Abstract
The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is one of the most endangered mammals in the world; anthropogenic habitat loss and poaching still threaten the survival of wild pandas. Viral infection has become one of the potential threats to the health of these animals, but the available information related to these infections is still limited. In order to detect possible vertebrate viruses, the virome in the fecal samples of seven wild giant pandas from Qinling Mountains was investigated by using the method of viral metagenomics. From the fecal virome of wild giant pandas, we determined six nearly complete genomes belonging to the order Picornavirales, two of which may be qualified as a novel virus family or genus. In addition, four complete genomes belonging to the Genomoviridae family were also fully characterized. This virological investigation has increased our understanding of the gut viral community in giant pandas. Whether these viruses detected in fecal samples can really infect giant panda needs further research.
Highlights
The giant panda, Ailuropoda melanoleuca, is the only mammal belonging to the genus Ailuropoda, family Ursidae, of the order Carnivora [1]
A great deal of effort has been put into preserving this iconic species; increasing evidence emphasizes the close interaction between the gut microflora and animal health [29, 30]
We investigated the gut virome from seven wild giant pandas; overall, viruses that may infect bacteriophages, vertebrates, plants, and insects have been detected (Supplementary Table S1), and the number of bacteriophages accounted for the majority of the total number of viruses, with families Drexlerviridae and Siphoviridae [31, 32], overwhelmingly accounting for ∼51.29 and 17.93%, respectively
Summary
The giant panda, Ailuropoda melanoleuca, is the only mammal belonging to the genus Ailuropoda, family Ursidae, of the order Carnivora [1]. Giant pandas live in dense bamboo forests at an altitude of 2,500–3,500 m in southwestern China [2]. Bamboo is the primary food source for giant pandas, and there are 12 general and more than 60 species of bamboo categories for giant pandas to eat. The life span of wild giant pandas is 18–20 years and can exceed 30 years in captivity. Giant pandas have lived on the earth for at least 8 million years and are the flagship species of the world’s biodiversity conservation [3]. By January 2021, the wild population of giant pandas in China has increased to more than 1,800
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