摘要

    背景
肠道微生物组对宿主的健康至关重要，并且是抗生素抗性基因（ARG）的重要储存库。我们通过shot弹枪基因组测序，研究了饮食变化和年龄等不同因素对大肠肠道微生物组（GPs）功能特征的影响。我们基于网络分析探索了肠道细菌属与肠道内ARG之间的关联。

结果
处理了圈养的幼年，成年和老年GP的粪便样本（n = 60），并根据年龄，新型ARG的丰富程度和抗生素的生物合成，鉴定了肠道微生物组的变异。在确定的667个ARG中，前10个ARG中有9个在青少年中含量较高。对于针对细菌的102种ARG，共存模式显示主要ARG与链球菌呈正相关。比较的KEGG通路分析显示，在三组不同的GP之间，抗生素具有丰富的生物合成能力，而在青少年组中，这一现象更为明显。共存模式进一步揭示了前十个ARG，抗生素的生物合成和代谢途径之间的正相关。

结论
GP的肠道可作为新型ARG和抗生素生物合成的储存库。饮食变化和年龄可能会影响肠道微生物组的功能特征；但是，它需要进一步研究以确定研究结果。

    Background
The gut microbiome is essential for the host’s health and serves as an essential reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). We investigated the effects of different factors, including the dietary shifts and age, on the functional characteristics of the giant panda’s gut microbiome (GPs) through shotgun metagenome sequencing. We explored the association between gut bacterial genera and ARGs within the gut based on network analysis.

Results
Fecal samples (n=60) from captive juvenile, adult, and geriatric GPs were processed, and variations were identified in the gut microbiome according to different ages, the abundance of novel ARGs and the biosynthesis of antibiotics. Among 667 ARGs identified, nine from the top ten ARGs had a higher abundance in juveniles. For 102 ARGs against bacteria, a co-occurrence pattern revealed a positive association for predominant ARGs with Streptococcus. A comparative KEGG pathways analysis revealed an abundant biosynthesis of antibiotics among three different groups of GPs, where it was more significantly observed in the juvenile group. A co-occurrence pattern further revealed a positive association for the top ten ARGs, biosynthesis of antibiotics, and metabolic pathways.

Conclusion
Gut of GPs serve as a reservoir for novel ARGs and biosynthesis of antibiotics. Dietary changes and age may influence the gut microbiome’s functional characteristics; however, it needs further studies to ascertain the study outcomes.

    https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12866-020-02078-x