Comparative Analyses of Fecal Microbiota in European Mouflon (Ovis orientalis musimon) and Blue Sheep (Pseudois nayaur) Living at Low or High Altitudes

Abstract

The gut microbiota is a complex and essential system organ that plays an integrative role in balancing key vital functions in the host. Knowledge of the impact of altitude on the gut microbiota of European mouflon ( Ovis orientalis musimon ) and blue sheep ( Pseudois nayaur ) is currently limited. In this study, we compared the characteristics of gut microbiota in 5 mouflon at low altitude (K group), 4 mouflon at high altitude (L group), 4 blue sheep at low altitude (M group), and 4 blue sheep at high altitude (N group). The V3–V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was analyzed using high-throughput sequencing. Analyses based on the operational taxonomic units showed significant changes in the gut microbial communities between groups at different altitudes. At the phylum level, groups at the high altitudes had a higher relative abundance of Firmicutes and a lower relative abundance of Bacteroidetes than those at the low altitudes. A higher Firmicutes:Bacteroidetes ratio is beneficial to animals in terms of the gut microbiota-mediated energy harvest. The relative abundance of Proteobacteria was significantly higher in the gut microbiota of mouflon sheep at high altitudes. At the genus level, the Bacteroides:Prevotella ratio was significantly higher in the low-altitude group (than the high-altitude group) of mouflon sheep and the ratio was significantly higher in the high-altitude group (than the low-altitude group) in blue sheep. In addition, the Ruminococcaceae_UCG-005 related to cellulose and starch digestion was the predominant genus in blue sheep and the relative abundance of the genus was significant higher in the high-altitude group than the low-altitude group of blue sheep ( P < 0.01). In conclusion, our results suggested that the gut microbiota of high-altitude groups of sheep had stronger abilities related to energy metabolism and the decomposition of substances, e.g., fiber and cellulose, and that such abilities are associated with high-altitude adaptation.

Comparative Analysis of Fecal Microbiota in Grasscutter (Thryonomys swinderianus) and Other Herbivorous Livestock in Ghana

“…In this study, aiming to establish an appropriate feeding method for domestication of the grasscutter, we investigated its fecal microbiota and compared it with those from other herbivorous livestock in Ghana. Similar to the other animals, the relative abundance of Bacteroidales, Clostridiales, Ruminococcaceae, and Lachnospiraceae-which are the major bacteria groups in herbivores [20][21][22][23]-was high in the fecal microbiota of grasscutters. Moreover, two bacteria genera were especially abundant in the fecal microbiome of grasscutters, Prevotella and Treponema, whose levels were higher in grasscutters than those in any other animal.…”

Habitat Elevation Shapes Microbial Community Composition and Alter the Metabolic Functions in Wild Sable (Martes zibellina) Guts

“…The influence of high-altitude can impose thermoregulatory challenges on wild animals, and these stressors may affect both survival and reproduction [ 65 , 66 ]. In this study, dimensionality reduction and correlation analysis results revealed several functional genes enhance as the altitude increased, especially functional groups related to metabolism.…”

Recent progress in research on the gut microbiota and highland adaptation on the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau

“…Thus, the environment dominates host genetics in shaping the human gut microbiota (Rothschild et al, 2018). A higher F/B ratio might help hosts effectively harvest energy from their diet to maintain energy homeostasis and core body temperature in harsh environments (Sun et al, 2019; Zhao et al, 2018). However, the adaptive mechanism by which the gut microbiota mediates energy absorption is much more complex and warrants further investigation in this unique living environment.…”