The Gut Microbiota Determines the High-Altitude Adaptability of Tibetan Wild Asses (Equus kiang) in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Liu, Hongjin; Han, Xueping; Zhao, Na; Hu, Linyong; Wang, Xungang; Luo, Chongliang; Chen, Yongwei; Zhao, Xinquan; Xu, Shixiao

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2022.949002

Cited by 10 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 75 publications

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“…Treponema 2 was found to be the main genus responsible for this difference (9.69% for R. brelichi vs. 1.22% for R. roxellana, P < 0.05). Treponema 2 has enzymes that mediate pyruvate oxidation and decarboxylation to enter the citrate cycle, promoting the biosynthesis of arginine and fatty acids ( 39 ). The proportion of Proteobacteria was significantly higher in R. roxellana , and the relative abundance of the genus Parasutterella was significantly higher than in R. bieti and R. brelichi ( P < 0.01).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Species variations in the gut microbiota of captive snub-nosed monkeys

Xi,

Han,

Wen

et al. 2023

Front. Endocrinol.

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IntroductionSnub-nosed monkeys are species in danger of extinction due to habitat fragmentation and human activities. Captivity has been suggested as an Auxiliary Conservation Area (ASA) strategy. However, little is known about the adaptation of different species of snub-nosed monkeys to captive environments.MethodsThis study compared the gut microbiota between Rhinopithecus bieti, R. brelichi, and R. roxellana under identical captive conditions to provide insights for improving captive conservation strategies.ResultsThe results showed that these three Rhinopithecus species shared 80.94% of their Operational Taxonomic Unit (OTU), indicating high similarity in gut microbiota composition. The predominant phyla were Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes for all three Rhinopithecus species, but differences were observed in diversity, characteristic bacterial communities, and predicted function. Significant enrichment of cellulolytic families, including Ruminococcaceae, Clostridiales vadinBB60 group, Christensenellaceae, and Erysipelotrichaceae, and pathways involved in propionate and butyrate metabolism in the gut of R. bieti suggested that it may have a superior dietary fiber utilization capacity. In contrast, Bacteroidetes, Ruminoccaceae, and Trichospiraceae were more abundant in R. brelichi and R. roxellana, and were associated with saccharide and glycan metabolic pathways. Moreover, R. brelichi and R. roxellana also had higher similarity in microbiota composition and predicted function.DiscussionIn conclusion, the results demonstrate that host species are associated with the composition and function of the gut microbiota in snub-nosed monkeys. Thus, host species should be considered when formulating nutritional strategies and disease surveillance in captive snub-nosed monkeys.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Species variations in the gut microbiota of captive snub-nosed monkeys

Xi,

Han,

Wen

et al. 2023

Front. Endocrinol.

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“…Treponema was the main genus responsible for this difference (10.22% for R. brelichi vs. 1.30% for R. roxellana, P < 0.05). Treponema has enzymes that mediate pyruvate oxidation and decarboxylation to enter the citrate cycle, promoting the biosynthesis of arginine and fatty acids [ 36 ]. It has been suggested that low-abundance bacteria that are not normally part of the core community are drivers of changes in the composition of the host post-gut microbiota [ 37 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative study of the gut microbiota in three captive Rhinopithecus species

Jia

et al. 2023

BMC Genomics

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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.

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“…For example, due to data unavailability, the data on carbon metabolism for plateau pika were applied to Chinese zokor in this study. The digestive rate for wild yak is likely higher than that of domestic yak living in the same area (H. Liu et al, 2022; Y. Xu & Xu, 1998). The Tibetan wild ass is a monogastric herbivore, however, and its forage digestive rate is similar to domestic yak (H. Liu et al, 2022).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The digestive rate for wild yak is likely higher than that of domestic yak living in the same area (H. Liu et al, 2022; Y. Xu & Xu, 1998). The Tibetan wild ass is a monogastric herbivore, however, and its forage digestive rate is similar to domestic yak (H. Liu et al, 2022). Therefore, the carbon metabolism parameters for the ungulate species were inferred from livestock in this study.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The role of herbivores in the grassland carbon budget for Three‐Rivers Headwaters region, Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau, China

et al. 2022

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Background An accurate assessment of the carbon budget is a crucial part of projecting future climate change and its impact on ecosystems. Grasslands foster multiple ecological functions including support for wild animals and livestocks. Herbivores intake forage biomass carbon, then digest and metabolize, and finally retain some carbon. The carbon processes have not been well quantified, resulting in uncertainties in the estimation of regional carbon budgets for grassland ecosystems. Methods An animal metabolic carbon flux model was developed for herbivores in the Three‐Rivers Headwaters region of China. The forage intake and metabolic carbon rates were estimated through metabolic body weight and daily digested measures for the main herbivore species. Results The carbon intake was 5.52 Tg C year−1 (45%) from partial aboveground biomass (12.2 Tg C year−1), in which 39.31% was released into the atmosphere by respiration CO2, 43.77% was returned to the ecosystem as feces and urine, and 16.96% was retained in herbivores for population regeneration or for human well‐being. Conclusions This study, as the first research on this topic, quantified the carbon flux of herbivores and found livestock accounts for a major part of consumed carbon on grasslands, which is important for understanding regional carbon budgets to mitigate and adapt to climate change over grasslands worldwide.

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The Gut Microbiota Determines the High-Altitude Adaptability of Tibetan Wild Asses (Equus kiang) in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Cited by 10 publications

References 75 publications

Species variations in the gut microbiota of captive snub-nosed monkeys

Species variations in the gut microbiota of captive snub-nosed monkeys

Comparative study of the gut microbiota in three captive Rhinopithecus species

The role of herbivores in the grassland carbon budget for Three‐Rivers Headwaters region, Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau, China

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