Human exploitation and destruction of tropical resources are currently threatening innumerable wild animal species, altering natural ecosystems and thus, food resources, with profound effects on gut microbiota. Given their conservation status and the importance to tropical ecosystems, wild nonhuman primates make excellent models to investigate the effect of human disturbance on the diversity of host-associated microbiota. Previous investigations have revealed a loss of fecal bacterial diversity in primates living in degraded compared to intact forests. However, these data are available for a limited number of species, and very limited information is available on the fungal taxa hosted by the gut. Here, we estimated the diversity and composition of gut bacterial and fungal communities in two primates living sympatrically in both human-modified and pristine forests in the Udzungwa Mountains of Tanzania. Noninvasively collected fecal samples of 12 groups of the Udzungwa red colobus (Procolobus gordonorum) (n = 89), a native and endangered primate (arboreal and predominantly leaf-eating), and five groups of the yellow baboon (Papio cynocephalus) (n = 69), a common species of least concern (ground-feeding and omnivorous), were analyzed by the V1-V3 region of the 16S rRNA gene (bacterial) and ITS1-ITS2 (fungal) sequencing. Gut bacterial diversities were associated with habitat in both species, most likely depending on their ecological niches and associated digestive physiology, dietary strategies, and locomotor behavior. In addition, fungal communities also show distinctive traits across hosts and habitat type, highlighting the importance of investigating this relatively unexplored gut component.

Barelli, C.; Albanese, D.; Stumpf, R.M.; Asangba, A.; Donati, C.; Rovero, F.; Hauffe, H. (2020). The gut microbiota communities of wild arboreal and ground-feeding tropical primates are affected differently by habitat disturbance. MSYSTEMS, 5 (3): e00061-20. doi: 10.1128/mSystems.00061-20 handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10449/62555

The gut microbiota communities of wild arboreal and ground-feeding tropical primates are affected differently by habitat disturbance

Barelli, C.
Primo
;
Albanese, D.;Donati, C.;Hauffe, H.
Ultimo
2020-01-01

Abstract

Human exploitation and destruction of tropical resources are currently threatening innumerable wild animal species, altering natural ecosystems and thus, food resources, with profound effects on gut microbiota. Given their conservation status and the importance to tropical ecosystems, wild nonhuman primates make excellent models to investigate the effect of human disturbance on the diversity of host-associated microbiota. Previous investigations have revealed a loss of fecal bacterial diversity in primates living in degraded compared to intact forests. However, these data are available for a limited number of species, and very limited information is available on the fungal taxa hosted by the gut. Here, we estimated the diversity and composition of gut bacterial and fungal communities in two primates living sympatrically in both human-modified and pristine forests in the Udzungwa Mountains of Tanzania. Noninvasively collected fecal samples of 12 groups of the Udzungwa red colobus (Procolobus gordonorum) (n = 89), a native and endangered primate (arboreal and predominantly leaf-eating), and five groups of the yellow baboon (Papio cynocephalus) (n = 69), a common species of least concern (ground-feeding and omnivorous), were analyzed by the V1-V3 region of the 16S rRNA gene (bacterial) and ITS1-ITS2 (fungal) sequencing. Gut bacterial diversities were associated with habitat in both species, most likely depending on their ecological niches and associated digestive physiology, dietary strategies, and locomotor behavior. In addition, fungal communities also show distinctive traits across hosts and habitat type, highlighting the importance of investigating this relatively unexplored gut component.
Tanzania
Udzungwa
Bacteria
Conservation
Fungi
Gut microbiota
Habitat degradation
Primates
Red colobus
Yellow baboon
Settore BIO/05 - ZOOLOGIA
2020
Barelli, C.; Albanese, D.; Stumpf, R.M.; Asangba, A.; Donati, C.; Rovero, F.; Hauffe, H. (2020). The gut microbiota communities of wild arboreal and ground-feeding tropical primates are affected differently by habitat disturbance. MSYSTEMS, 5 (3): e00061-20. doi: 10.1128/mSystems.00061-20 handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10449/62555
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
2020 M Barelli.pdf

accesso aperto

Tipologia: Versione editoriale (Publisher’s layout)
Licenza: Creative commons
Dimensione 2.48 MB
Formato Adobe PDF
2.48 MB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10449/62555
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 32
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 31
social impact