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Assessing the gut microbiome and the influence of host genetics on a critically endangered primate, the northern muriqui ( Brachyteles hypoxanthus )

Guimaraes Sales, Naiara; da Cruz Kaizer, Mariane; Browett, Samuel S.; Gabriel, Sofia I.; McDevitt, Allan D.

Assessing the gut microbiome and the influence of host genetics on a critically endangered primate, the northern muriqui ( Brachyteles hypoxanthus ) Thumbnail


Authors

Mariane da Cruz Kaizer

Samuel S. Browett

Sofia I. Gabriel

Allan D. McDevitt



Abstract

The Northern muriqui (Brachyteles hypoxanthus) is one of the world's most critically endangered primates, with only ~1000 mature individuals remaining in the wild. Habitat loss and hunting have led to its sharp decline, making conservation efforts crucial. Analyses of gut microbiomes in wild populations can provide valuable information on host health and vulnerability, and ultimately, contribute to baseline knowledge toward improving conservation programs and reintroduction efforts. In this study, we analyzed the microbiome (16S rRNA metabarcoding) of fecal samples belonging to 53 uniquely genotyped individuals from three social groups from the Caparaó National Park, aiming to provide the first assessment of the microbiome diversity and composition for this species. Our results showed the muriqui gut microbiome was predominantly composed of the phyla Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, with the dominant classes represented by Bacteroidia and Clostridia. High similarity in bacterial diversity and composition was found for individuals from distinct groups, suggesting a negligible geographical effect at the fine spatial scale analyzed. No significant effect of host genotype heterozygosity levels on microbiota diversity was recovered, but a significant influence of genetic distance on microbiota community structure and composition was demonstrated. Our findings stress the importance of considering associations between host genetics and the microbiome and suggest that the analyzed populations host a similar microbiome composition. This detailed microbiome assessment can aid conservation actions, including future anthropogenic impact assessments and animal reintroductions.

Citation

Guimaraes Sales, N., da Cruz Kaizer, M., Browett, S. S., Gabriel, S. I., & McDevitt, A. D. (2024). Assessing the gut microbiome and the influence of host genetics on a critically endangered primate, the northern muriqui ( Brachyteles hypoxanthus ). Environmental DNA, 6(3), e559. https://doi.org/10.1002/edn3.559

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Apr 24, 2024
Online Publication Date May 23, 2024
Publication Date 2024-05
Deposit Date Jun 10, 2024
Publicly Available Date Jun 10, 2024
Journal Environmental DNA
Print ISSN 2637-4943
Publisher Wiley Open Access
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 6
Issue 3
Pages e559
DOI https://doi.org/10.1002/edn3.559
Keywords Atlantic Forest, endemic, amplicon sequencing, 16S rRNA, threatened species, microbiota, bacteria

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