| Title: | Symbiotic bacteria mediate volatile chemical signal synthesis in a large solitary mammal species |
| Author(s): | Zhou W; Qi D; Swaisgood RR; Wang L; Jin Y; Wu Q; Wei F; Nie Y; |
| Address: | "Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China. Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu, 610081, China. Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, San Diego, CA, 92027, USA. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China. College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100094, China. Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China. Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China. nieyg@ioz.ac.cn. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China. nieyg@ioz.ac.cn. Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China. nieyg@ioz.ac.cn" |
| DOI: | 10.1038/s41396-021-00905-1 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1751-7370 (Electronic) 1751-7362 (Print) 1751-7362 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Mammalian chemosignals-or scent marks-are characterized by astounding chemical diversity, reflecting both complex biochemical pathways that produce them and rich information exchange with conspecifics. The microbiome of scent glands was thought to play prominent role in the chemical signal synthesis, with diverse microbiota metabolizing glandular products to produce odorants that may be used as chemosignals. Here, we use gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and metagenomic shotgun sequencing to explore this phenomenon in the anogenital gland secretions (AGS) of the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). We find that this gland contains a diverse community of fermentative bacteria with enzymes that support metabolic pathways (e.g., lipid degradation) for the productions of volatile odorants specialized for chemical communication. We found quantitative and qualitative differences in the microbiota between AGS and digestive tract, a finding which was mirrored by differences among chemical compounds that could be used for olfactory communication. Volatile chemical compounds were more diverse and abundant in AGS than fecal samples, and our evidence suggests that metabolic pathways have been specialized for the synthesis of chemosignals for communication. The panda's microbiome is rich with genes coding for enzymes that participate in the fermentation pathways producing chemical compounds commonly deployed in mammalian chemosignals. These findings illuminate the poorly understood phenomena involved in the role of symbiotic bacteria in the production of chemosignals" |
| Keywords: | Animals Bacteria/genetics Odorants Pheromones *Scent Glands *Ursidae; |
| Notes: | "MedlineZhou, Wenliang Qi, Dunwu Swaisgood, Ronald R Wang, Le Jin, Yipeng Wu, Qi Wei, Fuwen Nie, Yonggang eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2021/02/12 ISME J. 2021 Jul; 15(7):2070-2080. doi: 10.1038/s41396-021-00905-1. Epub 2021 Feb 10" |
