Dataset Information

The alligator gut microbiome and implications for archosaur symbioses.

ABSTRACT: Among vertebrate gastrointestinal microbiome studies, complete representation of taxa is limited, particularly among reptiles. Here, we provide evidence for previously unrecognized host-microbiome associations along the gastrointestinal tract from the American alligator, a crown archosaur with shared ancestry to extinct taxa, including dinosaurs. Microbiome compositional variations reveal that the digestive system consists of multiple, longitudinally heterogeneous microbiomes that strongly correlate to specific gastrointestinal tract organs, regardless of rearing histories or feeding status. A core alligator gut microbiome comprised of Fusobacteria, but depleted in Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria common to mammalians, is compositionally unique from other vertebrate gut microbiomes, including other reptiles, fish, and herbivorous and carnivorous mammals. As such, modern alligator gut microbiomes advance our understanding of archosaur gut microbiome evolution, particularly if conserved host ecology has retained archosaur-specific symbioses over geologic time.

SUBMITTER: Keenan SW

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3791443 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The alligator gut microbiome and implications for archosaur symbioses.

Keenan Sarah W SW Engel Annette Summers AS Elsey Ruth M RM

Scientific reports 20131007

Among vertebrate gastrointestinal microbiome studies, complete representation of taxa is limited, particularly among reptiles. Here, we provide evidence for previously unrecognized host-microbiome associations along the gastrointestinal tract from the American alligator, a crown archosaur with shared ancestry to extinct taxa, including dinosaurs. Microbiome compositional variations reveal that the digestive system consists of multiple, longitudinally heterogeneous microbiomes that strongly corre ...[more]

PMID: 24096888

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Dataset Information

The alligator gut microbiome and implications for archosaur symbioses.

Publications

The alligator gut microbiome and implications for archosaur symbioses.

Similar Datasets

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