Analysis of the microbial diversity in takin (Budorcas taxicolor) feces

Xiaoping Ma; Weichen Wang; Lijun Cai; Mei Xiao; Fang He; Zhen Liu; Dong Chen; Ya Wang; Limin Shen; Yu Gu

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2023.1303085

Analysis of the microbial diversity in takin (Budorcas taxicolor) feces

Front Microbiol. 2023 Dec 22:14:1303085. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1303085. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Xiaoping Ma^#¹, Weichen Wang^#¹, Lijun Cai^#^{1

2}, Mei Xiao², Fang He², Zhen Liu¹, Dong Chen³, Ya Wang¹, Limin Shen², Yu Gu⁴

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China.
² Management Office of Tangjiahe National Nature Reserve, Qingchuan, China.
³ Sichuan Provincial Center for Animal Disease Prevention and Control, Chengdu, China.
⁴ College of Life Sciences, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Introduction: The intestinal tract of animals is a complex and dynamic microecosystem that is inextricably linked to the health of the host organism. Takin (Budorcas taxicolor) is a threatened species, and its gut microbiome is poorly understood. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the microbial community structure and potential pathogens of takin.

Methods: Takin fecal samples were collected from five sites in a nature reserve to ensure the uniformity of sample collection, determine the effects of different geographical locations on gut microbes, and analyze the differences in microbial communities between sites. Subsequently, high-throughput 16S rDNA gene sequencing was performed to analyze the microbial diversity and potential pathogens in the gut; the findings were verified by isolating and culturing bacteria and metagenomic sequencing.

Results and discussion: The takin gut microflora consisted mainly of four phyla: Firmicutes (69.72%), Bacteroidota (13.55%), Proteobacteria (9.02%), and Verrucomicrobiota (3.77%), representing 96.07% of all microorganisms. The main genera were UCG-005 (20.25%), UCG-010_unclassified (12.35%), Firmicus_unclassified (4.03%), and Rumino coccsea_unclassified (3.49%), while the main species were assigned to Bacteria_unclassified. Potential pathogens were also detected, which could be used as a reference for the protection of takin. Pseudomonas presented the highest abundance at Shuichiping and may represent the main pathogen responsible for the death of takin at the site. This study provides an important reference for investigating the composition of the bacterial community in the intestine of takin.

Keywords: 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing; Budorcas taxicolor; conditioned pathogen; gut microbiota; metagenomics; microbial diversity; takin.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This study was supported by the Laboratory testing of wild animal and domestic animal disease samples in Tangjiahe National Nature Reserve in 2023 (CXYCS[2023]018).