The microbial reproductive ecology of white‐faced capuchins ( Cebus capucinus )

The horizontal transmission of pathogenic and beneficial microbes has implications for health and development of socially living animals. Social group is repeatedly implicated as an important predictor of gut microbiome structure among primates, with individuals in neighboring social groups exhibiting distinct microbiomes. Here we examine whether group membership is a predictor of gut microbiome structure and diversity across three groups of white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus imitator) inhabiting a seasonal Costa Rican forest. We collected 62 fecal samples from 18 adult females during four sampling bouts. Sampling bouts spanned the dry-to-wet-to-dry seasonal transitions. To investigate gut microbial composition, we sequenced the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. We used the DADA2 pipeline to assign amplicon sequence variants and the RDP database to classify taxa. Our findings are: 1) gut microbiomes of capuchins clustered by social group in the late dry season, but this pattern was less evident in other sampling bouts; 2) social group was a significant variable in a PERMANOVA test of beta diversity, but it accounted for less variation than season; 3) social group was not an important predictor of abundance for the ten most abundant microbial taxa in capuchins; 4) when examining log2-fold abundances of microbes between social groups, there were significant differences in some pairwise comparisons. While this is suggestive of group-wide differences, individual variation may have a strong impact and should be assessed in future studies. Overall, we found a minor impact of social group membership on the gut microbiota of wild white-faced capuchins. Future research including home range overlap and resource use, as well as fine-scale investigation of individual variation, will further elucidate patterns of socially structured microbes. K E Y W O R D S

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Small to modest impact of social group on the gut microbiome of wild Costa Rican capuchins in a seasonal forest

Orkin

Webb

Melin

2019

“…In contrast, primates whose diet is dominated by ripe fruits or during seasons in which ripe fruits represent their major dietary component are characterized by a microbiome dominated by taxa associated with the processing and fermentation of simple sugars (Amato, ; Gomez et al, ; Hale, Tan, Knight, & Amato, ; Mallott, Amato, Garber, & Malhi, ; Springer et al, ). There also is evidence that host age, sex, group membership, kinship, or reproductive status may influence the alpha diversity and composition of the gut microbiome (Aivelo, Laakkonen, & Jernvall, ; Amato et al, ; Bennett et al, ; Mallott & Amato, ; Schnorr et al, ; Springer et al, ; Tung et al, ), as both sharing of microbes because of proximity or social interactions and individual differences in nutrient needs, diet, genetics, and physiology shape the gut microbial community.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The gut microbiome and metabolome of saddleback tamarins (Leontocebus weddelli): Insights into the foraging ecology of a small‐bodied primate

Garber

Mallott

Porter

et al. 2019

Self Cite

Body mass is a strong predictor of diet and nutritional requirements across a wide range of mammalian taxa. In the case of small-bodied primates, because of their limited gut volume, rapid food passage rate, and high metabolic rate, they are hypothesized to maintain high digestive efficiency by exploiting foods rich in protein, fats, and readily available energy. However, our understanding of the dietary requirements of wild primates is limited because little is known concerning the contributions of their gut microbiome to the breakdown and assimilation of macronutrients and energy. To study how the gut microbiome contributes to the feeding ecology of a small-bodied primate, we analyzed the fecal microbiome composition and metabolome of 22 wild saddleback tamarins (adult body mass 360-390 g) in Northern Bolivia. Samples were analyzed using high-throughputIllumina sequencing of the 16 S rRNA gene V3-V5 regions, coupled with GC-MS metabolomic profiling. Our analysis revealed that the distal microbiome of Leontocebus weddelli is largely dominated by two main bacterial genera: Xylanibacter and Hallella (34.7 ± 14.7 and 22.6 ± 12.4%, respectively). A predictive analysis of functions likely carried out by bacteria in the tamarin gut demonstrated the dominance of membrane transport systems and carbohydrate metabolism as the predominant metabolic pathways. Moreover, given a fecal metabolome composed mainly of glucose, fructose, and lactic acid (21.7 ± 15.9%, 16.5 ± 10.7%, and 6.8 ± 5.5%, respectively), the processing of highly fermentable carbohydrates appears to play a central role in the nutritional ecology of these small-bodied primates. Finally, the results also show a potential influence of environmentally-derived bacteria in colonizing the tamarin gut. These results indicate high energetic turnover in the distal gut of Weddell's saddleback tamarin, likely influenced by dominant bacterial taxa that facilitate dietary dependence on highly digestible carbohydrates present in nectar, plant exudates, and ripe fruits.

“…Recently, there have been multiple papers published describing changes in the gut microbiota of the Cebus capucinus , commonly referred to as the white‐faced capuchin, due to factors such as diet, seasonality, and reproduction through analysis of fecal samples (Mallott & Amato, ; Mallott, Amato, Garber, & Malhi, ; Orkin et al, ). Findings indicated that the gut microbiota was dominated by taxa from phylums Firmicutes and Proteobacteria (Mallott et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metagenomic assessment of the Cebus apella gut microbiota

Firrman

Liu

Tanes

et al. 2019

Cebus Apella (C. apella) is a species of Nonhuman Primate (NHP) used for biomedical research because it is phylogenetically similar and shares anatomical commonalities with humans. Here, the gut microbiota of three C. apella were examined in the different regions of the intestinal tract. Using metagenomics, the gut microbiota associated with the luminal content and mucus layer for each intestinal region was identified, and functionality was investigated by quantifying the levels of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) produced. The results of this study show a high degree of similarity in the intestinal communities among C. apella subjects, with multiple shared characteristics. First, the communities in the lumen were more phylogenetically diverse and rich compared to the mucus layer communities throughout the entire intestinal tract. The small intestine communities in the lumen displayed a higher Shannon diversity index compared to the colon communities. Second, all the communities were dominated by aero-tolerant taxa such as Streptococcus, Enterococcus, Abiotrophia, and Lactobacillus, although there was preferential colonization of specific taxa observed. Finally, the primary SCFA produced throughout the intestinal tract was acetic acid, with some propionic acid and butyric acid detected in the colon regions. The small intestine microbiota produced significantly less SCFAs compared to the communities in the colon. Collectively, these data provide an in-depth report on the composition, distribution, and SCFA production of the gut microbiota along the intestinal tract of the C. apella NHP animal model. K E Y W O R D SCebus apella, gut microbiota, in vivo studies, intestinal tract, primate research, tufted capuchin