Analysis of gut microbiota in chinese donkey in different regions using metagenomic sequencing.

Background: Gut microbiota plays a significant role in host survival, health, and diseases; however, compared to other livestock, research on the gut microbiome of donkeys is limited.

Results: In this study, a total of 30 donkey samples of rectal contents from six regions, including Shigatse, Changdu, Yunnan, Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Dezhou, were collected for metagenomic sequencing. The results of the species annotation revealed that the dominant phyla were Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, and the dominant genera were Bacteroides, unclassified_o_Clostridiales (short for Clostridiales) and unclassified_f_Lachnospiraceae (short for Lachnospiraceae).

Identification of Candidate Genes for Twinning Births in Dezhou Donkeys by Detecting Signatures of Selection in Genomic Data.

Twinning trait in donkeys is an important manifestation of high fecundity, but few reports are available elucidating its genetic mechanism. To explore the genetic mechanism underlying the twin colt trait in Dezhou donkeys, DNA from 21 female Dezhou donkeys that had birthed single or twin colts were collected for whole-genome resequencing. FST, θπ and Tajima’s D were used to detect the selective sweeps between single and twin colt fecundity in the Dezhou donkey groups.

Comparison of gut microflora of donkeys in high and low altitude areas.

Donkeys' gut microbe is critical for their health and adaptation to the environment. Little research has been conducted on the donkey gut microbiome compared with other domestic animals. The Tibetan Plateau is an extreme environment.