Here, we investigated the possible linkages among geophagy, soil characteristics, and gut mycobiome of indri (Indri indri), an endangered lemur species able to survive only in wild conditions. The soil eaten by indri resulted in enriched secondary oxide-hydroxides and clays, together with a high concentration of specific essential micronutrients. This could partially explain the role of the soil in detoxification and as a nutrient supply. Besides, we found that soil subject to geophagy and indris’ faeces shared about 8.9% of the fungal OTUs. Also, several genera (e.g. Fusarium, Aspergillus and Penicillium) commonly associated with soil and plant material were found in both geophagic soil and indri samples. On the contrary, some taxa with pathogenic potentials, such as Cryptococcus, were only found in indri samples. Further, many saprotrophs and plant-associated fungal taxa were detected in the indri faeces. These fungal species may be involved in the digestion processes of leaves and could have a beneficial role in their health. In conclusion, we found an intimate connection between gut mycobiome and soil, highlighting, once again, the potential consequent impacts on the wider habitat.

在这里，我们调查了 indri ( Indri indri )的食土、土壤特征和肠道菌群之间可能的联系，这是一种只能在野生条件下生存的濒危狐猴物种。Indri 吃掉的土壤中含有丰富的二次氢氧化物和粘土，以及高浓度的特定必需微量营养素。这可以部分解释土壤在解毒和营养供应方面的作用。此外，我们发现受食性和籼稻粪便影响的土壤共享约 8.9% 的真菌 OTU。此外，几个属（例如镰刀菌属、曲霉属和青霉属) 通常与土壤和植物材料相关，在食土土壤和 indri 样品中都发现了。相反，一些具有致病潜力的分类群，如隐球菌，仅在 indri 样本中发现。此外，在 Indri 粪便中检测到许多腐生菌和植物相关真菌类群。这些真菌物种可能参与叶子的消化过程，并可能对它们的健康产生有益的作用。总之，我们发现肠道菌群与土壤之间存在密切联系，再次强调了对更广泛栖息地的潜在影响。