutz S, Leclerc LM, Mallory C, Mavrot F, Mosbacher JB, Okhlopkov IM, Reynolds P, Schmidt NM, Sipko T, Suitor M, Tomaselli M, Ytrehus B. Muskox status, recent variation, and uncertain future. AMBIO 2020; 49:805-819. [PMID: 31187429 PMCID: PMC6989413 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-019-01205-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Revised: 05/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) are an integral component of Arctic biodiversity. Given low genetic diversity, their ability to respond to future and rapid Arctic change is unknown, although paleontological history demonstrates adaptability within limits. We discuss status and limitations of current monitoring, and summarize circumpolar status and recent variations, delineating all 55 endemic or translocated populations. Acknowledging uncertainties, global abundance is ca 170 000 muskoxen. Not all populations are thriving. Six populations are in decline, and as recently as the turn of the century, one of these was the largest population in the world, equaling ca 41% of today's total abundance. Climate, diseases, and anthropogenic changes are likely the principal drivers of muskox population change and result in multiple stressors that vary temporally and spatially. Impacts to muskoxen are precipitated by habitat loss/degradation, altered vegetation and species associations, pollution, and harvest. Which elements are relevant for a specific population will vary, as will their cumulative interactions. Our summaries highlight the importance of harmonizing existing data, intensifying long-term monitoring efforts including demographics and health assessments, standardizing and implementing monitoring protocols, and increasing stakeholder engagement/contributions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Cuyler
- Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, PO Box 570, 3900 Nuuk, Greenland
| | - Janice Rowell
- School of Natural Resources and Extension, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775 USA
| | - Jan Adamczewski
- Wildlife Division, Environment and Natural Resources, Government of Northwest Territories, PO Box 1320, Yellowknife, NT X1A 2L9 Canada
| | - Morgan Anderson
- BC Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resources Operations and Rural Development, 2000 South Ospika Blvd, Prince George, BC V2N 4W5 Canada
| | - John Blake
- Animal Resources Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks, PO Box 756980, Fairbanks, AK 99775 USA
| | - Tord Bretten
- Norwegian Environment Agency, PO Box 5672 Torgarden, 7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Vincent Brodeur
- Department of Wildlife Management of Northern Québec, Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks of Québec, 951 Hamel Boulevard, Chibougamau, QC G8P 2Z3 Canada
| | - Mitch Campbell
- Department of Environment, Government of Nunavut, PO Box 120, Arviat, NT X0C 0E0 Canada
| | - Sylvia L. Checkley
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 4Z6 Canada
| | - H. Dean Cluff
- Environment and Natural Resources, Government of the Northwest Territories, PO Box 2668, 3803 Bretzlaff Drive, Yellowknife, NT X1A 2P9 Canada
| | - Steeve D. Côté
- Département de biologie & Centre for Northern Studies, Université Laval, 1045 avenue de la Médecine, Québec, G1V 0A6 Canada
| | - Tracy Davison
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Wildlife Management, Inuvik Region, PO Box 2749, Inuvik, NT X0E 0T0 Canada
| | | | - Barrie Ford
- Nunavik Research Centre, Makivik Corporation, PO Box 179, Kuujjuaq, QC J0M 1C0 Canada
| | | | - Anne Gunn
- 368 Roland Road, Salt Spring Island, V8K 1V1 BC Canada
| | - Patrick Jones
- Division of Wildlife Conservation, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, PO Box 1467, Bethel, AK 99559 USA
| | - Susan Kutz
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 4Z6 Canada
| | - Lisa-Marie Leclerc
- Department of Environment, Government of Nunavut, PO Box 377, Kugluktuk, NU X0B 0A2 Canada
| | - Conor Mallory
- Department of Environment, Government of Nunavut, PO Box 209, Iglulik, NU X0A 0L0 Canada
| | - Fabien Mavrot
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 4Z6 Canada
| | - Jesper Bruun Mosbacher
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 4Z6 Canada
| | - Innokentiy Mikhailovich Okhlopkov
- Institute of Biological Problems of Cryolithozone of the Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Science (IBPC SB RAS), 41 Lenina Ave., Yakutsk, Russia 677980
| | | | - Niels Martin Schmidt
- Arctic Research Centre, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Taras Sipko
- Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, PO Box 11, Moscow, Russia 119071
| | - Mike Suitor
- Inuvialuit and Migratory Caribou, Fish and Wildlife, Environment Yukon, PO Box 600, Dawson City, YT Y0B 1G0 Canada
| | - Matilde Tomaselli
- Polar Knowledge Canada, Canadian High Arctic Research Station, 1 Uvajuq Road, PO Box 2150, Cambridge Bay, NU X0B 0C0 Canada
| | - Bjørnar Ytrehus
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), PO Box 5685 Torgarden, 7485 Trondheim, Norway
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Bird S, Prewer E, Kutz S, Leclerc L, Vilaça ST, Kyle CJ. Geography, seasonality, and host-associated population structure influence the fecal microbiome of a genetically depauparate Arctic mammal. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:13202-13217. [PMID: 31871639 PMCID: PMC6912892 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Revised: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The Canadian Arctic is an extreme environment with low floral and faunal diversity characterized by major seasonal shifts in temperature, moisture, and daylight. Muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) are one of few large herbivores able to survive this harsh environment. Microbiome research of the gastrointestinal tract may hold clues as to how muskoxen exist in the Arctic, but also how this species may respond to rapid environmental changes. In this study, we investigated the effects of season (spring/summer/winter), year (2007-2016), and host genetic structure on population-level microbiome variation in muskoxen from the Canadian Arctic. We utilized 16S rRNA gene sequencing to characterize the fecal microbial communities of 78 male muskoxen encompassing two population genetic clusters. These clusters are defined by Arctic Mainland and Island populations, including the following: (a) two mainland sampling locations of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut and (b) four locations of Victoria Island. Between these geographic populations, we found that differences in the microbiome reflected host-associated genetic cluster with evidence of migration. Within populations, seasonality influenced bacterial diversity with no significant differences between years of sampling. We found evidence of pathogenic bacteria, with significantly higher presence in mainland samples. Our findings demonstrate the effects of seasonality and the role of host population-level structure in driving fecal microbiome differences in a large Arctic mammal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Bird
- Forensic Science ProgramTrent UniversityPeterboroughONCanada
| | - Erin Prewer
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate ProgramTrent UniversityPeterboroughONCanada
| | - Susan Kutz
- Faculty of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryABCanada
- Canadian Wildlife Health CooperativeAlberta NodeFaculty of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryABCanada
| | | | - Sibelle T. Vilaça
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate ProgramTrent UniversityPeterboroughONCanada
- Biology DepartmentTrent UniversityPeterboroughONCanada
| | - Christopher J. Kyle
- Forensic Science ProgramTrent UniversityPeterboroughONCanada
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate ProgramTrent UniversityPeterboroughONCanada
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5
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Prewer E, Kutz S, Leclerc LM, Kyle CJ. Already at the bottom? Demographic declines are unlikely further to undermine genetic diversity of a large Arctic ungulate: muskox, Ovibos moschatus (Artiodactyla: Bovidae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blz175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Low genetic diversity is associated with low fitness and evolutionary potential, yet the demographic and life-history traits of some species contribute to low genetic diversity, without empirical evidence of negative impacts on fitness. Modelling past and future trajectories of genetic diversity under different demographic scenarios can provide insight into how genetic variation might impact population fitness. The muskox is an Arctic species that has undergone multiple population bottlenecks and, although populations have rebounded repeatedly, two large populations have recently declined by > 50%. It is unclear how these demographic patterns influence muskox genetic diversity and fitness. We compared the genetic diversity of Canadian muskox populations undergoing opposing population trends. Genotyping 84 mainland and 244 Victoria Island individuals at ten microsatellite loci revealed low genetic variation (Victoria Island, mean allelic richness 1.66, expected heterozygosity 0.16; mainland, mean allelic richness 2.58, expected heterozygosity 0.41), with no evidence of further reductions in diversity subsequent to recent demographic declines. Bayesian modelling showed that a 1900s bottleneck contributed to the lack of diversity in contemporary populations, and forward-in-time simulations suggested little effect on genetic diversity over the next 100 years. Muskoxen might have reached a genetic diversity minimum, and additional research will be needed to determine their capacity to adapt to rapid changes in selective pressures in a rapidly changing Arctic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Prewer
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - Susan Kutz
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Lisa Marie Leclerc
- Government of Nunavut, Department of Environment, Kugluktuk, Nunavut, Canada
| | - Christopher J Kyle
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
- Forensic Science Department, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
- Natural Resources DNA Profiling and Forensic Centre, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
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6
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Hansen CCR, Hvilsom C, Schmidt NM, Aastrup P, Van Coeverden de Groot PJ, Siegismund HR, Heller R. The Muskox Lost a Substantial Part of Its Genetic Diversity on Its Long Road to Greenland. Curr Biol 2018; 28:4022-4028.e5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.10.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2018] [Revised: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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7
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Ungerfeld EM, Leigh MB, Forster RJ, Barboza PS. Influence of Season and Diet on Fiber Digestion and Bacterial Community Structure in the Rumen of Muskoxen ( Ovibos moschatus). Microorganisms 2018; 6:microorganisms6030089. [PMID: 30127327 PMCID: PMC6165511 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms6030089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Revised: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
We studied the relationship between fiber digestion and the composition of the bacterial community in the rumen of muskoxen at the start and the end of the annual window of plant growth from spring to fall. Eight ruminally cannulated castrated males were fed brome hay or triticale straw (69.6% vs. 84.6% neutral detergent fiber, respectively) that were similar in fiber content to the sedges consumed by wild muskoxen (64.5 to 71.7% neutral detergent fiber). Muskoxen digested fiber from both forages faster and to a greater extent when straw rather than hay was consumed. Fiber digestion was therefore inducible by diet 4 in each season. We used 16S rRNA sequences from ruminal contents to study how season and diet affected the bacterial community and how the latter related to fiber digestion. We found that Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes accounted for 90% of the sequences at the level of Phylum, which is typical for the mammal gut microbiome. Using partial least square regressions, it was found that between 48% and 72% of the variation in fiber digestion was associated with 36–43 genera of bacteria. The main fibrolytic bacteria typical of domestic ruminants were generally not among the most important bacteria associated with fiber digestion in muskoxen. This reveals that muskoxen rely upon on a large suite of bacterial genera that are largely distinct from those used by other ruminants to digest the cell walls of plants that vary widely in both abundance and nutritional quality through the year.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilio M Ungerfeld
- Lethbridge Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 5403 1st Ave S, Lethbridge, AB T1J 4B1, Canada.
| | - Mary Beth Leigh
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, Institute of Arctic Biology, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7000, USA.
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7000, USA.
| | - Robert J Forster
- Lethbridge Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 5403 1st Ave S, Lethbridge, AB T1J 4B1, Canada.
| | - Perry S Barboza
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, Institute of Arctic Biology, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7000, USA.
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7000, USA.
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8
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Andersen-Ranberg EU, Barnes CJ, Rasmussen L, Salgado-Flores A, Grøndahl C, Mosbacher JB, Hansen AJ, Sundset MA, Schmidt NM, Sonne C. A Comparative Study on the Faecal Bacterial Community and Potential Zoonotic Bacteria of Muskoxen ( Ovibos moschatus) in Northeast Greenland, Northwest Greenland and Norway. Microorganisms 2018; 6:E76. [PMID: 30044373 PMCID: PMC6164070 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms6030076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Revised: 07/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) are ruminants adapted to a high-fibre diet. There is increasing interest in the role that gut microbes play in the digestion and utilization of these specialized diets but only limited data available on the gut microbiome of high-Arctic animals. In this study, we metabarcoded the 16S rRNA region of faecal samples from muskoxen of Northeast Greenland, Northwest Greenland and Norway, and quantified the effects of physiological and temporal factors on bacterial composition. We found significant effects of body mass, year of sampling and location on the gut bacterial communities of North East Greenland muskoxen. These effects were however dwarfed by the effects of location, emphasizing the importance of the local ecology on the gut bacterial community. Habitat alterations and rising temperatures may therefore have a considerable impact on muskoxen health and reproductive success. Moreover, muskoxen are hunted and consumed in Greenland, Canada and Alaska; therefore, this study also screened for potential zoonoses of food safety interest. A total of 13 potentially zoonotic genera were identified, including the genera Erysipelothrix and Yersinia implicated in recent mass die-offs of the muskoxen themselves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie U Andersen-Ranberg
- Department of Bioscience, Faculty of Science and Technology, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
- Department of Veterinary Clinical and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1870 Frederiksberg, Denmark.
| | - Christopher J Barnes
- Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Linett Rasmussen
- Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Alejandro Salgado-Flores
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway, 9037 Tromsø, Norway.
| | - Carsten Grøndahl
- Copenhagen Zoo, Centre for Zoo and Wild Animal Health, DK-2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark.
| | - Jesper B Mosbacher
- Department of Bioscience, Faculty of Science and Technology, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - Anders J Hansen
- Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | | | - Niels Martin Schmidt
- Department of Bioscience, Faculty of Science and Technology, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - Christian Sonne
- Department of Bioscience, Faculty of Science and Technology, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
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