Plasticity of the gut microbiome of golden snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana) in response to seasonal variation in diet.

ABSTRACT: The effects of seasonal fluctuations in food availability on gut microbiome composition, diversity, and function present significant challenges to animals with hard-to-digest diets. Here, we investigate seasonal variation the gut microbiome of wild golden snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana), a foregut fermenting primate, using metagenomics and metatranscriptomics data. We reconstructed 578 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), 76.5% of which did not have exact matches in reference databases, highlighting the novelty of their gut microbiota. The gut microbiome of wild golden snub-nosed monkeys exhibited high diversity and enrichment in plant secondary compound metabolism during summer, while in winter it was enriched with enzymes that function in lichen polysaccharide degradation an

SUBMITTER: Zhang M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12373803 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature