Fecal Metagenomics Study Reveals That a Low-Fiber Diet Drives the Migration of Wild Asian Elephants in Xishuangbanna, China

Author:

Li Xia12,Chen Junmin13,Zhang Chengbo1,Zhang Shuyin1,Shen Qingzhong4,Wang Bin4,Bao Mingwei5,Xu Bo1,Wu Qian1,Han Nanyu1,Huang Zunxi1

Affiliation:

1. Engineering Research Center of Sustainable Development and Utilization of Biomass Energy, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650500, China

2. Southwest United Graduate School, Kunming 650092, China

3. Key Laboratory of Yunnan Provincial Education Department for Plateau Characteristic Food Enzymes, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650500, China

4. Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve Management and Protection Bureau, Jinghong 666100, China

5. Asian Elephant Provenance Breeding and Rescue Center in Xishuangbanna, Jinghong 666100, China

Abstract

The rare northward migration of wild Asian elephants in Xishuangbanna, China, has attracted global attention. Elephant migration is a complex ecological process, and the factors driving this long-distance migration remain elusive. In this study, fresh fecal samples were collected from both captive and wild Asian elephants, along with breastfed calves residing within the Wild Elephant Valley of Xishuangbanna. Our aim was to investigate the relationship between diet, gut microbiota, and migration patterns in Asian elephants through comprehensive metagenomic sequencing analyses. Among the breastfed Asian elephant group, Bacteroidales and Escherichia emerged as the dominant bacterial taxa, while the primary carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) enriched in this group were GH2, GH20, GH92, GH97, GH38, GH23, and GH43, aligning with their dietary source, namely breast milk. The bacterial taxa enriched in captive Asian elephants (CAEs) were mainly Butyrivibrio, Treponema, and Fibrobacter, and the enriched lignocellulose-degrading enzymes mainly included GH25, GH10, GH9, and cellulase (EC 3.2.1.4). These findings are consistent with the high-fiber diet of captive elephants. In contrast, the main bacterial taxa enriched in wild Asian elephants (WAEs) were Ruminococcus and Eubacterium, and the enriched CAZymes included GH109, GH20, GH33, GH28, GH106, and GH39. The abundance of lignocellulose-degrading bacteria and CAZyme content was low in WAEs, indicating challenges in processing high-fiber foods and explaining the low-fiber diet in this group. These findings suggest that wild elephant herds migrate in search of nutritionally suitable, low-fiber food sources.

Funder

National Natural Science Foundation of China

Scientific Research Foundation of Education Department of Yunnan Province

Publisher

MDPI AG

Subject

General Veterinary,Animal Science and Zoology

Reference47 articles.

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