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The Role of Intestinal Microbiota in the Conservation of Wild...
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The Role of Intestinal Microbiota in the Conservation of Wild Animals

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Wildlife".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 February 2024) | Viewed by 5190

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Kai Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Non-Invasive Research Technology for Endangered Species, School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: wildlife; equids; endangered species protection; ecology
Dr. Dini Hu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Non-Invasive Research Technology for Endangered Species, School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: intestinal microbiota; microbial secondary metabolites; genome mining

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Stable intestinal microbes have an important effect on the protection of their hosts, and directly participate in physiology, metabolism and immune processes. Some studies have shown that intestinal microbes can be used as indicators to reflect the health status of animals. However, a variety of factors can disrupt the balance of intestinal microbial communities and eventually lead to disease. Thus, identifying disease/health status-related microbes and quantifying their relationship with disease/health status is integral to understanding the interactions between the intestinal microbiota and the host.

The aim of this Special Issue is to publish original research papers or reviews concerning wild animal conservation based on intestinal microbiota, mainly focusing on the interrelations between microbes, external influencing factors (diet, natural enemies, parasite infection, etc.) and health.

We invite you to share your recent findings through this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Kai Li
Dr. Dini Hu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • conservation biology
  • wild animals
  • adaptation evaluation
  • health status
  • intestinal microbiota

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 4368 KiB  
Article
Analysis on Changes and Influencing Factors of the Intestinal Microbiota of Alpine Musk Deer between the Place of Origin and Migration
by Baofeng Zhang, Minghui Shi, Shanghua Xu, Haonan Zhang, Yimeng Li and Defu Hu
Animals 2023, 13(24), 3791; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13243791 - 8 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1238
Abstract
In China, the population of wild musk deer, belonging to the family Moschidae, has drastically decreased in recent years owing to human activities and environmental changes. During the 1990s, artificial breeding of Alpine musk deer was conducted in Xinglong Mountain, Gansu Province, China, [...] Read more.
In China, the population of wild musk deer, belonging to the family Moschidae, has drastically decreased in recent years owing to human activities and environmental changes. During the 1990s, artificial breeding of Alpine musk deer was conducted in Xinglong Mountain, Gansu Province, China, and their ex situ conservation was explored for over a decade. Ex situ protection is beneficial for expanding the population of animals and maintaining their genetic diversity; however, it can also induce metabolic diseases and parasitic infections and reduce reproductive capacity. The gut microbiota of animals has a considerable impact on host energy metabolism and immune regulation, thereby playing a crucial role in the overall health and reproductive success of the host. In this study, by comparing the differences in the intestinal microbiome of the musk deer according to their place of origin and migration, the changes in their gut microbiota and the influencing factors were explored to provide a theoretical basis for monitoring the health status of the musk deer. We used 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing technology to analyze the structure and diversity of the gut microbiota of Alpine musk deer in Gansu (G, place of origin) and Sichuan (S, place of migration). The results showed that the dominant bacteria and genera in the intestinal microbiome of captive musk deer were similar in the places of origin and migration, but significant differences were observed in their relative abundance (p < 0.05). Regarding Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, which are related to plant cellulose digestion, the relative abundance in group G was higher than that in group S; regarding Proteobacteria and Verrucomicrobia, which are related to fat and starch intake, the relative abundance in group S was higher than that in group G; the relative abundance of Bacillus and Clostridium sensu stricto, which are related to fiber digestibility, was higher in group G than in group S; the relative abundance of conditional pathogens Acinetobacter and Escherichia–Shigella was higher in group S than in group G. The results of α and β diversity analysis also showed significant differences between the two groups (p < 0.05). The ACE and Shannon indices of musk deer in group G were considerably higher than those in group S, and the Simpson index of musk deer in group S was greater than that in group G, indicating that the abundance and diversity of intestinal microbiome were higher in musk deer of Gansu than those of Sichuan. Comparison of the changes in the intestinal microbiome of the musk deer according to the place of origin and migration showed that the plant cellulose content in the food of the musk deer, the fat content in the concentrated feed, and changes in the feeding environment have an impact on the intestinal microbiome. Effective monitoring of the health and immunity of the musk deer is crucial for ensuring their overall health, which in turn will aid in formulating a scientific and reasonable management plan for their conservation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Intestinal Microbiota in the Conservation of Wild Animals)
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15 pages, 2680 KiB  
Article
Characterizing the Gut Microbiota of Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra chinensis) and Snub-Nosed Monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana) to Enhance Conservation Practices in the Foping National Nature Reserve of China
by Dapeng Zhu, Tongtong Xie, Ruifang Du and Long Guo
Animals 2022, 12(22), 3097; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12223097 - 10 Nov 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1676
Abstract
Understanding the interaction between the microbial composition in the habitat and the gut of wildlife will contribute to conservation efforts since changes in the gut microbiome have been proven to influence the healthy and nutritional status of the host. This study analyzed the [...] Read more.
Understanding the interaction between the microbial composition in the habitat and the gut of wildlife will contribute to conservation efforts since changes in the gut microbiome have been proven to influence the healthy and nutritional status of the host. This study analyzed the relationship between soil microbes and the microbial diversity and structure of the distal gut of the terrestrial golden snub-nosed monkey and Eurasian otter in the Foping National Nature Reserve (FNNR). A total of 15 otter fecal samples and 18 monkey fecal samples were collected from which 5 and 6 samples, respectively, were randomly selected for microbiome analysis. The remaining samples were used for fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) analysis. Soil samples from the otter and monkey habitats at each sampling point (eight in total) were also collected for microbiome analysis. The microbial phyla with the greatest relative abundance in soil or animal samples were Proteobacteria (41.2, 32.7, and 73.3% for soil, otters, and monkeys, respectively), Firmicutes (0.4% soil, 30.1% otters, and 14.4% monkeys), Bacteroidota (5.6% soil, 17.0% otters, and 8.3% monkeys), and Acidobacteriota (24.6% soil, 1.7% otters, and 0.1% monkeys). The estimation of alpha diversity indices revealed that the feature, Chao1, and Shannon indices of the soil microbiome were the greatest (p < 0.01) among the three groups, followed by those of the otter microbiome and those of the monkey microbiome (p < 0.01). Beta diversity analyses confirmed differences in the microbiota of the three types of samples. The determination of SCFA concentration in feces revealed that total volatile fatty acids, acetic acid, and isovaleric acid were greater (p < 0.05) in otters than in monkeys, while propionic acid followed the opposite pattern (p < 0.05). Correlation analysis of the microbiome and SCFA contents showed that propionic acid was positively correlated with significantly different bacterial groups, while acetic and butyric acid and total volatile acids were negatively correlated. This study confirmed that the fecal microbes of Eurasian otters and golden snub-nosed monkeys in the reserve are related to the soil microbial communities of their habitats, but they have different bacterial community structures and compositions, and there are different SCFA metabolic patterns in the gut of the two animals. The present study will help to improve wildlife protection in the FNNR. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Intestinal Microbiota in the Conservation of Wild Animals)
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16 pages, 4477 KiB  
Article
Assessment of Adaptation Status of Reintroduced Equus Przewalskii Based on Comparative Analysis of Fecal Bacteria with Those of Captive E. Przewalskii, Domestic Horse and Mongolian Wild Ass
by Dini Hu, Chen Wang, Make Ente, Ke Zhang, Dong Zhang, Xuefeng Li, Kai Li and Hongjun Chu
Animals 2022, 12(20), 2874; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12202874 - 21 Oct 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1635
Abstract
Intestinal microbiota play an important role in the survival of the host. However, no study to date has elucidated the adjustment of intestinal microbiota of the host during rewilding. Thus, this study aims to describe the intestinal bacterial community of reintroduced Przewalski’s horse [...] Read more.
Intestinal microbiota play an important role in the survival of the host. However, no study to date has elucidated the adjustment of intestinal microbiota of the host during rewilding. Thus, this study aims to describe the intestinal bacterial community of reintroduced Przewalski’s horse (RPH) after being released into their original habitat for approximately 20 years in comparison with that of captive Przewalski’s horse (CPH), sympatric domestic horse (DH) and Mongolian wild ass (MWA) by sequencing the 16S rRNA gene. The results showed that the prevalent bacterial communities were different among CPHs, RPHs, DHs and MWAs at the family level. NMDS and ANOSIM analysis showed that the pattern of bacterial community composition in captive equines was distinct from that in the wild groups. It is shown that some bacteria had significant differences among different taxa (p < 0.001), such as Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Armatimonadetes, Clostrida, Bacteroidia, Clostridiales, Bacteroidales, Rikenellaceae and Bacteroidales_UCG-001. These bacteria were associated with the transition from in captive to in the wild (CPH and RPH), which reflected the change of environmental conditions. Meanwhile, Proteobacteria, Clostridia, Bacilli, Negativicutes, Gammaproteobacteria, Clostridiales, Bacillales, Selenomonadales, Pseudomonadales and Planococcaceae were the changed groups among RPHs, MWAs and DHs, which are related to feeding habits and diseases. Our results clearly showed the differences between intestinal microbiota in reintroduced animals and wild animals and led us to understand the survival state of reintroduced animals in the wild. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Intestinal Microbiota in the Conservation of Wild Animals)
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