Insights into the fecal microbiota of captive Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) Authors José Alberto Núñez-Díaz Universidad de Málaga, Andalucía Tech, Departmento de Microbiología, Campus de Teatinos, Málaga, Spain. M. Carmen Balebona Universidad de Málaga, Andalucía Tech, Departmento de Microbiología, Campus de Teatinos, Málaga, Spain. Eva M. Alcaide Division of Sustainability and Urban Environment Analysis and Diagnostic Center of Wildlife-C.A.D. Environment Agency and Water Andalusia, Málaga, Spain Irene Zorrilla Division of Sustainability and Urban Environment Analysis and Diagnostic Center of Wildlife-C.A.D. Environment Agency and Water Andalusia, Málaga, Spain Miguel Ángel Moriñigo Universidad de Málaga, Andalucía Tech, Departmento de Microbiología, Campus de Teatinos, Málaga, Spain. Keywords: Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus), fecal microbiota, biodiversity Abstract The Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) is an endangered species restricted to several areas of Spain and Portugal. Its low genetic diversity likely provokes immune depression and high susceptibility to infectious diseases. The intestinal microbiota is closely related to host health and nutrition. In order to contribute to the knowledge of the Iberian lynx intestinal microbiota, fecal microbiota of captive specimens from two breeding centers (“La Olivilla” and “El Acebuche”), located in Southern Spain, were studied by Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE). Results grouped microbiota in two main clusters (I and III) which included DGGE patterns of 19 out of 36 specimens, cluster I being the most frequent in “La Olivilla” (50%) and cluster III in “El Acebuche” (55.55 %) specimens. Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria phyla were identified. Segregation of clusters I and III was attributed to different microorganism presence (Pseudomonas koreensis, Pseudomonas migulae, Carnobacterium sp., Arthrobacter, Robinsoniella peorensis and Ornithinibacillus sp.) and ability to use different carbon sources. Biolog EcoPlates® results indicate high functional diversity of fecal microbiota, it being higher in cluster III. The great impact of intestinal microbiota on host health supports the importance of its microbial composition understanding. This study is the first report of captive Iberian lynx fecal microbiota composition. [Int Microbiol 20(1): 31-41 (2017)]Keywords: Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) · fecal microbiota · biodiversity Author Biography Irene Zorrilla, Division of Sustainability and Urban Environment Analysis and Diagnostic Center of Wildlife-C.A.D. Environment Agency and Water Andalusia, Málaga, Spain Downloads PDF Issue Vol. 20 No. 1 (2017) Section Research Articles License Submission of a manuscript to International Microbiology implies: that the work described has not been published before, including publication in the World Wide Web (except in the form of an Abstract or as part of a published lecture, review, or thesis); that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere; that all the coauthors have agreed to its publication. The corresponding author signs for and accepts responsability for releasing this material and will act on behalf of any and all coauthors regarding the editorial review and publication process.If an article is accepted for publication in International Microbiology, the authors (or other copyright holder) must transfer to the journal the right–not exclusive–to reproduce and distribute the article including reprints, translations, photographic reproductions, microform, electronic form (offline, online) or any other reproductions of similar nature. Nevertheless, all article in International Microbiology will be available on the Internet to any reader at no cost. The journal allows users to freely download, copy, print, distribute, search, and link to the full text of any article, provided the authorship and source of the published article is cited. The copyright owner's consent does not include copying for new works, or resale. In these cases, the specific written permission of International Microbiology must first be obtained.Authors are requested to create a link to the published article on the journal's website. The link must be accompanied by the following text: "The original publication is available on LINK at <http://www.im.microbios.org>. Please use the appropiate URL for the article in LINK. Articles disseminated via LINK are indexed, abstracted, and referenced by many abstracting and information services, bibliographic networks, subscription agencies, library networks, and consortia.
