AUTHOR=Yue Chanjuan , Luo Xue , Ma Xiaoping , Zhang Dongsheng , Yan Xia , Deng Zeshuai , Li Yunli , Liu Yuliang , An Junhui , Fan Xueyang , Li Lin , Su Xiaoyan , Hou Rong , Cao Suizhong , Liu Songrui 

TITLE=Contrasting Vaginal Bacterial Communities Between Estrus and Non-estrus of Giant Pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2021.707548

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2021.707548

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>Bacterial infection and imbalance of bacterial community in the genitourinary system of giant panda could affect the reproductive health. In severe cases, it can also lead to abortion. In this study, 13 of vaginal secretions in the estrue (E) group and seven of vaginal secretions in the non-estrue (NE) group were used to study the composition and diversity of vaginal bacterial communities between estrus and non-estrus by 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis. The results showed that the vaginal microbiome in giant pandas shared the same top five abundant species between estrus and non-estrus at the phylum level. However, the vaginal microbiome changed significantly during estrus at the genus level. In top 10 genera, the abundance of <italic>Escherichia</italic>, <italic>Streptococcus</italic>, and <italic>Bacteroides</italic> in the E group was significantly higher than that in the NE group (<italic>p</italic>&lt;0.05); <italic>Azomonas</italic>, <italic>Porphyromonas</italic>, <italic>Prevotella</italic>, <italic>Campylobacter</italic>, and <italic>Peptoniphilus</italic> in the NE group was significantly higher than that in the E group (<italic>p</italic>&lt;0.05). The richness and diversity of vaginal microbiome in giant panda on estrus were significantly lower than those on non-estrus (<italic>p</italic>&lt;0.05). It is noteworthy that the abundance of <italic>Streptococcus</italic>, <italic>Escherichia</italic>, and <italic>Bacteroides</italic> of vagina in giant pandas maintained low abundance in the daily. Whereas, they increased significantly during estrus period, which may play an important role in female giant pandas during estrus period. It was hypothesized that hormones may be responsible for the changes in the vaginal microbiome of giant pandas between estrus and no-estrus stages.</p>