Comparative study of gut microbiota from captive and confiscated-rescued wild pangolins |
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| Affiliation: | 1. State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China;2. Guangzhou Zoo & Guangzhou Wildlife Research Center, Guangzhou 510070, China;3. Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada;1. Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence and Smart Learning, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China;2. School of Computer, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China;3. School of Mathematics and Statistics, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China;4. Collaborative & Innovative Center for Educational Technology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China;5. National Language Resources Monitoring & Research Center for Network Media, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China;1. State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-resource in Yunnan and School of Life Science & School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China;2. State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China;3. Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China;1. State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming, China;2. School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China;3. Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China;4. State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming, China;5. Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, Escondido, CA, USA;6. Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada;1. Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa;2. Biodiversity Research Services, National Zoological Gardens, South Africa;3. Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South Africa, South Africa;1. School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, P.R. China;2. Graduate Institute of Bioresources, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung, Taiwan;3. Fauna Conservation Department, Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Garden, Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China;4. Small Mammals Conservation and Research Foundation (SMCRF), Kathmandu, Nepal;5. Department of Tropical Agriculture and International Cooperation, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung, Taiwan;6. Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P.R. China |
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| Abstract: | Pangolins are among the most critically endangered animals due to widespread poaching and worldwide trafficking. Captive breeding is considered to be one way to protect them and increase the sizes of their populations. However, comparative studies of captive and wild pangolins in the context of gut microbiota are rare. Here, the gut microbiome of captive and confiscated-rescued wild pangolins is compared, and the effects of different periods of captivity and captivity with and without antibiotic treatment are considered. We show that different diets and periods of captivity, as well as the application of antibiotic therapy, can alter gut community composition and abundance in pangolins. Compared to wild pangolins, captive pangolins have an increased capacity for chitin and cellulose/hemicellulose degradation, fatty acid metabolism, and short-chain fatty acid synthesis, but a reduced ability to metabolize exogenous substances. In addition to increasing the ability of the gut microbiota to metabolize nutrients in captivity, captive breeding imposes some risks for survival by resulting in a greater abundance of antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factors in captive pangolins than in wild pangolins. Our study is important for the development of guidelines for pangolin conservation, including health assessment, disease prevention, and rehabilitation of wild pangolin populations. |
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| Keywords: | Pangolin Gut microbiome Captivity Antibiotic resistance genes Virulence factors |
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