Symbiotic bacteria mediate volatile chemical signal synthesis in a large solitary mammal species

• DOI: 10.1038/s41396-021-00905-1
• Publication Date: 2021-02-10T20:05:10Z
• Authors: Wenliang Zhou; Dunwu Qi; Ronald R Swaisgood; Le Wang; Yipeng Jin; Qi Wu; Fuwen Wei; Yonggang Nie
• Keywords: Mammal

Abstract Mammalian chemosignals—or scent marks—are characterized by astounding chemical diversity, reflecting both complex biochemical pathways that produce them and rich information exchange with conspecifics. The microbiome of glands was thought to play prominent role in the signal synthesis, diverse microbiota metabolizing glandular products odorants may be used as chemosignals. Here, we use gas chromatography–mass spectrometry metagenomic shotgun sequencing explore this phenomenon anogenital gland secretions (AGS) giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). We find contains a community fermentative bacteria enzymes support metabolic (e.g., lipid degradation) for productions volatile specialized communication. found quantitative qualitative differences between AGS digestive tract, finding which mirrored among compounds could olfactory Volatile were more abundant than fecal samples, our evidence suggests have been synthesis chemosignals panda’s is genes coding participate fermentation producing commonly deployed mammalian These findings illuminate poorly understood phenomena involved symbiotic production