2021 Fiscal Year Annual Research Report
The fermentative ability of primate gut microbiome under "humanization"
| Project/Area Number |
21J15166
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| Research Institution | Kyoto University |
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Principal Investigator |
LEE WAN YI 京都大学, 理学研究科, 特別研究員(DC2)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2021-04-28 – 2023-03-31
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| Keywords | gut microbiom / great ape / fermentative ability / phylosymbiosis |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
Although descending from a common ancestor who relies heavily on gut microbiome for food digestion, humans have lower reliance on gut microbiome than the other great apes. Despite this difference, the functional difference in the gut microbiome among the great apes and its mechanism remains unknown. By comparing fermentative ability between human and wild/captive great apes, I will examine the relative importance of phylogeny and diet in shaping hominoids’ fermentative ability and gut microbiome.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
Using fresh feces collected of captive great apes living in 8 zoos and humans, I successfully conducted 72-hour in vitro fermentation assay. The result suggested that captive great apes and humans have similar fermentative ability. However, the fermentative ability of great apes varies substantially within single species. This may be related the respective diet in each captivities. I have also collected the foods eaten by great apes in the captivities and conducted nutritional analysis.At the same time, materials for meta-16s rRNA analysis and for measurement of short-chain fatty acid using HPLC method were collected.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
The aim of this year is to conduct in vitro fermentation assay using fecal samples collected from the wild great apes. So, I plan to go to Sabah, Malaysia. Using the materials collected from captive apes, I will conducted molecular experiment to examine the gut microbiome composition. Collaborating with researchers in Chubu University, I will conduct HPLC to measure the short-chain fatty acid production during the 72-hour fermentation.
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