I like the way you eat it: Lemur (Indri indri) gut mycobiome and geophagy

Indri indri is an endangered lemur with unique behavioral and morphophysiological traits. Here, we explore the linkages among the nearly exclusive folivorous diet, the adaptative relevance of geophagy by examining soil characteristics and mycobiome of indri in wild conditions. The enriched soils in secondary oxide-hydroxides and clays together with the high concentration of specific essential micronutrients (i.e. manganese and iron) eaten by indri could partially explain their role in detoxification and nutrient supply. Besides fungi inhabiting the soil subject to geophagy and indris, faeces were investigated via Illumina Hiseq. About 8.9% of OTUs were shared between geophagic soil and faeces. Also, several genera (e.g. Fusarium, Aspergillus, and Penicillium) soil and plant associated were found in both soil and faeces. On the contrary, some taxa with pathogenic potential such as Cryptoccoccus were only found in indri samples. Further, many saprotrophs and plant-associated fungal taxa were detected in the indri faeces. These fungal species may be involved in digestion processes of leaves and have a beneficial role in their health. In conclusion, this first description of the fungal communities of a wild non-human primate highlights the intimate connection between gut mycobiome, geophagy and the forest bringing out the importance of protecting all the components of indri's ecosystem.