Cogrowth advantage: Intestinal microbiota analysis of Bufo gargarizans and Rana chensinensis

Intestinal microbiota has profound effects on host health and adaptation to environmental changes. Bufo gargarizans and Rana chensinensis coexist in the same habitat and have been paid much attention to economically because of their medicinal value. To date, no comparison of differences between single and mixed populations has been made. In our study, differences in the structure and function of the intestinal microbial of B. gargarizans and R. chensinensis in environments of single-species and mixed-species growth were investigated by high-throughput sequencing. Our results suggest that the cogrowth of B. gargarizans and R. chensinensis could lead to the decrease of the abundance of pathogenic bacteria (Bosea) and the introduction or increase of beneficial bacteria (Kaistia, Cetobacterium and Erysipelatoclostridium). The Tax4Fun-based functional predictions revealed that the level of pathways involved in the metabolism of R. chensinensis in mixed-species aquaria is greatly up-regulated. This study provides useful information for ecologists, ecosystem policy makers and wildlife conservationists to promote more effective conservation measures.