Characterizing the oral and distal gut microbiota of the threatened southern sea otter ( Enhydra lutris nereis ) to enhance conservation practice.

Autor: Dudek NK; Department of Medicine, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305 USA.; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA USA.; Current: Department of Computer Science, McGill University - Mila-Québec AI Institute, Montreal, Canada, H3A 0G4., Switzer AD; Department of Microbiology & Immunology, 299 Campus Drive, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305 USA., Costello EK; Department of Medicine, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305 USA., Murray MJ; Monterey Bay Aquarium, 886 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA 93940 USA., Tomoleoni JA; U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, 2885 Mission St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060 USA., Staedler MM; Monterey Bay Aquarium, 886 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA 93940 USA., Tinker MT; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA USA.; U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, 2885 Mission St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060 USA.; Nhydra Ecological Consulting, 11 Parklea Drive, Head of St Margaret's Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada., Relman DA; Department of Medicine, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305 USA.; Department of Microbiology & Immunology, 299 Campus Drive, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305 USA.; Infectious Diseases Section, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, 3801 Miranda Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94304 USA.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Conservation science and practice [Conserv Sci Pract] 2022 Apr; Vol. 4 (4). Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Jan 31.
DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12640
Abstrakt: The southern sea otter ( Enhydra lutris nereis ) is a threatened sub-species in coastal ecosystems. To understand better the role of diet, monitor health, and enhance management of this and other marine mammal species, we characterized the oral (gingival) and distal gut (rectal and fecal) microbiota of 158 wild southern sea otters living off the coast of central California, USA, and 12 captive sea otters, some of which were included in a diet shift experiment. We found that the sea otter fecal microbiota was distinct from that of three other otter species, and that captivity does not significantly alter the community structure of the sea otter gingival or distal gut microbiota. Metagenomic analysis unexpectedly revealed that the majority of sea otter fecal DNA is derived from prey, rather than from indigenous bacteria or host cells as with most other mammals. We speculate that a reduced bacterial biomass in the sea otter gut reflects rapid gut transit time and a particular strategy for foraging and energy harvest. This study establishes a reference for the healthy sea otter microbiota, highlights how a marine lifestyle may shape the mammalian microbiota, and may inform future health assessments and conservation management of sea otter populations.
Competing Interests: CONFLICT OF INTEREST The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
Databáze: MEDLINE
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