Sichuan Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Prevention and Control Technology of Veterinary Drug Residue in Animal-origin Food, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China.
School of Laboratory Medicine, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China.
Mol Ecol. 2023 May;32(9):2271-2286. doi: 10.1111/mec.16869. Epub 2023 Feb 12.
The gut microbiome of the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) plays a vital role in nutrient acquisition from its specialized bamboo diet. Giant panda cubs harbour significantly different gut microbiota during their growth and development when feeding on milk before switching to bamboo. The fetal gut is sterile, and following birth, mother-to-infant microbial transmission has been implicated as a seeding source for the infant gut microbiota. Details of this transmission in giant pandas remain unclear. In this study, faecal samples were collected from seven panda mother-cub pairs when the cubs were 4-16 months old. Additional samples from the cubs' diet, soil and drinking water, and multiple body sites of the mothers were collected. Bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequencing and shotgun metagenomic sequencing were performed to determine the source and potential transmission routes of the cub gut microbiome. Source tracking analysis showed that maternal vagina, milk and faeces were the primary contributory sources of microbes, shaping the cub gut microbiome. Bacterial species from maternal faeces persisted the longest in the cub gut. Bacterial species in the diet contributed to the microbial community. Metagenomics analysis indicated that the predicted metabolic pathways of the gut microbiome also varied at different growth stages. Gut colonization with bacteria from various body sites of the mothers provides a foundational microbial community that is beneficial in fulfilling the evolving dietary needs of the cubs. This study suggests that mother-to-cub transmission is indispensable in shaping the gut microbiome of the developing panda cub.
大熊猫的肠道微生物组在获取其特殊的竹子饮食中的营养物质方面发挥着至关重要的作用。大熊猫幼仔在以母乳为食的生长发育过程中与以竹子为食时的肠道微生物群有显著差异。胎儿的肠道是无菌的，出生后，母婴之间的微生物传播被认为是婴儿肠道微生物群的定植源。大熊猫这种传播的细节尚不清楚。在这项研究中，收集了 7 对熊猫母子在幼仔 4-16 个月大时的粪便样本。还收集了幼仔的饮食、土壤和饮用水以及母亲多个身体部位的额外样本。进行了细菌 16S rRNA 基因测序和鸟枪法宏基因组测序，以确定幼仔肠道微生物群的来源和潜在传播途径。来源追踪分析表明，母体的阴道、母乳和粪便是微生物的主要贡献源，塑造了幼仔的肠道微生物群。来自母体粪便的细菌在幼仔肠道中存在的时间最长。饮食中的细菌有助于微生物群落的形成。宏基因组学分析表明，肠道微生物群的预测代谢途径在不同的生长阶段也有所不同。来自母亲各个身体部位的细菌的肠道定植提供了一个基础的微生物群落，这有利于满足幼仔不断发展的饮食需求。本研究表明，母婴传播对于塑造发育中的熊猫幼仔的肠道微生物群是必不可少的。
