Comparative study of the gut microbiota in three captive Rhinopithecus species

Abstract

Background Snub-nosed monkeys are highly endangered primates and their population continues to decline with the habitat fragmentation. Artificial feeding and breeding is an important auxiliary conservation strategy. Studies have shown that changes and imbalances in the gut microbiota often cause gastrointestinal problems in captive snub-nosed monkeys. Here, we compare the gut microbiota composition, diversity, and predicted metabolic function of three endangered species of snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus bieti, R. brelichi, and R. roxellana) under the same captive conditions to further our understanding of the microbiota of these endangered primates and inform captive conservation strategies. 16 S rRNA gene sequencing was performed on fecal samples from 15 individuals (R. bieti N = 5, R. brelichi N = 5, R. roxellana N = 5). Results The results showed that the three Rhinopithecus species shared 24.70% of their amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), indicating that the composition of the gut microbiota varied among the three Rhinopithecus species. The phyla Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes represented 69.74% and 18.45% of the core microbiota. In particular, analysis of microbiota diversity and predicted metabolic function revealed a profound impact of host species on the gut microbiota. At the genus level, significant enrichment of cellulolytic genera including Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group, Ruminococcus, Christensenellaceae R7 group, UCG 004 from Erysipelatoclostridiaceae, and UCG 002 and UCG 005 from Oscillospiraceae, and carbohydrate metabolism including propionate and butyrate metabolic pathways in the gut of R. bieti indicated that R. bieti potentially has a stronger ability to use plant fibers as energy substances. Bacteroides, unclassified Muribaculaceae, Treponema, and unclassified Eubacterium coprostanoligenes group were significantly enriched in R. brelichi. Prevotella 9, unclassified Lachnospiraceae, and unclassified UCG 010 from Oscillospirales UCG 010 were significantly enriched in R. roxellana. Among the predicted secondary metabolic pathways, the glycan biosynthesis and metabolism had significantly higher relative abundance in the gut of R. brelichi and R. roxellana than in the gut of R. bieti. The above results suggest that different Rhinopithecus species may have different strategies for carbohydrate metabolism. The Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) and Unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) clustering tree revealed fewer differences between the gut microbiota of R. brelichi and R. roxellana. Correspondingly, no differences were detected in the relative abundances of functional genes between the two Rhinopithecus species. Conclusion Taken together, the study highlights that host species have an effect on the composition and function of the gut microbiota of snub-nosed monkeys. Therefore, the host species should be considered when developing nutritional strategies and investigating the effects of niche on the gut microbiota of snub-nosed monkeys.

Effects of Hibernation on Colonic Epithelial Tissue and Gut Microbiota in Wild Chipmunks (Tamias sibiricus)

“…Structural differences in gut microbiota analysis showed that in agreement with those of other rodents, such as 13-lined ground squirrels [59], arctic ground squirrels [22], and BALB/c mice [60], the gut microbiota of the wild chipmunk is mainly composed of Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria. This is equally consistent with amphibians such as Japanese wrinkled frogs [28] Strauchbufo raddei [29] and Fejervarya limnocharis [30], and brown tree frogs [16] as well as other mammals such as snub-nosed monkeys [61] and brown bears [26]. In the hibernation group, the relative abundance of both Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes was significantly decreased, while the relative abundance of Proteobacteria was significantly increased.…”

Beneficial effects of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) extract residue as a feed additive on production, health status, and gastrointestinal bacteria in sika deer (Cervus nippon)

“…They have also been suggested to be a marker of intestinal barrier damage ( Rao et al, 2021 ), largely due to the fact that Desulfobacterota lipopolysaccharides are severe inflammatory stimulants for the host ( Huang et al, 2021 ). Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group is a beneficial bacterium in the gastrointestinal tract of animals, involved in the fermentation of cellulose and capable of producing short-chain fatty acids ( Xi et al, 2023 ). Ruminococcus is a common bacterium in the feces of ruminants, mainly colonizing the jejunum and ileum of the intestinal lumen ( Guerra et al, 2022 ; Zhang et al, 2022 ), and is involved in the degradation of starch and other complex polysaccharides ( Rangarajan et al, 2022 ).…”

Modulating Gastrointestinal Microbiota in Preweaning Dairy Calves: Dose-Dependent Effects of Milk-Based Sodium Butyrate Supplementation

“…In the rumen of ruminant animals, members of the Oscillospiraceae family are generally associated with cellulose degradation, as indicated in previous research [ 32 ]. Building on the understanding of other members within the family, it can be postulated that the UCG-002 genus may also play a role in the metabolism of cellulose and other complex polysaccharides within the rumen environment [ 33 , 34 ]. As such, Oscillospiraceae_UCG-002 could provide the host with essential nutrients, particularly SCFAs such as propionate or butyrate, which are crucial sources of energy for ruminant animals.…”