Spotted seals (Phoca largha) harbor unique gut microbiota shaped by their host habitat

Tian, Jing; Sanganyado, Edmond; Wang, Zhen; Kong, Zhongren; Han, Jingfeng; Lu, Zengkui; Liu, Wenhua

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155015

Cited by 9 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…However, in each individual, their skin and fecal microbiota were different ( Table 1 ). Such separation of the two bacterial communities has also been reported in spotted seals ( 41 ) as the gastrointestinal tract and skin select for different bacteria suggesting that their microbiota are shaped by different factors and, possibly, provide different services to their hosts.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 60%

Fecal and skin microbiota of two rescued Mediterranean monk seal pups during rehabilitation

Dosi,

Meziti,

Tounta

et al. 2024

Microbiol Spectr

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The role of animal host-associated microbiomes is becoming more apparent and defined for wild animals, especially for the species under conservation strategies. This study investigated the succession of fecal and skin bacterial microbiota of two rescued female Mediterranean monk seal ( Monachus monachus ) pups for most of their rehabilitation period. Bacterial species richness and diversity were assessed by high-throughput sequencing of nine freshly collected fecal samples and four skin swabs per individual. Both the fecal and skin microbiota highly overlapped in their containing operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and abundance patterns. The fecal microbiota was separated in two distinct periods and was dominated by OTUs related to the Shigella , Streptococcus , Enterococcus , Lactobacillus, and Escherichia genera in the first period, while in the second period, the dominating genera were the Clostridium, Blautia, Fusobacterium, Edwardsiella, and Bacteroides . The skin microbiota was highly similar between the two individuals in each sampling and was dominated by Psychrobacter-, Elizabethkingia-, and Bergeyella -related OTUs. The provided antibiotic treatment, along with the provided probiotics and nutritional supplements, resulted in a major turnover of the bacterial microbiota with the potentially detrimental OTUs being eliminated toward the end of the rehabilitation period, prior to the release of the pups in the wild. IMPORTANCE This study showed that during the rehabilitation of two rescued Mediterranean monk seal pups ( Monachus monachus ), the skin and fecal bacterial communities showed similar succession patterns between the two individuals. This finding means that co-housed pups share their microbiomes, and this needs to be considered in cases of infection outbreaks and their treatment. The housing conditions, along with the feeding scheme and care protocols, including the admission of antibiotics as prophylaxis, probiotics, and essential food supplements, resulted in bacterial communities with no apparent pathogenic bacteria. This is the first contribution to the microbiome of the protected seal species of M. monachus and contributes to the animal’s conservation practices through its microbiome.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 60%

Fecal and skin microbiota of two rescued Mediterranean monk seal pups during rehabilitation

Dosi,

Meziti,

Tounta

et al. 2024

Microbiol Spectr

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“…In addition, the epilithic biofilm of cultivated macroalgae could be another factor which contributed to the rare species in the water column ( 33 ). However, these foreign or attached bacteria were often not abundant enough to affect the overall abundance composition of bacterioplankton ( 36 ). At the mature stage, long-term seaweed cultivation will cause the selective enrichment of some specific species, thereby changing the relative abundance of some bacteria ( 33 ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Kelp Culture Enhances Coastal Biogeochemical Cycles by Maintaining Bacterioplankton Richness and Regulating Its Interactions

Sun

Wang

et al. 2023

mSystems

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“…Natural and semi-natural YFP may differ in the food source, water environment, and population size. While referring to previous studies of aquatic mammals ( Bik et al, 2016 ; Wan et al, 2016b ; Tian et al, 2022 ), these factors may be the potential factors affecting the bacteria of the YFP. Further research on the natural and semi-natural microbiota of YFP is of great significance for the ex situ conservation assessment of YFP.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Environmental microbiota is one of the driving forces to shape marine mammalian bacteria, and it is also a potential source of marine mammal bacteria ( Bik et al, 2016 ; Liu et al, 2018 , 2020 ; Tian et al, 2022 ). Related studies have shown that environmental bacteria can colonize marine mammals and impact marine mammals’ health ( Raverty et al, 2017 ; Huggins et al, 2020 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The bacteria of Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis) are site-specific and distinct from freshwater environment

et al. 2022

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Bacteria play an essential role in the health of marine mammals, and the bacteria of marine mammals are widely concerned, but less is known about freshwater mammals. In this study, we investigated the bacteria of various body sites of Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis) and analyzed their association with freshwater environmental bacteria. The bacterial community and function of Yangtze finless porpoise showed apparent site-specificity. Various body sites have distinct differences in bacteria and have their dominant bacteria. Romboutsia, Plesiomonas, Actinobacillus, Candidatus Arthromitus dominated in the intestine (fecal and rectal samples). Fusobacterium, Streptococcus, and Acinetobacter dominated in the oral. The dominant genera in the blowhole include Suttonella, Psychrobacter, and two uncultured genera. Psychrobacter, Flavobacterium, and Acinetobacter were dominant in the skin. The alpha diversity of intestinal (fecal and rectal) bacteria was the lowest, while that of skin was the highest. The oral and skin bacteria of Yangtze finless porpoise significantly differed between the natural and semi-natural conditions, but no sex difference was observed. A clear boundary was found between the animal and the freshwater environmental bacteria. Even the skin bacteria, which are more affected by the environment, are significantly different from the environmental bacteria and harbor indigenous bacteria. Our results provide a comprehensive preliminary exploration of the bacteria of Yangtze finless porpoise and its association with bacteria in the freshwater environment.

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Spotted seals (Phoca largha) harbor unique gut microbiota shaped by their host habitat

Cited by 9 publications

References 55 publications

Fecal and skin microbiota of two rescued Mediterranean monk seal pups during rehabilitation

Fecal and skin microbiota of two rescued Mediterranean monk seal pups during rehabilitation

Kelp Culture Enhances Coastal Biogeochemical Cycles by Maintaining Bacterioplankton Richness and Regulating Its Interactions

The bacteria of Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis) are site-specific and distinct from freshwater environment

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