The Gut Bacterial Community Composition of Wild Cervus albirostris (White-Lipped Deer) Detected by the 16S Ribosomal RNA Gene Sequencing

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Abstract
Cervus albirostris (white-lipped deer) is an endemic species in China. As the name implies, C. albirostris has a characteristic pure white marking around their mouth and on the underside of the throat. The animal is a typical alpine species normally living at the height of 3500–4300 m. In this study, by pyrosequencing the 16S rRNA gene sequences, we for the first time analyzed the gut bacterial community composition in eight feces samples of wild C. albirostris. From a total of 243,634 high-quality sequences, we identified 186 genera, included in 17 prokaryotic phyla in the feces. The relative proportions of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were highly consistent in each individual sample. The most frequently detected genus was Ruminococcaceae UCG-005, ranging from 6.70 to 21.00%, displaying positively connections with the Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group. The bacterial communities associated with C. albirostris provide the basic knowledge for further microbiological studies and facilitates the conservation efforts of this vulnerable deer species.
Funding Information
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China (31070469, 31070348)
  • Foundation from Chaqingsongduo White-lipped Deer National Nature Reserve (MS2016-418)
  • China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2016M592177)

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