scholarly journals Conservation Implications of Shifting Gut Microbiomes in Captive-Reared Endangered Voles Intended for Reintroduction into the Wild

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nora Allan ◽  
Trina Knotts ◽  
Risa Pesapane ◽  
Jon Ramsey ◽  
Stephanie Castle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Community ◽  
Food Source ◽  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Breeding Population ◽  
Microbial Composition ◽  
Multiple Generations ◽  
Conservation Implications ◽  
Functional Differences ◽  
Conservation Effort ◽  
Amargosa Vole

The Amargosa vole is a highly endangered rodent endemic to a small stretch of the Amargosa River basin in Inyo County, California. It specializes on a single, nutritionally marginal food source in nature. As part of a conservation effort to preserve the species, a captive breeding population was established to serve as an insurance colony and a source of individuals to release into the wild as restored habitat becomes available. The colony has successfully been maintained on commercial diets for multiple generations, but there are concerns that colony animals could lose gut microbes necessary to digest a wild diet. We analyzed feces from colony-reared and recently captured wild-born voles on various diets, and foregut contents from colony and wild voles. Unexpectedly, fecal microbial composition did not greatly differ despite drastically different diets and differences observed were mostly in low-abundance microbes. In contrast, colony vole foregut microbiomes were dominated by Allobaculum sp. while wild foreguts were dominated by Lactobacillus sp. If these bacterial community differences result in beneficial functional differences in digestion, then captive-reared Amargosa voles should be prepared prior to release into the wild to minimize or eliminate those differences to maximize their chance of success.

scholarly journals Loss of Genetic Diversity with Captive Breeding and Re-Introduction: A Case Study on Pateke/Brown Teal (Anas chlorotis)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Gemma Bowker-Wright
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Mitochondrial Dna ◽  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Barrier Island ◽  
Breeding Population ◽  
Island Population ◽  
Wildlife Sanctuary ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Introduced Populations ◽  
Loss Of Genetic Diversity

<p>Pateke/brown teal (Anas chlorotis) have experienced a severe population crash leaving only two remnant wild populations (at Great Barrier Island and Mimiwhangata, Northland). Recovery attempts over the last 35 years have focused on an intensive captive breeding programme which breeds pateke, sourced almost exclusively from Great Barrier Island, for release to establish re-introduced populations in areas occupied in the past. While this important conservation measure may have increased pateke numbers, it was unclear how much of their genetic diversity was being retained. The goal of this study was to determine current levels of genetic variation in the remnant, captive and re-introduced pateke populations using two types of molecular marker, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and microsatellite DNA. Feathers were collected from pateke at Great Barrier Island, Mimiwhangata, the captive breeding population and four re-introduced populations (at Moehau, Karori Wildlife Sanctuary, Tiritiri Matangi Island and Mana Island). DNA was extracted from the base of the feathers, the mitochondrial DNA control region was sequenced, and DNA microsatellite markers were used to genotype individuals. The Great Barrier Island population was found to have only two haplotypes, one in very high abundance which may indicate that historically this population was very small. The captive breeding population and all four re-introduced populations were found to contain only the abundant Great Barrier Island haplotype as the vast majority of captive founders were sourced from this location. In contrast, the Mimiwhangata population contained genetic diversity and 11 haplotypes were found, including the Great Barrier Island haplotype which may have been introduced by captive-bred releases which occurred until the early 1990s. From the microsatellite results, a loss of genetic diversity (measured as average alleles per locus, heterozygosity and allelic richness) was found from Great Barrier Island to captivity and from captivity to re-introduction. Overall genetic diversity within the re-introduced populations (particularly the smaller re-introduced populations at Karori Wildlife Sanctuary, Tiritiri Matangi Island and Mana Island) was much reduced compared with the remnant populations, most probably as a result of small release numbers and small population size. Such loss of genetic diversity could render the re-introduced populations more susceptible to inbreeding depression in the future. Suggested future genetic management options are included which aim for a broader representation of genetic diversity in the pateke captive breeding and release programme.</p>

Age, gut location and diet impact the gut microbiome of a tropical herbivorous surgeonfish

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lara Parata ◽  
Shaun Nielsen ◽  
Xing Xing ◽  
Torsten Thomas ◽  
Suhelen Egan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reef ◽  
Gastrointestinal Tract ◽  
Bacterial Community ◽  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Bacterial Communities ◽  
Food Source ◽  
Amplicon Sequencing ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Bacterial Symbionts ◽  
Adult Fish

Abstract Herbivorous fishes play important ecological roles in coral reefs by consuming algae that can otherwise outcompete corals, but we know little about the gut microbiota that facilitates this process. This study focussed on the gut microbiota of an ecologically important coral reef fish, the convict surgeonfish Acanthurus triostegus. We sought to understand how the microbiome of this species varies along its gastrointestinal tract and how it varies between juvenile and adult fish. Further, we examined if the bacteria associated with the diet consumed by juveniles contributes to the gut microbiota. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing showed that bacterial communities associated with the midgut and hindgut regions were distinct between adults and juveniles, however, no significant differences were seen for gut wall samples. The microbiota associated with the epilithic algal food source was similar to that of the juvenile midgut and gut wall but differed from the microbiome of the hindgut. A core bacterial community including members of taxa Epulopiscium and Brevinemataceae was observed across all gastrointestinal and diet samples, suggesting that these bacterial symbionts can be acquired by juvenile convict surgeonfish horizontally via their diet and then are retained into adulthood.

scholarly journals High-Throughput, Sequence-Based Analysis of the Microbiota of Greek Kefir Grains from Two Geographic Regions

2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 138-146
Author(s):  
Mary S. Kalamaki ◽  
Apostolos S. Angelidis
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Community ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Geographic Origin ◽  
Probiotic Properties ◽  
Sequencing Analysis ◽  
Microbial Composition ◽  
Bacterial Phyla ◽  
Geographic Regions ◽  
Kefir Grains

Research background. Kefir is a natural probiotic drink traditionally produced by milk fermentation using kefir grains. Kefir grains are composed of a complex population of bacteria and yeasts embedded in a polysaccharide-protein matrix. The geographic origin of kefir grains may largely influence their microbial composition and the associated kefir drink properties. Although the detailed bacterial composition of kefir grains from several geographic regions has been reported, to date, analogous data about the microbiome of Greek kefir are lacking. Hence, the aim of this study is to investigate the structure and the diversity of the bacterial community of Greek kefir grains.Experimental approach. The bacterial community structure and diversity of two different kefir grains from distant geographic regions in Greece were examined via high-throughput sequencing analysis, a culture-independent metagenomic approach, targeting the 16S rRNA V4 variable region, in order to gain a deeper understanding of their bacterial population diversities.Results and conclusions. Firmicutes (a phylum that includes lactic acid bacteria) was strikingly dominant amongst the identified bacterial phyla, with over 99 % of the sequences from both kefir grains classified to this phylum. At the family level, Lactobacillaceae sequences accounted for more than 98 % of the operational taxonomic units (OTUs), followed by Ruminococcaceae, Lahnospiraceae, Bacteroidaceae and other bacterial families of lesser abundance. Α relatively small number of bacterial genera dominated, with Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens being the most abundant in both kefir grains (95.0 % of OTUs in kefir A and 96.3 % of OTUs in kefir B). However, a quite variable subdominant population was also present in both grains, including bacterial genera that have been previously associated with the gastrointestinal tract of humans and animals, some of which are believed to possess probiotic properties (Faecalibacterium spp., Bacteroides spp., Blautia spp.). Differences among the bacterial profiles of the two grains were very small indicating a high homogeneity despite the distant geographic origin.Novelty and scientific contribution. This is the first study to deeply explore and report on the bacterial diversity and species richness of Greek kefir.

scholarly journals Using Noninvasive Genetic Sampling to Survey Rare Butterfly Populations

Insects ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 311
Author(s):  
Caroline Storer ◽  
Jaret Daniels ◽  
Lei Xiao ◽  
Kristin Rossetti
Keyword(s):  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Genetic Material ◽  
Breeding Population ◽  
Sample Collection ◽  
Genetic Sampling ◽  
Miami Blue Butterfly ◽  
Analysis Laboratory ◽  
Conservation Concern ◽  
Future Evaluation

Advances in nondestructive genetic sampling techniques continue to offer new opportunities for studying organisms, particularly those of conservation concern where more traditional invasive sampling methods are often not available. As part of a proof-of-concept, we investigated the effectiveness of using the chorion from residual butterfly egg debris as a source of viable genetic material for analysis. Laboratory material from a captive breeding population of the federally endangered Miami blue butterfly (Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri) was used to test efficacy and refine the methodology. The resulting best practices were subsequently evaluated using field-collected material from extant north Florida populations of the at-risk frosted elfin butterfly (Callophyrs irus). Our results demonstrated that it is possible to extract DNA of sufficiently high quantity and quality for successful gene sequencing. We additionally describe a simple, low-cost, and reliable method of collecting and storing egg debris samples that can be consistently adopted for field or laboratory work as well as deployed with projects that have a larger geographic scope and/or involve citizen scientists. Potential limitations related to field sample collection are discussed as well as needs for future evaluation.

scholarly journals Induction of Reproductive Behaviors by Exogenous Hormones in Captive Southern Rocky Mountain Boreal Toads, Anaxyrus boreas boreas

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalie Emma Calatayud ◽  
Amanda Kathryn Mullen ◽  
Cecilia Jane Langhorne
Keyword(s):  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Hormone Treatment ◽  
Breeding Population ◽  
Treatment Protocols ◽  
Reproductive Behaviors ◽  
Exogenous Hormones ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Southern Rocky Mountain

ABSTRACTLoss of reproductive viability, physiologically and/or behaviorally, can have profound effects on the fitness of a captive population and conservation efforts. The southern rocky mountain (SRM) population of the boreal toad has declined over the past 35 years, making captive breeding necessary to protect and augment the species in the wild. In recent years, a notable reduction in the incidence of amplexus and viable offspring from the captive breeding population has been observed. Hormone treatment protocols to stimulate gamete release in males and females are established in this species and in vitro fertilization has been performed successfully. However, successful hormone stimulation of reproductive behaviors and natural fertilization has not been well documented. During the breeding season of 2012, 24 males and 24 female toads were selected from a population of over 600 captive animals. Both sexes were treated with Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (GnRH) or phosphate buffered saline (PBS). Females were primed twice with 3.7IU/g hCG and then injected with an ovulatory dose (OvD) of 13.5 IU/ g BW (Body weight) hCG and 0.4 μg/ g BW GnRH. Males were injected a single time with 10 IU/g BW hCG and 0.4 μg/ g BW GnRH, 12 h after females received their OvD. In 2013, knowing the approximate time when females oviposited after hormone treatments, we tested the best time to induce amplexus and spermiation. Males were divided into 4 groups and injected at 4 different times: (a) 12 h before females OvD; (b) at the same time as OvD; (c) 12 h after OvD; (d) control injected with PBS. Results from 2012 indicated that oviposition was solely dependent on females receiving hormone treatments not males. However, in 2013 we found that the duration of amplexus significantly influenced oviposition (P>0.05), and males injected 12 h prior to females spent more time in amplexus than males injected at the same time or 12 h after the females received hormones. Promoting reproductive behaviors and synchronizing gamete deposition continues to be imprecise and may require more than exogenous hormones. The complexity of promoting breeding behaviors may require a closer assessment of the captive environment.

scholarly journals Loss of Genetic Diversity with Captive Breeding and Re-Introduction: A Case Study on Pateke/Brown Teal (Anas chlorotis)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Gemma Bowker-Wright
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Mitochondrial Dna ◽  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Barrier Island ◽  
Breeding Population ◽  
Island Population ◽  
Wildlife Sanctuary ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Introduced Populations ◽  
Loss Of Genetic Diversity

<p>Pateke/brown teal (Anas chlorotis) have experienced a severe population crash leaving only two remnant wild populations (at Great Barrier Island and Mimiwhangata, Northland). Recovery attempts over the last 35 years have focused on an intensive captive breeding programme which breeds pateke, sourced almost exclusively from Great Barrier Island, for release to establish re-introduced populations in areas occupied in the past. While this important conservation measure may have increased pateke numbers, it was unclear how much of their genetic diversity was being retained. The goal of this study was to determine current levels of genetic variation in the remnant, captive and re-introduced pateke populations using two types of molecular marker, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and microsatellite DNA. Feathers were collected from pateke at Great Barrier Island, Mimiwhangata, the captive breeding population and four re-introduced populations (at Moehau, Karori Wildlife Sanctuary, Tiritiri Matangi Island and Mana Island). DNA was extracted from the base of the feathers, the mitochondrial DNA control region was sequenced, and DNA microsatellite markers were used to genotype individuals. The Great Barrier Island population was found to have only two haplotypes, one in very high abundance which may indicate that historically this population was very small. The captive breeding population and all four re-introduced populations were found to contain only the abundant Great Barrier Island haplotype as the vast majority of captive founders were sourced from this location. In contrast, the Mimiwhangata population contained genetic diversity and 11 haplotypes were found, including the Great Barrier Island haplotype which may have been introduced by captive-bred releases which occurred until the early 1990s. From the microsatellite results, a loss of genetic diversity (measured as average alleles per locus, heterozygosity and allelic richness) was found from Great Barrier Island to captivity and from captivity to re-introduction. Overall genetic diversity within the re-introduced populations (particularly the smaller re-introduced populations at Karori Wildlife Sanctuary, Tiritiri Matangi Island and Mana Island) was much reduced compared with the remnant populations, most probably as a result of small release numbers and small population size. Such loss of genetic diversity could render the re-introduced populations more susceptible to inbreeding depression in the future. Suggested future genetic management options are included which aim for a broader representation of genetic diversity in the pateke captive breeding and release programme.</p>

scholarly journals Characterization of Microbial Communities and Composition in Constructed Dairy Wetland Wastewater Effluent

2003 ◽  
Vol 69 (9) ◽  
pp. 5060-5069 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Mark Ibekwe ◽  
Catherine M. Grieve ◽  
Stephen R. Lyon
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Community ◽  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Constructed Wetlands ◽  
Oxygen Demand ◽  
Land Application ◽  
Fecal Coliforms ◽  
Ammonia Oxidizing Bacteria ◽  
Microbial Composition ◽  
Α Subunit ◽  
Total Bacterial Community

ABSTRACT Constructed wetlands have been recognized as a removal treatment option for high concentrations of contaminants in agricultural waste before land application. The goal of this study was to characterize microbial composition in two constructed wetlands designed to remove contaminants from dairy washwater. Water samples were collected weekly for 11 months from two wetlands to determine the efficiency of the treatment system in removal of chemical contaminants and total and fecal coliforms. The reduction by the treatment was greatest for biological oxygen demand, suspended solids, chemical oxygen demand, nitrate, and coliforms. There was only moderate removal of total nitrogen and phosphorus. Changes in the total bacterial community and ammonia-oxidizing bacterial composition were examined by using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and sequencing of PCR-amplified fragments of the gene carrying the α subunit of the ammonia monooxygenase gene (amoA) recovered from soil samples and DGGE bands. DGGE analysis of wetlands and manure samples revealed that the total bacterial community composition was dominated by bacteria from phylogenetic clusters related to Bacillus, Clostridium, Mycoplasma, Eubacterium, and Proteobacteria originally retrieved from the gastrointestinal tracts of mammals. The population of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria showed a higher percentage of Nitrosospira-like sequences from the wetland samples, while a higher percentage of Nitrosomonas-like sequences from manure, feces, raw washwater, and facultative pond was found. These results show that the wetland system is a natural process dependent upon the development of healthy microbial communities for optimal wastewater treatment.

Nutrient availability and organic matter quality shape bacterial community structure in a lake biofilm

2020 ◽  
Vol 85 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
RC Seballos ◽  
KH Wyatt ◽  
RJ Bernot ◽  
SP Brown ◽  
S Chandra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Community Structure ◽  
Bacterial Community ◽  
Bacterial Community Structure ◽  
Heterotrophic Bacteria ◽  
Interspecific Interactions ◽  
Molecular Techniques ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Microbial Composition ◽  
Organic Matter Quality

Heterotrophic bacteria play a key role in ecosystem processes, but little is known about the factors that shape bacterial community structure in aquatic biofilms, especially in lakes. We used molecular techniques (16S rRNA) to evaluate resource controls on biofilm bacterial community structure in an oligotrophic subalpine lake. We manipulated nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus; NP) and glucose (G) on inorganic (rock) and organic (wood) substrates under light and dark conditions (i.e. with and without autotrophy, respectively) in a full factorial design using nutrient diffusing substrates in situ for 20 d. Distinct patterns of separation in community structure between treatments with nutrients (NP, NP+G) and without nutrients (control, G-only) indicated that community structure was more strongly influenced by nutrients than organic matter irrespective of substrate type or light availability. Further separation in community structure between treatments with nutrients only (NP) and nutrients with glucose (NP+G) on both organic and inorganic substrates indicated that once nutrient limitation was alleviated, organic matter quality played an important role in shaping community structure. Differences in the relative abundance of 6 phyla, 3 classes, and 19 genera among treatments revealed (1) contrasting taxa-specific resource requirements, (2) the influence of interspecific interactions on composition, and (3) the potential for individual taxa to participate in the decomposition of recalcitrant organic matter. Our findings provide insight into the role that nutrients and organic matter quality play in shaping bacterial community structure, which is a critical step in bridging the knowledge gap between microbial composition and ecosystem function within aquatic environments.

scholarly journals Cecal Microbiome Analyses on Wild Japanese Rock Ptarmigans (Lagopus muta japonica) Reveals High Level of Coexistence of Lactic Acid Bacteria and Lactate-Utilizing Bacteria

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Atsushi Ueda ◽  
Atsushi Kobayashi ◽  
Sayaka Tsuchida ◽  
Takuji Yamada ◽  
Koichi Murata ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lactic Acid ◽  
Lactic Acid Bacteria ◽  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Wild Animals ◽  
Microbial Structure ◽  
Gastrointestinal Microbiota ◽  
Microbial Composition ◽  
Conservation Program ◽  
Lagopus Muta ◽  
High Level

Preservation of indigenous gastrointestinal microbiota is critical for successful captive breeding of endangered wild animals, yet its biology is poorly understood. Here, we compared the cecal microbial composition of wild living Japanese rock ptarmigans (Lagopus muta japonica) in different locations of Japanese mountains, and the dominant cecal microbial structure of wild Japanese rock ptarmigans is elucidated. Coriobacteraceae and Lachnospraceae were the two dominant bacterial families in all samples analyzed. At the genus level, 10 genera Olsenella, Actinomyces, Megasphaera, Slackia, Cloacibacillus, Bifidobacterium,Escherichia,Dialister, Megamonas, and Bilophila were dominant. These results reveal the high level of coexistence of lactic acid bacteria (Olsenella and Bifidobacterium) and lactate-utilizing bacteria (Megasphaera). This coexistence should be taken into account for the successful breeding of captive Japanese rock ptarmigans in the national conservation program.

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