Evaluation of Gut Microbiota Stability and Flexibility as a Response to Seasonal Variation in the Wild François’ Langurs (Trachypithecus francoisi) in Limestone Forest
ABSTRACT The coevolution between gut microbiota and the host markedly influences the digestive strategies of animals to cope with changes in food sources. We have explored the compositional structure and seasonal variation in the gut microbiota of François’ langur in a limestone forest in Guangxi, s...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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American Society for Microbiology
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Microbiology Spectrum |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.05091-22 |
| _version_ | 1797741741485326336 |
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| author | Hongying Liu Yuhui Li Jipeng Liang Dengpan Nong Youbang Li Zhonghao Huang |
| author_facet | Hongying Liu Yuhui Li Jipeng Liang Dengpan Nong Youbang Li Zhonghao Huang |
| author_sort | Hongying Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT The coevolution between gut microbiota and the host markedly influences the digestive strategies of animals to cope with changes in food sources. We have explored the compositional structure and seasonal variation in the gut microbiota of François’ langur in a limestone forest in Guangxi, southwest China, using 16S rRNA sequencing. Our results demonstrated that Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were the dominant phyla in langurs, followed by Oscillospiraceae, Christensenellaceae, and Lachnospiraceae at the family level. The top five dominant phyla did not show significant seasonal variations, and only 21 bacterial taxa differed at the family level, indicating stability in gut the microbiota possibly with respect to foraging for several dominant plants and high-leaf feeding by the langurs. Moreover, rainfall and minimum humidity are important factors affecting the gut microbiota of the langurs, but they explain few changes in bacterial taxa. The activity budget and thyroid hormone levels of the langurs did not differ significantly between seasons, indicating that these langurs did not respond to seasonal changes in food by regulating behavior or reducing metabolism. The present study indicates that the gut microbiota’s structure is related to digestion and energy absorption of these langurs, providing new perspectives on their adaptation to limestone forests. IMPORTANCE François’ langur is a primate that particularly lives in karst regions. The adaptation of wild animals to karst habitats has been a hot topic in behavioral ecology and conservation biology. In this study, gut microbiota, behavior, and thyroid hormone data were integrated to understand the interaction of the langurs and limestone forests from the physiological response, providing basic data for assessing the adaptation of the langurs to the habitats. The responses of the langurs to environmental changes were explored from the seasonal variations in gut microbiota, which would help to further understand the adaptive strategies of species to environmental changes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T14:31:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1a587fa3b6c64542a24c6d8e20dca7ff |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2165-0497 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T14:31:01Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | American Society for Microbiology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microbiology Spectrum |
| spelling | doaj.art-1a587fa3b6c64542a24c6d8e20dca7ff2023-08-17T13:04:14ZengAmerican Society for MicrobiologyMicrobiology Spectrum2165-04972023-08-0111410.1128/spectrum.05091-22Evaluation of Gut Microbiota Stability and Flexibility as a Response to Seasonal Variation in the Wild François’ Langurs (Trachypithecus francoisi) in Limestone ForestHongying Liu0Yuhui Li1Jipeng Liang2Dengpan Nong3Youbang Li4Zhonghao Huang5Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection (Guangxi Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guilin, ChinaKey Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection (Guangxi Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guilin, ChinaAdministration Center of Guangxi Chongzuo White-Headed Langur National Nature Reserve, Chongzuo, ChinaAdministration Center of Guangxi Chongzuo White-Headed Langur National Nature Reserve, Chongzuo, ChinaKey Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection (Guangxi Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guilin, ChinaKey Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection (Guangxi Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guilin, ChinaABSTRACT The coevolution between gut microbiota and the host markedly influences the digestive strategies of animals to cope with changes in food sources. We have explored the compositional structure and seasonal variation in the gut microbiota of François’ langur in a limestone forest in Guangxi, southwest China, using 16S rRNA sequencing. Our results demonstrated that Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were the dominant phyla in langurs, followed by Oscillospiraceae, Christensenellaceae, and Lachnospiraceae at the family level. The top five dominant phyla did not show significant seasonal variations, and only 21 bacterial taxa differed at the family level, indicating stability in gut the microbiota possibly with respect to foraging for several dominant plants and high-leaf feeding by the langurs. Moreover, rainfall and minimum humidity are important factors affecting the gut microbiota of the langurs, but they explain few changes in bacterial taxa. The activity budget and thyroid hormone levels of the langurs did not differ significantly between seasons, indicating that these langurs did not respond to seasonal changes in food by regulating behavior or reducing metabolism. The present study indicates that the gut microbiota’s structure is related to digestion and energy absorption of these langurs, providing new perspectives on their adaptation to limestone forests. IMPORTANCE François’ langur is a primate that particularly lives in karst regions. The adaptation of wild animals to karst habitats has been a hot topic in behavioral ecology and conservation biology. In this study, gut microbiota, behavior, and thyroid hormone data were integrated to understand the interaction of the langurs and limestone forests from the physiological response, providing basic data for assessing the adaptation of the langurs to the habitats. The responses of the langurs to environmental changes were explored from the seasonal variations in gut microbiota, which would help to further understand the adaptive strategies of species to environmental changes.https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.05091-22gut microbiotastabilityflexibilityFrançois’ langurlimestone forest |
| spellingShingle | Hongying Liu Yuhui Li Jipeng Liang Dengpan Nong Youbang Li Zhonghao Huang Evaluation of Gut Microbiota Stability and Flexibility as a Response to Seasonal Variation in the Wild François’ Langurs (Trachypithecus francoisi) in Limestone Forest Microbiology Spectrum gut microbiota stability flexibility François’ langur limestone forest |
| title | Evaluation of Gut Microbiota Stability and Flexibility as a Response to Seasonal Variation in the Wild François’ Langurs (Trachypithecus francoisi) in Limestone Forest |
| title_full | Evaluation of Gut Microbiota Stability and Flexibility as a Response to Seasonal Variation in the Wild François’ Langurs (Trachypithecus francoisi) in Limestone Forest |
| title_fullStr | Evaluation of Gut Microbiota Stability and Flexibility as a Response to Seasonal Variation in the Wild François’ Langurs (Trachypithecus francoisi) in Limestone Forest |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluation of Gut Microbiota Stability and Flexibility as a Response to Seasonal Variation in the Wild François’ Langurs (Trachypithecus francoisi) in Limestone Forest |
| title_short | Evaluation of Gut Microbiota Stability and Flexibility as a Response to Seasonal Variation in the Wild François’ Langurs (Trachypithecus francoisi) in Limestone Forest |
| title_sort | evaluation of gut microbiota stability and flexibility as a response to seasonal variation in the wild francois langurs trachypithecus francoisi in limestone forest |
| topic | gut microbiota stability flexibility François’ langur limestone forest |
| url | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.05091-22 |
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