Institute of Applied Microbiology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, IFZ-Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392, Giessen, Germany.
Institute of Parasitology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany.
Microb Ecol. 2022 Jan;83(1):18-33. doi: 10.1007/s00248-021-01729-4. Epub 2021 Mar 21.
Large baleen and toothed whales play crucial ecological roles in oceans; nonetheless, very little is known about their intestinal microbiomes. Based on striking differences in natural history and thus in feeding behaviours, it can be expected that intestinal microbiomes of large baleen whales and toothed whales are different. To test this hypothesis, the phylogenetic composition of faecal microbiomes was investigated by a 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequence-based approach for Bacteria and Archaea. Faecal samples from free-ranging large whales collected off the Azores Archipelago (Portugal) were used, comprising 13 individual baleen whales (one sei, two blue and ten fin whales) and four sperm whales. The phylogenetic composition of the Bacteria faecal microbiomes of baleen and toothed whales showed no significant differences at the phylum level. However, significant differences were detected at the family and genus levels. Most abundant phyla were Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Tenericutes and Spirochaeta. Few highly abundant bacterial genera were identified as key taxa with a high contribution to differences among baleen and toothed whales microbiomes. Only few archaeal sequences were detected, primarily Methanomassiliicoccales representing potential methanogenic Archaea. This is the first study that directly compares the faecal bacterial and archaeal microbiomes of free-ranging baleen and toothed whales which represent the two parvorders of Cetacea which members are fully aquatic large mammals which were evolutionary split millions of years ago.
大型须鲸和齿鲸在海洋中扮演着至关重要的生态角色；然而，我们对它们的肠道微生物组知之甚少。根据在自然历史上的显著差异，以及因此在进食行为上的差异，可以预期大型须鲸和齿鲸的肠道微生物组是不同的。为了验证这一假设，本研究通过 16S rRNA 基因扩增子序列方法，针对细菌和古菌，研究了粪便微生物组的系统发育组成。本研究使用了来自亚速尔群岛（葡萄牙）附近海域的自由游动大型鲸鱼的粪便样本，包括 13 头单独的须鲸（一头塞鲸、两头蓝鲸和 10 头长须鲸）和 4 头抹香鲸。须鲸和齿鲸的粪便微生物组的细菌系统发育组成在门水平上没有显著差异。然而，在科和属水平上检测到显著差异。最丰富的门是厚壁菌门、拟杆菌门、变形菌门、无壁菌门和螺旋体门。少数高度丰富的细菌属被鉴定为关键分类群，对须鲸和齿鲸微生物组之间的差异有很高的贡献。仅检测到少数古菌序列，主要是甲烷微菌目，代表潜在的产甲烷古菌。这是第一项直接比较自由游动的须鲸和齿鲸的粪便细菌和古菌微生物组的研究，它们代表了完全水生的大型哺乳动物的鲸目两个小目，这些哺乳动物在数百万年前就已经从进化上分裂开来。
