1
|
Dai W, Leng H, Li J, Li A, Li Z, Zhu Y, Li X, Jin L, Sun K, Feng J. The role of host traits and geography in shaping the gut microbiome of insectivorous bats. mSphere 2024; 9:e0008724. [PMID: 38509042 PMCID: PMC11036801 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00087-24] [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: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The gut microbiome is a symbiotic microbial community associated with the host and plays multiple important roles in host physiology, nutrition, and health. A number of factors have been shown to influence the gut microbiome, among which diet is considered to be one of the most important; however, the relationship between diet composition and gut microbiota in wild mammals is still not well recognized. Herein, we characterized the gut microbiota of bats and examined the effects of diet, host taxa, body size, gender, elevation, and latitude on the gut microbiota. The cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (COI) gene and 16S rRNA gene amplicons were sequenced from the feces of eight insectivorous bat species in southern China, including Miniopterus fuliginosus, Aselliscus stoliczkanus, Myotis laniger, Rhinolophus episcopus, Rhinolophus osgoodi, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, Rhinolophus affinis, and Rhinolophus pusillus. The results showed that the composition of gut microbiome and diet exhibited significant differences among bat species. Diet composition and gut microbiota were significantly correlated at the order, family, genus, and operational taxonomic unit levels, while certain insects had a marked effect on the gut microbiome at specific taxonomic levels. In addition, elevation, latitude, body weight of bats, and host species had significant effects on the gut microbiome, but phylosymbiosis between host phylogeny and gut microbiome was lacking. These findings clarify the relationship between gut microbiome and diet and contribute to improving our understanding of host ecology and the evolution of the gut microbiome in wild mammals. IMPORTANCE The gut microbiome is critical for the adaptation of wildlife to the dynamic environment. Bats are the second-largest group of mammals with short intestinal tract, yet their gut microbiome is still poorly studied. Herein, we explored the relationships between gut microbiome and food composition, host taxa, body size, gender, elevation, and latitude. We found a significant association between diet composition and gut microbiome in insectivorous bats, with certain insect species having major impacts on gut microbiome. Factors like species taxa, body weight, elevation, and latitude also affected the gut microbiome, but we failed to detect phylosymbiosis between the host phylogeny and the gut microbiome. Overall, our study presents novel insights into how multiple factors shape the bat's gut microbiome together and provides a study case on host-microbe interactions in wildlife.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wentao Dai
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Changchun, China
| | - Haixia Leng
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Jun Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Silviculture, Protection and Utilization, Guangdong Academy of Forestry, Guangzhou, China
| | - Aoqiang Li
- School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhongle Li
- College of Life Science, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
| | - Yue Zhu
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Xiaolin Li
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Longru Jin
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Keping Sun
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Changchun, China
| | - Jiang Feng
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
- College of Life Science, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Yang J, Wang Y, Yang H, Zhang X, Zheng X, Huang X. Infection status and molecular detection of pathogens carried by ectoparasites of Miniopterus fuliginosus bats in Yunnan, China. Parasitol Int 2024; 98:102823. [PMID: 37967717 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2023.102823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
Bats serve as natural hosts for various infectious agents that can affect both humans and animals, and they are geographically widespread. In recent years, the prevalence of bat-associated pathogens has surged on a global scale, consequently generating significant interest in bats and their ectoparasites. In this study, we specifically selected the Miniopterus fuliginosus as the host and conducted bat captures in Nanjian Yi Autonomous County, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, and the other in Mouding Township, Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, located in Yunnan Province, China. Ectoparasites were meticulously collected from the bat body surface, alongside blood samples for subsequent analyses. Following collection, the ectoparasites were methodically identified and subjected to comprehensive ecological analysis. Additionally, DNA was extracted from both the bat blood and bat flies, with conventional PCR techniques utilized for molecular screening of four pathogens: Anaplasma sp., Babesia sp., Hepatozoon sp., and Bartonella sp. The capture efforts yielded a total of 37 M. fuliginosus, from which 388 ectoparasites were recovered, including 197 gamasid mites (Cr = 50.77%, PM = 94.59%, MA = 5.32, MI = 5.63) and 191 bat flies (Cr = 49.23%, PM = 75.68%, MA = 5.16, MI = 6.82). Notably, Steatonyssus nyctali (Y = 0.28, m*/m = 2.44) and Nycteribia allotopa (Y = 0.23,m*/m = 1.54) predominated among different individuals of M. fuliginosus, exhibiting an aggregated distribution pattern. The infection rates of Bartonella sp. were identified to be 18.92% (7/37) among bats and 37.17% (71/191) among bat flies, based on the testing of 37 bats and 191 bat flies. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the Bartonella sequences exhibited similarity to those found in bats and bat flies within China and South Korea. This study not only contributes to our comprehension of ectoparasite infection in M. fuliginosus but also establishes a foundation for potential exploration of their role as vectors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jinting Yang
- Institute of Pathogens and Vectors, Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Control and Prevention, Dali University, 22 Wanhua St, Dali 671000, China
| | - Yujian Wang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, 5268 Renmin St, Changchun 130000, China
| | - Huijuan Yang
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Shatai South Road, Guangzhou 510000, China
| | - Xianzheng Zhang
- Institute of Pathogens and Vectors, Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Control and Prevention, Dali University, 22 Wanhua St, Dali 671000, China
| | - Xiaoyan Zheng
- Institute of Pathogens and Vectors, Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Control and Prevention, Dali University, 22 Wanhua St, Dali 671000, China
| | - Xiaobin Huang
- Institute of Pathogens and Vectors, Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Control and Prevention, Dali University, 22 Wanhua St, Dali 671000, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Hernández M, Ancona S, Hereira-Pacheco S, Díaz DE LA Vega-Pérez AH, Navarro-Noya YE. Comparative analysis of two nonlethal methods for the study of the gut bacterial communities in wild lizards. Integr Zool 2023; 18:1056-1071. [PMID: 36881373 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12711] [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] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
Fecal samples or cloacal swabs are preferred over lethal dissections to study vertebrate gut microbiota for ethical reasons, but it remains unclear which nonlethal methods provide more accurate information about gut microbiota. We compared the bacterial communities of three gastrointestinal tract (GIT) segments, that is, stomach, small intestine (midgut), and rectum (hindgut) with the bacterial communities of the cloaca and feces in the mesquite lizard Sceloporus grammicus. The hindgut had the highest taxonomic and functional alpha diversity, followed by midgut and feces, whereas the stomach and cloaca showed the lowest diversities. The taxonomic assemblages of the GIT segments at the phylum level were strongly correlated with those retrieved from feces and cloacal swabs (rs > 0.84 in all cases). The turnover ratio of Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs) between midgut and hindgut and the feces was lower than the ratio between these segments and the cloaca. More than half of the core-ASVs in the midgut (24 of 32) and hindgut (58 of 97) were also found in feces, while less than 5 were found in the cloaca. At the ASVs level, however, the structure of the bacterial communities of the midgut and hindgut were similar to those detected in feces and cloaca. Our findings suggest that fecal samples and cloacal swabs of spiny lizards provide a good approximation of the taxonomic assemblages and beta diversity of midgut and hindgut microbiota, while feces better represent the bacterial communities of the intestinal segments at a single nucleotide variation level than cloacal swabs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mauricio Hernández
- Doctorado en Ciencias Biológicas, Centro de Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, Mexico
| | - Sergio Ancona
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Stephanie Hereira-Pacheco
- Estación Científica la Malinche, Centro de Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, Mexico
| | - Aníbal H Díaz DE LA Vega-Pérez
- Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología-Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, Mexico
| | - Yendi E Navarro-Noya
- Laboratorio de Interacciones Bióticas, Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, Mexico
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Corduneanu A, Zając Z, Kulisz J, Wozniak A, Foucault-Simonin A, Moutailler S, Wu-Chuang A, Peter Á, Sándor AD, Cabezas-Cruz A. Detection of bacterial and protozoan pathogens in individual bats and their ectoparasites using high-throughput microfluidic real-time PCR. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0153123. [PMID: 37606379 PMCID: PMC10581248 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01531-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Among the most studied mammals in terms of their role in the spread of various pathogens with possible zoonotic effects are bats. These are animals with a very complex lifestyle, diet, and behavior. They are able to fly long distances, thus maintaining and spreading the pathogens they may be carrying. These pathogens also include vector-borne parasites and bacteria that can be spread by ectoparasites such as ticks and bat flies. In the present study, high-throughput screening was performed and we detected three bacterial pathogens: Bartonella spp., Neoehrlichia mikurensis and Mycoplasma spp., and a protozoan parasite: Theileria spp. in paired samples from bats (blood and ectoparasites). In the samples from the bat-arthropod pairs, we were able to detect Bartonella spp. and Mycoplasma spp. which also showed a high phylogenetic diversity, demonstrating the importance of these mammals and the arthropods associated with them in maintaining the spread of pathogens. Previous studies have also reported the presence of these pathogens, with one exception, Neoehrlichia mikurensis, for which phylogenetic analysis revealed less genetic divergence. High-throughput screening can detect more bacteria and parasites at once, reduce screening costs, and improve knowledge of bats as reservoirs of vector-borne pathogens. IMPORTANCE The increasing number of zoonotic pathogens is evident through extensive studies and expanded animal research. Bats, known for their role as reservoirs for various viruses, continue to be significant. However, new findings highlight the emergence of Bartonella spp., such as the human-infecting B. mayotimonensis from bats. Other pathogens like N. mikurensis, Mycoplasma spp., and Theileria spp. found in bat blood and ectoparasites raise concerns, as their impact remains uncertain. These discoveries underscore the urgency for heightened vigilance and proactive measures to understand and monitor zoonotic pathogens. By deepening our knowledge and collaboration, we can mitigate these risks, safeguarding human and animal well-being.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Corduneanu
- Department of Animal Breeding and Animal Production, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Zbigniew Zając
- Department of Biology and Parasitology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Joanna Kulisz
- Department of Biology and Parasitology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Aneta Wozniak
- Department of Biology and Parasitology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Angélique Foucault-Simonin
- ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Sara Moutailler
- ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Alejandra Wu-Chuang
- ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Áron Peter
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Attila D. Sándor
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- ELKH-ÁTE Climate Change: New Blood-sucking Parasites and Vector-borne Pathogens Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
- ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, Maisons-Alfort, France
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Luna N, Muñoz M, Castillo-Castañeda A, Hernandez C, Urbano P, Shaban M, Paniz-Mondolfi A, Ramírez JD. Characterizing the blood microbiota of omnivorous and frugivorous bats (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) in Casanare, eastern Colombia. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15169. [PMID: 37431467 PMCID: PMC10329821 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Bats are known reservoirs of seemingly-innocuous pathogenic microorganisms (including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and protozoa), which are associated with triggering disease in other zoonotic groups. The taxonomic diversity of the bats' microbiome is likely associated with species-specific phenotypic, metabolic, and immunogenic capacities. To date, few studies have described the diversity of bat blood microbial communities. Then, this study used amplicon-based next generation sequencing of the V4 hypervariable region of the 16S-rRNA gene in blood samples from omnivorous (n = 16) and frugivorous (n = 9) bats from the department of Casanare in eastern Colombia. We found the blood microbiota in bats to be composed of, among others, Bartonella and Mycoplasma bacterial genera which are associated with various disease phenotypes in other mammals. Furthermore, our results suggest that the bats' dietary habits might determine the composition and the persistence of some pathogens over others in their bloodstream. This study is among the first to describe the blood microbiota in bats, to reflect on co-infection rates of multiple pathogens in the same individual, and to consider the influence of diet as a factor affecting the animal's endogenous microbial community.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Luna
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Marina Muñoz
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Adriana Castillo-Castañeda
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Carolina Hernandez
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Plutarco Urbano
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
- Universidad Internacional del Tropico Americano (Unitropico), Yopal, Colombia
| | - Maryia Shaban
- Molecular Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, United States of America
- Incubadora Venezolana de la Ciencia, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Alberto Paniz-Mondolfi
- Molecular Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, United States of America
- Incubadora Venezolana de la Ciencia, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Juan David Ramírez
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
- Molecular Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Peral-Aranega E, Saati-Santamaría Z, Ayuso-Calles M, Kostovčík M, Veselská T, Švec K, Rivas R, Kolařik M, García-Fraile P. New insight into the bark beetle ips typographus bacteriome reveals unexplored diversity potentially beneficial to the host. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOME 2023; 18:53. [PMID: 37296446 DOI: 10.1186/s40793-023-00510-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ips typographus (European spruce bark beetle) is the most destructive pest of spruce forests in Europe. As for other animals, it has been proposed that the microbiome plays important roles in the biology of bark beetles. About the bacteriome, there still are many uncertainties regarding the taxonomical composition, insect-bacteriome interactions, and their potential roles in the beetle ecology. Here, we aim to deep into the ecological functions and taxonomical composition of I. typographus associated bacteria. RESULTS We assessed the metabolic potential of a collection of isolates obtained from different life stages of I. typographus beetles. All strains showed the capacity to hydrolyse one or more complex polysaccharides into simpler molecules, which may provide an additional carbon source to its host. Also, 83.9% of the strains isolated showed antagonistic effect against one or more entomopathogenic fungi, which could assist the beetle in its fight against this pathogenic threat. Using culture-dependent and -independent techniques, we present a taxonomical analysis of the bacteriome associated with the I. typographus beetle during its different life stages. We have observed an evolution of its bacteriome, which is diverse at the larval phase, substantially diminished in pupae, greater in the teneral adult phase, and similar to that of the larval stage in mature adults. Our results suggest that taxa belonging to the Erwiniaceae family, and the Pseudoxanthomonas and Pseudomonas genera, as well as an undescribed genus within the Enterobactereaceae family, are part of the core microbiome and may perform vital roles in maintaining beetle fitness. CONCLUSION Our results indicate that isolates within the bacteriome of I. typographus beetle have the metabolic potential to increase beetle fitness by proving additional and assimilable carbon sources for the beetle, and by antagonizing fungi entomopathogens. Furthermore, we observed that isolates from adult beetles are more likely to have these capacities but those obtained from larvae showed strongest antifungal activity. Our taxonomical analysis showed that Erwinia typographi, Pseudomonas bohemica, and Pseudomonas typographi species along with Pseudoxanthomonas genus, and putative new taxa belonging to the Erwiniaceae and Enterobacterales group are repeatedly present within the bacteriome of I. typographus beetles, indicating that these species might be part of the core microbiome. In addition to Pseudomonas and Erwinia group, Staphylococcus, Acinetobacter, Curtobacterium, Streptomyces, and Bacillus genera seem to also have interesting metabolic capacities but are present in a lower frequency. Future studies involving bacterial-insect interactions or analysing other potential roles would provide more insights into the bacteriome capacity to be beneficial to the beetle.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ezequiel Peral-Aranega
- Microbiology and Genetics Department, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, 37007, Spain.
- Institute for Agribiotechnology Research (CIALE), Salamanca, 37185, Spain.
| | - Zaki Saati-Santamaría
- Microbiology and Genetics Department, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, 37007, Spain
- Institute for Agribiotechnology Research (CIALE), Salamanca, 37185, Spain
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, 142 20, Czech Republic
| | - Miguel Ayuso-Calles
- Microbiology and Genetics Department, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, 37007, Spain
- Institute for Agribiotechnology Research (CIALE), Salamanca, 37185, Spain
| | - Martin Kostovčík
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, 142 20, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Veselská
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, 142 20, Czech Republic
| | - Karel Švec
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, 142 20, Czech Republic
| | - Raúl Rivas
- Microbiology and Genetics Department, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, 37007, Spain
- Institute for Agribiotechnology Research (CIALE), Salamanca, 37185, Spain
- Associated Research Unit of Plant-Microorganism Interaction, Universidad de Salamanca-IRNASA-CSIC, Salamanca, 37008, Spain
| | - Miroslav Kolařik
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, 142 20, Czech Republic
| | - Paula García-Fraile
- Microbiology and Genetics Department, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, 37007, Spain
- Institute for Agribiotechnology Research (CIALE), Salamanca, 37185, Spain
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, 142 20, Czech Republic
- Associated Research Unit of Plant-Microorganism Interaction, Universidad de Salamanca-IRNASA-CSIC, Salamanca, 37008, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Corduneanu A, Wu-Chuang A, Maitre A, Obregon D, Sándor AD, Cabezas-Cruz A. Structural differences in the gut microbiome of bats using terrestrial vs. aquatic feeding resources. BMC Microbiol 2023; 23:93. [PMID: 37005589 PMCID: PMC10067309 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-023-02836-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Bat gut microbiomes are adapted to the specific diets of their hosts. Despite diet variation has been associated with differences in bat microbiome diversity, the influence of diet on microbial community assembly have not been fully elucidated. In the present study, we used available data on bat gut microbiome to characterize the microbial community assembly of five selected bat species (i.e., Miniopterus schreibersii, Myotis capaccinii, Myotis myotis, Myotis pilosus, and Myotis vivesi), using network analysis. These bat species with contrasting habitat and food preferences (i.e., My. capaccinii and My. pilosus can be piscivorous and/or insectivorous; Mi. schreibersii and My. myotis are exclusively insectivorous; while My. vivesi is a marine predator) offer an invaluable opportunity to test the impact of diet on bat gut microbiome assembly. The results showed that My. myotis showed the most complex network, with the highest number of nodes, while My. vivesi has the least complex structured microbiome, with lowest number of nodes in its network. No common nodes were observed in the networks of the five bat species, with My. myotis possessing the highest number of unique nodes. Only three bat species, My. myotis, My. pilosus and My. vivesi, presented a core microbiome and the distribution of local centrality measures of nodes was different in the five networks. Taxa removal followed by measurement of network connectivity revealed that My. myotis had the most robust network, while the network of My. vivesi presented the lowest tolerance to taxa removal. Prediction of metabolic pathways using PICRUSt2 revealed that Mi. schreibersii had significantly higher functional pathway's richness compared to the other bat species. Most of predicted pathways (82%, total 435) were shared between all bat species, while My. capaccinii, My. myotis and My. vivesi, but no Mi. schreibersii or My. pilosus, showed specific pathways. We concluded that despite similar feeding habits, microbial community assembly can differ between bat species. Other factors beyond diet may play a major role in bat microbial community assembly, with host ecology, sociality and overlap in roosts likely providing additional predictors governing gut microbiome of insectivorous bats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Corduneanu
- Department of Animal Breeding and Animal Production, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca-Napoca, Romania
| | - Alejandra Wu-Chuang
- UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Apolline Maitre
- UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Maisons-Alfort, France
- INRAE, UR 0045 Laboratoire de Recherches Sur Le Développement de L'Elevage (SELMET-LRDE), 20250, Corte, France
- EA 7310, Laboratoire de Virologie, Université de Corse, Corte, France
| | - Dasiel Obregon
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Attila D Sándor
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- ELKH-ÁTE Climate Change: New Blood-Sucking Parasites and Vector-Borne Pathogens Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
- UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Maisons-Alfort, France.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
The fecal bacterial microbiome of the Kuhl's pipistrelle bat (Pipistrellus kuhlii) reflects landscape anthropogenic pressure. Anim Microbiome 2023; 5:7. [PMID: 36739423 PMCID: PMC9898988 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-023-00229-9] [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: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anthropogenic disturbance has the potential to negatively affect wildlife health by altering food availability and diet composition, increasing the exposure to agrochemicals, and intensifying the contact with humans, domestic animals, and their pathogens. However, the impact of these factors on the fecal microbiome composition of wildlife hosts and its link to host health modulation remains barely explored. Here we investigated the composition of the fecal bacterial microbiome of the insectivorous bat Kuhl's pipistrelle (Pipistrellus kuhlii) dwelling in four environmental contexts with different levels of anthropogenic pressure. We analyzed their microbiome composition, structure and diversity through full-length 16S rRNA metabarcoding using the nanopore long-read sequencer MinION™. We hypothesized that the bacterial community structure of fecal samples would vary across the different scenarios, showing a decreased diversity and richness in samples from disturbed ecosystems. RESULTS The fecal microbiomes of 31 bats from 4 scenarios were sequenced. A total of 4,829,302 reads were obtained with a taxonomic assignment percentage of 99.9% at genus level. Most abundant genera across all scenarios were Enterococcus, Escherichia/Shigella, Bacillus and Enterobacter. Alpha diversity varied significantly between the four scenarios (p < 0.05), showing the lowest Shannon index in bats from urban and intensive agriculture landscapes, while the highest alpha diversity value was found in near pristine landscapes. Beta diversity obtained by Bray-Curtis distance showed weak statistical differentiation of bacterial taxonomic profiles among scenarios. Furthermore, core community analysis showed that 1,293 genera were shared among localities. Differential abundance analyses showed that the highest differentially abundant taxa were found in near pristine landscapes, with the exception of the family Alcaligenaceae, which was also overrepresented in urban and intensive agriculture landscapes. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that near pristine and undisturbed landscapes could promote a more resilient gut microbiome in wild populations of P. kuhlii. These results highlight the potential of the fecal microbiome as a non-invasive bioindicator to assess insectivorous bats' health and as a key element of landscape conservation strategies.
Collapse
|
9
|
Li G, Cai M, Zheng X, Xie X, Zhu Y, Long Y. Impact of disinfectants on the intestinal bacterial symbionts and immunity of silkworm (Bombyx mori L.). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:79545-79554. [PMID: 35713834 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-21442-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The insect egg surface can serve as a vehicle for vertical symbiont transmission from the maternal parent to its offspring. Hypochlorite and formaldehyde are two common disinfectants used for insect egg surface sterilization. Here, we explored the intestinal microecology and immune response profile of the silkworm Bombyx mori strain Dazao after disinfectant exposure by using high-throughput sequencing technology and real-time PCR analysis. After egg surface sterilization, no significant difference (P > 0.05) in overall body weight was observed among the control, sodium hypochlorite, and formaldehyde groups. 16S rRNA metagenomic sequencing revealed that the main abundant intestinal bacteria were Enterococcus, Burkholderia, Phenylobacterium, Ralstonia, Chitinophaga, Bradyrhizobium, Herbaspirillum, and two unclassified Bacteroidetes species. Egg surface sterilization evidently altered the composition and abundance of intestinal microbiota but did not significantly change its alpha diversity. The dysbiosis of intestinal microbiota resulted in the perturbation of the immune response profile of the silkworm intestine. Our findings reveal that hypochlorite has a blocking effect on the symbiont transmission compared with formaldehyde. More importantly, egg surface sterilization exerts substantial effects on the ecophysiological traits of insects. The present study contributes to the scientific and reasonable application of disinfectants for insect egg surface sterilization during industrial silk production and laboratory-scale insect rearing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guannan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China
| | - Miao Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China
- Foshan Nanshanhu Experimental High School, Foshan, 528200, China
| | - Xi Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China
| | - Xiaofan Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China
| | - Yong Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Sericulture, Textile and Biomass Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China
| | - Yaohang Long
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Medical Engineering, Immune Cells and Antibody Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, School of Biology and Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, Guizhou Province, People's Republic of China.
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, Guizhou Province, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Cultivable Bacteria Associated with the Microbiota of Troglophile Bats. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12192684. [PMID: 36230424 PMCID: PMC9559301 DOI: 10.3390/ani12192684] [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: 08/26/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Troglophile bats live in colonies, often in sites exploited for agro-pastoral purposes. Determining the composition of the microbiome of bats is an important step in understanding their ecology and biology and can also provide information on the spread of pathogenic bacteria in their populations. This study aimed to determine how epidemiological factors shape the microbiome of troglophile bats and evaluate the occurrence of potentially pathogenic bacterial species. A total of 413 Gram-negative and 183 Gram-positive strains were isolated from 189 individuals of four species of troglophile bats living in Sicilian and Calabrian territory (Italy). Besides few potentially pathogenic bacteria, several strains with a hypothesized symbiotic role were found. Abstract Background: The study of bats is of significant interest from a systematic, zoogeographic, ecological, and physiological point of view. The aim of this study is to investigate the culturable aerobic enteric, conjunctival, and oral bacterial flora of bats to determine their physiological microbiome and to investigate the possible occurrence of pathogenic bacteria. Methods: Five hundred and sixty-seven samples were collected from 189 individuals of four species of troglophile bats (Myotis myotis, Myotis capaccinii, Miniopterus schreibersii, and Rhinolophus hipposideros) living in Sicilian and Calabrian territory (Italy). All samples were tested for Gram-negative bacteria; conjunctival and oral swabs were also submitted to bacteriological examination for Gram-positive bacteria. Results: Four hundred thirteen Gram-negative strains were isolated. Of these, 377 belonged to 17 different genera of the family Enterobacteriaceae and 30 to five other families. One hundred eighty-three Gram-positive strains were isolated. Of these, 73 belonged to the Staphylococcaceae family, 72 to the Bacillaceae family and 36 to four other families. Besides some potentially pathogenic strains, several bacterial species have been found that are common to all the bat species studied. These could perhaps play a physiological or nutritional role. Conclusion: A great variety of bacterial species were identified in the cultivable microbiota of southern-Italian troglophile bats, including several potentially pathogenic strains and numerous putatively symbiotic species.
Collapse
|
11
|
Forsythe A, Fontaine N, Bissonnette J, Hayashi B, Insuk C, Ghosh S, Kam G, Wong A, Lausen C, Xu J, Cheeptham N. Microbial isolates with Anti-Pseudogymnoascus destructans activities from Western Canadian bat wings. Sci Rep 2022; 12:9895. [PMID: 35701553 PMCID: PMC9198084 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14223-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) is the causative agent of white-nose syndrome, which has resulted in the death of millions of bats in North America (NA) since 2006. Based on mortalities in eastern NA, the westward spread of infections likely poses a significant threat to western NA bats. To help prevent/reduce Pd infections in bats in western NA, we isolated bacteria from the wings of wild bats and screened for inhibitory activity against Pd. In total, we obtained 1,362 bacterial isolates from 265 wild bats of 13 species in western Canada. Among the 1,362 isolates, 96 showed inhibitory activity against Pd based on a coculture assay. The inhibitory activities varied widely among these isolates, ranging from slowing fungal growth to complete inhibition. Interestingly, host bats containing isolates with anti-Pd activities were widely distributed, with no apparent geographic or species-specific pattern. However, characteristics of roosting sites and host demography showed significant associations with the isolation of anti-Pd bacteria. Specifically, anthropogenic roosts and swabs from young males had higher frequencies of anti-Pd bacteria than those from natural roosts and those from other sex and age-groups, respectively. These anti-Pd bacteria could be potentially used to help mitigate the impact of WNS. Field trials using these as well as additional microbes from future screenings are needed in order to determine their effectiveness for the prevention and treatment against WNS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Forsythe
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Nick Fontaine
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC, V2C 08C, Canada
| | - Julianna Bissonnette
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC, V2C 08C, Canada
| | - Brandon Hayashi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC, V2C 08C, Canada
| | - Chadabhorn Insuk
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada.,Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC, V2C 08C, Canada
| | - Soumya Ghosh
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC, V2C 08C, Canada.,Department of Genetics, Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | - Gabrielle Kam
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC, V2C 08C, Canada
| | - Aaron Wong
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC, V2C 08C, Canada
| | - Cori Lausen
- Wildlife Conservation Society Canada, P.O. Box 606, Kaslo, BC, V0G 1M0, Canada.
| | - Jianping Xu
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada.
| | - Naowarat Cheeptham
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC, V2C 08C, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Sakoui S, Derdak R, Addoum B, Pop OL, Vodnar DC, Suharoschi R, Soukri A, El Khalfi B. The first study of probiotic properties and biological activities of lactic acid bacteria isolated from Bat guano from Er-rachidia, Morocco. Lebensm Wiss Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lwt.2022.113224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
|
13
|
Mohd-Yusof NS, Abdul-Latiff MAB, Mohd-Ridwan AR, Badrulisham AS, Othman N, Yaakop S, Md-Nor S, Md-Zain BM. First report on metabarcoding analysis of gut microbiome in Island Flying Fox ( Pteropushypomelanus) in island populations of Malaysia. Biodivers Data J 2022; 10:e69631. [PMID: 36761502 PMCID: PMC9848629 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.10.e69631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Flying fox (Pteropushypomelanus) belongs to the frugivorous bats, which play a crucial role in maintaining proper functioning of an ecosystem and conservation of the environment. Bats are well-known carriers of pathogenic viruses, such as BatCov RaTG13 from the coronavirus family that share 90.55% with SARS-CoV-2, the pathogen causing recent global pandemic coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19). However, bats' possible role as a carrier of pathogenic bacteria is less explored. Here, using metabarcoding analysis through high-throughput sequencing, we explored the gut microbiome composition of different island populations on the east and west coasts of Peninsula Malaysia. The 16S rRNA gene in samples from Redang Island, Langkawi Island, Pangkor Island and Tinggi Island was amplified. Bacterial community composition and structure were analysed with α and β diversity metrics. A total of 25,658 operational taxonomic units at 97% similarity were assigned to eight phyla, 44 families, 61 genera and 94 species of microbes. The Proteobacteria was the dominant phylum in all populations. Meanwhile, the genera Enterobacter, Pseudomonas and Klebsiella, isolated in this study, were previously found in the rectum of other fruit bats. Our analyses suggest that Redang Island and Langkawi Island have high bacteria diversity. Thus, we found geographic locality is a strong predictor of microbial community composition and observed a positive correlation between ecological features and bacterial richness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nur Syafika Mohd-Yusof
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, MalaysiaDepartment of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600Bangi, SelangorMalaysia
| | - Muhammad Abu Bakar Abdul-Latiff
- Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (Pagoh Campus), KM1 Jalan Panchor 84600, Muar, Johor, MalaysiaFaculty of Applied Sciences and Technology Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (Pagoh Campus), KM1 Jalan Panchor 84600Muar, JohorMalaysia
| | - Abd Rahman Mohd-Ridwan
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, MalaysiaDepartment of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600Bangi, SelangorMalaysia,Centre for Pre-University Studies, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, MalaysiaCentre for Pre-University Studies, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300Kota Samarahan, SarawakMalaysia
| | - Aqilah Sakinah Badrulisham
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, MalaysiaDepartment of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600Bangi, SelangorMalaysia
| | - Nursyuhada Othman
- Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (Pagoh Campus), KM1 Jalan Panchor 84600, Muar, Johor, MalaysiaFaculty of Applied Sciences and Technology Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (Pagoh Campus), KM1 Jalan Panchor 84600Muar, JohorMalaysia
| | - Salmah Yaakop
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, MalaysiaDepartment of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600Bangi, SelangorMalaysia
| | - Shukor Md-Nor
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, MalaysiaDepartment of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600Bangi, SelangorMalaysia
| | - Badrul Munir Md-Zain
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, MalaysiaDepartment of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600Bangi, SelangorMalaysia
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Do gastrointestinal microbiomes play a role in bats' unique viral hosting capacity? Trends Microbiol 2022; 30:632-642. [PMID: 35034797 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2021.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Bats are reservoirs for zoonotic viruses, which they tolerate without experiencing disease. Research focused on deciphering mechanisms of virus tolerance in bats has rarely considered the influence of their gastrointestinal tract (GIT) microbiome. In mammals, GIT microbiomes influence infections through their effect on host physiology, immunity, nutrition, and behavior. Bat GIT microbiomes more closely resemble the Proteobacteria-dominated GIT microbiomes of birds than those of other mammals. As an adaptation to flight, bats have rapid GIT transit times which may reduce the stability of their microbiome, constrain nutrient uptake, and affect pathogen exposure and evolution of tolerance mechanisms. Experimental and longitudinal studies are needed to understand the function of bats' GIT microbiomes and their role in modulating viral infection dynamics.
Collapse
|
15
|
Aizpurua O, Nyholm L, Morris E, Chaverri G, Herrera Montalvo LG, Flores-Martinez JJ, Lin A, Razgour O, Gilbert MTP, Alberdi A. The role of the gut microbiota in the dietary niche expansion of fishing bats. Anim Microbiome 2021; 3:76. [PMID: 34711286 PMCID: PMC8555116 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-021-00137-w] [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: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Due to its central role in animal nutrition, the gut microbiota is likely a relevant factor shaping dietary niche shifts. We analysed both the impact and contribution of the gut microbiota to the dietary niche expansion of the only four bat species that have incorporated fish into their primarily arthropodophage diet. Results We first compared the taxonomic and functional features of the gut microbiota of the four piscivorous bats to that of 11 strictly arthropodophagous species using 16S rRNA targeted amplicon sequencing. Second, we increased the resolution of our analyses for one of the piscivorous bat species, namely Myotis capaccinii, and analysed multiple populations combining targeted approaches with shotgun sequencing. To better understand the origin of gut microorganisms, we also analysed the gut microbiota of their fish prey (Gambusia holbrooki). Our analyses showed that piscivorous bats carry a characteristic gut microbiota that differs from that of their strict arthropodophagous counterparts, in which the most relevant bacteria have been directly acquired from their fish prey. This characteristic microbiota exhibits enrichment of genes involved in vitamin biosynthesis, as well as complex carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, likely providing their hosts with an enhanced capacity to metabolise the glycosphingolipids and long-chain fatty acids that are particularly abundant in fish. Conclusions Our results depict the gut microbiota as a relevant element in facilitating the dietary transition from arthropodophagy to piscivory. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s42523-021-00137-w.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ostaizka Aizpurua
- Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, 1353, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Lasse Nyholm
- Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, 1353, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Evie Morris
- University of Exeter, Streatham Campus, Biosciences, Exeter, EX4 4PS, UK
| | - Gloriana Chaverri
- Sede del Sur, Universidad de Costa Rica, #4000 Alamedas, Golfito, 60701, Costa Rica.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, República de Panamá
| | - L Gerardo Herrera Montalvo
- Estación de Biología Chamela, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 21, San Patricio, 48980, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - José Juan Flores-Martinez
- Laboratorio de Sistemas de Información Geográfica, Departamento de Zoología, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Aiqing Lin
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130117, China
| | - Orly Razgour
- University of Exeter, Streatham Campus, Biosciences, Exeter, EX4 4PS, UK
| | - M Thomas P Gilbert
- Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, 1353, Copenhagen, Denmark.,University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Antton Alberdi
- Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, 1353, Copenhagen, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Nieto‐Rabiela F, Rico‐Chávez O, Suzán G, Stephens CR. Niche theory-based modeling of assembly processes of viral communities in bats. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:6305-6314. [PMID: 34141219 PMCID: PMC8207334 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the assembly processes of symbiont communities, including viromes and microbiomes, is important for improving predictions on symbionts' biogeography and disease ecology. Here, we use phylogenetic, functional, and geographic filters to predict the similarity between symbiont communities, using as a test case the assembly process in viral communities of Mexican bats. We construct generalized linear models to predict viral community similarity, as measured by the Jaccard index, as a function of differences in host phylogeny, host functionality, and spatial co-occurrence, evaluating the models using the Akaike information criterion. Two model classes are constructed: a "known" model, where virus-host relationships are based only on data reported in Mexico, and a "potential" model, where viral reports of all the Americas are used, but then applied only to bat species that are distributed in Mexico. Although the "known" model shows only weak dependence on any of the filters, the "potential" model highlights the importance of all three filter types-phylogeny, functional traits, and co-occurrence-in the assemblage of viral communities. The differences between the "known" and "potential" models highlight the utility of modeling at different "scales" so as to compare and contrast known information at one scale to another one, where, for example, virus information associated with bats is much scarcer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Gerardo Suzán
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y ZootecniaUNAMCoyoacanMexico
| | - Christopher R. Stephens
- C3 ‐ Centro de Ciencias de la ComplejidadUNAMCoyoacanMexico
- Instituto de Ciencias NuclearesUNAMCoyoacanMexico
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Mehl C, Schoeman MC, Sanko TJ, Bezuidenhout C, Mienie CMS, Preiser W, Vosloo D. Wastewater treatment works change the intestinal microbiomes of insectivorous bats. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0247475. [PMID: 33657147 PMCID: PMC7928523 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0247475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammals, born with a near-sterile intestinal tract, are inoculated with their mothers’ microbiome during birth. Thereafter, extrinsic and intrinsic factors shape their intestinal microbe assemblage. Wastewater treatment works (WWTW), sites synonymous with pollutants and pathogens, receive influent from domestic, agricultural and industrial sources. The high nutrient content of wastewater supports abundant populations of chironomid midges (Diptera), which transfer these toxicants and potential pathogens to their predators, such as the banana bat Neoromicia nana (Vespertilionidae), thereby influencing their intestinal microbial assemblages. We used next generation sequencing and 16S rRNA gene profiling to identify and compare intestinal bacteria of N. nana at two reference sites and two WWTW sites. We describe the shared intestinal microbiome of the insectivorous bat, N. nana, consisting of seven phyla and eleven classes. Further, multivariate analyses revealed that location was the most significant driver (sex, body size and condition were not significant) of intestinal microbiome diversity. Bats at WWTW sites exhibited greater intestinal microbiota diversity than those at reference sites, likely due to wastewater exposure, stress and/or altered diet. Changes in their intestinal microbiota assemblages may allow these bats to cope with concomitant stressors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Calvin Mehl
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - M. Corrie Schoeman
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Tomasz J. Sanko
- Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Carlos Bezuidenhout
- Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Charlotte M. S. Mienie
- Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Wolfgang Preiser
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa
- National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Tygerberg Hospital, Tygerberg, South Africa
| | - Dalene Vosloo
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
The Life Hidden Inside Caves: Ecological and Economic Importance of Bat Guano. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1155/2020/9872532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Bats are emblematic hosts of caves. These small flying mammals deserve special attention because their presence has a great economic and ecological impact; they introduce organic matter, the guano, in the ecosystem they live in. Indeed, “guano” (a Quechua word meaning “fertilizer”) is the accumulation of their fecal matter (excreta); its deposition can reach several meters. The composition of guano is influenced by the bat’s food. In addition to its role within the caves, the bat guano is exploited for various purposes; it is used as an effective fertilizer for the cultivation of plants because of having exceptionally high content of nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium and also for the improvement of detergents and other products of great value for humans. The bat guano hosts various classes of microorganisms (viruses, bacteria, algae, fungi, and protists), which are adapted to the cave environment. Since guano is highly acidic, these microorganisms can be considered as extremophiles. They produce functional organic compounds in extreme conditions that could be of interest not only in the drug industry but also in different biotechnological areas. Here, we review already available information on the ecological and economic effects of bats and their guano. We report their food preferences, foraging behaviors, and environmental impacts. Information on these aspects may be useful in finding a solution about protection and preservation of bat populations.
Collapse
|
19
|
Graves GR, Matterson KO, Milensky CM, Schmidt BK, O'Mahoney MJV, Drovetski SV. Does solar irradiation drive community assembly of vulture plumage microbiotas? Anim Microbiome 2020; 2:24. [PMID: 33499993 PMCID: PMC7807431 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-020-00043-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stereotyped sunning behaviour in birds has been hypothesized to inhibit keratin-degrading bacteria but there is little evidence that solar irradiation affects community assembly and abundance of plumage microbiota. The monophyletic New World vultures (Cathartiformes) are renowned for scavenging vertebrate carrion, spread-wing sunning at roosts, and thermal soaring. Few avian species experience greater exposure to solar irradiation. We used 16S rRNA sequencing to investigate the plumage microbiota of wild individuals of five sympatric species of vultures in Guyana. RESULTS The exceptionally diverse plumage microbiotas (631 genera of Bacteria and Archaea) were numerically dominated by bacterial genera resistant to ultraviolet (UV) light, desiccation, and high ambient temperatures, and genera known for forming desiccation-resistant endospores (phylum Firmicutes, order Clostridiales). The extremophile genera Deinococcus (phylum Deinococcus-Thermus) and Hymenobacter (phylum, Bacteroidetes), rare in vertebrate gut microbiotas, accounted for 9.1% of 2.7 million sequences (CSS normalized and log2 transformed). Five bacterial genera known to exhibit strong keratinolytic capacities in vitro (Bacillus, Enterococcus, Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, and Streptomyces) were less abundant (totaling 4%) in vulture plumage. CONCLUSIONS Bacterial rank-abundance profiles from melanized vulture plumage have no known analog in the integumentary systems of terrestrial vertebrates. The prominence of UV-resistant extremophiles suggests that solar irradiation may play a significant role in the assembly of vulture plumage microbiotas. Our results highlight the need for controlled in vivo experiments to test the effects of UV on microbial communities of avian plumage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gary R Graves
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20013, USA.
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution, and Climate, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.
| | - Kenan O Matterson
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences (BiGeA), University of Bologna, 48100, Ravenna, Italy
| | - Christopher M Milensky
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20013, USA
| | - Brian K Schmidt
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20013, USA
| | - Michael J V O'Mahoney
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20013, USA
| | - Sergei V Drovetski
- Laboratories of Analytical Biology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20013, USA
- Current address: USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, 10300 Baltimore Avenue, BARC-East Bldg. 308, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Gerbáčová K, Maliničová L, Kisková J, Maslišová V, Uhrin M, Pristaš P. The Faecal Microbiome of Building-Dwelling Insectivorous Bats (Myotis myotis and Rhinolophus hipposideros) also Contains Antibiotic-Resistant Bacterial Representatives. Curr Microbiol 2020; 77:2333-2344. [PMID: 32607823 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-020-02095-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The bacteriome of bat faeces and bat guano is still not well known, despite the increasing knowledge of it as a potential source of pathogenic and/or antibiotic-resistant species. In this study, the faecal microbiome composition of two building-dwelling insectivorous bat species (Myotis myotis and Rhinolophus hipposideros) was analysed using cultivation-based and non-cultivation-based approaches. The cultivation analyses indicate the dominance of Gram-positive bacteria, represented by the genera Enterococcus, Lactococcus and Lactobacillus. Non-cultivation analysis based on 16S rRNA DGGE assays provided a different pattern, with the genus Rahnella found to predominate in the faecal microbiome. The analyses showed bat species to be the most important factor influencing the structure of the guano-associated microbial population. The presence of several possible human pathogens (Hafnia alvei, Serratia fonticola, S. liquefaciens) and antibiotic-resistant bacteria (e.g. vancomycin resistant Staphylococcus nepalensis) was detected in faeces samples, indicating possible human health risks associated with bat guano. Although the bat-human transmission of infection caused by pathogenic bacteria has not been reliably confirmed to date, this possibility should not be underestimated. Given the very important ecosystem services of bats, particular those studied herein, it is time to think about appropriate management of bat populations inhabiting man-made buildings and potential conflicts with humans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katarína Gerbáčová
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, Šrobárova 2, 04154, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Lenka Maliničová
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, Šrobárova 2, 04154, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Jana Kisková
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, Šrobárova 2, 04154, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Veronika Maslišová
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, Šrobárova 2, 04154, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Marcel Uhrin
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, Šrobárova 2, 04154, Košice, Slovakia.
| | - Peter Pristaš
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, Šrobárova 2, 04154, Košice, Slovakia
- Institute of Animal Physiology, Centre of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Šoltésovej 4-6, 04001, Košice, Slovakia
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Garcês A, Correia S, Silva V, Pereira JE, Amorim F, Igrejas G, Poeta P. Detection of Antimicrobial Resistance in Faecal Escherichia coli from European Free-Tailed Bats (Tadarida teniotis) in Portugal. ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2020. [DOI: 10.3161/15081109acc2019.21.2.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andreia Garcês
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environment and Biological Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Susana Correia
- Functional Genomics and Proteomics Unit, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Vanessa Silva
- Microbiology and Antibiotic Resistance Team (MicroART), Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - José Eduardo Pereira
- Microbiology and Antibiotic Resistance Team (MicroART), Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Francisco Amorim
- CIBIO-InBIO – Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, University of Porto, Agrarian Campus of Vairão, Portugal
| | - Gilberto Igrejas
- Functional Genomics and Proteomics Unit, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Patricia Poeta
- Microbiology and Antibiotic Resistance Team (MicroART), Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Nowakiewicz A, Zięba P, Gnat S, Trościańczyk A, Osińska M, Łagowski D, Kosior-Korzecka U, Puzio I. Bats as a reservoir of resistant Escherichia coli: A methodical view. Can we fully estimate the scale of resistance in the reservoirs of free-living animals? Res Vet Sci 2019; 128:49-58. [PMID: 31710964 DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2019.10.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Revised: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Bats are a poorly understood reservoir of pathogenic and multi-drug resistant microorganisms; therefore, the aim of the study was to analyze the presence of drug resistance among E. coli isolated from the species of bats occurring naturally in Poland. The strategy of isolation and identification of resistant strains from pooled and single-animal samples was based on selective media with cefotaxime, chloramphenicol, kanamycin and tetracycline, the use of the ADSRRS-fingerprinting method for genomic differentiation of isolates, and the classical methods of evaluation of phenotypic and genotypic resistance. Of the 78 isolated isolates confirmed as E. coli, there were 38 genetically distinct strains resistant at least to one antimicrobial. 71% of these strains met the multi-drug resistance criterion. Moreover, two different multidrug resistant strains were isolated from three single samples. The highest resistance was observed in the case of ampicillin (66%), kanamycin (84%), sulfamethoxazole/trimetoprim (61%/55% respectively), and streptomycin (50%), which in most cases was confirmed by the presence of an adequate gene. Two isolates from single hosts produced extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (blaCTX-M-3, blaCTX-M-15, blaTEM-1). With the exception of tetracycline resistance, which was dominant among isolates from single animals, no significant differences in the resistance of the strains from both groups of samples were observed. Bats should not be neglected as another environmental reservoir and as an unpredictable source of potential pathogenic and multidrug resistant bacteria and should be extensively studied to predict the direction of the development and range of spreading resistance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aneta Nowakiewicz
- University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Biological Bases of Animal Diseases, Sub-Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Akademicka 12, 20-033 Lublin, Poland.
| | - Przemysław Zięba
- State Veterinary Laboratory, Droga Męczenników Majdanka 50, 20-325 Lublin, Poland
| | - Sebastian Gnat
- University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Biological Bases of Animal Diseases, Sub-Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Akademicka 12, 20-033 Lublin, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Trościańczyk
- University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Biological Bases of Animal Diseases, Sub-Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Akademicka 12, 20-033 Lublin, Poland
| | - Marcelina Osińska
- University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Biological Bases of Animal Diseases, Sub-Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Akademicka 12, 20-033 Lublin, Poland
| | - Dominik Łagowski
- University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Biological Bases of Animal Diseases, Sub-Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Akademicka 12, 20-033 Lublin, Poland
| | - Urszula Kosior-Korzecka
- University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Preclinical Veterinary Sciences, Sub-Department of Pathophysiology, Akademicka 12, 20-033 Lublin, Poland
| | - Iwona Puzio
- University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Animal Physiology, Akademicka 12, 20-033 Lublin, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Modesto M, Satti M, Watanabe K, Puglisi E, Morelli L, Huang CH, Liou JS, Miyashita M, Tamura T, Saito S, Mori K, Huang L, Sciavilla P, Sandri C, Spiezio C, Vitali F, Cavalieri D, Perpetuini G, Tofalo R, Bonetti A, Arita M, Mattarelli P. Characterization of Bifidobacterium species in feaces of the Egyptian fruit bat: Description of B. vespertilionis sp. nov. and B. rousetti sp. nov. Syst Appl Microbiol 2019; 42:126017. [PMID: 31585749 DOI: 10.1016/j.syapm.2019.126017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Revised: 08/18/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Fifteen bifidobacterial strains were obtained from faeces of Rousettus aegyptiacus; after grouping them by RAPD PCR only eight were selected and characterized. Analysis of 16S rRNA and of five housekeeping (hsp60, rpoB, clpC, dnaJ, dna G) genes revealed that these eight strains were classified into five clusters: Cluster I (RST 8 and RST 16T), Cluster II (RST 9T and RST 27), Cluster III (RST 7 and RST 11), Cluster IV (RST 19), Cluster V (RST 17) were closest to Bifidobacterium avesanii DSM 100685T (96.3%), Bifidobacterium callitrichos DSM 23973T (99.2% and 99.7%), Bifidobacterium tissieri DSM 100201T (99.7 and 99.2%), Bifidobacterium reuteri DSM 23975 T (98.9%) and Bifidobacterium myosotis DSM 100196T (99.3%), respectively. Strains in Cluster I and strain RST 9 in Cluster II could not be placed within any recognized species while the other ones were identified as known species. The average nucleotide identity values between two novel strains, RST 16T and RST 9T and their closest relatives were lower than 79% and 89%, respectively. In silico DNA-DNA hybridization values for those closest relatives were 32.5 and 42.1%, respectively. Phenotypic and genotypic tests demonstrated that strains in Cluster I and RST 9T in Cluster II represent two novel species for which the names Bifidobacterium vespertilionis sp. nov. (RST 16T=BCRC 81138T=NBRC 113380T=DSM 106025T ; RST 8=BCRC 81135=NBRC 113377) and Bifidobacterium rousetti sp. nov. (RST 9T=BCRC 81136T=NBRC 113378T=DSM 106027T) are proposed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Monica Modesto
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 44, 40127 Bologna, Italy
| | - Maria Satti
- Department of Genetics, SOKENDAI University (National Institute of Genetics), Yata 1111, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
| | - Koichi Watanabe
- Department of Animal Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Bioresource Collection and Research Center, Food Industry Research and Development Institute, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Edoardo Puglisi
- Department for Sustainable Food Processes, Faculty of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Morelli
- Department for Sustainable Food Processes, Faculty of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy
| | - Chien-Hsun Huang
- Bioresource Collection and Research Center, Food Industry Research and Development Institute, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Jong-Shian Liou
- Bioresource Collection and Research Center, Food Industry Research and Development Institute, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Mika Miyashita
- Biological Resource Center (NBRC), National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE), 2-5-8, Kazusakamatari, Kisarazu, Chiba 292-0818, Japan
| | - Tomohiko Tamura
- Biological Resource Center (NBRC), National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE), 2-5-8, Kazusakamatari, Kisarazu, Chiba 292-0818, Japan
| | - Satomi Saito
- Biological Resource Center (NBRC), National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE), 2-5-8, Kazusakamatari, Kisarazu, Chiba 292-0818, Japan
| | - Koji Mori
- Biological Resource Center (NBRC), National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE), 2-5-8, Kazusakamatari, Kisarazu, Chiba 292-0818, Japan
| | - Lina Huang
- Bioresource Collection and Research Center, Food Industry Research and Development Institute, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Piero Sciavilla
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 44, 40127 Bologna, Italy
| | - Camillo Sandri
- Department of Animal Health Care and Management, Parco Natura Viva - Garda Zoological Park, Bussolengo, Verona, Italy
| | - Caterina Spiezio
- Department of Animal Health Care and Management, Parco Natura Viva - Garda Zoological Park, Bussolengo, Verona, Italy
| | | | | | - Giorgia Perpetuini
- Faculty of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
| | - Rosanna Tofalo
- Faculty of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
| | - Andrea Bonetti
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 44, 40127 Bologna, Italy
| | - Masanori Arita
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 1-7-22 Suehiro, Tsurumi, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan; Bioinformation and DDBJ Center, National Institute of Genetics, Yata 1111, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
| | - Paola Mattarelli
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 44, 40127 Bologna, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Selvin J, Lanong S, Syiem D, De Mandal S, Kayang H, Kumar NS, Kiran GS. Culture-dependent and metagenomic analysis of lesser horseshoe bats' gut microbiome revealing unique bacterial diversity and signatures of potential human pathogens. Microb Pathog 2019; 137:103675. [PMID: 31473248 PMCID: PMC7127535 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2019.103675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Revised: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Bats are highly diverse and ecologically important mammals. They harbor various bacteria, viruses, and fungal communities that are either beneficial or potentially pathogenic. Extensive metagenomic studies in bats are limited, particularly for the gut, and to date, there are no reports on the bacterial diversity of Rhinolophus monoceros from Meghalaya, India. There are limited studies on the isolation of potential harmful or beneficial bacteria and their interactions with the environment through culture-dependent approaches. Therefore, high-throughput screening was used to understand the population structure, genetic diversity, and ecological role of the microorganisms. High-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA marker for gene mapping showed that the gut samples constitute a diverse group of bacteria that is dominated by Proteobacteria, followed by Firmicutes. The bacterial genera Corynebacterium and Mycobacterium were also observed in the Illumina dataset. Illumina sequencing revealed eight bacterial phyla composed of 112 genera. The metagenomic analysis of the OTUs from the gut revealed diverse bacterial communities as well as zoonotic and human pathogens. There were differences in the bacterial communities between the two methods used in this study, which could be related to host specificity, diet, and habitat. The culture-dependent technique resulted in the isolation of 35 bacterial isolates, of which Bacillus cereus and B. anthracis are well-known bacterial pathogens that show virulent traits including hemolytic and proteolytic activities. Pseudomonas stutzeri is an opportunistic human pathogen that was also isolated and showed similar traits. Antibiotic sensitivity tests were performed on all 35 isolates, and different antibiotics were used for Gram-positive and -negative bacteria. The result showed that some isolates are resistant to antibiotics such as penicillin G and Cefoxitin. This report on gut bacterial communities could attract interest in the possibility of isolating and characterizing bacteria for the production of antibiotics, enzymes, plant growth promoters, and probiotics. However, the presence of potential pathogenic bacteria that may impose health hazards cannot be ignored and needs to be studied further.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Selvin
- Department of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, 605014, India.
| | - Sheryl Lanong
- Department of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, 605014, India
| | - Donkupar Syiem
- Department of Biochemistry, North Eastern Hill University, Shillong, 793022, India
| | - Surajit De Mandal
- Department of Biotechnology, Mizoram University, Aizawl, 796004, India; College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Bio-Pesticide Innovation and Application of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, 510642, PR China
| | - Highland Kayang
- Department of Botany, North Eastern Hill University, Shillong, 793022, India
| | | | - G Seghal Kiran
- Department of Food science and Technology, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, 605014, India
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Wolkers-Rooijackers JCM, Rebmann K, Bosch T, Hazeleger WC. Fecal Bacterial Communities in Insectivorous Bats from the Netherlands and Their Role as a Possible Vector for Foodborne Diseases. ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2019. [DOI: 10.3161/15081109acc2018.20.2.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Judith C. M. Wolkers-Rooijackers
- Laboratory of Food Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen Campus, P.O. Box 17, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Katharina Rebmann
- Laboratory of Food Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen Campus, P.O. Box 17, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Thijs Bosch
- Ad Hoc Zoogdieronderzoek, 6708 GA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Wilma C. Hazeleger
- Laboratory of Food Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen Campus, P.O. Box 17, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Dietrich M, Markotter W. Studying the microbiota of bats: Accuracy of direct and indirect samplings. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:1730-1735. [PMID: 30847068 PMCID: PMC6392341 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Revised: 11/19/2018] [Accepted: 11/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Given the recurrent bat-associated disease outbreaks in humans and recent advances in metagenomics sequencing, the microbiota of bats is increasingly being studied. However, obtaining biological samples directly from wild individuals may represent a challenge, and thus, indirect passive sampling (without capturing bats) is sometimes used as an alternative. Currently, it is not known whether the bacterial community assessed using this approach provides an accurate representation of the bat microbiota. This study was designed to compare the use of direct sampling (based on bat capture and handling) and indirect sampling (collection of bat's excretions under bat colonies) in assessing bacterial communities in bats. Using high-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing of urine and feces samples from Rousettus aegyptiacus, a cave-dwelling fruit bat species, we found evidence of niche specialization among different excreta samples, independent of the sampling approach. However, sampling approach influenced both the alpha- and beta-diversity of urinary and fecal microbiotas. In particular, increased alpha-diversity and more overlapping composition between urine and feces samples was seen when direct sampling was used, suggesting that cross-contamination may occur when collecting samples directly from bats in hand. In contrast, results from indirect sampling in the cave may be biased by environmental contamination. Our methodological comparison suggested some influence of the sampling approach on the bat-associated microbiota, but both approaches were able to capture differences among excreta samples. Assessment of these techniques opens an avenue to use more indirect sampling, in order to explore microbial community dynamics in bats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Muriel Dietrich
- Department of Medical Virology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Centre for Viral ZoonosesUniversity of PretoriaPretoriaSouth Africa
- UMR PIMIT (Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical), INSERM U1187, CNRS UMR 9192, IRD UMR 249Université de la RéunionSainte‐ClotildeReunion Island France
| | - Wanda Markotter
- Department of Medical Virology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Centre for Viral ZoonosesUniversity of PretoriaPretoriaSouth Africa
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Bacteria richness and antibiotic-resistance in bats from a protected area in the Atlantic Forest of Southeastern Brazil. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0203411. [PMID: 30216351 PMCID: PMC6138367 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0203411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Bats play key ecological roles, also hosting many zoonotic pathogens. Neotropical bat microbiota is still poorly known. We speculate that their dietary habits strongly influence their microbiota richness and antibiotic-resistance patterns, which represent growing and serious public health and environmental issue. Here we describe the aerobic microbiota richness of bats from an Atlantic Forest remnant in Southeastern Brazil, and the antibiotic-resistance patterns of bacteria of clinical importance. Oral and rectal cavities of 113 bats from Carlos Botelho State Park were swabbed. Samples were plated on 5% sheep blood and MacConkey agar and identified by the MALDI-TOF technique. Antibiotic susceptibility tests were performed using Kirby-Bauer’s antibiotic disc diffusion technique.We identified 596 isolates at the genus level and tentatively to the species level. Proteobacteria was the most abundant phylum in all the dietary guilds, representing 87% of the total identified samples. The most common bacteria within bat individuals were Escherichia coli, Klebsiella oxytoca and Serratia marcescens, and within bat species were Serratia marcescens, Pseudomonas sp. and Staphylococcus sp. Frugivores presented the most diverse microbiota. In general, the antibiogram results indicated a low occurrence of resistance on eigth potentially pathogenic bacteria species. The resistance to antibiotics found on our samples was related mostly to the intrinsic resistance of the tested species.The low occurrence of resistant bacteria in our samples could be related to the well preserved environment where bats were caught. Once the major causes of resistance-acquiring are related to anthropic activites, the controlled access of tourists on certain regions of the Park seems to be effectively protecting the environment.
Collapse
|
28
|
P. De Leon M, Montecillo AD, Pinili DS, Siringan MAT, Park DS. Bacterial diversity of bat guano from Cabalyorisa Cave, Mabini, Pangasinan, Philippines: A first report on the metagenome of Philippine bat guano. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0200095. [PMID: 30024917 PMCID: PMC6053158 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2018] [Accepted: 06/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Bats are highly diverse and ecologically valuable mammals. They serve as host to bacteria, viruses and fungi that are either beneficial or harmful to its colony as well as to other groups of cave organisms. The bacterial diversity of two bat guano samples, C1 and C2, from Cabalyorisa Cave, Mabini, Pangasinan, Philippines were investigated using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. V3-V4 hypervariable regions were amplified and then sequenced using Illumina MiSeq 250 PE system. Reads were processed using Mothur and QIIME pipelines and assigned 12,345 OTUs for C1 and 5,408 OTUs for C2. The most dominant OTUs in C1 belong to the Proteobacteria (61.7%), Actinobacteria (19.4%), Bacteroidetes (4.2%), Firmicutes (2.7%), Chloroflexi (2.5%), candidate phylum TM7 (2.3%) and Planctomycetes (1.9%) while Proteobacteria (61.7%) and Actinobacteria (34.9%) dominated C2. Large proportion of sequence reads mainly associated with unclassified bacteria indicated possible occurrence of novel bacteria in both samples. XRF spectrophotometric analyses of C1 and C2 guano revealed significant differences in the composition of both major and trace elements. C1 guano recorded high levels of Si, Fe, Mg, Al, Mn, Ti and Cu while C2 samples registered high concentrations of Ca, P, S, Zn and Cr. Community structure of the samples were compared with other published community profiling studies from Finland (SRR868695), Meghalaya, Northeast India (SRR1793374) and Maharashtra State, India (CGS). Core microbiome among samples were determined for comparison. Variations were observed among previously studied guano samples and the Cabalyorisa Cave samples were attributed to either bat sources or age of the guano. This is the first study on bacterial diversity of guano in the Philippines through high-throughput sequencing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marian P. De Leon
- Microbial Culture Collection, Museum of Natural History, University of the Philippines Los Baños, College, Laguna, Philippines
- * E-mail:
| | - Andrew D. Montecillo
- Microbiology Division, Institute of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Los Baños, College, Laguna, Philippines
| | - Dale S. Pinili
- Plant Breeding, Genetics and Biotechnology Division, International Rice Research Institute, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines
| | - Maria Auxilia T. Siringan
- Microbiological Research and Services Laboratory, Natural Sciences Research Institute, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
| | - Doo-Sang Park
- Korean Collection for Type Cultures, Biological Resource Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Jeongeup, South Korea
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Wu H, Xing Y, Sun H, Mao X. Gut microbial diversity in two insectivorous bats: Insights into the effect of different sampling sources. Microbiologyopen 2018; 8:e00670. [PMID: 29971963 PMCID: PMC6530527 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.670] [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: 03/07/2018] [Revised: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The gut microbiota is now known as a key factor in mammalian physiology and health. Our understanding of the gut microbial communities and their effects on ecology and evolution of their hosts is extremely limited in bats which represent the second largest mammalian order. In the current study, gut microbiota of three sampling sources (small intestine, large intestine, and feces) were characterized in two sympatric and insectivorous bats (Rhinolophus sinicus and Myotis altarium) by high‐throughput sequencing of the V3‐V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Combining with published studies, this work reveals that Gammaproteobacteria may be a dominant class in the whole Chiroptera and Fusobacteria is less observed in bats although it has been proven to be dominant in other mammals. Our results reveal that the sampling source influences alpha diversity of the microbial community in both studied species although no significant variations of beta diversity were observed, which support that fecal samples cannot be used as a proxy of the microbiota in other gut regions in wild animals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haonan Wu
- Institute of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yutong Xing
- Institute of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Haijian Sun
- Institute of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiuguang Mao
- Institute of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Li J, Li L, Jiang H, Yuan L, Zhang L, Ma JE, Zhang X, Cheng M, Chen J. Fecal Bacteriome and Mycobiome in Bats with Diverse Diets in South China. Curr Microbiol 2018; 75:1352-1361. [PMID: 29922970 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-018-1530-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2017] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Bats can be divided into frugivory, nectarivory, insectivory, and sanguivory based on their diets, and are therefore ideal wild animal models to study the relationship between diets and intestinal microflora. Early studies of bat gut bacteria showed that the diversity and structure of intestinal bacterial communities in bats are closely related to dietary changes. Worthy of note, intestinal microbes are composed of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and archaea. Although the number of gut fungi is much lower than that of gut bacteria, they also play an important role in maintaining the host homeostasis. However, there are still few reports on the relationship between the gut mycobiota and the dietary habits of the host. In addition, bats have also been shown to naturally transmit pathogenic viruses and bacteria through their feces and saliva, but fungal infections from bat are less studied. Here, we used high-throughput sequencing of bacterial 16S and eukaryotic 18S rRNA genes in the V4 and V9 regions to characterize fecal bacterial and fungal microbiota in phytophagous and insectivorous bats in South China. The results show that the gut microbiota in bats were dominated by bacterial phyla Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Tenericutes and Bacteroidetes, and fungal phyla Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. There was a significant difference in the diversity of bacterial and fungal microbiota between the groups, in addition to specific bacteria and fungi populations on each of them. Of note, the number of fungi in the feces of herbivorous bats is relatively higher. Most of these fungi are foodborne and are also pathogens of humans and other animals. Thus, bats are natural carriers of fungal pathogens. The current study expands the understanding of the bat gut bacterial and fungal mycobiota and provides further insight into the transmission of fungal pathogens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Science, Guangzhou, 510650, Guangdong, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangzhou, 510260, Guangzhou, China
| | - Linmiao Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangzhou, 510260, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haiying Jiang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Science, Guangzhou, 510650, Guangdong, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangzhou, 510260, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lihong Yuan
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangzhou, 510260, Guangzhou, China
| | - Libiao Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangzhou, 510260, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jing-E Ma
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangzhou, 510260, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiujuan Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangzhou, 510260, Guangzhou, China
| | - Minhua Cheng
- Wuhan Chopper Biology Co., Ltd, Wuhan, 430000, Hubei, China
| | - Jinping Chen
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangzhou, 510260, Guangzhou, China.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Abstract
Methods Fecal samples were collected from 92 bats in Slovenia, consisting of 12 different species, and the bacterial microbiota was assessed via next generation sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene V4 region. Results Sequences were assigned to 28 different phyla, but only Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria accounted for ≥1% of sequences. One phylum (Proteobacteria), one class (Gammaproteobacteria), three orders (Pseudomonadales, Lactobacillales, Bacillales), four families (Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, Staphylococcaceae, Carnobacteriaceae), and five genera (Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, Carnobacterium, an unclassified Enterobacteriaceae, Acinetobacter) accounted for 50% of sequences. There were no significant differences in the relative abundances of any phyla between bat species, but various differences were noted at lower taxonomic levels, such as Enterobacteriaceae (P = 0.007, most abundant in M. blythii), Pseudomonadaceae (P = 0.007, most abundant in Rhinolophus hipposideros) and Chlamydiaceae (P = 0.04, most abundant in Myotis myotis). There were significant differences in richness between species in both adults and juveniles/subadults, but there was no impact of sex on any alpha diversity index. When only adults are considered, there were significant differences in community membership between M. blythii and M. emarginatus (P = 0.011), and M. blythii and R. hipposideros (P = 0.004). There were also significant differences in community structure between M. blythii and M. emarginatus (P = 0.025), and M. blythii and R. hipposideros (P = 0.026). When adults of the four main species were compared, 14 OTUs were identified as differentially abundant using LEfSe. Only one difference was identified when comparing R. hipposideros adults and juvenile/subadults, with Klebsiella over-represented in the younger bats. Conclusions Bats have a complex and diverse microbiota with a high relative abundance of Proteobacteria. The relevance of this difference is unclear and requires further study. Differences in the microbiota were observed between bat species, perhaps reflecting different diets and environmental exposures.
Collapse
|
32
|
Newman MM, Kloepper LN, Duncan M, McInroy JA, Kloepper JW. Variation in Bat Guano Bacterial Community Composition With Depth. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:914. [PMID: 29867825 PMCID: PMC5958644 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00914] [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: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 04/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bats are known to be reservoirs for a variety of mammalian pathogens, including viruses, fungi, and bacteria. Many of the studies examining the microbial community inhabiting bats have investigated bacterial taxa found within specific bat tissues and isolated bat guano pellets, but relatively few studies have explored bacterial diversity within bat guano piles. In large bat caves, bat guano can accumulate over time, creating piles several meters deep and forming complex interactions with coprophagous organisms in a habitat with low light and oxygen. As the guano decays, the nutrient composition changes, but the bacterial communities deep within the pile have not been characterized. Here, we assess the bacterial communities across varying depths within the guano pile using both culture-independent and culture-dependent methods. We found that although similar taxa are found throughout the guano pile, the relative abundances of taxa within the pile shift, allowing certain taxa to dominate the bacterial community at varying depths. We also identified potential bacterial functions being performed within the bat guano as various depths within the pile and found little variation in terms of the dominant predicted functions, suggesting that although the relative abundances of bacterial taxa are changing, the functions being performed are similar. Additionally, we cultured 15 different bacterial species, including 2 not present in our culture-independent analysis, and discuss the pathogenicity potential of these taxa. This study represents the first characterization of the bacterial community from the extreme environment within a bat guano pile and demonstrates the potential for bat caves as resources for identifying new bacterial species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Molli M. Newman
- Department of Biology, LaGrange College, LaGrange, GA, United States
| | - Laura N. Kloepper
- Department of Biology, Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN, United States
| | - Makenzie Duncan
- Department of Biology, Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN, United States
| | - John A. McInroy
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Joseph W. Kloepper
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Henry R, Galbraith P, Coutts S, Prosser T, Boyce J, McCarthy DT. What's the risk? Identifying potential human pathogens within grey-headed flying foxes faeces. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0191301. [PMID: 29360880 PMCID: PMC5779653 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0191301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2017] [Accepted: 01/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Pteropus poliocephalus (grey-headed flying foxes) are recognised vectors for a range of potentially fatal human pathogens. However, to date research has primarily focused on viral disease carriage, overlooking bacterial pathogens, which also represent a significant human disease risk. The current study applied 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, community analysis and a multi-tiered database OTU picking approach to identify faecal-derived zoonotic bacteria within two colonies of P. poliocephalus from Victoria, Australia. Our data show that sequences associated with Enterobacteriaceae (62.8% ± 24.7%), Pasteurellaceae (19.9% ± 25.7%) and Moraxellaceae (9.4% ± 11.8%) dominate flying fox faeces. Further colony specific differences in bacterial faecal colonisation patterns were also identified. In total, 34 potential pathogens, representing 15 genera, were identified. However, species level definition was only possible for Clostridium perfringens, which likely represents a low infectious risk due to the low proportion observed within the faeces and high infectious dose required for transmission. In contrast, sequences associated with other pathogenic species clusters such as Haemophilus haemolyticus-H. influenzae and Salmonella bongori-S. enterica, were present at high proportions in the faeces, and due to their relatively low infectious doses and modes of transmissions, represent a greater potential human disease risk. These analyses of the microbial community composition of Pteropus poliocephalus have significantly advanced our understanding of the potential bacterial disease risk associated with flying foxes and should direct future epidemiological and quantitative microbial risk assessments to further define the health risks presented by these animals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rebekah Henry
- Environmental and Public Health Microbiology Laboratory (EPHM Lab), Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Penelope Galbraith
- Environmental and Public Health Microbiology Laboratory (EPHM Lab), Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Scott Coutts
- Micromon, Dept. of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - John Boyce
- Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - David T. McCarthy
- Environmental and Public Health Microbiology Laboratory (EPHM Lab), Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
D'Angeli IM, Serrazanetti DI, Montanari C, Vannini L, Gardini F, De Waele J. Geochemistry and microbial diversity of cave waters in the gypsum karst aquifers of Emilia Romagna region, Italy. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 598:538-552. [PMID: 28448941 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.03.270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2017] [Revised: 03/12/2017] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Fifty-seven control points of waters (sinking streams, rivers in caves, and resurgences) hosted in gypsum karst areas in Emilia Romagna region (N-Italy) were sampled in the framework of a Project LIFE+08NAT/IT/000369 "Gypsum" in the period 2010-2014. The microbiology and chemistry of these waters have been analyzed to evaluate the impact of human activities or natural factors, in the gypsum karst systems. Waters have been analyzed for major chemistry (Ca, Mg, Na, K, SO4, HCO3, Cl, NO3) and some minor constituents (F, Br, NH4 and PO4), measuring pH, electric conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS) and temperature (T) in situ. The same samples have been analyzed with traditional microbiology techniques focused on total microbial count and on fecal microbiota, as index of human and/or animal contamination, and molecular biology techniques (sequencing of 16S rRNA segment and PCR-DGGE), focused on the characterization of microbial populations in the different sampling sites and determination of their variations and/or changes during the five years of the project. As expected, waters tend to be increasingly mineralized from sinking streams to resurgences, with only local and temporarily high contents in nitrates and ammonium, often related to the presence of bat colonies. PCR-DGGE revealed ecological changes, in terms of microbial populations present in the bulk water samples, in different sampling sites within the same cave. Although the impact of fecal microorganisms only rarely exceeded 2 log UFC/ml, the results evidenced fluctuations of these microorganisms mainly correlated to the season and to the biological activity of bats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ilenia M D'Angeli
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Zamboni 67, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Diana I Serrazanetti
- Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca Industriale Agroalimentare, Università degli Studi di Bologna, Sede di Cesena, Piazza Goidanich 60, 47521 Cesena (FC), Italy
| | - Chiara Montanari
- Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca Industriale Agroalimentare, Università degli Studi di Bologna, Sede di Cesena, Piazza Goidanich 60, 47521 Cesena (FC), Italy
| | - Lucia Vannini
- Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca Industriale Agroalimentare, Università degli Studi di Bologna, Sede di Cesena, Piazza Goidanich 60, 47521 Cesena (FC), Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agro-alimentari, Università degli Studi di Bologna, Sede di Cesena, Piazza Goidanich 60, 47521 Cesena (FC), Italy
| | - Fausto Gardini
- Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca Industriale Agroalimentare, Università degli Studi di Bologna, Sede di Cesena, Piazza Goidanich 60, 47521 Cesena (FC), Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agro-alimentari, Università degli Studi di Bologna, Sede di Cesena, Piazza Goidanich 60, 47521 Cesena (FC), Italy
| | - Jo De Waele
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Zamboni 67, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Novel hemotropic mycoplasmas are widespread and genetically diverse in vampire bats. Epidemiol Infect 2017; 145:3154-3167. [PMID: 29061202 DOI: 10.1017/s095026881700231x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Bats (Order: Chiroptera) have been widely studied as reservoir hosts for viruses of concern for human and animal health. However, whether bats are equally competent hosts of non-viral pathogens such as bacteria remains an important open question. Here, we surveyed blood and saliva samples of vampire bats from Peru and Belize for hemotropic Mycoplasma spp. (hemoplasmas), bacteria that can cause inapparent infection or anemia in hosts. 16S rRNA gene amplification of blood showed 67% (150/223) of common vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus) were infected by hemoplasmas. Sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene amplicons revealed three novel genotypes that were phylogenetically related but not identical to hemoplasmas described from other (non-vampire) bat species, rodents, humans, and non-human primates. Hemoplasma prevalence in vampire bats was highest in non-reproductive and young individuals, did not differ by country, and was relatively stable over time (i.e., endemic). Metagenomics from pooled D. rotundus saliva from Peru detected non-hemotropic Mycoplasma species and hemoplasma genotypes phylogenetically similar to those identified in blood, providing indirect evidence for potential direct transmission of hemoplasmas through biting or social contacts. This study demonstrates vampire bats host several novel hemoplasmas and sheds light on risk factors for infection and basic transmission routes. Given the high frequency of direct contacts that arise when vampire bats feed on humans, domestic animals, and wildlife, the potential of these bacteria to be transmitted between species should be investigated in future work.
Collapse
|
36
|
Dietrich M, Kearney T, Seamark ECJ, Markotter W. The excreted microbiota of bats: evidence of niche specialisation based on multiple body habitats. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2016; 364:fnw284. [DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnw284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 10/13/2016] [Accepted: 12/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
|
37
|
Banskar S, Bhute SS, Suryavanshi MV, Punekar S, Shouche YS. Microbiome analysis reveals the abundance of bacterial pathogens in Rousettus leschenaultii guano. Sci Rep 2016; 6:36948. [PMID: 27845426 PMCID: PMC5109407 DOI: 10.1038/srep36948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2016] [Accepted: 10/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Bats are crucial for proper functioning of an ecosystem. They provide various important services to ecosystem and environment. While, bats are well-known carrier of pathogenic viruses, their possible role as a potential carrier of pathogenic bacteria is under-explored. Here, using culture-based approach, employing multiple bacteriological media, over thousand bacteria were cultivated and identified from Rousettus leschenaultii (a frugivorous bat species), the majority of which were from the family Enterobacteriaceae and putative pathogens. Next, pathogenic potential of most frequently cultivated component of microbiome i.e. Escherichia coli was assessed to identify its known pathotypes which revealed the presence of virulent factors in many cultivated E. coli isolates. Applying in-depth bacterial community analysis using high-throughput 16 S rRNA gene sequencing, a high inter-individual variation was observed among the studied guano samples. Interestingly, a higher diversity of bacterial communities was observed in decaying guano representative. The search against human pathogenic bacteria database at 97% identity, a small proportion of sequences were found associated to well-known human pathogens. The present study thus indicates that this bat species may carry potential bacterial pathogens and advice to study the effect of these pathogens on bats itself and the probable mode of transmission to humans and other animals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sunil Banskar
- Microbial Culture Collection, National Centre for Cell Science, Pune, India
| | - Shrikant S Bhute
- Department of Zoology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India
| | | | - Sachin Punekar
- Biosphere, Eshwari, 52/403, Lakshminagar, Parvati, Pune-411009 (Maharashtra), India
| | - Yogesh S Shouche
- Microbial Culture Collection, National Centre for Cell Science, Pune, India
| |
Collapse
|