Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41377041›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in microbiology2025

Divergent gut microbial metabolism supports niche partitioning in giant and red pandas.

Yanshan Zhou, Dunwu Qi, Chao Chen, Wenlei Bi, Xiang Yu, Jiabin Liu, Guanwei Lan, Rong Hou, Zusheng Li, Rui Ma

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In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in microbiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

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No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Yanshan ZhouThe Conservation of Endangered Wildlife Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Dunwu QiThe Conservation of Endangered Wildlife Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Chao ChenThe Conservation of Endangered Wildlife Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Wenlei BiThe Conservation of Endangered Wildlife Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Xiang YuThe Conservation of Endangered Wildlife Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Jiabin LiuThe Conservation of Endangered Wildlife Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Guanwei LanThe Conservation of Endangered Wildlife Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Rong HouThe Conservation of Endangered Wildlife Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Zusheng LiThe Conservation of Endangered Wildlife Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Rui MaThe Conservation of Endangered Wildlife Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: The gut microbiota plays a pivotal role in regulating the host's physiological functions and behavior. The coevolutionary relationship between the host and its gut microbiota facilitates adaptation to specific ecological niches. As obligate bamboo feeders, giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) and red pandas (Ailurus styani) exhibit distinct feeding preferences: the former primarily consumes bamboo stems and leaves, while the latter feeds mainly on bamboo leaves. This study aims to elucidate how these species adapt metabolically to different parts of bamboo via gut microbial activity. Methods: We employed 16S rRNA gene sequencing to analyze the structure and function of fecal microbial communities in giant pandas (GP) and red pandas (RP). Results: Significant differences in gut microbiota composition were observed between the GP and RP groups. Eight core bacterial taxa constituted over 99.97% of the total microbial composition, with the RP group exhibiting higher species richness but lower overall diversity. At the phylum level, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Flavobacteria were significantly enriched in the GP group, whereas Firmicutes dominated in the RP group. At the genus level, Sphingomonas, Methylobacterium, Cryomonas, and Terriglobus were more abundant in the GP group, while Streptococcus and Rhizobium were enriched in the RP group. Functional metabolic analysis indicated that lipid and amino acid metabolism pathways were significantly enriched in the GP group, whereas nucleotide and carbohydrate metabolism pathways were prominent in the RP group. Further analysis revealed that Sphingomonas and Methylobacterium in the GP group positively regulated amino acid and lipid metabolism, while Streptococcus in the RP group enhanced nucleotide and carbohydrate metabolism. Discussion: These findings suggest that the distinct metabolic pathways of the gut microbiota in giant and red pandas have evolved in concert with their dietary strategies, energy acquisition modes, and ecological niche differentiation, forming a highly coordinated adaptive system.

Indexed as

giant pandasgut microbiotametagenomeniche differentiationred pandas

Identifiers

PMID41377041
PMCPMC12687339

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.