Data from: Gut microbiome composition and metabolomic profiles of wild western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) reflect host ecology

The metabolic activities of gut microbes significantly influence host physiology; thus, characterizing the forces that modulate this micro-ecosystem is key to understanding mammalian biology and fitness. To investigate the gut microbiome of wild primates and determine how these microbial communities respond to the host's external environment, we characterized faecal bacterial communities and, for the first time, gut metabolomes of four wild lowland gorilla groups in the Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas, Central African Republic. Results show that geographical range may be an important modulator of the gut microbiomes and metabolomes of these gorilla groups. Distinctions seemed to relate to feeding behaviour, implying energy harvest through increased fruit consumption or fermentation of highly fibrous foods. These observations were supported by differential abundance of metabolites and bacterial taxa associated with the metabolism of cellulose, phenolics, organic acids, simple sugars, lipids and sterols between gorillas occupying different geographical ranges. Additionally, the gut microbiomes of a gorilla group under increased anthropogenic pressure could always be distinguished from that of all other groups. By characterizing the interplay between environment, behaviour, diet and symbiotic gut microbes, we present an alternative perspective on primate ecology and on the forces that shape the gut microbiomes of wild primates from an evolutionary context.

肠道微生物的代谢活动对宿主生理具有显著调控作用，因此解析调控这一微生态系统的核心因素，是理解哺乳动物生物学特性与生存适合度的关键。为探究野生灵长类的肠道微生物组（gut microbiome），并明确这些微生物群落如何响应宿主所处的外部环境，本研究对中非共和国唐加-桑加（Dzanga-Sangha）保护区内的4个野生低地大猩猩种群的粪便细菌群落进行了表征，并首次完成了其肠道代谢组（gut metabolome）的分析。研究结果显示，地理分布范围或是调控这些大猩猩种群肠道微生物组与代谢组的重要因素。此类群落差异似乎与取食行为相关，提示其能量获取途径或为增加果实摄入，或是对高纤维食物的发酵利用。针对不同地理分布范围的大猩猩，其体内与纤维素、酚类物质、有机酸、单糖、脂质及固醇代谢相关的代谢物和细菌类群的丰度存在显著差异，这一结果进一步佐证了上述观测结论。此外，受到较强人为活动干扰的大猩猩种群，其肠道微生物组始终与其余所有种群存在显著差异。本研究通过解析环境、行为、饮食与共生肠道微生物之间的相互作用，从进化视角为灵长类生态学以及塑造野生灵长类肠道微生物组的各类因素提供了全新的研究视角。