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Marsh KJ, Bearhop S, Harrison XA. Linking microbiome temporal dynamics to host ecology in the wild. Trends Microbiol 2024:S0966-842X(24)00132-X. [PMID: 38797653 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2024.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Ignoring the dynamic nature of microbial communities risks underestimating the power of microbes to impact the health of their hosts. Microbiomes are thought to be important for host fitness, yet the coarse temporal scale and population-level focus of many studies precludes the ability to investigate the importance of among-individual variation in stability and identify the ecological contexts in which this variation matters. Here we briefly summarise current knowledge of temporal dynamics in wild host-associated microbial communities. We then discuss the implications of among-individual variation in microbiota stability and suggest analytical approaches for understanding these patterns. One major requirement is for future studies to conduct individual-level longitudinal analyses, with some systems already well set up for answering these questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsty J Marsh
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall, UK.
| | - Stuart Bearhop
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall, UK
| | - Xavier A Harrison
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall, UK.
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Pereira H, Chakarov N, Hoffman JI, Rinaud T, Ottensmann M, Gladow KP, Tobias B, Caspers BA, Maraci Ö, Krüger O. Early-life factors shaping the gut microbiota of Common buzzard nestlings. Anim Microbiome 2024; 6:27. [PMID: 38745254 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-024-00313-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exploring the dynamics of gut microbiome colonisation during early-life stages is important for understanding the potential impact of microbes on host development and fitness. Evidence from model organisms suggests a crucial early-life phase when shifts in gut microbiota can lead to immune dysregulation and reduced host condition. However, our understanding of gut microbiota colonisation in long-lived vertebrates, especially during early development, remains limited. We therefore used a wild population of common buzzard nestlings (Buteo buteo) to investigate connections between the early-life gut microbiota colonisation, environmental and host factors. RESULTS We targeted both bacterial and eukaryotic microbiota using the 16S and 28S rRNA genes. We sampled the individuals during early developmental stages in a longitudinal design. Our data revealed that age significantly affected microbial diversity and composition. Nest environment was a notable predictor of microbiota composition, with particularly eukaryotic communities differing between habitats occupied by the hosts. Nestling condition and infection with the blood parasite Leucocytozoon predicted microbial community composition. CONCLUSION Our findings emphasise the importance of studying microbiome dynamics to capture changes occurring during ontogeny. They highlight the role of microbial communities in reflecting host health and the importance of the nest environment for the developing nestling microbiome. Overall, this study contributes to understanding the complex interplay between microbial communities, host factors, and environmental variables, and sheds light on the ecological processes governing gut microbial colonisation during early-life stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Pereira
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, 33615, Bielefeld, NRW, Germany.
| | - Nayden Chakarov
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, 33615, Bielefeld, NRW, Germany
- Joint Institute for Individualisation in a Changing Environment (JICE), Bielefeld University and University of Münster, Konsequenz 45, 33615, Bielefeld, NRW, Germany
| | - Joseph I Hoffman
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, 33615, Bielefeld, NRW, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Population Genetics, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, 33615, Bielefeld, NRW, Germany
- Joint Institute for Individualisation in a Changing Environment (JICE), Bielefeld University and University of Münster, Konsequenz 45, 33615, Bielefeld, NRW, Germany
- British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 OET, UK
| | - Tony Rinaud
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, 33615, Bielefeld, NRW, Germany
| | - Meinolf Ottensmann
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, 33615, Bielefeld, NRW, Germany
| | - Kai-Philipp Gladow
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, 33615, Bielefeld, NRW, Germany
| | - Busche Tobias
- Medical School East Westphalia-Lippe & Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 27, 33615, Bielefeld, NRW, Germany
| | - Barbara A Caspers
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, 33615, Bielefeld, NRW, Germany
- Joint Institute for Individualisation in a Changing Environment (JICE), Bielefeld University and University of Münster, Konsequenz 45, 33615, Bielefeld, NRW, Germany
| | - Öncü Maraci
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, 33615, Bielefeld, NRW, Germany
- Joint Institute for Individualisation in a Changing Environment (JICE), Bielefeld University and University of Münster, Konsequenz 45, 33615, Bielefeld, NRW, Germany
| | - Oliver Krüger
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, 33615, Bielefeld, NRW, Germany
- Joint Institute for Individualisation in a Changing Environment (JICE), Bielefeld University and University of Münster, Konsequenz 45, 33615, Bielefeld, NRW, Germany
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Chen L, Song Z, Zhou X, Yang G, Yu G. Pathogenic bacteria and fungi in bioaerosols from specialized hospitals in Shandong province, East China. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 341:122922. [PMID: 37984476 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Bacteria and fungi are abundant and ubiquitous in bioaerosols in hospital environments. Understanding the distribution and diversity of microbial communities within bioaerosols is critical for mitigating their detrimental effects. Our knowledge on the composition of bacteria or fungi in bioaerosols is limited, especially the potential pathogens present in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from specialized hospitals. Thirty p.m.2.5 filter samples were collected from five hospitals (i.e., oral, dermatology, chest, eye, and general hospitals) in Shandong Province, East China. The diversity of bacteria and fungi was analyzed at the species level using single-molecule real-time sequencing of the 16 S and internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS) ribosomal genes, respectively. Significant differences were detected across sampling sites in terms of microbial diversity and community composition in PM2.5 as well as pollution concentrations. The range of PM2.5 concentrations observed in hospital halls was higher, ranging from 39.0 to 46.2 μg/m3, compared to the wards where the concentrations ranged from 10.7 to 25.2 μg/m3. Furthermore, microbial variations in PM2.5 bioaerosols were associated with hospital type. The most dominant pathogens identified were Vibrio metschnikovii, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Fusarium pseudensiforme, and Aspergillus ruber. Among these, A. ruber was identified as an opportunistic fungus in a hospital setting for the first time. Nine potentially novel strains of F. pseudensiforme, showing 84.5%-92.0% ITS sequence similarity to known Fusarium isolates, were identified in PM2.5 samples from all hospitals (excluding an eye hospital). This study highlights the importance of hospital environments in shaping microbial aerosol communities. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to provide insights into the bacterial and fungal biodiversity of PM2.5 in specialized hospitals, enriching research in healthcare environmental microbiology and carrying significant public health implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Zhicheng Song
- College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Xintian Zhou
- Department of Pediatrics, Taian Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Taian 271000, China
| | - Guiwen Yang
- College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Guanliu Yu
- College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China.
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Martyniuk CJ, Buerger AN, Vespalcova H, Rudzanova B, Sohag SR, Hanlon AT, Ginn PE, Craft SL, Smetanova S, Budinska E, Bisesi JH, Adamovsky O. Sex-dependent host-microbiome dynamics in zebrafish: Implications for toxicology and gastrointestinal physiology. COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY. PART D, GENOMICS & PROTEOMICS 2022; 42:100993. [PMID: 35533547 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbd.2022.100993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The physiology of males and females can be vastly different, complicating interpretation of toxicological and physiological data. The objectives of this study were to elucidate the sex differences in the microbiome-gastrointestinal (GI) transcriptome of adult zebrafish. We compared microbial composition and diversity in both males and females fed the same diet and housed in the same environment. There were no sex-specific differences in weight gain nor gastrointestinal morphology based on histopathology. There was no difference in gut microbial diversity, richness (Shannon and Chao1 index) nor predicted functional composition of the microbiome between males and females. Prior to post-hoc correction, male zebrafish showed higher abundance for the bacterial families Erythrobacteraceae and Lamiaceae, both belonging to the phyla Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria. At the genus level, Lamia and Altererythrobacter were more dominant in males and an unidentified genus in Bacteroidetes was more abundant in females. There were 16 unique differentially expressed transcripts in the gastrointestinal tissue between male and female zebrafish (FDR corrected, p < 0.05). Relative to males, the mRNA expression for trim35-9, slc25a48, chchd3b, csad, and hsd17b3 were lower in female GI while cyp2k6, adra2c, and bckdk were higher in the female GI. Immune and lipid-related gene network expression differed between the sexes (i.e., cholesterol export and metabolism) as well as networks related to gastric motility, gastrointestinal system absorption and digestion. Such data provide clues as to putative differences in gastrointestinal physiology between male and female zebrafish. This study identifies host-transcriptome differences that can be considered when interpreting the microgenderome of zebrafish in studies investigating GI physiology and toxicology of fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Martyniuk
- Department of Physiological Sciences and Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, UF Genetics Institute, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Amanda N Buerger
- Department of Environmental and Global Health and Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Hana Vespalcova
- Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Barbora Rudzanova
- Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Shahadur R Sohag
- Department of Physiological Sciences and Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, UF Genetics Institute, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Amy T Hanlon
- Department of Physiological Sciences and Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, UF Genetics Institute, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Pamela E Ginn
- Department of Comparative, Diagnostic and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Serena L Craft
- Department of Comparative, Diagnostic and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Sona Smetanova
- Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Eva Budinska
- Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Joseph H Bisesi
- Department of Environmental and Global Health and Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Ondrej Adamovsky
- Department of Physiological Sciences and Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, UF Genetics Institute, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, Brno, Czech Republic.
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Risely A, Wilhelm K, Clutton-Brock T, Manser MB, Sommer S. Diurnal oscillations in gut bacterial load and composition eclipse seasonal and lifetime dynamics in wild meerkats. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6017. [PMID: 34650048 PMCID: PMC8516918 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26298-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Circadian rhythms in gut microbiota composition are crucial for metabolic function, yet the extent to which they govern microbial dynamics compared to seasonal and lifetime processes remains unknown. Here, we investigate gut bacterial dynamics in wild meerkats (Suricata suricatta) over a 20-year period to compare diurnal, seasonal, and lifetime processes in concert, applying ratios of absolute abundance. We found that diurnal oscillations in bacterial load and composition eclipsed seasonal and lifetime dynamics. Diurnal oscillations were characterised by a peak in Clostridium abundance at dawn, were associated with temperature-constrained foraging schedules, and did not decay with age. Some genera exhibited seasonal fluctuations, whilst others developed with age, although we found little support for microbial senescence in very old meerkats. Strong microbial circadian rhythms in this species may reflect the extreme daily temperature fluctuations typical of arid-zone climates. Our findings demonstrate that accounting for circadian rhythms is essential for future gut microbiome research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Risely
- Institute for Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm, Germany.
| | - Kerstin Wilhelm
- Institute for Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm, Germany
| | - Tim Clutton-Brock
- Large Animal Research Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- University of Pretoria, Mammal Research Institute, Pretoria, South Africa
- Kalahari Research Trust, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa
| | - Marta B Manser
- University of Pretoria, Mammal Research Institute, Pretoria, South Africa
- Kalahari Research Trust, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Simone Sommer
- Institute for Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm, Germany
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Special Issue: Wildlife Microbiology. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9091968. [PMID: 34576861 PMCID: PMC8469691 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9091968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
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Adaptation of the Gut Microbiota of Amur Tigers to a Special Diet. Curr Microbiol 2021; 78:1628-1635. [PMID: 33686506 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-021-02399-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The microorganisms inhabiting the gastrointestinal tract play important roles in many host physiological processes, including the absorption and metabolism of nutrients and immune function. The Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) is listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a threatened species. Efforts are underway to breed Amur tigers under artificial settings to preserve this rare species. To maximize the imitation of the diet that this species consumes in the wild, the diet in the present study was composed of a variety of raw meats and was administered with regular fasting. In view of the important roles that the microbiota play in the host, in the present study, the microbiota of Amur tigers at three different ages were investigated. The results showed that the microbial diversity and richness decreased with age. Principal coordinate analysis showed significant differences among the three age groups. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) of effect size (LEfSe) demonstrated the enrichment of the genus unclassified_f__Ruminococcaceae, genus Coprococcus_1, genus Ruminococcus__gauvreauii_group, family unclassified_o__Clostridiales and genus unclassified_o__Clostridiales in the JB group (1- year old) and the enrichment of the genus Catenisphaera in the AB group (over 4-year old). The results of the present study demonstrated the adaptation of the microbiota in captive Amur tigers to a diet similar to the one they consume in the wild. Furthermore, these results may reflect the microbiota of wild Amur tigers to a certain extent.
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Becker AAMJ, Hill KC, Butaye P. Unraveling the Gut Microbiome of the Invasive Small Indian Mongoose ( Urva auropunctata) in the Caribbean. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9030465. [PMID: 33668312 PMCID: PMC7996244 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9030465] [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: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Small Indian mongooses (Urva auropunctata) are among the most pervasive predators to disrupt the native ecology on Caribbean islands and are strongly entrenched in their areas of introduction. Few studies, however, have considered the microbial ecology of such biological invasions. In this study, we investigated the gut microbiota of invasive small Indian mongooses in terms of taxonomic diversity and functional potential. To this end, we collected fecal samples from 60 free-roaming mongooses trapped in different vegetation zones on the island Saint Kitts. The core gut microbiome, assessed by 16S rRNA amplicon gene sequencing on the Ion S5TM XL platform, reflects a carnivore-like signature with a dominant abundance of Firmicutes (54.96%), followed by Proteobacteria (13.98%) and Fusobacteria (12.39%), and a relatively minor contribution of Actinobacteria (10.4%) and Bacteroidetes (6.40%). Mongooses trapped at coastal sites exhibited a higher relative abundance of Fusobacterium spp. whereas those trapped in scrubland areas were enriched in Bacteroidetes, but there was no site-specific difference in predicted metabolic properties. Between males and females, beta-diversity was not significantly different and no sex-specific strategies for energy production were observed. However, the relative abundance of Gammaproteobacteria, and more specifically, Enterobacteriaceae, was significantly higher in males. This first description of the microbial profile of small Indian mongooses provides new insights into their bioecology and can serve as a springboard to further elucidating this invasive predator’s impact throughout the Caribbean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne A. M. J. Becker
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis; (K.H.); (P.B.)
- One Health Center for Zoonoses and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Correspondence:
| | - KC Hill
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis; (K.H.); (P.B.)
| | - Patrick Butaye
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis; (K.H.); (P.B.)
- One Health Center for Zoonoses and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology, and Poultry Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
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An effective culturomics approach to study the gut microbiota of mammals. Res Microbiol 2020; 171:290-300. [PMID: 32898701 DOI: 10.1016/j.resmic.2020.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The microbial characterization of the mammal's gut is an emerging research area, wherein culturomics methodologies applied to human samples are transposed to the animal context without improvement. In this work, using Egyptian mongoose as a model, we explore wet bench conditions to define an effective experimental design based on culturomics and DNA barcoding with potential application to different mammal species. After testing a battery of solid media and enrichments, we show that YCFA-based media, in aerobic and anaerobic conditions, together with PDA supplemented with chloramphenicol, are sufficient to maximize bacterial and fungal microbiota diversity. The pasteurization of the sample enrichment before cultivation is central to gain insight into sporogenic communities. We suggest the application of this optimized culturomics strategy to accurately expand knowledge on the microbial richness of mammals' gut, maximizing the application of common laboratory resources, without dramatic time and consumables expenditure but with high resolution of microbial landscapes. The analysis of ten fecal samples proved adequate to assess the core gastrointestinal microbiota of the mesocarnivore under analysis. This approach may empower most microbiology laboratories, particularly the veterinary, to perform studies on mammal's microbiota, and, in contrast with metagenomics, enabling the recovery of live bacteria for further studies.
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Pereira AC, Bandeira V, Fonseca C, Cunha MV. Crosstalk Between Culturomics and Microbial Profiling of Egyptian Mongoose ( Herpestes ichneumon) Gut Microbiome. Microorganisms 2020; 8:E808. [PMID: 32471180 PMCID: PMC7355707 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8060808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 05/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Recently, we unveiled taxonomical and functional differences in Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon) gut microbiota across sex and age classes by microbial profiling. In this study, we generate, through culturomics, extended baseline information on the culturable bacterial and fungal microbiome of the species using the same specimens as models. Firstly, this strategy enabled us to explore cultivable microbial community differences across sexes and to ascertain the influence exerted by biological and environmental contexts of each host in its microbiota signature. Secondly, it permitted us to compare the culturomics and microbial profiling approaches and their ability to provide information on mongoose gut microbiota. In agreement with microbial profiling, culturomics showed that the core gut cultivable microbiota of the mongoose is dominated by Firmicutes and, as previously found, is able to distinguish sex- and age class-specific genera. Additional information could be obtained by culturomics, with six new genera unveiled. Richness indices and the Shannon index were concordant between culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches, highlighting significantly higher values when using microbial profiling. However, the Simpson index underlined higher values for the culturomics-generated data. These contrasting results were due to a differential influence of dominant and rare taxa on those indices. Beta diversity analyses of culturable microbiota showed similarities between adults and juveniles, but not in the data series originated from microbial profiling. Additionally, whereas the microbial profiling indicated that there were several bioenvironmental features related to the bacterial gut microbiota of the Egyptian mongoose, a clear association between microbiota and bioenvironmental features could not be established through culturomics. The discrepancies found between the data generated by the two methodologies and the underlying inferences, both in terms of β-diversity and role of bioenvironmental features, confirm that culture-independent, sequence-based methods have a higher ability to assess, at a fine scale, the influence of abiotic and biotic factors on the microbial community composition of mongoose' gut. However, when used in a complementary perspective, this knowledge can be expanded by culturomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- André C. Pereira
- National Institute for Agrarian and Veterinary Research (INIAV, IP), Wildlife, Hunting and Biodiversity R&D Unit, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal;
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
- Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute (BioISI), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Victor Bandeira
- Departamento de Biologia & CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; (V.B.); (C.F.)
| | - Carlos Fonseca
- Departamento de Biologia & CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; (V.B.); (C.F.)
| | - Mónica V. Cunha
- National Institute for Agrarian and Veterinary Research (INIAV, IP), Wildlife, Hunting and Biodiversity R&D Unit, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal;
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
- Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute (BioISI), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
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