Impact of host intraspecies genetic variation, diet, and age on bacterial and fungal intestinal microbiota in tigers

A potential influence of subspecies, diet, and age on the gut microbiota in tigers was investigated in this study to provide a better understanding of the response of the tiger gut microbiota to external changes. The results revealed that the impact of these factors on gut bacterial and fungal communities are versatile. AbstractThe bacterial microbiota in the gut varies among species, as well as with habitat, diet, age, and other factors. Intestinal microbiota homeostasis allows a host to adjust metabolic and immune performances in response to environmental changes. Therefore, potential implications of the gut microbiota in sustaining the health of the host have gained increasing attention in the field of endangered animal conservation. However, the effect of host intraspecies genetic variation on the gut microbiota is unknown. Moreover, little is known about the complexity of the gut mycobiota. Tigers are listed as endangered species, raising worldwide concern. Potential influences of subspecies, diet, and age on the gut microbiota in tigers were investigated in this study to provide a better understanding of the response of the tiger gut microbiota to external changes. The results revealed that the impacts of the factors listed above on gut bacterial and fungal communities are versatile. Host intraspecies genetic variation significantly impacted only fungal alpha diversity of the gut microbiota. Differences in diet, on the other hand, had a significant impact on alpha diver...

Source: MicrobiologyOpen - May 11, 2020 Category: Microbiology Authors: Haiying Jiang, Wu Chen, Li Su, Mingwei Huang, Libo Lin, Qiao Su, Guanyu Li, Hafiz Ishfaq Ahmad, Linmiao Li, Xiujuan Zhang, Huiming Li, Jinping Chen Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research