Abstract
BackgroundExtrinsic and intrinsic factors have been shown to influence nasal microbiota (NM) in humans. Very few studies investigated the association between nasal microbiota and factors such as facial/body conformation, age, and environment in dogs. The objectives are to investigate variations in NM in healthy dogs with different facial and body conformations. A total of 46 dogs of different age, living environment and from 3 different breed groups were recruited: 22 meso−/dolichocephalic medium to large breed dogs, 12 brachycephalic dogs and 12 terrier breeds. The nasal bacterial microbiota was assessed through sequencing of 16S rRNA gene (V1-V3 regions) amplicons.ResultsWe showed major differences in the NM composition together with increased richness and α-diversity in brachycephalic dogs, compared to meso−/dolichocephalic medium to large dogs and dogs from terrier breeds.ConclusionHealthy brachycephalic breeds and their unique facial conformation is associated with a distinct NM profile. Description of the NM in healthy dogs serves as a foundation for future researches assessing the changes associated with disease and the modulation of NM communities as a potential treatment.
Highlights
Extrinsic and intrinsic factors have been shown to influence nasal microbiota (NM) in humans
We showed major differences in the NM composition together with increased richness and α-diversity in brachycephalic dogs, compared to meso−/dolichocephalic medium to large dogs and dogs from terrier breeds
The nasal microbial population was largely dominated by the phylum Proteobacteria and the family Moraxellaceae, in accordance with what has been described in previous studies using 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) gene amplicon sequencing for bacterial analysis [7, 9, 10]
Summary
Extrinsic and intrinsic factors have been shown to influence nasal microbiota (NM) in humans. Studies investigating the composition of the microbial communities of the nasal cavities in healthy individuals using culture-independent molecular methods have arisen over the last decade in humans [1,2,3,4,5,6] and more recently in companion animal veterinary medicine [7,8,9,10,11]. In healthy humans, both extrinsic and intrinsic factors have been reported to shape an individual’s upper airway microbiome. While a greater mucosal diversity may play a role in limiting inflammation and protecting against infections [22,23,24], potential microbial species known as “keystone species” may have a beneficial effect on the ecosystem’s balance, function and health [21, 25, 26]
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