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Scarsella E, Fay JS, Jospin G, Jarett JK, Entrolezo Z, Ganz HH. Characterization and Description of the Fecal Microbiomes of Pet Domestic Ferrets ( Mustela putorius furo) Living in Homes. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:3354. [PMID: 37958109 PMCID: PMC10647649 DOI: 10.3390/ani13213354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The domestic ferret (Mustela putorius furo) is a popular companion pet in the United States, with an estimated population of 500,000. Despite being obligate carnivores with a fast digestive system, little is known about their gut microbiomes. This study aims to compare the fecal microbiomes of healthy domestic ferrets and cats, which are both obligate carnivores. We collected and analyzed stool samples from 36 healthy ferrets and 36 healthy cats, sequencing the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Using QIIME 2, we assessed the alpha and beta diversities and identified the taxa differences. Compared to cats, ferrets exhibited a higher representation of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, while Bacteroidota and Actinomycetota were more prevalent in cats. The ferrets' microbiomes displayed lower alpha diversities. The highly present bacterial genera in the gut microbiomes of ferrets included Clostridium sensu stricto, Streptococcus, Romboutsia, Paeniclostridium, Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, and Lactococcus. Notably, the ferrets' microbiomes significantly differed from those of cats. This research highlights the potential differences in gastrointestinal care for ferrets, emphasizing the need for tailored approaches. Future studies should explore microbiome variations in ferrets with gastrointestinal issues and their responses to dietary and medical interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Scarsella
- AnimalBiome, 400 29th Street, Suite 502, Oakland, CA 94609, USA; (E.S.); (G.J.); (J.K.J.); (Z.E.)
| | - J. Skyla Fay
- Ferret Microbiome Research Institute, Hull, MA 02045, USA;
| | - Guillaume Jospin
- AnimalBiome, 400 29th Street, Suite 502, Oakland, CA 94609, USA; (E.S.); (G.J.); (J.K.J.); (Z.E.)
| | - Jessica K. Jarett
- AnimalBiome, 400 29th Street, Suite 502, Oakland, CA 94609, USA; (E.S.); (G.J.); (J.K.J.); (Z.E.)
| | - Zhandra Entrolezo
- AnimalBiome, 400 29th Street, Suite 502, Oakland, CA 94609, USA; (E.S.); (G.J.); (J.K.J.); (Z.E.)
| | - Holly H. Ganz
- AnimalBiome, 400 29th Street, Suite 502, Oakland, CA 94609, USA; (E.S.); (G.J.); (J.K.J.); (Z.E.)
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Iatrou AM, Michailidou S, Papadopoulos GA, Afaloniati H, Lagou MK, Kiritsi M, Argiriou A, Angelopoulou K, Poutahidis T, Fortomaris P. Effects of Dietary Supplementation of Spirulina platensis on the Immune System, Intestinal Bacterial Microbiome and Skin Traits of Mink. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13020190. [PMID: 36670730 PMCID: PMC9854837 DOI: 10.3390/ani13020190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The impact of dietary inclusion of Spirulina platensis on the immune system, intestinal microbiome and skin of mink was investigated. Forty-eight animals were equally separated into four groups. Groups B and D were control animals, while groups A and C had their feed supplemented daily with 100 mg/kg of body weight Spirulina. Mink in groups A and B were descended from dams supplemented with spirulina during their reproductive period, while those in groups C and D were descended from dams fed the control diets. Fur growth rate and quality were graded semi-quantitatively. Fecal microbiome analysis, skin thickness histomorphometry, immunohistochemical labeling and counts of immune cells in the colon, mesenteric lymph nodes and spleen and quantitative gene expression analysis of cytokines in the colon were performed. Skin thickness, fur growth rate and skin quality were similar among groups (p > 0.05). However, differences were observed among groups concerning the relative and differential abundance of bacterial species. Tgf-β expression was lower in group A, whereas IL-β1 was lower in group C compared to group B (p < 0.05). Group D had significantly lower numbers of inflammatory cells in the colon and mesenteric lymph nodes. The results revealed that Spirulina decreased indices of subclinical inflammation in mink gut, while differences in the bacterial communities among groups were observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Maria Iatrou
- Laboratory of Animal Husbandry, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +30-2310999958
| | - Sofia Michailidou
- Center for Research and Technology, Hellas Institute of Applied Biosciences, Thermi, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Georgios A. Papadopoulos
- Laboratory of Animal Husbandry, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Hara Afaloniati
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Toxicology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Maria K. Lagou
- Laboratory of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Maria Kiritsi
- Center for Research and Technology, Hellas Institute of Applied Biosciences, Thermi, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Anagnostis Argiriou
- Center for Research and Technology, Hellas Institute of Applied Biosciences, Thermi, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of the Aegean, 81400 Lemnos, Greece
| | - Katerina Angelopoulou
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Toxicology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Theofilos Poutahidis
- Laboratory of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Paschalis Fortomaris
- Laboratory of Animal Husbandry, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
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Zhu D, Xie T, Du R, Guo L. Characterizing the Gut Microbiota of Eurasian Otter ( Lutra lutra chinensis) and Snub-Nosed Monkey ( Rhinopithecus roxellana) to Enhance Conservation Practices in the Foping National Nature Reserve of China. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12223097. [PMID: 36428325 PMCID: PMC9686598 DOI: 10.3390/ani12223097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the interaction between the microbial composition in the habitat and the gut of wildlife will contribute to conservation efforts since changes in the gut microbiome have been proven to influence the healthy and nutritional status of the host. This study analyzed the relationship between soil microbes and the microbial diversity and structure of the distal gut of the terrestrial golden snub-nosed monkey and Eurasian otter in the Foping National Nature Reserve (FNNR). A total of 15 otter fecal samples and 18 monkey fecal samples were collected from which 5 and 6 samples, respectively, were randomly selected for microbiome analysis. The remaining samples were used for fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) analysis. Soil samples from the otter and monkey habitats at each sampling point (eight in total) were also collected for microbiome analysis. The microbial phyla with the greatest relative abundance in soil or animal samples were Proteobacteria (41.2, 32.7, and 73.3% for soil, otters, and monkeys, respectively), Firmicutes (0.4% soil, 30.1% otters, and 14.4% monkeys), Bacteroidota (5.6% soil, 17.0% otters, and 8.3% monkeys), and Acidobacteriota (24.6% soil, 1.7% otters, and 0.1% monkeys). The estimation of alpha diversity indices revealed that the feature, Chao1, and Shannon indices of the soil microbiome were the greatest (p < 0.01) among the three groups, followed by those of the otter microbiome and those of the monkey microbiome (p < 0.01). Beta diversity analyses confirmed differences in the microbiota of the three types of samples. The determination of SCFA concentration in feces revealed that total volatile fatty acids, acetic acid, and isovaleric acid were greater (p < 0.05) in otters than in monkeys, while propionic acid followed the opposite pattern (p < 0.05). Correlation analysis of the microbiome and SCFA contents showed that propionic acid was positively correlated with significantly different bacterial groups, while acetic and butyric acid and total volatile acids were negatively correlated. This study confirmed that the fecal microbes of Eurasian otters and golden snub-nosed monkeys in the reserve are related to the soil microbial communities of their habitats, but they have different bacterial community structures and compositions, and there are different SCFA metabolic patterns in the gut of the two animals. The present study will help to improve wildlife protection in the FNNR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dapeng Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystem, Lanzhou 730020, China
- College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China
- Foping National Nature Reserve, Hanzhong 723000, China
| | - Tongtong Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystem, Lanzhou 730020, China
- College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China
| | - Ruifang Du
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystem, Lanzhou 730020, China
- College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China
| | - Long Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystem, Lanzhou 730020, China
- College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China
- Correspondence:
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Agga GE, Silva PJ, Martin RS. Tetracycline- and Macrolide-Resistant Enterococcus Species Isolated from a Mink Farm in the United States. Microb Drug Resist 2022; 28:734-743. [PMID: 35575717 DOI: 10.1089/mdr.2021.0438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Enterococcus species are a normal flora of animals and humans. However, life-threatening opportunistic infections can be caused by antimicrobial resistant strains. Fecal (n = 42) and feed (n = 8) samples were obtained from a mink farm and cultured for the enumeration and detection of erythromycin-resistant (a macrolide; ERYr)- and tetracycline-resistant (TETr) enterococci. ERYr and TETr enterococci were detected from all fecal (mean concentrations = 6 and 7 logs, respectively) and feed (mean concentrations = 5 and 4 logs, respectively) samples. While Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium were detected at equal proportions among the fecal TETr isolates, E. faecium predominated among ERYr fecal isolates. All ERYr and 90% of the TETr isolates (n = 50) were multidrug resistant (resistant to three or more antimicrobial classes). Among ERYr isolates, while 83% of E. faecalis (n = 12) were positive for erm(B), 58% of E. faecium (n = 38) isolates were positive for msr(C). Among ERYr isolates, tet(M) was detected from 92% of E. faecalis (n = 12) and 97% of E. faecium (n = 38) isolates. Conversely, however, erm(B) was detected in 18% of E. faecalis (n = 22) and 33% of E. faecium (n = 27) TETr isolates. Our study provides a baseline for future efforts to reduce antimicrobial resistance and improve antimicrobial stewardship in commercial mink production facilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Getahun E Agga
- Food Animal Environmental Systems Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA
| | - Philip J Silva
- Food Animal Environmental Systems Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA
| | - Randal S Martin
- Utah Water Research Laboratory, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
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Nan W, Si H, Yang Q, Shi H, Zhang T, Shi Q, Li G, Zhang H, Liu H. Effect of Vitamin A Supplementation on Growth Performance, Serum Biochemical Parameters, Intestinal Immunity Response and Gut Microbiota in American Mink ( Neovison vison). Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:1577. [PMID: 34071204 DOI: 10.3390/ani11061577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Vitamin A is critical throughout life, but utilization of vitamin A often results in local and systemic toxicity. This study investigated the effect of vitamin A supplementation on mink growth and health. The results show that vitamin A deficiency decreased the ADG, villus height, villus height/crypt depth ratio and mRNA expression levels of IL-22, Occludin and ZO-1. Vitamin A supplementation increased the diversity of jejunum bacteria, decreased the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes and increased the relative abundance of Akkermansia and Lachnospiraceae NK4A136 group. Abstract This experiment investigated the effect of vitamin A supplementation on growth, serum biochemical parameters, jejunum morphology and the microbial community in male growing-furring mink. Thirty healthy male mink were randomly assigned to three treatment groups, with 10 mink per group. Each mink was housed in an individual cage. The mink in the three groups were fed diets supplemented with vitamin A acetate at dosages of 0 (CON), 20,000 (LVitA) and 1,280,000 IU/kg (HVitA) of basal diet. A 7-day pretest period preceded a formal test period of 45 days. The results show that 20,000 IU/kg vitamin A increased the ADG, serum T-AOC and GSH-Px activities, villus height and villus height/crypt depth ratio (p < 0.05). The mRNA expression levels of IL-22, Occludin and ZO-1 in the jejunum of mink were significantly higher in the LVitA group than those in the CON and HVitA groups (p < 0.05). Vitamin A supplementation increased the diversity of jejunum bacteria, decreased the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes and increased the relative abundance of Akkermansia, uncultured bacterium f Muribaculaceae, Allobaculum, Lachnospiraceae NK4A136 group, Rummeliibacillus and Parasutterella. The comparison of potential functions also showed enrichment of glycan biosynthesis and metabolism, transport and catabolism pathways in the vitamin A supplementation groups compared with the CON group. In conclusion, these results indicate that dietary vitamin A supplementation could mediate host growth by improving intestinal development, immunity and the relative abundance of the intestinal microbiota.
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Jensen VF, Stockmarr A, Fertner M, Clausen J, Chríel M. Effects of health related farm-level factors on skin size and quality in commercial mink (Neovison vison) production. Prev Vet Med 2021; 192:105371. [PMID: 34058689 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2021.105371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated the potential effects of management and health related factors on the productivity in the commercial mink production, during 2015-2018. Data were available from the database at Kopenhagen Fur, the national veterinary prescription database, VetStat, and the laboratory database at the Center for Diagnostics, Technological University of Denmark. A cross-sectional study, including 1.464 min. farms grouped into 1.187 epidemiological units, was applied. Data were analyzed in two models with different outcomes representing productivity on the mink farms, namely skin size and economical value (value sum) of the produced skin. The studied risk factors included use of vaccines and antibacterials, herd size, associated feed producer, purchases and sales of live animals, breeding results (litter size after weaning), Aleutian mink disease virus antibody (AMDV status) and stamping out, and laboratory test results. Vaccination against mink enteritis parvovirus and high breeding results were found to have a positive association with both outcomes, skin size and value sum. Both outcomes also varied significantly between farm clusters associated with different feed producers. Significant effects of antibacterial treatment were found, but the results were complex with both positive and negative associations with the outcome variables, depending on season and interactions with feed producer. Positive effects on antibacterial prescription on skin size were observed, except for farms associated with two small feed producers, known to have a variable microbiological feed quality. In farms receiving feed of very high quality, the positive effect of antibacterial prescription was marginal. CONCLUSIONS: The use of mink data has allowed us to assess the impact of feed quality as well as antibacterial prescription on productivity. The results showed a positive quantitative effect of vaccination against mink enteritis parvovirus on skin size and value, with an optimal effect by vaccination of the whole litter. Antibacterial prescription in the growth period, particularly around weaning, was found to have a positive quantitative effect on productivity in some farms, and the results suggest that the effect was associated with the feed quality. Use of antibacterials to counteract negative effects of low feed quality is not in accordance with principles for prudent use of antibacterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vibeke Frøkjær Jensen
- Center for Diagnostics, Technical University of Denmark, Anker Egelundsvej 1,B.202, DK-2800, Kgs, Lyngby, Denmark.
| | - Anders Stockmarr
- Institute for Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark, Richard Petersens Plads, B. 324, DK-2800, Kgs, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Mette Fertner
- Kopenhagen Fur, Langagervej 60, DK-2600, Glostrup, Denmark
| | - Jesper Clausen
- Kopenhagen Fur, Langagervej 60, DK-2600, Glostrup, Denmark
| | - Mariann Chríel
- Center for Diagnostics, Technical University of Denmark, Anker Egelundsvej 1,B.202, DK-2800, Kgs, Lyngby, Denmark
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Compo NR, Mieles-Rodriguez L, Gomez DE. Fecal Bacterial Microbiota of Healthy Free-Ranging, Healthy Corralled, and Chronic Diarrheic Corralled Rhesus Macaques ( Macaca mulatta). Comp Med 2021; 71:152-165. [PMID: 33814032 DOI: 10.30802/aalas-cm-20-000080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
A clinical challenge to nearly every primate facility in North America is chronic idiopathic diarrhea (CID), the pathogenesis of which has yet to be fully elucidated. However, wild macaques appear resistant to CID, a trend that we observed in the free-ranging population of the Caribbean Primate Research Center. The gastrointestinal microbiota has been shown to have a significant role in the pathogenesis of disease and in maintaining normal health and development of the gut. In humans, chronic diarrhea is associated with alteration of the gut microbiota, which has lower bacterial diversity than does the microbiota of healthy humans. The current study was designed to describe and compare the fecal bacterial microbiota of healthy corralled, CID corralled, and healthy, free-ranging macaques. Fresh fecal samples were collected from healthy corralled (HC; n = 30) and CID (n = 27) rhesus macaques and from healthy macaques from our free-ranging colony (HF; n = 43). We excluded macaques that had received antibiotics during the preceding 60 d (90 d for healthy animals). Bacterial DNA was extracted, and the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was sequenced and compared with known databases. The relative abundance of Proteobacteria was higher in CID animals than HC animals, but otherwise few differences were found between these 2 groups. HF macaques were differentially enriched with Christensenellaceae and Helicobacter, which are highly associated with a 'healthy' gut in humans, as compared to corralled animals, whereas CID animals were enriched with Proteobacteria, which are associated with dysbiosis in other species. These results indicate that environment has a greater influence than health status on the gut microbiota. Furthermore, the current data provided targets for future studies on potential clinical interventions, such as probiotics and fecal transplants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole R Compo
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, Unit of Comparative Medicine, University of Puerto Rico, Sabana Seca, Puerto Rico; SoBran Bioscience, Norfolk, Virginia;,
| | - Luis Mieles-Rodriguez
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, Unit of Comparative Medicine, University of Puerto Rico, Sabana Seca, Puerto Rico
| | - Diego E Gomez
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Studies, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Department of Clinical Studies, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
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Martin de Bustamante M, Plummer C, MacNicol J, Gomez D. Impact of Ambient Temperature Sample Storage on the Equine Fecal Microbiota. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11030819. [PMID: 33803934 PMCID: PMC8001224 DOI: 10.3390/ani11030819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Sample storage conditions are an important factor in fecal microbiota analyses in general. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of sample storage at room temperature on the equine fecal microbiota composition. Fecal samples were collected from 11 healthy horses. Each sample was divided into 7 sealed aliquots. One aliquot was immediately frozen at -80 °C; the remaining aliquots were stored at room temperature (21 to 22 °C) with one transferred to the freezer at each of the following time points: 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h. The Illumina MiSeq sequencer was used for high-throughput sequencing of the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Fibrobacteraceae (Fibrobacter) and Ruminococcaceae (Ruminococcus) were enriched in samples from 0 h and 6 h, whereas taxa from the families Bacillaceae, Planococcaceae, Enterobacteriaceae and Moraxellaceae were enriched in samples stored at room temperature for 24 h or greater. Samples frozen within the first 12 h after collection shared similar community membership. The community structure was similar for samples collected at 0 h and 6 h, but it was significantly different between samples frozen at 0 h and 12 h or greater. In conclusion, storage of equine fecal samples at ambient temperature for up to 6 h before freezing following sample collection had minimal effect on the microbial composition. Longer-term storage at ambient temperature resulted in alterations in alpha-diversity, community membership and structure and the enrichment of different taxa when compared to fecal samples immediately frozen at -80 °C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Martin de Bustamante
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; (M.M.d.B.); (C.P.)
| | - Caryn Plummer
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; (M.M.d.B.); (C.P.)
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Jennifer MacNicol
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Ontario Agriculture College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada;
| | - Diego Gomez
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
- Department of Clinical Studies, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
- Correspondence:
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Pereira AC, Bandeira V, Fonseca C, Cunha MV. Egyptian Mongoose ( Herpestes ichneumon) Gut Microbiota: Taxonomical and Functional Differences across Sex and Age Classes. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8030392. [PMID: 32168965 PMCID: PMC7143146 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8030392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon) is a medium-size carnivore that, in Europe, is restricted to Iberia. The bio-ecology of this species remains to be elucidated in several dimensions, including gut microbiota that is nowadays recognized as a fundamental component of mammals. In this work, we investigated the gut microbiota of this herpestid by single-molecule real-time sequencing of twenty paired male (n = 10) and female (n = 10) intestinal samples. This culture-independent approach enabled microbial profiling based on 16S rDNA and investigation of taxonomical and functional features. The core gut microbiome of the adult subpopulation was dominated by Firmicutes, Fusobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria. Eight genera were uniquely found in adults and five in non-adults. When comparing gut bacterial communities across sex, four genera were exclusive of females and six uniquely found in males. Despite these compositional distinctions, alpha- and beta-diversity analyses showed no statistically significant differences across sex or between adult and non-adult specimens. However, when function was inferred, males presented a significantly higher abundance of amino acid and citrate cycle metabolic pathways, compared to the significant overrepresentation in females of galactose metabolic pathways. Additionally, adults exhibited a significantly higher abundance of cationic antimicrobial peptide resistance pathways, while non-adults bared a significant overrepresentation of two-component systems associated with antibiotic synthesis, flagellin and biofilm production, and chemotaxis control. This study adds new insights into the mongoose bio-ecology palette, highlighting taxonomical and functional microbiome dissimilarities across sex and age classes, possibly related to primary production resources and life-history traits that impact on behavior and diet.
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Affiliation(s)
- André C. Pereira
- INIAV, IP- National Institute for Agrarian and Veterinary Research, 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.)
| | - Carlos Fonseca
- Departamento de Biologia & CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; (V.B.)
| | - Mónica V. Cunha
- INIAV, IP- National Institute for Agrarian and Veterinary Research, 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
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +351-214-403-500
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Peng Y, Zhang Z, Li H, Li S, Shi Q, Zhang J. Assessment of fecal microbiota in farmed silver fox ( Vulpes vulpes fulva) and raccoon dog ( Nyctereutes procyonoides). ACTA AGR SCAND A-AN 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/09064702.2019.1637451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yongjia Peng
- College of Biological, Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, China
| | - Zhaoxing Zhang
- Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology, Qin Huangdao, China
| | - Hongqiang Li
- Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology, Qin Huangdao, China
| | - Shuncai Li
- Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology, Qin Huangdao, China
| | - Qiumei Shi
- Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology, Qin Huangdao, China
| | - Jin Zhang
- College of Biological, Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, China
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