| Title | Differences in the gut microbiota between Cercopithecinae and Colobinae in captivity |
|---|---|
| Author | Zongjin Huan1,2,3†, Yongfang Yao1†, Jianqiu Yu3, Hongwei Chen3, Meirong Li4, Chaojun Yang5, Bo Zhao3, Qingyong Ni2, Mingwang Zhang2, Meng Xie1, and Huailiang Xu1* |
| Address | 1College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya´an 625014, P. R. China, 2College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, P. R. China, 3Chengdu Zoo (Chengdu Wildlife Research Institute), Chengdu 610081, P. R. China, 4Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo, P. R. China, 5Giant Panda National Park Authority, P. R. China |
| Bibliography | Journal of Microbiology, 58(5),367-376, 2020, |
| DOI | 10.1007/s12275-020-9493-9 |
| Key Words | gut microbiota, Cercopithecinae, Colobinae, highthroughput sequencing |
| Abstract | The gut microbiome of captive primates can provide a window into their health and disease status. The diversity and composition of gut microbiota are influenced by not only host phylogeny, but also host diet. Old World monkeys (Cercopithecidae) are divided into two subfamilies: Cercopithecinae and Colobinae. The diet and physiological digestive features differ between these two subfamilies. Accordingly, highthroughput sequencing was used to examine gut microbiota differences between these two subfamilies, using data from 29 Cercopithecinae individuals and 19 Colobinae individuals raised in captivity. Through a comparative analysis of operational taxonomic units (OTUs), significant differences in the diversity and composition of gut microbiota were observed between Cercopithecinae and Colobinae. In particular, the gut microbiota of captive Old World monkeys clustered strongly by the two subfamilies. The Colobinae microbial diversity was higher than that of Cercopithecinae. Additionally, Firmicutes, Lactobacillaceae, Veillonellaceae, and Prevotella abundance were higher in Cercopithecinae, while Bacteroidetes, Ruminococcaceae, Christensenellaceae, Bacteroidaceae, and Acidaminococcaceae abundance were higher in Colobinae. PICRUSt analysis revealed that the predicted metagenomes of metabolic pathways associated with proteins, carbohydrates, and amino acids were significantly higher in Colobinae. In the context of host phylogeny, these differences between Cercopithecinae and Colobinae could reflect adaptations associated with their respective diets. This well-organized dataset is a valuable resource for future related research on primates and gut microbiota. Moreover, this study may provide useful insight into animal management practices and primate conservation. |