Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation, China West Normal University, Ministry of Education, Nanchong, Sichuan Province 637009, China; College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation, China West Normal University, Ministry of Education, Nanchong, Sichuan Province 637009, China.
Environ Res. 2024 Dec 15;263(Pt 3):120220. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.120220. Epub 2024 Oct 22.
Captivity is a key strategy for protecting endangered species, but research has primarily focused on artificial breeding and reintroduction to bolster wild populations, often overlooking the environmental and health risks associated with antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Here, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of the microbiome and ARG profiles in the gut of wild giant pandas across five representative populations, as well as one captive population, utilizing 16S rRNA gene sequencing and High-Throughput Quantitative PCR. Our findings revealed that both geographic location and captivity significantly influenced the gut microbial community and ARG composition in the gut of giant pandas. Additionally, we identified core microbiomes with essential ecological functions, particularly those related to food utilization, were identified in the giant panda gut across different regions. The gut ARGs in giant pandas exhibited a broad range of subtypes, with multidrug resistance genes being the most prevalent. Notably, the captive population harbored the highest abundance of high-risk ARGs, especially those conferring tetracycline resistance. High-risk multidrug ARGs (e.g., tolC, mepA, and mdtA) were found to be strongly correlated with the potential pathogens, such as Escherichia_Shigellina and Pseudomonas. Furthermore, bamboo-associated ARGs and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) contributed significantly to the ARG abundance in the giant panda gut, indicating that diet plays a crucial role in shaping gut resistome. Collectively, our study provides a detailed mapping of giant panda gut microbiomes and ARG distribution, offering valuable insights for conservation efforts and advancing our understanding of ARG dynamics in giant panda populations.
圈养是保护濒危物种的关键策略，但研究主要集中在人工繁殖和再引入上，以增强野生种群，而往往忽略了与抗生素耐药基因 (ARGs) 相关的环境和健康风险。在这里，我们利用 16S rRNA 基因测序和高通量定量 PCR，对来自五个代表性种群和一个圈养种群的野生大熊猫肠道中的微生物组和 ARG 谱进行了全面分析。我们的研究结果表明，地理位置和圈养都显著影响了大熊猫肠道中的微生物群落和 ARG 组成。此外，我们还鉴定了具有重要生态功能的核心微生物组，特别是那些与食物利用相关的核心微生物组，在不同地区的大熊猫肠道中都存在。大熊猫肠道中的 ARG 表现出广泛的亚型，其中多药耐药基因最为普遍。值得注意的是，圈养种群中含有最高丰度的高风险 ARG，特别是那些赋予四环素耐药性的 ARG。高风险多药耐药 ARG（如 tolC、mepA 和 mdtA）与潜在的病原体（如 Escherichia_Shigellina 和 Pseudomonas）强烈相关。此外，竹子相关的 ARG 和可移动遗传元件 (MGEs) 对大熊猫肠道中 ARG 的丰度有显著贡献，表明饮食在塑造肠道耐药组方面起着至关重要的作用。总之，我们的研究提供了大熊猫肠道微生物组和 ARG 分布的详细图谱，为保护工作提供了有价值的见解，并推进了我们对大熊猫种群中 ARG 动态的理解。
