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Jun 07, 2022;10 (6):

Comparative Analysis of Microbiome Metagenomics in Reintroduced Wild Horses and Resident Asiatic Wild Asses in the Gobi Desert Steppe.

Liping Tang, Yunyun Gao, Liping Yan, Huiping Jia, Hongjun Chu, Xinping Ma, Lun He, Xiaoting Wang, Kai Li, Defu Hu, Dong Zhang
Author Information
  1. Liping Tang: School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, 35 Tsinghua East Road, Beijing 100083, China.
  2. Yunyun Gao: School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, 35 Tsinghua East Road, Beijing 100083, China.
  3. Liping Yan: School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, 35 Tsinghua East Road, Beijing 100083, China.
  4. Huiping Jia: School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, 35 Tsinghua East Road, Beijing 100083, China.
  5. Hongjun Chu: Institute of Forestry Ecology, Xinjiang Academy of Forestry Sciences, Urumqi 830002, China.
  6. Xinping Ma: Xinjiang Kalamaili Mountain Ungulate Nature Reserve Management Center, Urumqi 830000, China.
  7. Lun He: China Wildlife Conservation Association, Beijing 100714, China.
  8. Xiaoting Wang: China Wildlife Conservation Association, Beijing 100714, China.
  9. Kai Li: School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, 35 Tsinghua East Road, Beijing 100083, China.
  10. Defu Hu: School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, 35 Tsinghua East Road, Beijing 100083, China.
  11. Dong Zhang: School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, 35 Tsinghua East Road, Beijing 100083, China.
PMID: 35744684 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10061166

Abstract

The gut microbiome offers important ecological benefits to the host; however, our understanding of the functional microbiome in relation to wildlife adaptation, especially for translocated endangered species, is lagging. In this study, we adopted a comparative metagenomics approach to test whether the microbiome diverges for translocated and resident species with different adaptive potentials. The composition and function of the microbiome of sympatric Przewalski's horses and Asiatic wild asses in desert steppe were compared for the first time using the metagenomic shotgun sequencing approach. We identified a significant difference in microbiome composition regarding the microbes present and their relative abundances, while the diversity of microbe species was similar. Furthermore, the functional profile seemed to converge between the two hosts, with genes related to core metabolism function tending to be more abundant in wild asses. Our results indicate that sympatric wild equids differ in their microbial composition while harboring a stable microbial functional core, which may enable them to survive in challenging habitats. A higher abundance of beneficial taxa, such as , and genes related to metabolism pathways and enzymes, such as lignin degradation, may contribute to more diverse diet choices and larger home ranges of wild asses.

Keywords

Asiatic wild asses Przewalski’s horses metagenomics microbiome sympatric equids

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Grants

  1. 2019JQ03018/Beijing Forestry University Outstanding Young Talent Cultivation Project
  2. 31872964/National Science Foundation of China
Journal Article
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