Guo Qiang, Zhang Wenping, Xu Chenyang, Li Xu, Wang Bin, Xiong Chaoyong, Duan Wenguang, Luo Tingting, Wang Weibin, Zhou Jielong
Key Laboratory of Conserving Wildlife with Small Populations in Yunnan/College of Biological Science and Food Engineering, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China.
Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Utilization in the Southwest Mountains of China, Ministry of Education, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China.
Genes (Basel). 2025 Apr 25;16(5):483. doi: 10.3390/genes16050483.
The interaction and co-evolution between the gut microbiome and the host play important roles in the host's physiology, nutrition, and health. Diet is considered an important driver of differences in the gut microbiota; however, research on the relationship between the gut microbiota and diet in Asian elephants remains limited.
In this study, we explored the gut microbiota structure and its relationship with diet in different populations of Asian elephants through metagenomic sequencing, combined with previously published dietary data.
This study found that the dominant gut microbiota of Asian elephants includes the phyla Bacillota (29.85% in BP, 22.79% in RC, 21.89% in SM, 31.67% in ML, and 33.00% in NGH), Bacteroidota (25.25% in BP, 31.44% in RC, 16.44% in SM, 25.73% in ML, and 23.74% in NGH), and Spirochaetota (3.49% in BP, 6.18% in RC, 1.71% in SM, 2.69% in ML, and 3.52% in NGH), with significant differences in the gut microbiota among different populations. Correlation analysis between the gut microbiota and diet revealed that dietary diversity did not directly affect the alpha diversity of the gut microbiota. However, specific food types might play a key role in shaping the gut microbiota structure by regulating the abundance of certain microbiota.
This study reveals significant differences in the gut microbiota structure among different populations of Asian elephants and explores the impact of diet on the structure. The results provide foundational data for a deeper understanding of the gut microbiota structure of Asian elephants and offer important references for the scientific conservation and precise management strategies of this species.
肠道微生物群与宿主之间的相互作用和共同进化在宿主的生理、营养和健康方面发挥着重要作用。饮食被认为是肠道微生物群差异的一个重要驱动因素；然而，关于亚洲象肠道微生物群与饮食之间关系的研究仍然有限。
在本研究中，我们通过宏基因组测序，结合先前发表的饮食数据，探索了不同亚洲象种群的肠道微生物群结构及其与饮食的关系。
本研究发现，亚洲象肠道中的优势微生物群包括厚壁菌门（BP中占29.85%，RC中占22.79%，SM中占21.89%，ML中占31.67%，NGH中占33.00%）、拟杆菌门（BP中占25.25%，RC中占31.44%，SM中占16.44%，ML中占25.73%，NGH中占23.74%）和螺旋体门（BP中占3.49%，RC中占6.18%，SM中占1.71%，ML中占2.69%，NGH中占3.52%），不同种群的肠道微生物群存在显著差异。肠道微生物群与饮食之间的相关性分析表明，饮食多样性并未直接影响肠道微生物群的α多样性。然而，特定食物类型可能通过调节某些微生物群的丰度在塑造肠道微生物群结构方面发挥关键作用。
本研究揭示了不同亚洲象种群肠道微生物群结构的显著差异，并探讨了饮食对其结构的影响。研究结果为深入了解亚洲象肠道微生物群结构提供了基础数据，为该物种的科学保护和精准管理策略提供了重要参考。
