Dataset Information

Rates of gut microbiome divergence in mammals.

ABSTRACT: The variation and taxonomic diversity among mammalian gut microbiomes raises several questions about the factors that contribute to the rates and patterns of change in these microbial communities. By comparing the microbiome compositions of 112 species representing 14 mammalian orders, we assessed how host and ecological factors contribute to microbiome diversification. Except in rare cases, the same bacterial phyla predominate in mammalian gut microbiomes, and there has been some convergence of microbiome compositions according to dietary category across all mammalians lineages except Chiropterans (bats), which possess high proportions of Proteobacteria and tend to be most similar to one another regardless of diet. At lower taxonomic ranks (families, genera, 97% OTUs), bacteria are more likely to be associated with a particular mammalian lineage than with a particular dietary category, resulting in a strong phylogenetic signal in the degree to which microbiomes diverge. Despite different physiologies, the gut microbiomes of several mammalian lineages have diverged at roughly the same rate over the past 75 million years; however, the gut microbiomes of Cetartiodactyla (ruminants, whales, hippopotami) have evolved much faster and those of Chiropterans much slower. Contrary to expectations, the number of dietary transitions within a lineage does not influence rates of microbiome divergence, but instead, some of the most dramatic changes are associated with the loss of bacterial taxa, such as those accompanying the transition from terrestrial to marine lifestyles and the evolution of hominids.

SUBMITTER: Nishida AH

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5935551 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Rates of gut microbiome divergence in mammals.

Nishida Alex H AH Ochman Howard H

Molecular ecology 20180131 8

The variation and taxonomic diversity among mammalian gut microbiomes raises several questions about the factors that contribute to the rates and patterns of change in these microbial communities. By comparing the microbiome compositions of 112 species representing 14 mammalian orders, we assessed how host and ecological factors contribute to microbiome diversification. Except in rare cases, the same bacterial phyla predominate in mammalian gut microbiomes, and there has been some convergence of ...[more]

PMID: 29290090

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Project description:Accumulating evidence suggests that pesticides have played a role in the increased rate of honey bee colony loss. One of the most commonly used pesticides in the United States is the neonicotinoid imidacloprid. Although the primary mode of action of imidacloprid is on the insect nervous system, it has also been shown to cause changes in insects' digestive physiology and alter the microbiota of Drosophila melanogaster larvae. The honey bee gut microbiome plays a major role in bee health. Although many studies have shown that imidacloprid affects honey bee behavior, its impact on the microbiome has not been fully elucidated. Here, we investigated the impact of imidacloprid on the gut microbiome composition, survivorship, and susceptibility to pathogens of honey bees. Consistent with other studies, we show that imidacloprid exposure results in an elevated mortality of honey bees in the hive and increases the susceptibility to infection by pathogens. However, we did not find evidence that imidacloprid affects the gut bacterial community of honey bees. Our in vitro experiments demonstrated that honey bee gut bacteria can grow in the presence of imidacloprid, and we found some evidence that imidacloprid can be metabolized in the bee gut environment. However, none of the individual bee gut bacterial species tested could metabolize imidacloprid, suggesting that the observed metabolism of imidacloprid within in vitro bee gut cultures is not caused by the gut bacteria. Overall, our results indicate that imidacloprid causes increased mortality in honey bees, but this mortality does not appear to be linked to the microbiome.IMPORTANCE Growing evidence suggests that the extensive use of pesticides has played a large role in the increased rate of honey bee colony loss. Despite extensive research on the effects of imidacloprid on honey bees, it is still unknown whether it impacts the community structure of the gut microbiome. Here, we investigated the impact of imidacloprid on the gut microbiome composition, survivorship, and susceptibility to pathogens of honey bees. We found that the exposure to imidacloprid resulted in an elevated mortality of honey bees and increased the susceptibility to infection by opportunistic pathogens. However, we did not find evidence that imidacloprid affects the gut microbiome of honey bees. We found some evidence that imidacloprid can be metabolized in the bee gut environment in vitro, but because it is quickly eliminated from the bee, it is unlikely that this metabolism occurs in nature. Thus, imidacloprid causes increased mortality in honey bees, but this does not appear to be linked to the microbiome.

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Rates of gut microbiome divergence in mammals.

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Rates of gut microbiome divergence in mammals.

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