Informace o publikaci
Metabarcoding as a Tool to Study Endosymbionts of Endangered Mountain Gorilla
| Autoři | |
|---|---|
| Rok publikování | 2023 |
| Druh | Další prezentace na konferencích |
| Citace | |
| Popis | Endosymbionts, such as intestinal parasites and gut microbes, play a critical role in the health of host organisms. In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP), Uganda, considerable numbers of mountain gorillas with visibly deteriorated body condition have been recorded. Deworming of the affected individuals has led to significant health improvements and in fatal cases, high numbers of nematodes were observed during necropsy, therefore a link to strongylid nematode infections has been suggested. The microbiome plays a crucial role in the physiology and immune function of the host organism, and alterations to the microbiome have been linked to various diseases and health conditions. Both strongylid nematodes and bacteria typically live in communities comprising multiple taxa, complicating their diagnostics and analyses. Recent advances in high-throughput sequencing (HTS) technology, specifically metabarcoding, have revolutionized the investigation of such endosymbiont communities allowing us to elucidate their complex compositions. Non-invasive faecal samples were collected from eighteen habituated mountain gorilla groups in 2018 and once again in 2021 across the Bwindi ecosystem to evaluate the endosymbiont communities in relation to GIT health issues. This study employs HTS to investigate both the microbiome, using 16S sequencing, and strongylid diversity, using ITS-2 sequencing, on whole faecal DNA. By employing metabarcoding targeting strongylid nematode species, a high genetic diversity of strongylid communities was found, with the most abundant genera being Oesophagostomum, Murshidia and Paralibyostrongylus. By advancing our knowledge of endosymbiont communities in endangered species such as mountain gorillas, we can better protect and manage their health for future generations. |