Seasonal Variation in Gut Microbiota Composition: Comparative Analysis of Siberian Musk Deer (Moschus moschiferus) and Forest Musk Deer (Moschus berezovskii)

Abstract

Background: Musk deer is famous for its secretion of musk, but due to various factors that the musk deer population has dropped sharply and it is difficult to expand herd sizes. In light of the rapid development of agriculture and technology, as well as the urgent need for wildlife conservation, research on the gut microbiota of musk deer is warranted. The gut microbiota impacts host health is shaped by dietary, environmental, and host factors.Results: We studied the gut microbiota in Siberian musk and Forest musk deer using high-throughput sequencing of the V3–V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Fecal samples were collected during two seasons to determine associations between community diversity, composition, and seasonal factors. The results show that the Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were the predominant phyla in both species, their relative abundance was significantly different with species and seasonal factors. The Siberian musk deer population sampled in this study had a wider feeding range and no dietary limitations. Affected by the richness and type of food sources, the microbial α-diversity is higher in summer than winter. In the siberian musk deer have only Tenericutes significant difference with the season change. Conclusions:The gut bacterial composition of these two musk deer is significantly different, and the abundance of core bacteria is affected by seasonal factors. This study is the first to analyze the composition of the gut microflora in Siberian musk deer, and these results provide a foundation for improving feeding for musk deer populations and further studies investigating the environmental impact of musk deer.