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Diet diversity and environment determine the intestinal microbiome and bacterial pathogen load of fire salamanders

Diverse communities of symbiotic microbes inhabit the digestive systems of vertebrates and play a crucial role in animal health, and host diet plays a major role in shaping the composition and diversity of these communities. Here, we characterized diet and gut microbiome of fire salamander populatio...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Wang, Yu, Smith, Hannah K., Goossens, Evy, Hertzog, Lionel, Bletz, Molly C., Bonte, Dries, Verheyen, Kris, Lens, Luc, Vences, Miguel, Pasmans, Frank, Martel, An
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Nature Publishing Group UK 2021
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8516891/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34650115
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-98995-6
Descripción
Sumario:Diverse communities of symbiotic microbes inhabit the digestive systems of vertebrates and play a crucial role in animal health, and host diet plays a major role in shaping the composition and diversity of these communities. Here, we characterized diet and gut microbiome of fire salamander populations from three Belgian forests. We carried out DNA metabarcoding on fecal samples, targeting eukaryotic 18S rRNA of potential dietary prey items, and bacterial 16S rRNA of the concomitant gut microbiome. Our results demonstrated an abundance of soft-bodied prey in the diet of fire salamanders, and a significant difference in the diet composition between males and females. This sex-dependent effect on diet was also reflected in the gut microbiome diversity, which is higher in males than female animals. Proximity to human activities was associated with increased intestinal pathogen loads. Collectively, the data supports a relationship between diet, environment and intestinal microbiome in fire salamanders, with potential health implications.