Analysis of gut microbiota species composition and differences
The composition of the gut microbiota in the spring and autumn groups ofT. roborowskii is shown in Figure 4. At the phylum level, the main annotated groups were Firmicutes (32.79%; 36.92%), Bacteroidetes (31.53%; 34.45%), Proteobacteria (7.28%; 18.99%), Verrucomicrobia (19.58% and 4.30%), and Tenericutes (4.62% and 1.93%, respectively) (Figure 4A).
At the family level, the main annotated groups were Bacteroidaceae (15.15%; 16.54%), Lachnospiraceae (10.12%; 20.54%), Akkermansiaceae (19.58%; 4.30%), Erysipelotrichaceae (11.90%; 3.67%), Tannerellaceae (9.06%; 4.99%), Lactococcaceae (6.38%; 7.31%), Pseudomonas (0.00%; 11.15%), and others were highly abundant in fecal samples (Figure 4B).
Bacteroides (15.15%; 16.54%), Akkermansia (19.58%; 4.30%), Parabacteroides (9.06%; 4.99%), Roseburia(0.06%; 11.72%), Pseudomonas (0.00%; 11.15%),Odoribacter (1.89%; 6.83%), and Alistipes (4.52%; 2.68%), among others, were the core bacterial genera of T. roborowskii (Figure 4C).
Based on the above analysis of community structure and species composition, the gut microbes of the Turpan wonder geckos changed to a certain extent in different seasons. We further used LEfSe analysis based on the effect pattern of LDA (LDA>4,P <0.05) to screen the microorganisms with significant differences in relative abundance between the two groups. At the phylum level, the relative abundance of Tenericutes (LDA=4.08, P =0.02) in the spring group was significantly higher than in the autumn group; however, the abundance of Proteobacteria was higher in the autumn group (LDA=4.74, P =0.02).
At the family level, Erysipelotrichacea (LDA=4.64, P =0.021), Tannerellaceae (LDA=4.31, P =0.02), and uncultured bacterium Mollicutes RF39 (LDA=4.06, P =0.02) were present at significantly higher levels in the spring group than in the autumn group. In the autumn group, Enterobacteriaceae (LDA=4.22, P =0.018), Marinifilaceae (LDA=4.41, P =0.02), Lachnospira (LDA=4.67,P =0.021), and Pseudomonas (LDA=4.68, P =0.014) were significantly more prevalent than in the spring group.
At the genus level, Erysipelatoclostridium (LDA=4.64,P =0.02), Parabacteroides (LDA=4.28, P =0.021),Breznakia (LDA=4.10, P =0.021), anduncultured_bacterium_o_Mollicutes_RF39 (LDA=4.10,P =0.021) were significantly higher in the spring group, whileOdoribacter (LDA=4.38, P =0.021), Rothella(LDA=4.73, P =0.014) and Pseudomonas (LDA=4.18,P =0.014) were significantly higher in the autumn group (LDA>4, P <0.05; Figure 5).