Faecal proteomics as a novel method to study mammalian behaviour and physiology
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Faecal proteomics as a novel method to study mammalian behaviour and physiology. / Tsutaya, Takumi; Mackie, Meaghan; Sawafuji, Rikai; Miyabe-Nishiwaki, Takako; Olsen, Jesper V; Cappellini, Enrico.
In: Molecular Ecology Resources, Vol. 21, No. 6, 2021, p. 1808-1819.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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T1 - Faecal proteomics as a novel method to study mammalian behaviour and physiology
AU - Tsutaya, Takumi
AU - Mackie, Meaghan
AU - Sawafuji, Rikai
AU - Miyabe-Nishiwaki, Takako
AU - Olsen, Jesper V
AU - Cappellini, Enrico
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Mammalian feces can be collected non-invasively during field research and provide valuable information on the ecology and evolution of the source individuals. Undigested food remains, genome/metagenome, steroid hormones, and stable isotopes obtained from fecal samples provide evidence on diet, host/symbiont genetics, and physiological status of the individuals. However, proteins in mammalian feces have hardly been studied, which hampers the molecular investigations into the behavior and physiology of the source individuals. Here, we apply mass spectrometry-based proteomics to fecal samples (n = 10), collected from infant, juvenile, and adult captive Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata), to describe the proteomes of the source individual, of the food it consumed, and of its intestinal microbes. The results show that fecal proteomics is a useful method to: 1) investigate dietary changes along with breastfeeding and weaning, 2) reveal the taxonomic and histological origin of the food items consumed, and 3) estimate physiological status inside intestinal tracts. These types of insights are difficult or impossible to obtain through other molecular approaches. Most mammalian species are facing extinction risk and there is an urgent need to obtain knowledge on their ecology and evolution for better conservation strategy. The fecal proteomics framework we present here is easily applicable to wild settings and other mammalian species, and provides direct evidence of their behavior and physiology.
AB - Mammalian feces can be collected non-invasively during field research and provide valuable information on the ecology and evolution of the source individuals. Undigested food remains, genome/metagenome, steroid hormones, and stable isotopes obtained from fecal samples provide evidence on diet, host/symbiont genetics, and physiological status of the individuals. However, proteins in mammalian feces have hardly been studied, which hampers the molecular investigations into the behavior and physiology of the source individuals. Here, we apply mass spectrometry-based proteomics to fecal samples (n = 10), collected from infant, juvenile, and adult captive Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata), to describe the proteomes of the source individual, of the food it consumed, and of its intestinal microbes. The results show that fecal proteomics is a useful method to: 1) investigate dietary changes along with breastfeeding and weaning, 2) reveal the taxonomic and histological origin of the food items consumed, and 3) estimate physiological status inside intestinal tracts. These types of insights are difficult or impossible to obtain through other molecular approaches. Most mammalian species are facing extinction risk and there is an urgent need to obtain knowledge on their ecology and evolution for better conservation strategy. The fecal proteomics framework we present here is easily applicable to wild settings and other mammalian species, and provides direct evidence of their behavior and physiology.
U2 - 10.1111/1755-0998.13380
DO - 10.1111/1755-0998.13380
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 33720532
VL - 21
SP - 1808
EP - 1819
JO - Molecular Ecology
JF - Molecular Ecology
SN - 0962-1083
IS - 6
ER -
ID: 258890453