# Comparative Analysis of Gut Microbiota and Metabolome of Captive Male Malayan Pangolins with Normal and Abnormal Reproduction

## TL;DR

This study found that gut bacteria and metabolites in male Malayan pangolins are linked to their reproductive success in captivity, offering insights for better conservation practices.

## Contribution

The study identifies specific gut microbiota and metabolites associated with normal and abnormal reproduction in captive male Malayan pangolins.

## Key findings

- Certain gut bacteria like Absiella and Butyribacter are more abundant in pangolins with normal reproduction.
- Metabolites such as gamma-Aminobutyric acid are less present in pangolins with abnormal reproduction.
- 94 differentially expressed metabolites were identified, including those upregulated in abnormal reproduction.

## Abstract

This study investigated the effects of gut microbiota and metabolites on the reproductive performance (normal and abnormal reproduction) of male pangolins under captive conditions. The results showed that certain key microbiota and metabolites do indeed have a significant impact on reproductive performance. These findings provide a reference for the captive breeding of pangolins and even other endangered wild animals and have important implications for their husbandry and management.

Ex-situ conservation and captive breeding are important measures for protecting endangered species. However, captive conditions inhibit reproduction in some wild animals, especially males. Under captive conditions, which differentially expressed microbiota and metabolites significantly influence or are key to reproductive performance? This study aimed to investigate the effects of differentially expressed microbiota and metabolites on reproductive performance, including male Malayan pangolins with normal reproductive behavior (NR, with natural mating behavior) and those with abnormal reproductive behavior (AR, without natural mating behavior). Five male Malayan pangolins with normal reproductive behavior and eight with abnormal reproductive behavior were divided into NR and AR groups. Fresh fecal samples were collected for metagenomic and metabolomic analysis. The results showed that Bacillota, Pseudomonadota, Bacteroidota, Actinomycetota, and Fusobacteriota were the dominant phyla. Escherichia, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Limosilactobacillus, and Ligilactobacillus were the dominant genera. The abundance of Absiella, Butyribacter, and Candidatus Scatovivens in the gut of the NR group was significantly higher than in the AR group (p < 0.05), while the abundance of Clostridium, Mycoplasmopsis, and Facklamia in the gut of the AR group was significantly higher than in the NR group. A total of 94 differentially expressed metabolites were identified, with Argininosuccinic acid and Cortol significantly upregulated in the AR group, and gamma-Aminobutyric acid and gamma-Glutamylglutamic acid significantly downregulated. These microbiota and metabolites can be screened as potential key biomarkers that might influence the reproductive performance of male pangolins. These findings provide important insights into the husbandry and management of captive pangolins and other endangered wild animals.