Sex, health status and habitat alter the community composition and assembly processes of symbiotic bacteria in captive frogs

BMC Microbiology · 6 authors, 3 centres

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This study used 16S rRNA sequencing to analyze frog gut and soil microbiota, finding that frog sex and health status significantly influence gut bacterial diversity and community assembly processes.

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This preclinical study investigated the gut microbiota of captive frogs and the microbial communities in their habitat soils. Using 16S rRNA sequencing, researchers compared bacterial communities based on frog sex (male vs. female) and health status (healthy vs. infected with meningitis-like infectious disease, MID). They also analyzed soil from three habitats: frog-aggregation, native, and soybean. Key results indicate that frog sex and health status significantly influence gut bacterial beta-diversity and taxonomy. Healthy female frogs exhibited more complex microbial network structures than males, while diseased males showed the greatest network complexity. Community assembly in male frogs was dominated by deterministic processes, whereas in females it was dominated by stochastic processes. For soil, soybean soil was enriched in pathogens and nitrogen functions, while frog-aggregation soil showed increased sulfur respiration and hydrocarbon degradation. The study is observational, using correlation analysis, and acknowledges limitations in understanding complex interactions between host immunity, environment, and specific bacteria.

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other

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preclinical research

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ORIGINAL PAPER

PMC10804495

Sex, health status and habitat alter the community composition and assembly processes of symbiotic bacteria in captive frogs

BMC Microbiology

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ABSTRACT

Background Frogs are critical economic animals essential to agricultural ecosystem equilibrium. However, Meningitis-like Infectious Disease (MID) often affects them in agricultural settings. While frog-associated microbiota contribute to elemental cycling and immunity, the effects of frog sex and health on gut bacteria remain understudied, and the relationship between frog habitat and soil microbes is unclear. We aimed to determine how frog sex, health status and habitat influence symbiotic bacteria and community assembly mechanism to provide guidance for sustainable frog farming and conservation. Results We employed 16S rRNA sequencing to investigate gut microbiota differences in relation to frog sex and health status. We also compared symbiotic communities in frog-aggregation, native and soybean soil on the farm. Results showed that gut bacterial β-diversity and taxonomy were markedly influenced by frog sex and health. Healthy frogs had more robust gut bacterial metabolism than frogs infected with MID. Cooccurrence network analysis revealed that healthy female frogs had more complex microbial network structure than males; however, diseased males showed the greatest network complexity. The assembly mechanism of gut bacteria in male frogs was dominated by deterministic processes, whereas in female frogs it was dominated by stochastic processes. Among symbiotic bacteria in frog habitat soils, deterministic processes predominantly shaped the community assembly of soybean soil. In particular, soybean soil was enriched in pathogens and nitrogen functions, whereas frog-aggregation soil was markedly increased in sulphur respiration and hydrocarbon degradation. Conclusion Our study reveals that sex mainly alters the interaction network and assembly mechanism of frog intestinal bacteria; MID infection significantly inhibits the metabolic functions of intestinal bacteria. Furthermore, diverse frog habitat soils could shape more symbiotic bacteria to benefit frog farming. Our findings provide new horizons for symbiotic bacteria among frogs, which could contribute to sustainable agriculture and ecological balance. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12866-023-03150-y.

CITATION EXPORT

Senlin Liu, Sewar Imad, Sarfraz Hussain et al.. Sex, health status and habitat alter the community composition and assembly processes of symbiotic bacteria in captive frogs. BMC Microbiology. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12866-023-03150-y

AUTHORS

6 · 3 CENTRES

Senlin Liu, Sewar Imad, Sarfraz Hussain, Shuiqing Xiao, Xiaowei Yu, Hui Cao

1grid.27871.3b0000 0000 9750 7019College of Life Sciences/Key Laboratory of Agricultural Environmental Microbiology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affair, Nanjing Agricultural University, 6 Tongwei Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095 People’s Republic of China
2https://ror.org/01a77tt86grid.7372.10000 0000 8809 1613School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry, UK
3https://ror.org/05nkgk822grid.411862.80000 0000 8732 9757Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, JX China