Markers of fertility in reproductive microbiomes of male and female endangered black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes).

Autor: Bornbusch SL; Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, USA. sally.bornbusch@gmail.com.; Department of Nutrition Science, Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, USA. sally.bornbusch@gmail.com., Bamford A; Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA., Thacher P; Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, USA.; Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation, George Mason University, Front Royal, VA, USA., Crosier A; Center for Animal Care Services, Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, USA., Marinari P; Center for Animal Care Services, Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, USA., Bortner R; National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Carr, CO, USA., Garelle D; National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Carr, CO, USA., Livieri T; Prairie Wildlife Research, Stevens Point, WI, USA., Santymire R; Biology Department, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA., Comizzoli P; Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, USA., Maslanka M; Department of Nutrition Science, Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, USA., Maldonado JE; Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, USA., Koepfli KP; Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation, George Mason University, Front Royal, VA, USA.; Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, USA., Muletz-Wolz CR; Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, USA., DeCandia AL; Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, USA.; Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Communications biology [Commun Biol] 2024 Feb 23; Vol. 7 (1), pp. 224. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Feb 23.
DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05908-0
Abstrakt: Reproductive microbiomes contribute to reproductive health and success in humans. Yet data on reproductive microbiomes, and links to fertility, are absent for most animal species. Characterizing these links is pertinent to endangered species, such as black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes), whose populations show reproductive dysfunction and rely on ex-situ conservation husbandry. To understand microbial contributions to animal reproductive success, we used 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to characterize male (prepuce) and female (vaginal) microbiomes of 59 black-footed ferrets at two ex-situ facilities and in the wild. We analyzed variation in microbiome structure according to markers of fertility such as numbers of viable and non-viable offspring (females) and sperm concentration (males). Ferret vaginal microbiomes showed lower inter-individual variation compared to prepuce microbiomes. In both sexes, wild ferrets harbored potential soil bacteria, perhaps reflecting their fossorial behavior and exposure to natural soil microbiomes. Vaginal microbiomes of ex-situ females that produced non-viable litters had greater phylogenetic diversity and distinct composition compared to other females. In males, sperm concentration correlated with varying abundances of bacterial taxa (e.g., Lactobacillus), mirroring results in humans and highlighting intriguing dynamics. Characterizing reproductive microbiomes across host species is foundational for understanding microbial biomarkers of reproductive success and for augmenting conservation husbandry.
(© 2024. The Author(s).)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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