High-Throughput Analysis Reveals Seasonal Variation of the Gut Microbiota Composition Within Forest Musk Deer (Moschus berezovskii).

ABSTRACT: The gut microbiota plays a key role in the nutritional ecology of ruminants, and host diet has a significant effect on these microbial communities. Longitudinal studies assessing variation of seasonal microbiota in animals can provide a comparative context for interpreting the adaptive significance of such changes. However, few studies have investigated the effects of seasonally-related dietary shifts on the gut microbial communities of endangered forest musk deer (FMD), and the national breeding programs need this information to promote the growth of captive populations. The present study applied bacterial 16S rRNA genes based on high-throughput sequencing to profile the fecal microbial communities of FMD across four seasons. Microbial diversity was higher in seasons with dry leaf diets (

SUBMITTER: Hu X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6070636 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature