scholarly journals An altered microbiome in urban coyotes mediates relationships between anthropogenic diet and poor health

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Sugden ◽  
Dana Sanderson ◽  
Kyra Ford ◽  
Lisa Y. Stein ◽  
Colleen Cassady St. Clair
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Generalist Species ◽  
Fecal Microbiome ◽  
Microbiome Composition ◽  
Anthropogenic Food ◽  
Urban Coyotes

AbstractGeneralist species able to exploit anthropogenic food sources are becoming increasingly common in urban environments. Coyotes (Canis latrans) are one such urban generalist that now resides in cities across North America, where diseased or unhealthy coyotes are frequently reported in cases of human-wildlife conflict. Coyote health and fitness may be related to habitat use and diet via the gut microbiome, which has far-reaching effects on animal nutrition and physiology. In this study, we used stomach contents, stable isotope analysis, 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, and measures of body condition to identify relationships among habitat use, diet, fecal microbiome composition, and health in urban and rural coyotes. Three distinct relationships emerged: (1) Urban coyotes consumed more anthropogenic food, which was associated with increased microbiome diversity, higher abundances of Streptococcus and Enterococcus, and poorer average body condition. (2) Conversely, rural coyotes harbored microbiomes rich in Fusobacteria, Sutterella, and Anaerobiospirillum, which were associated with protein-rich diets and improved body condition. (3) Diets rich in anthropogenic food were associated with increased abundances of Erysipelotrichiaceae, Lachnospiraceae, and Coriobacteriaceae, which correlated with larger spleens in urban coyotes. Urban coyotes also had an increased prevalence of the zoonotic parasite Echinococcus multilocularis, but there were no detectable connections between parasite infection and microbiome composition. Our results demonstrate how the consumption of carbohydrate-rich anthropogenic food by urban coyotes alters the microbiome to negatively affect body condition, with potential relationships to parasite susceptibility and conflict-prone behavior.

scholarly journals Inter-population differences in coyote diet and niche width along an urban–suburban–rural gradient

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Sugden ◽  
Maureen Murray ◽  
Mark A Edwards ◽  
Colleen Cassady St. Clair
Keyword(s):  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Niche Width ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variation ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Generalist Species ◽  
Methodological Choices ◽  
Dietary Niche ◽  
Anthropogenic Food ◽  
Urban Coyotes

Abstract Many generalist species thrive in urban environments by supplementing their diets with anthropogenic food, which creates numerous challenges for managing urban wildlife. Management could be advanced with more information on how spatial and temporal variation in habitat use by urban animals predicts variation in their dietary ecology. In this study, we used stable isotope analysis complemented with GPS collar location data to determine how diet composition and the dietary niche of coyotes (Canis latrans) varied across a sample of 169 individuals collected along an urban-to-rural gradient in Alberta, Canada. We further categorized urban individuals as either matrix (frequent use of developed areas) or greenspace (use of natural areas) via GPS locations. Matrix coyotes were isotopically distinct from all other coyote populations: they had the largest dietary niche, exhibited the most among-individual variation in diet, consumed the most anthropogenic food and fruit, and consumed the least amount of prey. Greenspace coyotes consumed more anthropogenic food than rural and suburban coyotes but otherwise exhibited similar niche width, among-individual heterogeneity, and prey consumption. We further tested for seasonal dietary variation and found that urban coyotes had a larger dietary niche during the summer, when they also consumed more anthropogenic food. Our conclusions were robust to our choice of mixing model parameters, including discrimination factors, suggesting that these methodological choices have limited effect when discerning relative trends among populations. Overall, our results suggest that management of urban coyotes should target the food sources accessible to coyotes in the urban matrix to reduce human–coyote conflict.

scholarly journals Gut microbiome is affected by inter-sexual and inter-seasonal variation in diet for thick-billed murres (Uria lomvia)

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Esteban Góngora ◽  
Kyle H. Elliott ◽  
Lyle Whyte
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiome ◽  
Sulfur Isotopes ◽  
Trophic Position ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
16S Rrna Gene Sequencing ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Uria Lomvia ◽  
Fecal Microbiome ◽  
Prey Specialization ◽  
Rrna Gene Sequencing

AbstractThe role of the gut microbiome is increasingly being recognized by health scientists and veterinarians, yet its role in wild animals remains understudied. Variations in the gut microbiome could be the result of differential diets among individuals, such as variation between sexes, across seasons, or across reproductive stages. We evaluated the hypothesis that diet alters the avian gut microbiome using stable isotope analysis (SIA) and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. We present the first description of the thick-billed murre (Uria lomvia) fecal microbiome. The murre microbiome was dominated by bacteria from the genus Catellicoccus, ubiquitous in the guts of many seabirds. Microbiome variation was explained by murre diet in terms of proportion of littoral carbon, trophic position, and sulfur isotopes, especially for the classes Actinobacteria, Bacilli, Bacteroidia, Clostridia, Alphaproteobacteria, and Gammaproteobacteria. We also observed differences in the abundance of bacterial genera such as Catellicoccus and Cetobacterium between sexes and reproductive stages. These results are in accordance with behavioural observations of changes in diet between sexes and across the reproductive season. We concluded that the observed variation in the gut microbiome may be caused by individual prey specialization and may also be reinforced by sexual and reproductive stage differences in diet.

scholarly journals Fecal microbiome profiles of neonatal dairy calves with varying severities of gastrointestinal disease

PLoS ONE ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. e0262317
Author(s):  
Giovana S. Slanzon ◽  
Benjamin J. Ridenhour ◽  
Dale A. Moore ◽  
William M. Sischo ◽  
Lindsay M. Parrish ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Status ◽  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Gastrointestinal Disease ◽  
Bifidobacterium Longum ◽  
Dairy Calves ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Probiotic Properties ◽  
Fecal Samples ◽  
Fecal Microbiome ◽  
Microbiome Composition

Gastrointestinal disease (GI) is the most common illness in pre-weaned dairy calves. Studies have associated the fecal microbiome composition with health status, but it remains unclear how the microbiome changes across different levels of GI disease and breeds. Our objective was to associate the clinical symptoms of GI disease with the fecal microbiome. Fecal samples were collected from calves (n = 167) of different breeds (Holstein, Jersey, Jersey-cross and beef-cross) from 4–21 d of age. Daily clinical evaluations assessed health status. Calves with loose or watery feces were diagnosed with diarrhea and classified as bright-sick (BS) or depressed-sick (DS) according to behavior. Calves with normal or semiformed feces and no clinical illness were classified as healthy (H). One hundred and three fecal samples were obtained from consistently healthy calves and 64 samples were from calves with diarrhea (n = 39 BS; n = 25 DS). The V3-V4 region of 16S rRNA gene was sequenced and analyzed. Differences were identified by a linear-mixed effects model with a negative binomial error. DS and Jersey calves had a higher relative abundance of Streptococcus gallolyticus relative to H Holstein calves. In addition, DS calves had a lower relative abundance of Bifidobacterium longum and an enrichment of Escherichia coli. Species of the genus Lactobacillus, such as an unclassified Lactobacillus, Lactobacillus reuteri, and Lactobacillus salivarius were enriched in calves with GI disease. Moreover, we created a model to predict GI disease based on the fecal microbiome composition. The presence of Eggerthella lenta, Bifidobacterium longum, and Collinsella aerofaciens were associated with a healthy clinical outcome. Although lactobacilli are often associated with beneficial probiotic properties, the presence of E. coli and Lactobacillus species had the highest coefficients positively associated with GI disease prediction. Our results indicate that there are differences in the fecal microbiome of calves associated with GI disease severity and breed specificities.

scholarly journals Longitudinal Survey of Fecal Microbiota in Healthy Dogs Administered a Commercial Probiotic

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Ciaravolo ◽  
Lina María Martínez-López ◽  
Richard J. N. Allcock ◽  
Andrew P. Woodward ◽  
Caroline Mansfield
Keyword(s):  
Fecal Microbiota ◽  
Longitudinal Survey ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Fecal Microbiome ◽  
Alpha And Beta Diversity ◽  
Microbiome Composition ◽  
Microbial Profiling ◽  
Healthy Dogs ◽  
Privately Owned ◽  
Baseline State

The aim of this longitudinal microbiome study was to investigate the effects of a commercially available veterinary synbiotic product (Blackmore's® Paw DigestiCare 60™) on the fecal microbiome of healthy dogs using 16S rRNA gene microbial profiling. Fifteen healthy, privately-owned dogs participated in a 2-week trial administration of the product. Fecal samples were collected at different time points, including baseline (prior to treatment), during administration and after discontinuation of product. Large intra- and inter-individual variation was observed throughout the study, but microbiome composition at higher phylogenetic levels, alpha and beta diversity were not significantly altered after 2 weeks of probiotic administration, suggesting an absence of probiotic impact on microbial diversity. Administration of the synbiotic preparation did, however, result in transient increases in probiotic species from Enterococacceae and Streptococacceae families as well as an increase in Fusobacteria; with the fecal microbiota partially reverting to its baseline state 3-weeks after cessation of probiotic administration.

scholarly journals A Multi-Omics Protocol for Swine Feces to Elucidate Longitudinal Dynamics in Microbiome Structure and Function

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 1887
Author(s):  
Laurin Gierse ◽  
Alexander Meene ◽  
Daniel Schultz ◽  
Theresa Schwaiger ◽  
Claudia Karte ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
16S Rrna ◽  
Short Chain Fatty Acids ◽  
Minimal Invasive ◽  
Intestinal Microbiome ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Fecal Microbiome ◽  
Longitudinal Dynamics ◽  
Microbiome Composition ◽  
Swine Feces ◽  
And Function

Swine are regarded as promising biomedical models, but the dynamics of their gastrointestinal microbiome have been much less investigated than that of humans or mice. The aim of this study was to establish an integrated multi-omics protocol to investigate the fecal microbiome of healthy swine. To this end, a preparation and analysis protocol including integrated sample preparation for meta-omics analyses of deep-frozen feces was developed. Subsequent data integration linked microbiome composition with function, and metabolic activity with protein inventories, i.e., 16S rRNA data and expressed proteins, and identified proteins with corresponding metabolites. 16S rRNA gene amplicon and metaproteomics analyses revealed a fecal microbiome dominated by Prevotellaceae, Lactobacillaceae, Lachnospiraceae, Ruminococcaceae and Clostridiaceae. Similar microbiome compositions in feces and colon, but not ileum samples, were observed, showing that feces can serve as minimal-invasive proxy for porcine colon microbiomes. Longitudinal dynamics in composition, e.g., temporal decreased abundance of Lactobacillaceae and Streptococcaceae during the experiment, were not reflected in microbiome function. Instead, metaproteomics and metabolomics showed a rather stable functional state, as evident from short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) profiles and associated metaproteome functions, pointing towards functional redundancy among microbiome constituents. In conclusion, our pipeline generates congruent data from different omics approaches on the taxonomy and functionality of the intestinal microbiome of swine.

scholarly journals Characterizing the fecal bacteria and archaea community of heifers and lactating cows through 16S rRNA next-generation sequencing

2020 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 593-605
Author(s):  
Filippo Cendron ◽  
Giovanni Niero ◽  
Gabriele Carlino ◽  
Mauro Penasa ◽  
Martino Cassandro
Keyword(s):  
16S Rrna ◽  
16S Rrna Gene Sequencing ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Fecal Bacteria ◽  
Fecal Microbiome ◽  
Alpha And Beta Diversity ◽  
Microbiome Composition ◽  
Lactating Cows ◽  
Holstein Friesian ◽  
Rrna Gene Sequencing

AbstractThe aim of this study was to describe the fecal bacteria and archaea composition of Holstein-Friesian and Simmental heifers and lactating cows, using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Bacteria and archaea communities were characterized and compared between heifers and cows of the same breed. Two breeds from different farms were considered, just to speculate about the conservation of the microbiome differences between cows and heifers that undergo different management conditions. The two breeds were from two different herds. Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria were the most abundant phyla in all experimental groups. Alpha- and beta-diversity metrics showed significant differences between heifers and cows within the same breed, supported by principal coordinate analysis. The analysis of Holstein-Friesian fecal microbiome composition revealed 3 different bacteria families, 2 genera, and 2 species that differed between heifers and cows; on the other hand, Simmental heifers and cows differed only for one bacteria family, one archaeal genus, and one bacteria species. Results of the present study suggest that fecal communities of heifers and cows are different, and that fecal microbiome is maintained across experimental groups.

scholarly journals Analysis of Hindgut Microbiome of Sheep and Effect of Different Husbandry Conditions

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 4
Author(s):  
Giulietta Minozzi ◽  
Filippo Biscarini ◽  
Emanuela Dalla Costa ◽  
Matteo Chincarini ◽  
Nicola Ferri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Animal Health ◽  
Control Group ◽  
P Value ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Microbial Composition ◽  
Core Microbiome ◽  
Fecal Microbiome ◽  
Microbiome Composition ◽  
The Core ◽  
Wide Range

The microbiome is now seen as an important resource to understand animal health and welfare in many species. However, there are few studies aiming at identifying the association between fecal microbiome composition and husbandry conditions in sheep. A wide range of stressors associated with management and housing of animals increases the hypothalamic–pituitary axis activity, with growing evidence that the microbiome composition can be modified. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to describe the core microbiome in sheep, characterized using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and to explore whether exposure to stressful husbandry conditions changed sheep hindgut microbiome composition. Sheep (n = 10) were divided in two groups: isolated group (individually separated for 3 h/day) and control group (housed in the home pen for the entire trial period). Sheep core microbiome was dominated by Firmicutes (43.6%), Bacteroidetes (30.38%), Proteobacteria (10.14%), and Verrucomicrobia (7.55%). Comparative results revealed few operational taxonomic units (OTUs) with significantly different relative abundance between groups. Chao1, abundance-based coverage estimator (ACE), and Fisher’s alpha indices did not show differences between groups. OTU-based Bray–Curtis distances between groups were not significant (p-value = 0.07). In conclusion, these results describing the core microbiome of sheep do not suggest a strong effect of stressful husbandry conditions on microbial composition.

scholarly journals Megasphaera in the stool microbiota is negatively associated with diarrheal cryptosporidiosis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maureen A. Carey ◽  
Gregory L. Medlock ◽  
Masud Alam ◽  
Mamun Kabir ◽  
Md Jashim Uddin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diarrheal Disease ◽  
16S Rrna Gene Sequencing ◽  
Fold Change ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Fecal Microbiome ◽  
Microbiome Composition ◽  
Random Forest Classification ◽  
Forest Classification ◽  
Microbiome Profile ◽  
Rrna Gene Sequencing

ABSTRACTBackgroundThe protozoan parasites in the Cryptosporidium genus cause both acute diarrheal disease and subclinical (i.e. non-diarrheal) disease. It is unclear if the microbiota can influence the manifestation of diarrhea during a Cryptosporidium infection.MethodsTo characterize the role of the gut microbiota in diarrheal cryptosporidiosis, the microbiome composition of both diarrheal and surveillance Cryptosporidium-positive fecal samples was evaluated using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Additionally, the microbiome composition prior to infection was examined to test whether a preexisting microbiome profile could influence the Cryptosporidium infection phenotype.ResultsFecal microbiome composition was associated with diarrheal symptoms at two timepoints. Megasphaera was significantly less abundant in diarrheal samples when compared to subclinical samples at the time of Cryptosporidium detection (log2(fold change) = -4.3, p=10−10) and prior to infection (log2(fold change) = -2.0, p=10−4). Random forest classification also identified Megasphaera abundance in the pre- and post-exposure microbiota.as predictive of a subclinical infection.ConclusionsMicrobiome composition broadly, and specifically low Megasphaera abundance, was associated with diarrheal symptoms prior to and at the time of Cryptosporidium detection. This observation suggests that the gut microenvironment may play a role in determining the severity of a Cryptosporidium infection.SummaryMegasphaera abundance in the stool of Bangladeshi infants is associated with the development of diarrhea upon infection with the Cryptosporidium parasite.

scholarly journals Gut Microbiome Biomarkers in Adolescent Obesity: a Regional Study

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuefeng Gao ◽  
Binbin Wu ◽  
Yonglong Pan ◽  
Shaoming Zhou ◽  
Ming Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Gut Microbiome ◽  
Blood Pressure Measurement ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Case Control Studies ◽  
Regional Study ◽  
Microbial Composition ◽  
Bacterial Gene ◽  
Fecal Microbiome ◽  
Microbiome Composition

ABSTRACTPurposeThis study aimed to characterize the gut microbiota in obese Shenzhen adolescents, and evaluate the influence of gender on BMI-related differences in the gut microbiome.MethodsPhysical examinations, blood pressure measurement, serological assay, and body composition evaluation were conducted on two-hundred and five adolescents from Shenzhen. Fecal microbiome composition was profiled via 16S rRNA gene sequencing. A Random Forest (RF) classifier model was built to distinguish the BMI categories based on the gut bacterial composition.ResultsFifty-six taxa consisting mainly of Firmicutes were identified that having significant associations with BMI; two OTUs belonging to Ruminococcaceae and one belonging to Lachnospiraceae had relatively strong positive correlations with body fate rate, waistline, and most of serum biochemical parameters. Based on the 56 BMI-associated OTUs, the RF model showed a robust classification accuracy (AUC 0.96) for predicting the obese phenotype. Gender-specific differences in the gut microbiome composition was obtained, and a lower relative abundance of Odoribacter was particularly found in obese boys. Functional analysis revealed a deficiency in bacterial gene contents related to PPAR signaling pathway in obese subjects for both genders; significantly lower levels of adipocytokine signaling pathway and ethylbenzene degradation were particularly detected in obese girls.ConclusionsThis study revealed unique features of gut microbiome in terms of microbial composition and metabolic functions in obese Shenzhen adolescents. The effect of geographical location, age and gender on the gut microbiome should be carefully considered in case–control studies.

scholarly journals Diet assessments as a tool to control invasive species: comparison between Monk and Rose-ringed parakeets with stable isotopes

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
N A Borray-Escalante ◽  
D Mazzoni ◽  
A Ortega-Segalerva ◽  
L Arroyo ◽  
V Morera-Pujol ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Effective Control ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
Δ13c And Δ15n ◽  
Isotopic Signatures ◽  
Monk Parakeet ◽  
Anthropogenic Food

Abstract Food is a main limiting factor for most populations. As a consequence, knowledge about the diet of invasive alien species determines the design of control measures. The Monk and Rose-ringed parakeets are two typical species of successful invasive parrots that are highly appreciated by people. Although some observations suggest that Monk parakeets rely on a higher percentage of anthropogenic food than Rose-ringed parakeets, no detailed quantitative data is available. The aim of this study was to compare the diet of the two parakeets using stable isotope analysis (SIA). We performed SIA of carbon and nitrogen in feathers collected in Barcelona, Spain. We also measured isotopic ratios for potential food sources. We reconstructed the diet of parakeets using Bayesian mixing models. The two species differed in the isotopic signatures of their feathers for both δ13C and δ15N. Diet reconstruction showed that Monk parakeets feed mainly on anthropogenic food (41.7%), herbaceous plants (26.9%) and leaves/seeds (22.2%), while Rose-ringed parakeets feed mainly on flowers/fruits (44.1%), anthropogenic food provided in the trap located at the museum (32.4%) and leaves/seeds (23.1%). The more detailed information we can obtain from the diet of these species is useful to develop more effective control measures for their populations. The Monk parakeet may be more susceptible to control through education local residents, given the greater use of anthropogenic food in this species compared to Rose-ringed parakeet. Our conclusions also indicate that SIA is a powerful tool in providing crucial information about the diet and informing measures to control invasive species.

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