Analysis of Scat for Gut Microbiome Identification in Wolves from a Mediterranean and an Alpine Area
The gut microbiome can play a fundamental role in several processes associated with an organism’s ecology, and research on the microbiota of wild animals has flourished in the last decades. Microbiome composition can vary across and within species according to taxonomy and environmental variability,...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-12-01
|
| Series: | Diversity |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/1/37 |
| _version_ | 1797443799231758336 |
|---|---|
| author | Francesco Nardi Lorenzo Lazzeri Nicola Iannotti Valerio Donini Claudio Cucini Irene Belardi Francesco Frati Antonio Carapelli Francesco Ferretti |
| author_facet | Francesco Nardi Lorenzo Lazzeri Nicola Iannotti Valerio Donini Claudio Cucini Irene Belardi Francesco Frati Antonio Carapelli Francesco Ferretti |
| author_sort | Francesco Nardi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The gut microbiome can play a fundamental role in several processes associated with an organism’s ecology, and research on the microbiota of wild animals has flourished in the last decades. Microbiome composition can vary across and within species according to taxonomy and environmental variability, including the availability of food resources. Species with a large distribution may exhibit spatial patterns acting at local/regional scales. We considered one of the most widespread and ecologically important predators in the world, i.e., the grey wolf <i>Canis lupus</i>, for which microbiome data is unduly limited. We studied four packs in different ecological conditions in Italy—two packs from a Mediterranean coastal area and two packs from an Alpine range—using an amplicon sequencing barcoding approach. Overall, our results are consistent with food habits entailing a diet largely based on wild prey and agree with findings obtained on other species of canids. If confirmed through a larger sample, they would support the hypothesis of an influence of the shared evolutionary history across canids on the composition of the gut microbiome. Some emerging differences were observed among packs in terms of species composition (Jaccard) and diversity, providing partial support to recent indications on pack identity as a significant determinant of microbiome composition. These results should be considered preliminary results of gut microbiome composition in our study areas. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T13:02:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e6c1ca2b27794265aab09e78dc0016c1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-2818 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T13:02:15Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Diversity |
| spelling | doaj.art-e6c1ca2b27794265aab09e78dc0016c12023-11-30T21:53:06ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182022-12-011513710.3390/d15010037Analysis of Scat for Gut Microbiome Identification in Wolves from a Mediterranean and an Alpine AreaFrancesco Nardi0Lorenzo Lazzeri1Nicola Iannotti2Valerio Donini3Claudio Cucini4Irene Belardi5Francesco Frati6Antonio Carapelli7Francesco Ferretti8Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, ItalyDepartment of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, ItalyDepartment of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, ItalyDepartment of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, ItalyDepartment of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, ItalyDepartment of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, ItalyDepartment of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, ItalyDepartment of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, ItalyDepartment of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, ItalyThe gut microbiome can play a fundamental role in several processes associated with an organism’s ecology, and research on the microbiota of wild animals has flourished in the last decades. Microbiome composition can vary across and within species according to taxonomy and environmental variability, including the availability of food resources. Species with a large distribution may exhibit spatial patterns acting at local/regional scales. We considered one of the most widespread and ecologically important predators in the world, i.e., the grey wolf <i>Canis lupus</i>, for which microbiome data is unduly limited. We studied four packs in different ecological conditions in Italy—two packs from a Mediterranean coastal area and two packs from an Alpine range—using an amplicon sequencing barcoding approach. Overall, our results are consistent with food habits entailing a diet largely based on wild prey and agree with findings obtained on other species of canids. If confirmed through a larger sample, they would support the hypothesis of an influence of the shared evolutionary history across canids on the composition of the gut microbiome. Some emerging differences were observed among packs in terms of species composition (Jaccard) and diversity, providing partial support to recent indications on pack identity as a significant determinant of microbiome composition. These results should be considered preliminary results of gut microbiome composition in our study areas.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/1/37Canidaecarnivoresfeeding ecologypack diversitywolf |
| spellingShingle | Francesco Nardi Lorenzo Lazzeri Nicola Iannotti Valerio Donini Claudio Cucini Irene Belardi Francesco Frati Antonio Carapelli Francesco Ferretti Analysis of Scat for Gut Microbiome Identification in Wolves from a Mediterranean and an Alpine Area Diversity Canidae carnivores feeding ecology pack diversity wolf |
| title | Analysis of Scat for Gut Microbiome Identification in Wolves from a Mediterranean and an Alpine Area |
| title_full | Analysis of Scat for Gut Microbiome Identification in Wolves from a Mediterranean and an Alpine Area |
| title_fullStr | Analysis of Scat for Gut Microbiome Identification in Wolves from a Mediterranean and an Alpine Area |
| title_full_unstemmed | Analysis of Scat for Gut Microbiome Identification in Wolves from a Mediterranean and an Alpine Area |
| title_short | Analysis of Scat for Gut Microbiome Identification in Wolves from a Mediterranean and an Alpine Area |
| title_sort | analysis of scat for gut microbiome identification in wolves from a mediterranean and an alpine area |
| topic | Canidae carnivores feeding ecology pack diversity wolf |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/1/37 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT francesconardi analysisofscatforgutmicrobiomeidentificationinwolvesfromamediterraneanandanalpinearea AT lorenzolazzeri analysisofscatforgutmicrobiomeidentificationinwolvesfromamediterraneanandanalpinearea AT nicolaiannotti analysisofscatforgutmicrobiomeidentificationinwolvesfromamediterraneanandanalpinearea AT valeriodonini analysisofscatforgutmicrobiomeidentificationinwolvesfromamediterraneanandanalpinearea AT claudiocucini analysisofscatforgutmicrobiomeidentificationinwolvesfromamediterraneanandanalpinearea AT irenebelardi analysisofscatforgutmicrobiomeidentificationinwolvesfromamediterraneanandanalpinearea AT francescofrati analysisofscatforgutmicrobiomeidentificationinwolvesfromamediterraneanandanalpinearea AT antoniocarapelli analysisofscatforgutmicrobiomeidentificationinwolvesfromamediterraneanandanalpinearea AT francescoferretti analysisofscatforgutmicrobiomeidentificationinwolvesfromamediterraneanandanalpinearea |