Wang Yuhan, Wang Yixuan, Zhou Jiuxuan, Bao Mingwei, Shah Taif, Yang Song, Zheng Jing, Li Qian, Hou Yutong, Wang Binghui, Yuan Ruiling
Yunnan Academy of Forestry and Grassland, Kunming, China.
Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, China.
Front Microbiol. 2024 Sep 27;15:1403930. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1403930. eCollection 2024.
The Asian elephant () is a giant herbivore classified as an endangered wildlife species by the International Union for Conservation of Threatened Species.This study aims to investigate and compare the core gut microbiota of captive Asian elephants from three different locations in Yunnan Province, China, to explore the impact of environmental and husbandry factors on microbial diversity.
We collected fecal samples from 29 captive Asian elephants from three locations and performed full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Microbial diversity was assessed using alpha diversity (Chao1 and Shannon indexes) and beta diversity (Bray-Curtis and Euclidean distance metrics). Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) was used to visualize microbial variation among groups.
Alpha diversity analysis showed that the microbial diversity in the Yexianggu group was higher than that in the other groups. Bray-Curtis and Euclidean metrics revealed significant differences among the microbial communities. Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, which are key cellulose-degrading bacteria, were the dominant phyla in all groups. Synergistaceae was the most abundant family in the Menghai group, while Lachnospiraceae and Pirellulaceae were more abundant in the Yexianggu and Yuantongshan groups, respectively. Genus was more abundant in Yexianggu, and Prevotella was predominant in Menghai.
These results indicate that habitat and husbandry practices significantly influence the gut microbiota of captive Asian elephants. The identification of bacterial species such as , , , , , and highlights the potential role of specific microbes in maintaining host-microbial interactions. Promoting microbial diversity through improved captive conditions could enhance the health of these endangered animals.
亚洲象（）是一种大型食草动物，被国际自然保护联盟列为濒危野生动物物种。本研究旨在调查和比较来自中国云南省三个不同地点的圈养亚洲象的核心肠道微生物群，以探讨环境和饲养因素对微生物多样性的影响。
我们从三个地点的29头圈养亚洲象中采集粪便样本，并进行全长16S rRNA基因测序。使用α多样性（Chao1和香农指数）和β多样性（布雷-柯蒂斯和欧氏距离度量）评估微生物多样性。主坐标分析（PCoA）用于可视化组间微生物变异。
α多样性分析表明，野象谷组的微生物多样性高于其他组。布雷-柯蒂斯和欧氏度量显示微生物群落之间存在显著差异。拟杆菌门和厚壁菌门是所有组中主要的纤维素降解细菌门。协同杆菌科是勐海组中最丰富的科，而毛螺菌科和皮氏菌科分别在野象谷组和圆通山组中更为丰富。属在野象谷组中更为丰富，普雷沃氏菌在勐海组中占主导地位。
这些结果表明，栖息地和饲养方式对圈养亚洲象的肠道微生物群有显著影响。对、、、、、等细菌物种的鉴定突出了特定微生物在维持宿主-微生物相互作用中的潜在作用。通过改善圈养条件促进微生物多样性可以提高这些濒危动物的健康水平。
