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Comparative Analysis of Gut Microbial Composition and Functions in Przewalski's Gazelle (Procapra przewalskii) From Various Habitats.

ABSTRACT: Gut microbiota of mammals participates in host nutrient metabolism and plays an important role in host adaptation to the environment. Herein, to understand the relationship between environment differences and the composition and abundance of the gut microbiota of Przewalski's gazelle (Procapra przewalskii) in almost all its habitats, high throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene was used to compared the characteristics of the gut microbiota based on total 120 fecal samples. The results showed that Przewalski's gazelle exhibited different characteristics of microbiota diversity in different habitats. The Jiangxigou Rescue Station (JX), Nongchang (NC), and Ganzihe and Haergai townships (GH) groups had a relatively high microbiota diversity, while the Niaodao scenic area (ND) group had the lowest diversity. This finding seemed to follow a similar pattern of change in the population of Przewalski's gazelle. Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria were the phyla with significant differences, especially between the Wayu township (WY) and the other groups. The difference in the microbiota mainly included the Ruminococcaceae UCG-005, Christensenellaceae R-7 group, and Bacteroidaceae and was enriched in the ND, WY, and other regions. We speculated that the difference in the gut microbiota was due to a difference in environmental characteristics, particularly the food resources that the host can obtain. We speculated that a similar microbiome has important functions for species survival and represents the evolutionary commonality of Przewalski's gazelle, while a different microbiome plays an important role in the adaptation of Przewalski's gazelle to a different environment. The results of this study illustrate how the same species adapts to different environments from the perspective of gut microbiota plasticity and therefore are of great significance for the protection and restoration of the population of this species.

SUBMITTER: Zhang J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9213746 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BackgroundQuantifying vigilance and exploring the underlying mechanisms has been the subject of numerous studies. Less attention has focused on the complex interplay between contributing factors such as reproductive status, social rank, sex and group size. Reproductive status and social rank are of particular interest due to their association with mating behavior. Mating activities in rutting season may interfere with typical patterns of vigilance and possibly interact with social rank. In addition, balancing the tradeoff between vigilance and life maintenance may represent a challenge for gregarious ungulate species rutting under harsh winter conditions. We studied vigilance patterns in the endangered Przewalski's gazelle (Procapra przewalskii) during both the rutting and non-rutting seasons to examine these issues.Methodology/principal findingsField observations were carried out with focal sampling during rutting and non-rutting season in 2008-2009. Results indicated a complex interplay between reproductive status, social rank, sex and group size in determining vigilance in this species. Vigilance decreased with group size in female but not in male gazelles. Males scanned more frequently and thus spent more time vigilant than females. Compared to non-rutting season, gazelles increased time spent scanning at the expense of bedding in rutting season. During the rutting season, territorial males spent a large proportion of time on rutting activities and were less vigilant than non-territorial males. Although territorial males may share collective risk detection with harem females, we suggest that they are probably more vulnerable to predation because they seemed reluctant to leave rut stands under threats.Conclusions/significanceVigilance behavior in Przewalski's gazelle was significantly affected by reproductive status, social rank, sex, group size and their complex interactions. These findings shed light on the mechanisms underlying vigilance patterns and the tradeoff between vigilance and other crucial activities.

Dataset Information

Comparative Analysis of Gut Microbial Composition and Functions in Przewalski's Gazelle (Procapra przewalskii) From Various Habitats.

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