Social environment and genetics underlie body site‐specific microbiomes of Yellowstone National Park gray wolves (Canis lupus)
Abstract The host‐associated microbiome is an important player in the ecology and evolution of species. Despite growing interest in the medical, veterinary, and conservation communities, there remain numerous questions about the primary factors underlying microbiota, particularly in wildlife. We bri...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2021-07-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7767 |
| _version_ | 1818741520015032320 |
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| author | Alexandra L. DeCandia Kira A. Cassidy Daniel R. Stahler Erin A. Stahler Bridgett M. vonHoldt |
| author_facet | Alexandra L. DeCandia Kira A. Cassidy Daniel R. Stahler Erin A. Stahler Bridgett M. vonHoldt |
| author_sort | Alexandra L. DeCandia |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The host‐associated microbiome is an important player in the ecology and evolution of species. Despite growing interest in the medical, veterinary, and conservation communities, there remain numerous questions about the primary factors underlying microbiota, particularly in wildlife. We bridged this knowledge gap by leveraging microbial, genetic, and observational data collected in a wild, pedigreed population of gray wolves (Canis lupus) inhabiting Yellowstone National Park. We characterized body site‐specific microbes across six haired and mucosal body sites (and two fecal samples) using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. At the phylum level, we found that the microbiome of gray wolves primarily consists of Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Fusobacteria, and Proteobacteria, consistent with previous studies within Mammalia and Canidae. At the genus level, we documented body site‐specific microbiota with functions relevant to microenvironment and local physiological processes. We additionally employed observational and RAD sequencing data to examine genetic, demographic, and environmental correlates of skin and gut microbiota. We surveyed individuals across several levels of pedigree relationships, generations, and social groups, and found that social environment (i.e., pack) and genetic relatedness were two primary factors associated with microbial community composition to differing degrees between body sites. We additionally reported body condition and coat color as secondary factors underlying gut and skin microbiomes, respectively. We concluded that gray wolf microbiota resemble similar host species, differ between body sites, and are shaped by numerous endogenous and exogenous factors. These results provide baseline information for this long‐term study population and yield important insights into the evolutionary history, ecology, and conservation of wild wolves and their associated microbes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-18T01:57:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-92188c9367d74c26a4174d5512430a0b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-18T01:57:55Z |
| publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-92188c9367d74c26a4174d5512430a0b2022-12-21T21:24:51ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582021-07-0111149472948810.1002/ece3.7767Social environment and genetics underlie body site‐specific microbiomes of Yellowstone National Park gray wolves (Canis lupus)Alexandra L. DeCandia0Kira A. Cassidy1Daniel R. Stahler2Erin A. Stahler3Bridgett M. vonHoldt4Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton NJ USAYellowstone Center for Resources National Park Service Yellowstone National Park WY USAYellowstone Center for Resources National Park Service Yellowstone National Park WY USAYellowstone Center for Resources National Park Service Yellowstone National Park WY USAEcology and Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton NJ USAAbstract The host‐associated microbiome is an important player in the ecology and evolution of species. Despite growing interest in the medical, veterinary, and conservation communities, there remain numerous questions about the primary factors underlying microbiota, particularly in wildlife. We bridged this knowledge gap by leveraging microbial, genetic, and observational data collected in a wild, pedigreed population of gray wolves (Canis lupus) inhabiting Yellowstone National Park. We characterized body site‐specific microbes across six haired and mucosal body sites (and two fecal samples) using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. At the phylum level, we found that the microbiome of gray wolves primarily consists of Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Fusobacteria, and Proteobacteria, consistent with previous studies within Mammalia and Canidae. At the genus level, we documented body site‐specific microbiota with functions relevant to microenvironment and local physiological processes. We additionally employed observational and RAD sequencing data to examine genetic, demographic, and environmental correlates of skin and gut microbiota. We surveyed individuals across several levels of pedigree relationships, generations, and social groups, and found that social environment (i.e., pack) and genetic relatedness were two primary factors associated with microbial community composition to differing degrees between body sites. We additionally reported body condition and coat color as secondary factors underlying gut and skin microbiomes, respectively. We concluded that gray wolf microbiota resemble similar host species, differ between body sites, and are shaped by numerous endogenous and exogenous factors. These results provide baseline information for this long‐term study population and yield important insights into the evolutionary history, ecology, and conservation of wild wolves and their associated microbes.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7767geneticsgray wolfhost–microbe interactionsmammalmicrobiomepedigree |
| spellingShingle | Alexandra L. DeCandia Kira A. Cassidy Daniel R. Stahler Erin A. Stahler Bridgett M. vonHoldt Social environment and genetics underlie body site‐specific microbiomes of Yellowstone National Park gray wolves (Canis lupus) Ecology and Evolution genetics gray wolf host–microbe interactions mammal microbiome pedigree |
| title | Social environment and genetics underlie body site‐specific microbiomes of Yellowstone National Park gray wolves (Canis lupus) |
| title_full | Social environment and genetics underlie body site‐specific microbiomes of Yellowstone National Park gray wolves (Canis lupus) |
| title_fullStr | Social environment and genetics underlie body site‐specific microbiomes of Yellowstone National Park gray wolves (Canis lupus) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Social environment and genetics underlie body site‐specific microbiomes of Yellowstone National Park gray wolves (Canis lupus) |
| title_short | Social environment and genetics underlie body site‐specific microbiomes of Yellowstone National Park gray wolves (Canis lupus) |
| title_sort | social environment and genetics underlie body site specific microbiomes of yellowstone national park gray wolves canis lupus |
| topic | genetics gray wolf host–microbe interactions mammal microbiome pedigree |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7767 |
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