Comparative study of gut microbiota in Tibetan wild asses (Equus kiang) and domestic donkeys (Equus asinus) on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau

Abstract

Tibetan wild asses (Equus Kiang) are the only wild species of perissodactyls on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and appears on the International Union for Conversation of Nature (IUCN) 2012 Red List of threatened species. Therefore, understanding the gut microbiota composition and function of wild asses can provide a theoretical for the situ conservation of wild animals in the future.In this study, we measured the dry matter digestion by the 4 molar hydrochloric acid (4N HCL) acid-insoluble ash method and analyzed the intestinal microbiota of wild asses and domestic donkeys by high-throughput sequencing of the 16s rDNA genes in V3–V4 regions. The results showed that the dry matter digestion in wild asses was significantly higher than in domestic donkeys (P < 0.05). No significant difference in alpha diversity was detected between these two groups. Beta diversity showed that the bacterial community structure of wild asses was acutely different from domestic donkeys. At the phylum level, the two dominant phyla Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes in wild asses were significantly higher than that in domestic donkeys. At the genus level, Ruminococcaceae_NK4A214, Phascolarctobacterium, Coprostanoligenes_group, Lachnospiraceae_XPB1014_group and Akkermansia in wild asses were significantly higher than in domestic donkeys. Moreover, statistical comparisons showed that 40 different metabolic pathways exhibited significant differences. Among them, 29 pathways had richer concentrations in wild asses than domestic donkeys, mainly included amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and energy metabolism. Of note, network analysis showed that wild asses harbored a relatively more complex bacterial network than domestic donkeys, possibly reflecting the specific niche adaption of gut bacterial communities through species interactions. The overall results indicated that wild asses have advantages over domestic donkeys in dry matter digestion, gut microbial community composition and function, and wild asses have their unique intestinal flora to adapt high altitudes on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau.

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

“…However, due to the robustness and resilience of the gut microbial community, wild sables can still survive under such conditions. Similar conclusions were reached by previous studies on gut microbiota of black-necked cranes ( Grus nigricollis ) [ 64 ] and Tibet wild asses ( Equus kiang ) [ 70 ] on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. Taken together, this study shows that wild sables are adaptable to changing conditions and resistant to harsh environments, and that this adaptability is mediated by gut bacterial composition adjustment and metabolic functions enhancement.…”

Bacterial Community Characteristics in the Gastrointestinal Tract of Yak (Bos grunniens) Fully Grazed on Pasture of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau of China

“…The furcosa_group that is member of the phylum Firmicutes , was the inferred keystone genus in the stomach and the large intestine. The furcosa_group did not predominate in the GIT, a result that is consistent with previous studies [ 70 ] that showed that the keystone genus was not always the predominant genus. Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group was the inferred keystone genus in the small intestine and the Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group was the main member of the phylum Bacteroidetes .…”

Unveiling the Biogeography and Potential Functions of the Intestinal Digesta- and Mucosa-Associated Microbiome of Donkeys

“…However, limited information is currently available regarding donkey intestinal microbial composition and its potential metabolic impact. A few studies have focused on the fecal microbial composition of donkeys (Liu et al, 2014(Liu et al, , 2020, and a recent study has investigated the microbial composition and functions of digestive tract digesta in the Dezhou donkey (Liu et al, 2019). To our knowledge, no work has reported on the differences of digesta-and mucosa-associated microbiota in the different intestinal locations in the donkeys.…”