Faecal metagenomes of great tits and blue tits provide insights into host, diet, pathogens and microbial biodiversity

Access Microbiology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 7(4)

Published: April 1, 2025

Background. The vertebrate gut microbiome plays crucial roles in host health and disease. However, there is limited information on the microbiomes of wild birds, most which restricted to barcode sequences. We therefore explored use shotgun metagenomics faecal two bird species widely used as model organisms ecological studies: great tit ( Parus major ) Eurasian blue Cyanistes caeruleus ). Results. Short-read sequencing five samples generated a metagenomic dataset, revealing substantial variation composition between samples. Reference-based profiling with Kraken2 identified key differences ratios reads assigned host, diet microbes. Some showed high abundance potential pathogens, including siadenoviruses, coccidian parasites antimicrobial-resistant bacterial Serratia fonticola . From metagenome assemblies, we obtained complete mitochondrial genomes from Isospora spp., while metagenome-assembled documented new prokaryotic species. Conclusions. Here, have shown utility uncovering microbial diversity beyond what possible 16S rRNA gene sequencing. These findings provide foundation for future hypothesis testing manipulation improve fitness populations. study also highlights role birds dissemination antimicrobial resistance.

Language: Английский

Changes of gut microbiota diversity and stability over the reproduction process in captive female Gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua)

Polar Biology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 47(7), P. 651 - 662

Published: May 14, 2024

Language: Английский