Dataset Information

Epidemiological Study of Betacoronaviruses in Captive Malayan Pangolins.

ABSTRACT: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has significantly affected international public health safety. It has been reported that the pathogen severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes COVID-19, could originate from bats and utilize the Malayan pangolin (Manis javanica) as an intermediate host. To gain further insights into the coronaviruses carried by pangolins, we investigated the occurrence of Betacoronavirus (β-CoV) infections in captive Malayan pangolins in the Guangdong province of China. We detected three β-CoV-positive M. javanica individuals with a positive rate of 6.98% and also detected β-CoV in two dead pangolins sampled in August 2019. The CoV carried by pangolins is a new β-CoV, which is genetically related to SARS-CoV-2. Furthermore, the expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) was detected in eight organs of pangolins, with the highest ACE2 mRNA levels in the kidney, suggesting that these organs could be at a risk of β-CoV infection. These results enable us to better understand the status of β-CoV carried by Malayan pangolins, while providing a theoretical basis for better pangolin protection and viral control.

SUBMITTER: Li L

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7982866 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Epidemiological Study of Betacoronaviruses in Captive Malayan Pangolins.

Li Linmiao L Wang Xiaohu X Hua Yan Y Liu Ping P Zhou Jiabin J Chen Jing J An Fuyu F Hou Fanghui F Huang Wenzhong W Chen Jinping J

Frontiers in microbiology 20210303

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has significantly affected international public health safety. It has been reported that the pathogen severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes COVID-19, could originate from bats and utilize the Malayan pangolin (Manis javanica) as an intermediate host. To gain further insights into the coronaviruses carried by pangolins, we investigated the occurrence of Betacoronavirus (β-CoV) infections in captive ...[more]

PMID: 33763052

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Project description:The characteristics of flora in the intestine of an animal, including the number and abundance of different microbial species and their functions, are closely related to the diets of the animal and affect the physical condition of the host. The Malayan pangolin (Manis javanica) is an endangered species that specializes in myrmecophagy. Analyzing the microbiome in the intestine of the pangolin is imperative to protect this species. By sequencing the metagenomes of the feces of four pangolins, we constructed a non-redundant catalog of 211,868 genes representing 1,811 metagenomic species. Taxonomic annotation revealed that Bacteroidetes (49.9%), Proteobacteria (32.2%), and Firmicutes (12.6%) are the three main phyla. The annotation of gene functions identified 5,044 genes from 88 different glycoside hydrolase (GH) families in the Carbohydrate-Active enZYmes database and 114 gene modules related to chitin-degrading enzymes, corresponding to the catalytic domains of GH18 family enzymes, containing chitinase genes of classes III and V in the dataset. Fourteen gene modules corresponded to the catalytic domains of GH19 family enzymes, containing chitinase genes of classes I, II, and IV. These genes were found in 37 species belonging to four phyla: Bacteroidetes, Cyanobacteria, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria. Moreover, when the metabolic pathways of these genes were summarized, 41,711 genes were associated with 147 unique KEGG metabolic pathways, and these genes were assigned to two Gene Ontology terms: metabolic process and catalytic activity. We also found several species that likely play roles in the digestion of cellulose and may be able to degrade chitin, including Enterobacter cloacae, Lactococcus lactis, Chitinimonas koreensis, and Chitinophaga pinensis. In addition, we identified some intestinal microflora and genes related to diseases in pangolins. Twenty-seven species were identified by STAMP analysis as differentially abundant in healthy and diseased animals: 20 species, including Cellulosilyticum lentocellum and Lactobacillus reuteri, were more abundant in healthy pangolins, while seven species, including Odoribacter splanchnicus, Marinilabilia salmonicolor, Xanthomonas citri, Xanthomonas vasicola, Oxalobacter formigenes, Prolixibacter bellariivorans, and Clostridium bolteae, were more abundant in diseased pangolins. These results will support the efforts to conserve pangolins.

Dataset Information

Epidemiological Study of Betacoronaviruses in Captive Malayan Pangolins.

Publications

Epidemiological Study of <i>Betacoronaviruses</i> in Captive Malayan Pangolins.

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