Abstract
The gut microbiota represents a source of genetic and metabolic diversity of a complex polymicrobial ecosystem within its host. To investigate age-based variations of the gut microbiota among Shennongjia golden snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana hubeiensis), we characterized the microbial species in fecal samples from 18 Shennongjia golden snub-nosed monkeys evenly pooled into 3 aged groups (Group 1, 1-3 years; Group 2, 5-8 years; Group 3, above 12 years) in Shennongjia, Hubei Province, China. Genomic DNA was extracted from fecal samples, and the 16S rRNA gene V4 region was sequenced using the Illumina high-throughput MiSeq platform PE250. A total of 28 microbial phyla were identified in the gut microbiome of these monkeys with the ten most abundant phyla (i.e., Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Verrucomicrobia, Spirochaetes, Tenericutes, Proteobacteria, Planctomycetes, Fibrobacteres, Cyanobacteria, and Euryarchaeota). A total of 1,469 (of 16 phyla and 166 genera), 1,381 (of 16 phyla and 157 genera), and 1,931 (of 19 phyla and 190 genera) operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were revealed in Groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively, with Group 3 containing the most diverse groups of OTUs as revealed by the species relative abundance clustering analysis. These results suggest that the gut microbiota in these monkeys maintain a dynamic status, starting from the early developmental stages of life with the species relative abundance increasing with age. This is the first study to comprehensively characterize the gut microbiota and provide valuable information for monitoring the health and nutritional needs of this endangered primate at different ages.
Highlights
The snub-nosed monkeys comprise the genus Rhinopithecus, representing a radiation of Asian colobines including R. roxellana, R. bieti, R. brelichi, R. avunculus, and R. strykeri [1, 2]
The population of golden snub-nosed monkeys in the Shennongjia National Nature Reserve, Hubei, China, is recognized as R. roxellana hubeiensis and is one of the endangered colobine species listed in the Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species [4]
The rarefaction curves obtained by plotting the number of operational taxon units (OTUs) with the number of reads for all fecal samples were used to evaluate the efficacy of sampling efforts (Figure S1)
Summary
The snub-nosed monkeys comprise the genus Rhinopithecus, representing a radiation of Asian colobines including R. roxellana, R. bieti, R. brelichi, R. avunculus, and R. strykeri [1, 2]. The Shennongjia golden snub-nosed monkeys generally live in a group composed of several small family (reproductive) units responsible for producing infants with one male individual responsible for the safety of the entire group [6] They normally mate from August to October and give birth between March and June each year [7]. They are only found within the Shennongjia National Nature Reserve, Hubei Province, China, in the temperate deciduous and coniferous forests at the elevation of ~2200 m [7,8,9,10]. Field studies from several sites across China have documented that the self-feeding foods account for ~74%, 68%, ~81%, and~53% of their total foods in spring, summer, autumn, and winter, respectively [7, 9]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
