Abstract 237 – A time-series analysis of dynamic changes in the gut microbiome of the giant panda traveling to Japan

Xueying Wang, Ryoji Umemoto, Mizuki Kato, Takashi Hayakawa

Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is one of the most famous mammals known for its
unique biology. They phylogenetically belong to the family Ursidae (bears) and, therefore, have
a carnivore-like gastrointestinal tract. However, bamboo is the principal dietary resource for
giant pandas, which is highly fiber-rich and poorly nutritional. Giant panda genome has no
homologs of the cellulase digestive gene, indicating that their bamboo diet may rely on the gut
microbiome.
Giant panda is a vulnerable mammal according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
They have an extremely narrow range of natural habitats. Human activity has drastically
reduced and fragmented their habitat range. The restricted gene flow in wild populations made
it difficult to maintain genetic diversity within small populations. For this reason, ex situ
conservation of giant pandas has been important. The number of captive pandas now
represents over one-quarter of the total number of worldwide pandas. Therefore, focusing on
the gut microbiome of captive giant pandas will support their healthy condition and contribute
to their successful reintroduction into the wild.
To expand the genetic diversity of captive populations, breeding loans have been implemented
between breeding facilities, including Japanese zoos. Yet we have not sufficiently investigated
the gut microbes in pandas traveling to Japan.
To understand how Japanese husbandry environments affects the gut bacteria in the giant
panda, we continuously collected fecal samples from an adult panda at the Kobe Oji Zoo (Kobe,
Japan) once a week from May 2021 to the present. The composition of the gut bacteria in giant
panda was identified using the 16S ribosome RNA gene sequencing. A time series analysis of
the gut bacteria dynamics in giant pandas over years will be conducted.