Social environment and genetics underlie body site‐specific microbiomes of Yellowstone National Park gray wolves (Canis lupus)

Abstract The host‐associated microbiome is an important player in the ecology and evolution of species. Despite growing interest in the medical, veterinary, and conservation communities, there remain numerous questions about the primary factors underlying microbiota, particularly in wildlife. We bri...

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Published in:Ecology and Evolution
Main Authors: Alexandra L. DeCandia, Kira A. Cassidy, Daniel R. Stahler, Erin A. Stahler, Bridgett M. vonHoldt
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2021
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7767
https://doaj.org/article/92188c9367d74c26a4174d5512430a0b
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spelling ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:92188c9367d74c26a4174d5512430a0b 2023-05-15T15:49:58+02:00 Social environment and genetics underlie body site‐specific microbiomes of Yellowstone National Park gray wolves (Canis lupus) Alexandra L. DeCandia Kira A. Cassidy Daniel R. Stahler Erin A. Stahler Bridgett M. vonHoldt 2021-07-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7767 https://doaj.org/article/92188c9367d74c26a4174d5512430a0b EN eng Wiley https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7767 https://doaj.org/toc/2045-7758 2045-7758 doi:10.1002/ece3.7767 https://doaj.org/article/92188c9367d74c26a4174d5512430a0b Ecology and Evolution, Vol 11, Iss 14, Pp 9472-9488 (2021) genetics gray wolf host–microbe interactions mammal microbiome pedigree Ecology QH540-549.5 article 2021 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7767 2022-12-31T07:59:47Z Abstract The host‐associated microbiome is an important player in the ecology and evolution of species. Despite growing interest in the medical, veterinary, and conservation communities, there remain numerous questions about the primary factors underlying microbiota, particularly in wildlife. We bridged this knowledge gap by leveraging microbial, genetic, and observational data collected in a wild, pedigreed population of gray wolves (Canis lupus) inhabiting Yellowstone National Park. We characterized body site‐specific microbes across six haired and mucosal body sites (and two fecal samples) using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. At the phylum level, we found that the microbiome of gray wolves primarily consists of Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Fusobacteria, and Proteobacteria, consistent with previous studies within Mammalia and Canidae. At the genus level, we documented body site‐specific microbiota with functions relevant to microenvironment and local physiological processes. We additionally employed observational and RAD sequencing data to examine genetic, demographic, and environmental correlates of skin and gut microbiota. We surveyed individuals across several levels of pedigree relationships, generations, and social groups, and found that social environment (i.e., pack) and genetic relatedness were two primary factors associated with microbial community composition to differing degrees between body sites. We additionally reported body condition and coat color as secondary factors underlying gut and skin microbiomes, respectively. We concluded that gray wolf microbiota resemble similar host species, differ between body sites, and are shaped by numerous endogenous and exogenous factors. These results provide baseline information for this long‐term study population and yield important insights into the evolutionary history, ecology, and conservation of wild wolves and their associated microbes. Article in Journal/Newspaper Canis lupus gray wolf Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Ecology and Evolution 11 14 9472 9488
institution Open Polar
collection Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles
op_collection_id ftdoajarticles
language English
topic genetics
gray wolf
host–microbe interactions
mammal
microbiome
pedigree
Ecology
QH540-549.5
spellingShingle genetics
gray wolf
host–microbe interactions
mammal
microbiome
pedigree
Ecology
QH540-549.5
Alexandra L. DeCandia
Kira A. Cassidy
Daniel R. Stahler
Erin A. Stahler
Bridgett M. vonHoldt
Social environment and genetics underlie body site‐specific microbiomes of Yellowstone National Park gray wolves (Canis lupus)
topic_facet genetics
gray wolf
host–microbe interactions
mammal
microbiome
pedigree
Ecology
QH540-549.5
description Abstract The host‐associated microbiome is an important player in the ecology and evolution of species. Despite growing interest in the medical, veterinary, and conservation communities, there remain numerous questions about the primary factors underlying microbiota, particularly in wildlife. We bridged this knowledge gap by leveraging microbial, genetic, and observational data collected in a wild, pedigreed population of gray wolves (Canis lupus) inhabiting Yellowstone National Park. We characterized body site‐specific microbes across six haired and mucosal body sites (and two fecal samples) using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. At the phylum level, we found that the microbiome of gray wolves primarily consists of Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Fusobacteria, and Proteobacteria, consistent with previous studies within Mammalia and Canidae. At the genus level, we documented body site‐specific microbiota with functions relevant to microenvironment and local physiological processes. We additionally employed observational and RAD sequencing data to examine genetic, demographic, and environmental correlates of skin and gut microbiota. We surveyed individuals across several levels of pedigree relationships, generations, and social groups, and found that social environment (i.e., pack) and genetic relatedness were two primary factors associated with microbial community composition to differing degrees between body sites. We additionally reported body condition and coat color as secondary factors underlying gut and skin microbiomes, respectively. We concluded that gray wolf microbiota resemble similar host species, differ between body sites, and are shaped by numerous endogenous and exogenous factors. These results provide baseline information for this long‐term study population and yield important insights into the evolutionary history, ecology, and conservation of wild wolves and their associated microbes.
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author Alexandra L. DeCandia
Kira A. Cassidy
Daniel R. Stahler
Erin A. Stahler
Bridgett M. vonHoldt
author_facet Alexandra L. DeCandia
Kira A. Cassidy
Daniel R. Stahler
Erin A. Stahler
Bridgett M. vonHoldt
author_sort Alexandra L. DeCandia
title Social environment and genetics underlie body site‐specific microbiomes of Yellowstone National Park gray wolves (Canis lupus)
title_short Social environment and genetics underlie body site‐specific microbiomes of Yellowstone National Park gray wolves (Canis lupus)
title_full Social environment and genetics underlie body site‐specific microbiomes of Yellowstone National Park gray wolves (Canis lupus)
title_fullStr Social environment and genetics underlie body site‐specific microbiomes of Yellowstone National Park gray wolves (Canis lupus)
title_full_unstemmed Social environment and genetics underlie body site‐specific microbiomes of Yellowstone National Park gray wolves (Canis lupus)
title_sort social environment and genetics underlie body site‐specific microbiomes of yellowstone national park gray wolves (canis lupus)
publisher Wiley
publishDate 2021
url https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7767
https://doaj.org/article/92188c9367d74c26a4174d5512430a0b
genre Canis lupus
gray wolf
genre_facet Canis lupus
gray wolf
op_source Ecology and Evolution, Vol 11, Iss 14, Pp 9472-9488 (2021)
op_relation https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7767
https://doaj.org/toc/2045-7758
2045-7758
doi:10.1002/ece3.7767
https://doaj.org/article/92188c9367d74c26a4174d5512430a0b
op_doi https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7767
container_title Ecology and Evolution
container_volume 11
container_issue 14
container_start_page 9472
op_container_end_page 9488
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