Using non-destructive sampling to evaluate the population genomic status of captive Brown Eared Pheasants

Evaluating the genetic status of threatened species is an essential task in conservation genetics.However,the genetic status of threatened species has been mostly evaluated through techniques that fail to estimate genetic diversity at the whole genomic level.Next generation sequencing can meet this demand,but high quality samples such as blood or muscle tissues are required.However,it is difficult to collect such samples from threatened species because sampling work may impact their health.Therefore,it is essential to design a workflow to evaluate the whole genomic status of threatened species using non-destructive sampling.Even though non-destructive sampling has been used in traditional barcoding technique,the barcoding technique cannot evaluate the whole genomic status.Brown Eared Pheasant(Crossoptilon mantchuricum)is an endangered species,with captive populations maintained in Taiyuan Zoo,China,and Europe.However,the genetic diversity,inbreeding pattern,and mutation load of these two populations are unclear.To uncover the genetic status of these two captive populations,we applied 2b-RAD technology to evaluate the genomic status of these populations using feathers as samples.The feathers could be collected by non-destructive sampling.The results indicate that the Taiyuan Zoo population has a lower genetic diversity and higher inbreeding coefficient than the European population.The Taiyuan Zoo population has lethal mutations when homozygous.The current project uses a non-destructive sampling technique to evaluate the whole genomic status of the two captive populations,providing a paradigm for conservation genetics,which will facilitate the development of conservation biology.

A rare case of giant panda cancer:Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC)is a highly malignant cancer of the digestive system common among humans.However,it is rarely reported in wild animals.In 2018,a giant panda died in the Beijing Zoo.During subsequent histological observation of the pancreas,it was discovered that the glandular epithelial cells had lost the pancreatic acinar structure,tubular areas with obvious structure in the pancreas,and the ductal epithelium was substituted by high columnar mucus cells.Masson staining showed that there were several fibrous tissue proliferative reactions around the ductal adenocarcinoma and immunohistochemical staining revealed that CK7 and CK19 were positively expressed in the pancreatic tissue.Therefore,the pathological diagnosis indicated that the panda had PDAC.In this paper,the panda’s living conditions and pathological diagnosis results are examined,with the aim of providing a reference point for the future diagnosis of wild animal tumors.

Characteristics of the multiple replicon plasmid IncX1-X1 in multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli from Malayan pangolin(Manis javanica)

Potential zoonotic pathogens may be transmitted from wildlife to humans through the illegal wild meat trade,which has become a pressing issue.However,research on the antimicrobial resistance genes(ARGs)of Malayan pangolin(Manis javanica)intestinal bacteria is limited.Here,multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli M172-1(ST354)isolated from Malayan pangolin feces in 2019 was found to be resistant to 13 antibiotics.BGWAS analysis revealed 4 plas-mids,namely,pM172-1.1,pM172-1.2,pM172-1.3,and pM172-1.4,in the isolate.The pM172-1.2,pM172-1.3,and pM172-1.4 plasmids carried ARGs,namely,IncHI2-HI2A,IncX1-X1,and IncX1,respectively.pM172-1.3 and pM172-1.4 contained intact IntI1 integrons(Is26/IntI1/arr2/cmlA5/blaOXA-10/ant(3′′)-IIA/dfrA14/Is26).No-tably,pM172-1.3 resulted from the fusion of 2 pM172-1.4 copies and carried many more ARGs.In addition to pM172-1.3 from the same host,other drug-resistant bacteria(E.coli M159-1(ST48),E.coli S171-1(ST206),and Klebsiella pneumoniae S174-1(ST2354))in the same Malayan pangolin fecal samples also carried 3 plasmids with 100%gene coverage of pM172-1.4 and 99.98%identity.Therefore,ARGs in IncX1 might spread in the intestinalflora of Malayan pangolin and between species via the illegal food chain,posing a potential threat to public health and safety.

Multidrug-resistant Proteus mirabilis isolates carrying blaOXA-1 and blaNDM-1 from wildlife in China:increasing public health risk

The emergence of multidrug resistance(MDR)in Proteus mirabilis clinical isolates is a growing public health concern and has serious implications for wildlife.What is the role of wildlife has been become one of the hot issues in disseminating antimicrobial resistance.Here,54 P.mirabilis isolates from 12 different species were identified.Among them,25 isolates were determined to be MDR by profile of antimicrobial susceptibility;10 MDR P.mirabilis isolates were subjected to comparative genomic analysis by whole genome sequencing.Comprehensive analysis showed that chromosome of P.mirabilis isolates mainly carries multidrug-resistance complex elements harboring resistance to carbapenem genes blaOXA-1,blaNDM-1,and blaTEM-1.Class I integron is the insertion hotspot of IS26;it can be inserted into type I integron at different sites,thus forming a variety of multiple drug resistance decision sites.At the same time,Tn21,Tn7,and SXT/R391 mobile elements cause widespread spread of these drug resistance genes.In conclusion,P.mirabilis isolates from wildlife showed higher resistance to commonly used clinic drugs comparing to those from human.Therefore,wild animals carrying MDR clinical isolates should be paid attention to by the public health.

Characterization of intestinal microbiota and fecal cortisol,T3,and IgA in forest musk deer(Moschus berezovskii)from birth to weaning

Analysis of the intestinal microbiota and physiological parameters in mammalian infancy can reveal health status.In this study,we used a combination of molecular and immunochemical approaches to assess fecal microbiota as well as Cortisol(Cor),Triiodothyronine(T3),and immunoglobulin A(IgA)levels of young forest musk deer(FMD),from birth to one month after weaning(7 days of age–110 days of age).During development as the diet of FMD changes from consuming milk to eating plants,the richness and diversity of intestinal microbiota of young FMD increased significantly.Cor levels remained unchanged throughout early development while significantly increased after weaning,T3 and IgA initially were derived from milk during lactation,significantly decreased after weaning.Correlation network analysis showed that the community of food-oriented microbes were highly structured and that many genera were correlated.Overall,this study provides scientific insights into effective management strategies for the protection of FMD population.