Molecular analyses of the intestinal microbiota of chimpanzees in the wild and in captivity

Abstract

Little information is available regarding the intestinal bacteria of chimpanzees in the wild, due to the technical difficulties of studying intestinal bacteria in the field. In this study, molecular-based bacterial analyses were performed to overcome this difficulty because polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods, such as temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TGGE) and amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA), of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene can be applied to ethanol-fixed fecal samples. The common presence of bacteria belonging to the Clostridium rRNA sub-group XIVa, such as Ruminococcus obeum and Eubacterium sp., was indicated for Bossou wild chimpanzees by ARDRA. TGGE on partial 16S rDNA followed by hierarchical clustering analysis showed a systematic difference in the composition of intestinal microbiota between wild and captive chimpanzees. However, several TGGE bands commonly shared by wild and captured chimpanzees were excised, and their sequences were obtained. They were suggested to be the Clostridium leptum subgroup bacteria, Lactobacillus gasseri-like bacterium, and Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum- or B. catenulatum-like bacterium. These may be considered as common intestinal bacteria for chimpanzees, and may be transmitted vertically over generations.

Isolation of Bifidobacteria from feces of chimpanzees in the wild

“…Limited sequence analyses suggest the presence of B. catenulatum-like or B. pseudocatenulatum-like bifidobacteria in the chimpanzees in Bossou (Uenishi et al, 2007). In the present study, only two strains of bifidobacteria close to B. angulatum were isolated, probably due to the insuffi cient control of anaerobiosis and, to some extent, to the inability to control temperature, particularly during transportation within Africa.…”

“…In a previous study, fresh feces were collected aseptically in ethanol to fi x bacteria for DNA preservation. After transportation to our laboratory in Kyoto, we successfully analyzed the bacterial 16S rRNA gene in the feces of chimpanzees in the wild (Fujita and Kageyama, 2007;Uenishi et al, 2007;Ushida, 2008). However, 16S rDNA-basis phylogenetic analyses of bacteria provide poor information on their functions in the intestine.…”

“…Therefore, B. angulatum is not a predominant bifi dobacterium in humans because this bacterium was detected from human subjects with quite limited prevalence. At the moment, the distribution of B. angulatum for wild great apes is not known, although bifi dobacteria are believed to be a common member of chimpanzees intestinal microbiota (Uenishi et al, 2007).…”

Baboon vaginal microbiota: an overlooked aspect of primate physiology

“…There are a number reports in the literature concerning this question, but few considered the vaginal tract and its bacterial community in any detail. A wealth of information exists on fecal and the gastrointestinal tract microbiota of the great apes (represented by Chimpanzee and Gorilla), and old world monkeys (represented by Baboon and Macaque), but work on the vaginal microbiota is lacking (37,66,119). Studies on our closest relative the Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), have been directed mainly at the gastrointestinal tract (GI) and the comparisons of wild and captive chimpanzees.…”

Characterization of intestinal bacterial communities of western lowland gorillas (<i>Gorilla gorilla gorilla</i>), central chimpanzees (<i>Pan troglodytes troglodytes</i>), and a forest elephant (<i>Loxodonta africana cyclotis</i>) living in Moukalaba-Doudou National Park in Gabon

“…We believe that the surveys on the intestinal microbiota of wild animals have tremendous importance for the understanding of the co-evolution between the host and its intestinal microbiota. Our previous study reveals that the fecal microbiota of wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) were clearly different from those under captivity with some particular influences from human-associated bacteria (Uenishi et al 2007, Ushida 2010. Studies on captive animals may have limitations in revealing the original composition of intestinal microbiota of the target animals.…”