Deciphering the Bifidobacterial Populations within the Canine and Feline Gut Microbiota
Giulia Alessandri, Christian Milani, Leonardo Mancabelli, Giulia Longhi, Rosaria Anzalone, Gabriele Andrea Lugli, Sabrina Duranti, Francesca Turroni, Maria Cristina Ossiprandi, Douwe van Sinderen, Marco Ventura
Abstract
Currently, domesticated dogs and cats are the most cherished companion animals for humans, and concerns about their health and well-being are therefore important. In this context, the gut microbiota plays a crucial role in maintaining and promoting host health. However, despite the social relevance of domesticated dogs and cats, their intestinal microbial communities are still far from being completely understood. In this study, the taxonomical composition of canine and feline gut microbiota was explored at genus and bifidobacterial species levels, allowing classification of these microbial populations into distinct gut community state types at either of the two investigated taxonomic levels. Furthermore, the reconstruction of core gut microbiota coupled with covariance network analysis based on bifidobacterial internally transcribed spacer (ITS) profiling revealed differences in the bifidobacterial compositions of canine and feline gut microbiota, suggesting that particular bifidobacterial species have developed a selective ability to colonize a specific host.