Characterization of the Gut Microbiota in the Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens)

Fanli Kong,Huailiang Xu,Jiangchao Zhao,Xiaohui Si,Benqing Yang,Shushu Han,Mingyao Yang,Jiandong Yang,Ying Li,Bo Zeng,Adam Driks

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0087885

Abstract

The red panda is the only living species of the genus Ailurus. Like giant pandas, red pandas are also highly specialized to feed mainly on highly fibrous bamboo. Although several studies have focused on the gut microbiota in the giant panda, little is known about the gut microbiota of the red panda. In this study, we characterized the fecal microbiota from both wild (n = 16) and captive (n = 6) red pandas using a pyrosequecing based approach targeting the V1-V3 hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA gene. Distinct bacterial communities were observed between the two groups based on both membership and structure. Wild red pandas maintained significantly higher community diversity, richness and evenness than captive red pandas, the communities of which were skewed and dominated by taxa associated with Firmicutes. Phylogenetic analysis of the top 50 OTUs revealed that 10 of them were related to known cellulose degraders. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study of the gut microbiota of the red panda. Our data suggest that, similar to the giant panda, the gut microbiota in the red panda might also play important roles in the digestion of bamboo.

Highlights

Red pandas (Ailurus fulgens) are attractive animals endemic to the temperate forests of the Himalayas, ranging from the foothills of western Nepal to the southwest of China [1]
We hypothesize that: i) the gut microbiota of wild and captive red pandas differs in membership and structure; and ii) the gut microbiota of red pandas consists of members related to cellulose digestion
Several studies have focused on the gut microbiota in the giant panda due to its unique bamboo-specialized diet, using both culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches

Summary

Introduction

Red pandas (Ailurus fulgens) are attractive animals endemic to the temperate forests of the Himalayas, ranging from the foothills of western Nepal to the southwest of China [1]. The red panda is the only living species of the genus Ailurus and the family Ailuridae [2]. As of 2006, about 800 red pandas had been listed by the international studbook as living in zoos or parks worldwide [4]. Culture-independent metagenomic analysis has revealed the presence of cellulose degraders in the gut microbiota of the giant panda [10,11]. The composition, structure and role of the gut microbiota in the red panda remain largely unknown. We characterized the fecal microbiota from both wild and captive red pandas. We hypothesize that: i) the gut microbiota of wild and captive red pandas differs in membership and structure; and ii) the gut microbiota of red pandas consists of members related to cellulose digestion

Methods

Results

Conclusion