Looking like the locals - gut microbiome changes post-release in an endangered species
Abstract Background Captivity presents extreme lifestyle changes relative to the wild, and evidence of microbiome dysbiosis in captive animals is growing. The gut microbiome plays a crucial role in host health. Whilst captive breeding and subsequent reintroduction to the wild is important for conser...
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doaj-15508729a8e645e0b75c611824e5b26c2020-11-25T03:59:35ZengBMCAnimal Microbiome2524-46712019-10-011111010.1186/s42523-019-0012-4Looking like the locals - gut microbiome changes post-release in an endangered speciesRowena Chong0Catherine E. Grueber1Samantha Fox2Phil Wise3Vanessa R. Barrs4Carolyn J. Hogg5Katherine Belov6School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of SydneySchool of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of SydneyDepartment of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and EnvironmentSan Diego Zoo GlobalMarie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Sydney Medical School, University of SydneySchool of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of SydneySchool of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of SydneyAbstract Background Captivity presents extreme lifestyle changes relative to the wild, and evidence of microbiome dysbiosis in captive animals is growing. The gut microbiome plays a crucial role in host health. Whilst captive breeding and subsequent reintroduction to the wild is important for conservation, such efforts often have limited success. Post-release monitoring is essential for assessing translocation success, but changes to the microbiome of released individuals are poorly understood. The Tasmanian devil was previously shown to exhibit loss of microbiome diversity as a result of intense captive management. This current study examines changes in the devil gut microbiome in response to translocation and aims to determine if perturbations from captivity are permanent or reversible. Methods Using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, we conducted temporal monitoring of the gut microbiome of released devils during two translocation events, captive-to-wild and wild-to-wild. To investigate whether the microbiome of the released devils changed following translocation, we characterized their microbiome at multiple time points during the translocation process over the course of 6–12 months and compared them to the microbiome of wild incumbent devils (resident wild-born devils at the respective release sites). Results We showed that the pre-release microbiome was significantly different to the microbiome of wild incumbent animals, but that the microbiomes of animals post-release (as early as 3 to 4 weeks post-release) were similar to wild incumbents. The gut microbiome of released animals showed significant compositional shifts toward the wild incumbent microbiome of both translocation events. Conclusion Our results suggest that the devil gut microbiome is dynamic and that loss of microbiome diversity in captivity can be restored following release to the wild. We recommend the broader application of microbiome monitoring in wildlife translocation programs to assess the impacts of translocation on animal microbiomes.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42523-019-0012-4CaptivityCarnivoreReintroduction programWildlife translocationDysbiosis |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Rowena Chong Catherine E. Grueber Samantha Fox Phil Wise Vanessa R. Barrs Carolyn J. Hogg Katherine Belov |
spellingShingle |
Rowena Chong Catherine E. Grueber Samantha Fox Phil Wise Vanessa R. Barrs Carolyn J. Hogg Katherine Belov Looking like the locals - gut microbiome changes post-release in an endangered species Animal Microbiome Captivity Carnivore Reintroduction program Wildlife translocation Dysbiosis |
author_facet |
Rowena Chong Catherine E. Grueber Samantha Fox Phil Wise Vanessa R. Barrs Carolyn J. Hogg Katherine Belov |
author_sort |
Rowena Chong |
title |
Looking like the locals - gut microbiome changes post-release in an endangered species |
title_short |
Looking like the locals - gut microbiome changes post-release in an endangered species |
title_full |
Looking like the locals - gut microbiome changes post-release in an endangered species |
title_fullStr |
Looking like the locals - gut microbiome changes post-release in an endangered species |
title_full_unstemmed |
Looking like the locals - gut microbiome changes post-release in an endangered species |
title_sort |
looking like the locals - gut microbiome changes post-release in an endangered species |
publisher |
BMC |
series |
Animal Microbiome |
issn |
2524-4671 |
publishDate |
2019-10-01 |
description |
Abstract Background Captivity presents extreme lifestyle changes relative to the wild, and evidence of microbiome dysbiosis in captive animals is growing. The gut microbiome plays a crucial role in host health. Whilst captive breeding and subsequent reintroduction to the wild is important for conservation, such efforts often have limited success. Post-release monitoring is essential for assessing translocation success, but changes to the microbiome of released individuals are poorly understood. The Tasmanian devil was previously shown to exhibit loss of microbiome diversity as a result of intense captive management. This current study examines changes in the devil gut microbiome in response to translocation and aims to determine if perturbations from captivity are permanent or reversible. Methods Using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, we conducted temporal monitoring of the gut microbiome of released devils during two translocation events, captive-to-wild and wild-to-wild. To investigate whether the microbiome of the released devils changed following translocation, we characterized their microbiome at multiple time points during the translocation process over the course of 6–12 months and compared them to the microbiome of wild incumbent devils (resident wild-born devils at the respective release sites). Results We showed that the pre-release microbiome was significantly different to the microbiome of wild incumbent animals, but that the microbiomes of animals post-release (as early as 3 to 4 weeks post-release) were similar to wild incumbents. The gut microbiome of released animals showed significant compositional shifts toward the wild incumbent microbiome of both translocation events. Conclusion Our results suggest that the devil gut microbiome is dynamic and that loss of microbiome diversity in captivity can be restored following release to the wild. We recommend the broader application of microbiome monitoring in wildlife translocation programs to assess the impacts of translocation on animal microbiomes. |
topic |
Captivity Carnivore Reintroduction program Wildlife translocation Dysbiosis |
url |
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42523-019-0012-4 |
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