Comparative analysis of gut microbiota between wild and captive Guizhou snub-nosed monkey ( Rhinopithecus
brelichi)
Xiaolong Huang1,2,4, Haibo
Li3,411These authors have contributed equally
to this work.
Correspondence
Jingcheng Ran, Guizhou Academy of Forestry Science, Guiyang, Guizhou,
550005, China.
Email: rjc68cn@163.com, Lan Zhang1, Xu
Zhang1,2,4, Shaochuan Cheng1,2,4,
Yuying Yan1,4, Wei Yang3,4, Bingshun
Meng1, Zuobo Wang1, Juanjuan
Zhao1, Jingcheng Ran1,2,4
1Guizhou Academy of Forestry Science, Guiyang, China
2Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland
Administration on Biodiversity Conservation in Karst Mountainous Areas
of Southwestern China, Guizhou Academy of Forestry, Guiyang, China
3Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve Administration,
Tongren, China
4Guizhou Fanjingshan Forest Ecosystem National
Observation and Research Stationde, Tongren, China
Abstract: Maintaining a healthy status is crucial for the
successful captive breeding of critically endangered Rhinopithecus
brelichi , it is conducive to ex situ conservation of this species and
rejuvenation of its population. However, changes in the feeding
environment and food can affect the composition and function of the gut
microbiota in R. brelichi , ultimately impacting its health and
adaptation. Herein, 16S rRNA gene sequencing was employed to determine
the gut microbiota composition and functional variations between wild
and captive R. brelichi populations. The results showed that the
captive group had higher alpha diversity than the wild group, and
significant differences were observed in their beta diversity. Captive
and wild R. brelichi showed similar microbiota at the phylum
level, which mainly comprised Firmicutes, Bacteroidota, and
Spirochaetota, but captivity reduced the Firmicutes/Bacteroides ratio.
LEfSe analysis revealed that the relative abundance of microbiota
related to cellulose degradation, such as Prevotellaceae_UCG_001,
Christensenellaceae_R_7_group, Ruminococcus , andFibrobacter , differed significantly between the two groups.
Furthermore, the potential pathogens Acinetobacter andTreponema were significantly abundant in wild and captive groups,
respectively. Functional predictions demonstrated that the most
significant functional pathways at the second level between captive and
wild monkeys were carbohydrate, amino acid, and lipid metabolisms. The
captive monkeys exhibited higher digestive capacity and endocrine
regulation as well as a higher risk of infectious diseases than wild
monkeys. These findings can serve as a valuable theoretical basis for
promoting the healthy breeding of R. brelichi and as a guide for
future evaluation of the health of wild and captive monkeys.
Keywords: Rhinopithecus brelichi ; Wild and captive; Gut
microbiota; 16S rRNA gene sequencing