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Microbial degradation of fluorinated compounds raised significant attention because of their widespread distribution and potential environmental impacts. Here, we report a bacterial isolate, Rhodococcus sp. NJF-7 capable of defluorinating monofluorinated medium-chain length alkanes. This isolate consumed 2.29 ± 0.13 mmol L− 1 of 1-fluorodecane (FD) during a 52 h incubation period, resulting in a significant release of inorganic fluoride amounting to 2.16 ± 0.03 mmol L− 1. The defluorination process was strongly affected by the initial FD concentration and pH conditions, with lower pH increasing fluoride toxicity to bacterial cells and inhibiting enzymatic defluorination activity. Stoichiometric conversion of FD to fluoride was observed at neutral pH with resting cells, while defluorination was significantly lower at reduced pH (6.5). The discovery of the metabolites decanoic acid and methyl decanoate suggests that the initial attack by monooxygenases may be responsible for the biological defluorination of FD. The findings here provide new insights into microbial defluorination processes, specifically aiding in understanding the environmental fate of organic semi-fluorinated alkane chemicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The gut microbiota plays important roles for maintaining the health of the host. In this study, the results revealed significant differences in the gut bacterial communities among bean geese, hooded cranes, and domestic geese. In comparison to domestic geese, the gut bacterial community of bean geese and hooded cranes had a greater capacity for energy metabolism, suggesting that wild birds may rely more on their gut microbiota to survive in cold conditions. Furthermore, pathogens were discovered to overlap among the three hosts, reminding us to monitor the potential for pathogen transmission between poultry and wild birds. Hooded cranes showed the highest diversity and relative abundance of pathogens compared to the other two species. Due to its vulnerable status, more focus should be paid to the protection of the hooded crane species. These findings could help us gain a deeper understanding of the structure of gut bacterial and pathogenic communities in poultry and wild birds. The host's physiological well-being is intricately associated with the gut microbiota. However, previous studies regarding the intestinal microbiota have focused on domesticated or captive birds. This study used high-throughput sequencing technology to identify the gut bacterial communities of sympatric bean geese, hooded cranes, and domestic geese. The results indicated that the gut bacterial diversity in domestic geese and hooded cranes showed considerably higher diversity than bean geese. The gut bacterial community compositions varied significantly among the three hosts (p < 0.05). Compared to the hooded crane, the bean goose and domestic goose were more similar in their genotype and evolutionary history, with less difference in the bacterial community composition and assembly processes between the two species. Thus, the results might support the crucial role of host genotypes on their gut microbiota. The gut bacteria of wild hooded cranes and bean geese had a greater capacity for energy metabolism compared to domestic geese, suggesting that wild birds may rely more on their gut microbiota to survive in cold conditions. Moreover, the intestines of the three hosts were identified as harboring potential pathogens. The relative abundance of pathogens was higher in the hooded crane compared to the other two species. The hooded crane gut bacterial community assemblage revealed the least deterministic process with the lowest filtering/selection on the gut microbiota, which might have been a reason for the highest number of pathogens result. Compared to the hooded crane, the sympatric bean goose showed the least diversity and relative abundance of pathogens. The intestinal bacterial co-occurrence network showed the highest stability in the bean goose, potentially enhancing host resistance to adverse environments and reducing the susceptibility to pathogen invasion. In this study, the pathogens were also discovered to overlap among the three hosts, reminding us to monitor the potential for pathogen transmission between poultry and wild birds. Overall, the current findings have the potential to enhance the understanding of gut bacterial and pathogenic community structures in poultry and wild birds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stag beetles, recognized as common saproxylic insects, are valued for their vibrant coloration and distinctive morphology. These beetles play a crucial ecological role in decomposition and nutrient cycling, serving as a vital functional component in ecosystem functioning. Although previous studies have confirmed that stag beetles are predominantly fungivores, the fluctuations in their intestinal fungal communities at different developmental stages remain poorly understood. In the current study, high-throughput sequencing was employed to investigate the dynamic changes within intestinal fungal communities at various developmental stages in the stag beetle Dorcus hopei. Results showed that microbial diversity was higher during the larval stage than during the pupal and adult stages. Furthermore, significant differences were identified in the composition of the intestinal fungal communities across the larval, pupal, and adult stages, suggesting that developmental transitions may be crucial factors contributing to variations in fungal community composition and diversity. Dominant genera included Candida, Scheffersomyces, Phaeoacremonium, and Trichosporon. Functional predictions indicated a greater diversity and relative abundance of endosymbiotic fungi in the larval gut, suggesting a potential dependency of larvae on beneficial gut fungi for nutrient acquisition. Additionally, the application of abundance-based β-null deviation and niche width analyses revealed that the adult gut exerted a stronger selection pressure on its fungal community, favoring certain taxa. This selection process culminates in a more robust co-occurrence network of fungal communities within the adult gut, thereby enhancing their adaptability to environmental fluctuations. This study advances our understanding of the intestinal fungal community structure in stag beetles, providing a crucial theoretical foundation for the development of saproxylic beetle resources, biomass energy utilization, plastic degradation strategies, and beetle conservation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The gut bacterial community of two captive ducks was investigated in this study across seasons. It was discovered that the composition of gut bacteria was significantly affected by seasonal variations, with greater diversity in winter. Different seasons yielded different biomarkers, with the majority found in winter when a more intricate bacterial network structure was seen. Ten important pathogenic bacterial species were discovered and appeared to be more abundant in the summer. The presence of significant pathogenic bacteria was demonstrated by this study, raising concerns for captive animals, and shedding light on how gut bacterial composition is affected by seasonal fluctuations. Vertebrates and their gut bacteria interact in complex and mutually beneficial ways. The intestinal microbial composition is influenced by several external influences. In addition to food, the abiotic elements of the environment, such as temperature, humidity, and seasonal fluctuation are also important determinants. Fecal samples were collected from two captive duck species, Baikal teal (Sibirionetta formosa) and common teal (Anas crecca) across four seasons (summer, autumn, winter, and spring). These ducks were consistently fed the same diet throughout the entire experiment. High throughput sequencing (Illumina Mi-seq) was employed to analyze the V4–V5 region of the 16sRNA gene. The dominant phyla in all seasons were Proteobacteria and Firmicutes. Interestingly, the alpha diversity was higher in winter for both species. The NMDS, PCoA, and ANOSIM analysis showed the distinct clustering of bacterial composition between different seasons, while no significant differences were discovered between duck species within the same season. In addition, LefSe analysis demonstrated specific biomarkers in different seasons, with the highest number revealed in winter. The co-occurrence network analysis also showed that during winter, the network illustrated a more intricate structure with the greatest number of nodes and edges. However, this study identified ten potentially pathogenic bacterial species, which showed significantly enhanced diversity and abundance throughout the summer. Overall, our results revealed that season mainly regulated the intestinal bacterial community composition and pathogenic bacteria of captive ducks under the instant diet. This study provides an important new understanding of the seasonal variations in captive wild ducks' intestinal bacterial community structure. The information available here may be essential data for preventing and controlling infections caused by pathogenic bacteria in captive waterbirds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The fungi community has received comparatively little attention compared to bacteria in previous studies on the avian gut microbiome. Even though fungi constitute a smaller proportion of the gastrointestinal (GIT) microbiota, changes in the diversity and composition of the gut microbial population have been associated with a number of diseases. This study, concentrating on captive migratory ducks, provides light on the gut fungal population, identifies potential animal pathogens and plant saprotrophs, and reveals that seasonal variations shape the dynamics of the gut fungal community more significantly than the host species. Understanding the dynamics of avian gut fungal communities and potentially pathogenic species across different seasons is crucial for assessing their health and ecological interactions. In this study, high-throughput sequencing was employed to examine the changes in gut fungal communities and the presence of potential pathogens between different seasons in captive Baikal teal and common teal. Between the summer and autumn seasons, both duck species showed significant differences in fungal diversity and community composition. A higher fungal diversity in both species was exhibited in the summer than in the autumn. Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were the two most common phyla, with a greater proportion of Ascomycota than Basidiomycota in both duck species in the summer. Interestingly, our study also identified animal pathogens and plant saprotrophs in the gut fungal communities. Seasonal variation had an effect on the diversity and abundance of both animal pathogens and saprotrophs. Specifically, during the summer season, the diversity and relative abundance were higher compared to the autumn season. In addition, there were differences between duck species in terms of animal pathogens, while no significant differences were observed in saprotrophs. Overall, the communities of the gut fungi, animal pathogens, and saprotrophs were found to be influenced by seasonal changes rather than host species. Therefore, seasonal variations might dominate over host genetics in shaping the gut microbiota of captive Baikal teal and common teal. This study underscores the importance of incorporating an understanding of seasonal dynamics and potential pathogens within the gut microbiota of captive ducks. Such considerations have the potential to drive progress in the development of sustainable and economically viable farming practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Driven by habitat loss from anthropogenic activities, wintering migratory birds forage together with poultry in paddy fields, and thus impose risks of cross transmitting pathogens. To date, there is little evidence for such risks of pathogen transmission between wild birds and poultry. Using the high‐throughput sequencing, we report on detected potential pathogens of both wild hooded cranes Grus monacha and sympatric domestic geese Anser anser domesticus during the wintering period, and infer the possibility of cross‐species pathogen transmission. The results revealed that the number of shared amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) of potential pathogens between the gut microbiota of the two species was low during the early wintering stage (17.2%; 5 ASVs shared) but increased to 56.3% (18 ASVs shared) during the late wintering stage. That is, potential pathogens in the gut microbial communities of the two species became more similar through co‐foraging in paddy fields, supporting cross transmission of pathogens between hooded cranes and domestic geese during the wintering period. Importantly, transmission appeared to be largely from wild hooded cranes to domestic geese, although some potential pathogens may have become specialized to the domestic goose in the late wintering stage. Humans are also face the risks of contracting these potential pathogens from migratory birds through their frequent contacts with domestic poultry. It is, therefore, necessary to closely monitor this pathway of pathogen transmission from wild birds to domestic animals and even to humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past ten years, in paddy rice systems in southern China, the co-incorporation of Chinese milk vetch (MV) and rice straw (RS) has become a new and effective practice in which the advantages of the two species are combined to improve rice yields. However, more studies are needed to better understand the mechanisms by which rice productivity is improved through this practice. In this study, a pot experiment was performed to investigate the effects of different residue management treatments on rice productivity and soil properties. Five treatments were tested: (i) CK (no residue and no chemical fertilizer); (ii) CF (chemical fertilizer); (iii) FM (CF with MV returning); (iv) FR (CF with RS returning); and (v) FMR (CF with a mixture of MV and RS returning). The results showed that the application of MV and/or RS returning improved grain yields by between 13.7% and 31.5%, compared with CF treatment alone. In addition, the application of MV significantly improved rice yield relative to RS returning. However, co-incorporation of MV and RS resulted in the highest yield productivity of all. FMR treatment significantly increased shoot biomass and shoot N, P, and K uptake, compared with FR treatment, at all three growth stages, and compared with FM treatment at the jointing and maturity stages. Moreover, FMR treatment significantly improved grain N, P, and K uptake, relative to FM and FR treatments. These results clearly demonstrated that co-incorporation management promotes nitrogen and phosphorus nutrient uptake at jointing and maturity stages of the rice growth process, compared to application of single residues alone, resulting in higher rice yields. Because incorporation of MV and/or RS increases the available nutrients in the soil and enhances nutrient uptake by the crop, wide-scale adoption of the co-incorporation of residues would significantly increase rice yields and improve soil fertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adequate exploitation of legume–rhizobia symbiosis for nitrogen fixation may help to alleviate the overuse of chemical nitrogen fertilizer and aid in sustainable agricultural development. However, controlling this beneficial interaction requires thorough characterization of the effects of soil rhizosphere microorganisms, especially core taxa, on the legume–rhizobia symbiosis. Here, we used Illumina sequencing to investigate the effects of cover crop (Raphanus sativus L. and Lolium perenne L.) residue on the rhizosphere soil microbial community and peanut nodulation ability. The results indicated that Raphanus sativus L. amendment (RS) significantly increased soil available phosphorus (AP) content and peanut nodulation ability, while the Lolium perenne L. amendment (LP) had no noticeable impact on peanut nodulation. LP and RS significantly elevated bacterial and rhizobial diversity, reduced fungal diversity, and shifted microbial community structure (bacteria, 14.7%, p = 0.001; rhizobia, 21.7%, p = 0.001; fungi, 25.5%, p = 0.001). Random forest analysis found that the core rhizosphere taxa, sharing similar ecological preferences, were the primary drivers of peanut nodulation. By least squares regression, soil AP content was found to be positively correlated with the relative abundance of key ecological clusters. Furthermore, RS was found to promote peanut nodulation by increasing the relative abundance of critical rhizosphere taxa. Overall, our findings emphasize that core microbial taxa might play an essential function in the modulation of legume nodulation and provide scientific evidence for the effective management of the plant microbiome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grazing alters the plant communities, soil properties, and habitat conditions of the alpine grassland. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are involved in the nutrient cycling of grassland ecosystems and form a mutual symbiosis with their host plants. Thus, AMF are sensitive to the impact of livestock grazing. However, the effects of grazing intensity on the AMF community composition and the association between AMF and environmental factors, such as soil physicochemical properties, enzyme activity, and glomalin‐related soil proteins, remain unclear. Here, the response of the soil AMF community to grazing intensity gradients (i.e., light, moderate, and heavy grazing) was studied in an alpine grassland on the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau. The dominant AMF families included Glomeraceae, Gigasporaceae, Claroideoglomeraceae, Diversisporaceae, and Ambisporaceae. Significant shifts in the AMF community composition in response to grazing intensity were found in both surface and subsurface soils. Soil C/N ratio, plant diversity, soil compactness, chitinase activity, aboveground biomass, total N, soil moisture, and NO3−–N significantly correlated with changes in the AMF community composition. Heavy grazing intensity was associated with the highest AMF alpha diversity, whereas moderate grazing intensity had the lowest AMF alpha diversity in both surface and subsurface soils. Grazing intensity, dominant plants, soil C and N concentrations, and soil compactness were significantly correlated with AMF diversity. These results demonstrated a significant response of the AMF community to grazing intensity, suggesting that plants increase their reliance on AMF symbioses with higher alpha diversity in the heavily degraded alpine grasslands of the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau. Core Ideas: Grazing alters plant communities, soil properties, and AMF communities.Soil C/N and plant diversity are significantly correlated with AMF communities.Moderate grazing is associated with the lowest belowground AMF alpha diversity.Plants increase their reliance on AMF symbioses in heavily degraded alpine grassland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gut microbiota of vertebrates play a crucial role in shaping the health of their hosts. However, knowledge of the avian intestinal microbiota has arguably lagged behind that of many other vertebrates. Here, we examine the intestinal bacterial communities of the hooded crane and the greater white-fronted goose at the Shengjin Lake of China, using high-throughput sequencing (Illumina Mi-Seq), and infer the potential pathogens associated with each species. Intestinal bacterial alpha-diversity in the greater white-fronted goose was significantly higher than that in hooded crane. The intestinal bacterial community compositions were significantly different between the two hosts, suggesting that host interactions with specific communities might have profound implications. In addition, potential pathogens were detected in both guts of the two hosts, suggesting that these wild birds might be at risk of disease and probably spread infectious disease to other sympatric vertebrates. The gut of hooded crane carried more potential pathogens than that of the greater white-fronted goose. The potentially pathogenic community compositions were also significantly different between the two hosts, suggesting the divergence of potentially pathogenic communities between hooded crane, and greater white-fronted goose. Finally, bacterial and potentially pathogenic structures showed strong evidence of phylogenic clustering in both hosts, further demonstrating that each host was associated with preferential and defined bacterial and potentially pathogenic communities. Our results argue that more attention should be paid to investigate avian intestinal pathogens which might increase disease risks for conspecifics and other mixed species, and even poultry and human beings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both topography and wildfire can strongly affect soil nitrogen (N) availability. Although many studies have examined the individual effects of fire and topography on N, few have investigated their combined influences and relative importance. In this study, we measured soil extractable inorganic N concentrations, N mineralisation rates, and in situ soil inorganic N supply rates at 36 plots in three topographic positions (north-facing, south-facing and flat valley bottom) of burned and unburned sites in a boreal larch forest of northeastern China. Our data showed that wildfire significantly increased soil N availability, with mean soil extractable inorganic N concentrations, N mineralisation rates and N supply rates being 63, 310 and 270% higher in the burned site 1 year following fire. Additionally, soil N availability in the unburned site was significantly greater on the north-facing slope than on the south-facing slope, though this pattern was reversed at the burned site. Wildfire and topography together explained ~50% of the variance in soil N availability, with wildfire explaining three times more than topography. Our results demonstrate that wildfire and topography jointly affected spatial variations of soil N availability, and that wildfire decreased the influence of topography in the early successional stage of this boreal larch ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long-term high intensity continuous cropping with heavy application of mineral fertilization resulted in soil degradation and accumulation of soil-borne plant pathogens. Fungi are key microbial components and closely related to soil health in agroecosystem. In this study, the responses of fungal communities to different agricultural practices were investigated in upland of Ultisol using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and high-throughput sequencing (Illumina MiSeq). The study involved four management treatments: no fertilization (Control), mineral NPK fertilizer (NPK), NPK fertilizer plus peanut straw (NPKS), and NPK fertilizer plus planting green manure (i.e., hairy vetch; NPKG). By comparison with the NPK, application of NPKG significantly increased soil fertility and peanut yield. The NPKS and NPKG significantly increased soil fungal abundance relative to the NPK. Different agricultural practices significantly altered soil fungal community composition in Ultisol. Soil pH and phosphorus content were the two most pivotal drivers shaping fungal community structure. Compared to the NPK, the NPKS and NPKG significantly increased the relative abundance of Basidiomycota. The NPKG increased the relative abundance of certain plant-beneficial fungal taxa and decreased the relative abundance and diversity of plant-pathogen relative to NPK and NPKS, thereby contributing to suppressing continuous cropping barriers and increasing peanut productivity. Overall, our results suggested that planting hairy vetch might outperform NPK or returning peanut straw for improving peanut yield by increasing soil fertility and altering fungal community structure in upland of Ultisol. • Different practices affected fungal abundance and community structure in Ultisol. • Shifts in soil P and pH led to divergence in fungal community among treatments. • Application of hairy vetch decreased the relative abundance of plant-pathogen. • Hairy vetch increased crop yield by improving soil fertility and fungal community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Hairy vetch and peanut straw altered soil bacterial community structure. • Hairy vetch rather than peanut straw altered soil bacterial potential function. • Hairy vetch increased the relative abundance of certain plant-beneficial bacteria. • Hairy vetch increased nutrient levels offsetting the baleful effect of soil acidification. Empirical studies have intensively clarified the effects of livestock manure on soil fertility, crop yield and microbial community, with little information about their response to application of peanut straw and green manure in dryland of Ultisols. In this study, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and next-generation sequencing were used to compare bacterial abundance, community structure and predicted metabolic function under four agricultural practices in Ultisol: without fertilization (control), mineral fertilization (NPK, conventional regime), mineral fertilization with returning composting peanut straw (NPKS) and with planting hairy vetch (NPKG). Compared to the control, the NPKS and NPKG significantly decreased soil pH. The NPKG was associated with the highest soil nutrient contents and peanut yield. Compared to control, the NPKS and NPKG increased bacterial abundance and decreased bacterial alpha-diversity. Fertility improvement and soil acidification were responsible for increasing bacterial abundance and decreasing alpha-diversity, respectively. Phylogenetic clustering was found in soil bacterial community, with the stronger clustering in NPKS and NPKG, suggesting that soil acidification might induce stronger niche-based filtering to decrease bacterial alpha-diversity. Compared to control, the NPKS and NPKG altered soil bacterial community composition, but only NPKG changed the predicted metabolic functions. The NPKG triggered larger changes in bacterial community composition than NPKS, implying that dramatic shifts in community composition might lead to modification of bacterial functions. Soil bacterial community composition and predicted function co-varied with soil pH and nutrient contents, but nutrient improvement had stronger (i.e., 23.3% vs. 11.5% in composition; 21.8% vs. 13.6% in function) and contrary effects (i.e., the opposite arrows) than soil acidification. In addition, the NPKG was associated with higher relative abundance of plant-beneficial bacterial taxa (Mycobacterium and Pseudomonas). Overall, mineral fertilization with planting hairy vetch might be an effective practice for improving soil fertility, optimizing bacterial community structure and increasing peanut yield in dryland of Ultisol. However, the further soil acidification should be taken into account following planting hairy vetch longer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Richard's Pipit Anthus richardi is a medium-sized passerine bird which breeds in open grasslands in northern Asia with a long-distance migrant moving to open lowlands in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. In this study, the mitochondrial genome of this bird species was obtained by the PCR-based sequencing method. The mitogenome is 16,871 bp in size, including 22 tRNAs, 2 rRNAs, 13 protein-coding genes and a D-loop. The A, T, G, and C base composition of the mitochondrial DNA are 29.73%, 23.12%, 14.59% and 32.56%, respectively. The starting codon of protein-coding genes is typical ATG, except for the ND2 which starts with ATA. The D-loop locates between genes of tRNAGlu and tRNAPhe. The result of the phylogenetic analysis indicates that A. richardi has close phylogenetic relationship with A. novaeseelandiae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mitochondrial genome of Anser albifrons frontails is 16740 bp in size, including 22 tRNAs, 2 rRNAs, 13 PCGs, and a CR. Except for tRNASer (AGY) and tRNALeu (CUN) without the dihydrouridine arm, all tRNAs could be folded into canonical cloverleaf structures. All PCGs start with ATG and the termination codon TAA is commonly observed. The CR is located between tRNAGlu and tRNAPhe. The result of the phylogenetic analysis suggests that Anser albifrons frontails is closely related to A. cygonoides and A. anser. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The gut microbiome is expected to adapt to the varying energetic and nutritional pressures in females of different reproductive states. Although the genus Macaca has the widest geographical range of nonhuman primates, few empirical studies are currently available that explore the relationship between female reproductive states and their gut microbiome in this genus. We have examined variation of gut bacterial microbiome in free-ranging female Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana) across different reproductive states (cycling, pregnancy and lactation). We found significant changes in gut bacterial taxonomic composition, structure and their potential functions in different reproductive states of our study species. In particular, the relative abundance of Proteobacteria increased significantly during pregnancy and lactation. In addition, the relative abundance of Succinivibrionaceae and Succinivibrio (Succinivibrionaceae) were overrepresented in pregnant females, whereas Bifidobacteriaceae and Bifidobacterium (Bifidobacteriaceae) were overrepresented in lactating females. Furthermore, predicted functional genes of several metabolic pathways related to host's energy and nutrition, such as metabolism of carbohydrates, cofactors and vitamins, glycans and other amino acids, were overrepresented in pregnancy and lactation. Thus, our results suggest that the gut microbiome may play an important role in the energetic and nutritional strategies of female reproductive ecology in the genus Macaca. Future studies of the "microbial reproductive ecology" of primates that incorporate food availability, reproductive seasonality, female reproductive physiology and gut inflammation are warranted. The gut microbiome is expected to adapt to the varying energetic and nutritional pressures in females of different reproductive states. Changes in the gut microbiome may lead to varying nutrient utilizing efficiency in pregnant and lactating female primates. In this study, we examined variation in the gut bacterial community composition of wild female Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana) across different reproductive states (cycling, pregnancy and lactation). Fecal samples (n = 25) were collected from ten adult females harvested across different reproductive states. Gut microbial community composition and potential functions were assessed using 16 S rRNA gene sequences. We found significant changes in gut bacterial taxonomic composition, structure and their potential functions in different reproductive states of our study species. In particular, the relative abundance of Proteobacteria increased significantly during pregnancy and lactation. In addition, the relative abundance of Succinivibrionaceae and Succinivibrio (Succinivibrionaceae) were overrepresented in pregnant females, whereas Bifidobacteriaceae and Bifidobacterium (Bifidobacteriaceae) were overrepresented in lactating females. Furthermore, the relative abundance of predicted functional genes of several metabolic pathways related to host's energy and nutrition, such as metabolism of carbohydrates, cofactors and vitamins, glycans and other amino acids, were enriched in pregnancy and lactation. Our findings suggest that changes in the gut microbiome may play an important role in meeting the energetic needs of pregnant and lactating Tibetan macaques. Future studies of the "microbial reproductive ecology" of primates that incorporate food availability, reproductive seasonality, female reproductive physiology and gut inflammation are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Intestinal microbiota play crucial roles for their hosts. Odontolabis fallaciosa shows striking sexual dimorphism and male trimorphism, which represents an interesting system to study their gut microbiota. We have compared the intestinal bacterial community structure between the two sexes and among three male morphs of O. fallaciosa. The gut bacterial community structure was significantly different between males and females. The females were associated with higher bacterial alpha-diversity relative to males. Large males had a higher relative abundance of Firmicutes and Firmicutes/Bacteroides (F/B) ratio, which contributed to nutritional efficiency. The results increased our understanding of beetle–bacterial interactions of O. fallaciosa between the two sexes, and among three male morphs, which might reveal the relationship among the gut microbiota, nutrition level, and phenotypic evolution of the stag beetle. Odontolabis fallaciosa (Coleoptera: Lucanidae) is a giant and popular stag beetle with striking sexual dimorphism and male trimorphism. However, little is known about their intestinal microbiota, which might play an indispensable role in shaping the health of their hosts. The aim of this study was to investigate the intestinal bacterial community structure between the two sexes and among three male morphs of O. fallaciosa from China using high-throughput sequencing (Illumina MiSeq). The gut bacterial community structure was significantly different between males and females, suggesting that sex appeared to be the crucial factor shaping the intestinal bacterial community. Females had higher bacterial alpha-diversity than males. There was little difference in gut bacterial community structure among the three male morphs. However, compared to medium and small males, large individuals were associated with the higher relative abundance of Firmicutes and Firmicutes/Bacteroides (F/B) ratio, which might contribute to nutritional efficiency. Overall, these results might help to further our understanding of beetle–bacterial interactions of O. fallaciosa between the two sexes, and among the three male morphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Phalacrognathus muelleri is naturally distributed in Queensland (Australia) and New Guinea, and this species can be successfully bred under artificial conditions. In this study, we compared gut bacterial community structure among different life stages. There were dramatic shifts in gut bacterial community structure between larvae and adults, which was probably shaped by their diet. The significant differences between early instar and final instars larvae suggested that certain life stages are associated with a defined gut bacterial community. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the potential role of gut microbiota in a host's growth and development, and the data will benefit stag beetle conservation in artificial feeding conditions. Although stag beetles are popular saprophytic insects, there are few studies about their gut bacterial community. This study focused on the gut bacterial community structure of the rainbow stag beetle (i.e., Phalacrognathus muelleri) in its larvae (three instars) and adult stages, using high throughput sequencing (Illumina Miseq). Our aim was to compare the gut bacterial community structure among different life stages. The results revealed that bacterial alpha diversity increased from the 1st instar to the 3rd instar larvae. Adults showed the lowest gut bacterial alpha diversity. Bacterial community composition was significantly different between larvae and adults (p = 0.001), and 1st instar larvae (early instar) had significant differences with the 2nd (p= 0.007) and 3rd (p = 0.001) instar larvae (final instar). However, there was little difference in the bacterial community composition between the 2nd and 3rd instar larvae (p = 0.059). Our study demonstrated dramatic shifts in gut bacterial community structure between larvae and adults. Larvae fed on decaying wood and adults fed on beetle jelly, suggesting that diet is a crucial factor shaping the gut bacterial community structure. There were significant differences in bacterial community structure between early instar and final instars larvae, suggesting that certain life stages are associated with a defined gut bacterial community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Intestinal bacterial taxa play an important role in maintaining the normal physiological ecology of animals. Many factors affect the composition and diversity of the intestinal bacterial community, including diet, environment and season. However, the unique life cycle of birds makes it interesting to study their gut bacteria, especially migratory birds. Birds use many habitats and food resources, which may influence their intestinal bacterial community structure during seasonal migration. Hooded crane (Grus monacha) is one such migrant waterbird that traverses long distances and occupies varied habitats. In this study, we investigated the diversity and differences in intestinal bacterial communities of hooded cranes over the migratory season. The intestinal bacterial alpha-diversity of hooded cranes in winter was significantly higher than fall and spring. The gut bacterial community composition differed significantly across the three seasons (ANOSIM, P = 0.001). This study provides baseline information on the seasonal dynamics of intestinal bacteria in migratory hooded cranes. Intestinal bacterial communities form an integral component of the organism. Many factors influence gut bacterial community composition and diversity, including diet, environment and seasonality. During seasonal migration, birds use many habitats and food resources, which may influence their intestinal bacterial community structure. Hooded crane (Grus monacha) is a migrant waterbird that traverses long distances and occupies varied habitats. In this study, we investigated the diversity and differences in intestinal bacterial communities of hooded cranes over the migratory seasons. Fecal samples from hooded cranes were collected at a stopover site in two seasons (spring and fall) in Lindian, China, and at a wintering ground in Shengjin Lake, China. We analyzed bacterial communities from the fecal samples using high throughput sequencing (Illumina Mi-seq). Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Tenericutes, Cyanobacteria, and Actinobacteria were the dominant phyla across all samples. The intestinal bacterial alpha-diversity of hooded cranes in winter was significantly higher than in fall and spring. The bacterial community composition significantly differed across the three seasons (ANOSIM, P = 0.001), suggesting that seasonal fluctuations may regulate the gut bacterial community composition of migratory birds. This study provides baseline information on the seasonal dynamics of intestinal bacterial community structure in migratory hooded cranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical fertilizers, especially nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), are used in grasslands to maximize plant biomass production for livestock. Despite a substantial body of work on how fertilization affects aboveground plant and belowground microbial communities, the short-term response of soil ammonia-oxidizing microbial communities, which play the central role in nitrification, to fertilization is not well understood. The responses of ammonia-oxidizing microbial communities to short-term (3 years) N and/or P additions were investigated in an alpine grassland of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis of the amoA genes showed that ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) dominated over ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) in non-amended soil. Short-term urea addition significantly increased the abundance of AOB, whereas AOA abundance remained unchanged, resulting in a shift from AOA to AOB dominance, which suggests that AOB are likely to be more important in the first step of the nitrification following urea amendment. Pyrosequencing demonstrated a significant shift in AOB but not AOA community composition within short-term N fertilizer plots, indicating that AOB community composition was more sensitive than AOA in response to urea amendment. This study demonstrated that the abundance and composition of AOA and AOB communities responded differently to 3 years of urea addition, suggesting that N fertilizer may be an important controller of ammonia-oxidizing microbial communities in managed alpine grasslands, such as those of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial distribution of bacteria in bulk soil has been well studied, but little is known about the bacterial biogeography in the rhizosphere of crops. Here, we investigated bacterial distribution in bulk soil, loosely- and tightly-bound soils, from wheat fields distributed across 800,000 km 2 of the North China Plain. Bacterial community composition differed dramatically among bulk and rhizospheric soils, and bacterial diversity decreased with the root proximity. Soil pH correlated with bacterial community composition and diversity in three compartments. Bacterial community in tightly bound soil formed a hub-based network topology with higher transitivity and greater number of central nodes compared with loosely bound and bulk soils, potentially as a result of more direct ecological interactions between the members of the tightly bound soil compartment. Bulk and rhizospheric soils maintained similar compositional distance decay patterns (with equal decay rates), but distinct phylogenetic distance decay patterns (with steeper slope of tightly bound soil). Geographical distance described a relatively greater proportion of bacterial spatial distribution in tightly bound soil, compared with loosely bound soil and bulk soil. Deterministic processes dominated the assemblage of bacterial communities in all soil compartments, while phylogenetic clustering was weaker in tightly bound soil. Taken together, our results suggest distinct bacterial network structure and distribution patterns among bulk soil, loosely bound soil and tightly bound rhizospheric soil, which could possibly result in potential functional differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]