Poly-(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) is a polyester with biodegradable and biocompatible characteristics and has many potential applications. To reduce the raw material costs and microbial energy consumption during PHB production, cheaper carbon sources such as sucrose were evaluated for the synthesis of PHB under anaerobic conditions. In this study, metabolic network analysis was conducted to construct an optimized pathway for PHB production using sucrose as the sole carbon source and to guide the gene knockout to reduce the generation of mixed acid byproducts. The plasmid pMCS-sacC was constructed to utilize sucrose as a sole carbon source, and the cascaded promoter P_3nirB was used to enhance PHB synthesis under anaerobic conditions. The mixed acid fermentation pathway was knocked out in Escherichia coli S17-1 to reduce the synthesis of byproducts. As a result, PHB yield was improved to 80% in 6.21 g/L cell dry weight by the resulted recombinant Escherichia coli in a 5 L bed fermentation, using sucrose as the sole carbon source under anaerobic conditions. As a result, the production costs of PHB will be significantly reduced.

Reintroduction has been successful in re-establishing several endangered wild animals in their historical habitats, including Père David’s deer (Elaphurus davidianus). Continuous monitoring of reintroduced individuals is essential for improving the sustainability of ex situ conservation efforts. Despite an increased recognition of the significance of the gut microbiome for animal health, the correlation between diet and the gut microbiome in E. davidianus is unclear. In this study, 15 fresh fecal samples of E. davidianus were collected from Tianjin Qilihai Wetland and the association between dietary and gut microbiota composition was evaluated. Microscopic observations showed that Nymphoides peltata [relative density (RD = 0.3514), Phragmites australis (RD = 0.2662), Setaria viridis (RD = 0.1211), and Typha orientalis (RD = 0.1085) were the main dietary plants in the fecal samples. High-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing showed a predominance of the phyla Firmicutes and Proteobacteria and the genus Psychrobacillus (26.53%) in the gut microbiota. The RD of N. peltata was significantly positively correlated with the abundance of Firmicutes (p = 0.005) and the genus UCG-005 (p = 0.024). This study indicates a close association between food digestion and nutrient intake, providing basic monitoring data for the full reintroduction and recovery of wild E. davidianus.

The migratory bird’s gut microbiome composition and function change during the overwintering period, helping the host to adapt to different environments. Our study investigated the gut microbiome of migratory relict gulls (Larus relictus) in the early and late wintering stages from their overwintering grounds in Tianjin, China. We collected 24 and 29 fecal samples at the early and late stages, respectively, and analyzed the samples using high-throughput sequencing technology to find the relationship between diet, living environment, and gut microbiome of migratory birds. The results showed that the diversity and abundance of microbial communities (alpha diversity) increased during the overwintering period and significantly differed between both groups (beta diversity). Based on the gut microbial taxonomic composition, the relative abundance of Firmicutes decreased during the overwintering period, and Proteobacteria increased significantly. Furthermore, Catellicoccus and Breznakia were the main genera in both the early and late stages. Prediction of KEGG functions based on the PICRUSt2 method showed that changes in the gut microbiome resulted in an increased abundance of bacteria associated with amino acid metabolism, metabolism of cofactors and vitamins, energy metabolism, and environmental adaptation in the late stage. Differences in diet and environment at different stages during the overwintering period may have led to the differentiation of microbial communities, and their adaptive mechanisms need to be further investigated. This is the first in-depth study of the gut microbial composition of L. relictus during the overwintering period in northern China. These findings may contribute to the protection of migratory birds.

The gut microbiota of wild animals can regulate host physical health to adapt to the environment. High-throughput sequencing from fecal samples was used to analyze the gut microbiota communities in common cranes (Grus grus) without harming them. Herein, we compared the fecal microbiome of fifteen G. grus in Tianjin Tuanbo Bird Natural Reserve (wild group) and six G. grus sampled from Beijing Wildlife Park (semi-captive group) in China, using 16S amplicon sequencing and bioinformatic analysis. The results showed that microbiota diversity and composition varied in different groups, suggesting that the gut microbiota was interactively influenced by diet and the environment. A total of 38 phyla and 776 genera were analyzed in this study. The dominant phyla of the G. grus were Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. Meanwhile, the microbiota richness of the semi-captive group was higher than the wild group. Data on beta diversity highlighted significant differences based on different dietary compositions. Zea mays, Glycine max, and Phragmites australia showed a significant correlation with intestinal bacteria of G. grus. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of diet and microbiomes in semi-captive and wild G. grus living in different environments, thus helping us to evaluate the influence on animal microbiomes and improve conservation efforts for this species.

The gut microbiome plays important roles in metabolic and immune system related to the health of host. This study applied non-invasive sampling and 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing to study the gut microbiota structure of red pandas (Ailurus fulgens) for the first time under different geographical latitudes in captivity. The results showed that the two predominant phyla Firmicutes (59.30%) and Proteobacteria (38.58%) constituted 97.88% of the total microbiota in all the fecal samples from north group (red pandas from Tianjin Zoo and Jinan Zoo) and south group (red pandas from Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo). The relative abundance of Cyanobacteria in north group was significantly higher than that in south group. At the genus level, Escherichia-Shigella (24.82%) and Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 (23.00%) were common dominant genera. The relative abundance of norank_f__norank_o__Chloroplast, Terrisporobacter and Anaeroplasma from south group was significantly higher than that of north group. Alpha and Beta analysis consistently showed significant differences between north group and south group, however, the main functions of intestinal microbiota were basically the same, which play an important role in metabolic pathways, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, microbial metabolism in different environments, and amino acid biosynthesis. The variations in gut microbiota between the northern and southern populations of the same species, both kept in captivity, which are primarily driven by significant differences in climate and diet. These findings provide a deeper understanding of the gut microbiota in red pandas and have important implications for their conservation, particularly in optimizing diet and environmental conditions in captivity.

The screening of cellulose-degrading microorganisms from herbivores and the optimization of fermentation conditions are of great significance for the utilization of cellulose resources. In this study, we initially employed a metagenomic analysis to investigate the fecal microbiota of both captive and semi-free-ranging Père David’s deer (Elaphurus davidianus) under varying environmental conditions. Subsequently, we isolated and cultured cellulase-degrading microorganisms from the fecal samples using Congo red medium. There was consistency in the dominant phyla and genera of gut microorganisms between the two groups, with only differences in abundance. Then, a cellulose-degrading strain identified as Bacillus pumilus XM was isolated after a morphological analysis and molecular identification by 16S rRNA amplicon. In addition, a series of single factor experiments and response surface analysis were conducted to determine the optimal conditions for best cellulase activity. The optimum temperature, culture time, and shaking speed for the reaction of cellulase produced by the strain Bacillus pumilus XM were 34 °C, 28 h, and 154 r/min, respectively. Under these conditions, the cellulase activity reached a maximum of 10.96 U/mL, which was relatively close to the predicted value of 10.975 U/mL. The results have enriched the existing bacterial resources and laid a foundation for the development of new enzymes, providing a theoretical basis for the rational utilization of cellulase from wild animal resources.