Comparative and functional analyses of fecal microbiome in Asian elephants

Asian elephant is large herbivorous animal with elongated hindgut. To explore fecal microbial community composition with various ages, sex and diets, and their role in plant biomass degrading and nutrition conversation. We generated 119 Gb by metagenome sequencing from 10 different individual feces and identified 5.3 million non-redundant genes. The comprehensive analysis established that the Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria constituted the most dominant phyla in overall fecal samples. In different individuals, the alpha diversity of the fecal microbiota in female was lower than male, and the alpha diversity of the fecal microbiota in older was higher than younger, and the fecal microbial diversity was the most complex in wild elephant. But the predominant population compositions were similar to each other. Moreover, the newborn infant elephant feces assembled and maintained a diverse but host-specific fecal microbial population. The discovery speculated that Asian elephant maybe have start to building microbial populations before birth. Meanwhile, these results illustrated that host phylogeny, diets, ages and sex are significant factors for fecal microbial community composition. Therefore, we put forward the process of Asian elephant fecal microbial community composition that the dominant populations were built first under the guidance of phylogeny, and then shaped gradually a unique and flexible gut microbial community structure under the influences of diet, age and sex. This study found also that the Bacteroidetes were presumably the main drivers of plant fiber-degradation. A large of secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters, and genes related to enediyne biosynthesis were found and showed that the Asian elephant fecal microbiome harbored a diverse and abundant genetic resource. A picture of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) reservoirs of fecal microbiota in Asian elephants was provided. Surprisingly, there was such wide range of ARGs in newborn infant elephant. Further strengthening our speculation that the fetus of Asian elephant has colonized prototypical fecal microbiota before birth. However, it is necessary to point out that the data give a first inside into the gut microbiota of Asian elephants but too few individuals were studied to draw general conclusions for differences among wild and captured elephants, female and male or different ages. Further studies are required. Additionally, the cultured actinomycetes from Asian elephant feces also were investigated, which the feces of Asian elephants could be an important source of actinomycetes.

     

新辅助化疗对局部晚期宫颈癌低氧诱导因子-1α mRNA表达的影响

目的：探讨新辅助化疗PF方案的两种给药途径（子宫动脉置管与静脉全身化疗）对宫颈癌低氧诱导因子-1α（HIF-1α）表达的影响及其临床意义。方法：应用RT-PCR方法测定43例局部晚期宫颈癌病人子宫动脉置管与静脉全身化疗后癌组织的研究缺氧诱导因子（HIF-1α）mRNA表达的影响,评价化疗近期效果。结果：局部晚期宫颈癌患者经子宫动脉置管与静脉全身化疗比较,临床缓解率相似,但是前者能显著减少化疗引起的骨髓抑制和肝功能损害作用,子宫动脉置管组HIF-1αmRNA表达较静脉全身化疗组明显降低（P〈0．05）。结论：术前子宫动脉置管PF方案化疗,能降低宫颈癌组织的HIF-1αmRNA表达,能减小肿瘤体积。减少化疗的不良反应,改善患者的预后,是一种可行、有效的辅助治疗手段。     

454焦磷酸测序分析几种哺乳动物粪便细菌多样性

摘要:【目的】分析比较几种哺乳动物粪便细菌群落多样性,了解粪便细菌多样性与动物进化和食物的关系。【方法】采集6 种哺乳动物粪便样品;提取总DNA;PCR扩增,获得16S rDNA V3标签片段;用454焦磷酸测序技术进行高通量测序;主要基于QIIME平台分析比较粪便细菌多样性。【结果】分析发现,厚壁菌门和拟杆菌门广泛存在于各样品中,并且占绝对优势。α多样性分析发现,杂食性的长臂猿、黑猩猩和川金丝猴的多样性最高,其次是肉食性的东北虎,来自熊科杂食性的亚洲黑熊和大熊猫的多样性最低。β 多样性分析发现,白眉长臂猿、黑猩猩、川金丝猴几种灵长目动物粪便的菌群相似,而大熊猫菌、黑熊、孟加拉虎几种食肉目动物粪便细菌群相似但食肉动物孟加拉虎主要又因含梭杆菌门而区别于其他动物。【结论】动物粪便细菌优势类群明显;同种动物重复样本的相似性最高,各种动物多样性存在差异,但几种灵长类动物粪便细菌多样性更丰富;动物粪便细菌的组成和动物的进化及食物相关。本研究为哺乳动物粪便菌资源及后续研究提供了借鉴。