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Diversity and temporal stability of bacterial communities in a model passerine bird, the zebra finch.

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Diversity and temporal stability of bacterial communities in a model passerine bird, the zebra finch. / Benskin, Clare; Rhodes, Glenn; Pickup, Roger W. et al.
In: Molecular Ecology, Vol. 19, No. 24, 12.2010, p. 5531-5544.

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Benskin C, Rhodes G, Pickup RW, Wilson K, Hartley IR. Diversity and temporal stability of bacterial communities in a model passerine bird, the zebra finch. Molecular Ecology. 2010 Dec;19(24):5531-5544. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-294X.2010.04892.x

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@article{d398b9b6a21f46d08c510e277cb34cdc,
title = "Diversity and temporal stability of bacterial communities in a model passerine bird, the zebra finch.",
abstract = "The composition and dynamics of the gastrointestinal bacterial communities in birds is determined by both host-specific and environmental exposure factors yet these are poorly understood. We selected the zebra finch, Taeniopygia guttata, as the host species to examine the diversity and temporal stability of the faecal microflora in a bird, owing to its importance as a model organism in avian ecology, neuroscience and evolution studies. The stability of the gut bacterial community of individual male and female zebra finches was assessed through repeat faecal sampling via culture and temperature gradient gel electrophoresis and partial sequencing of PCR-amplified eubacterial 16S rRNA gene products. Nineteen bacterial genera were detected across all samples (n = 99), with each bird carrying on average six operational taxonomic units. Using a novel statistical approach, we showed that bacterial assemblages and community richness varied between individual birds but remained stable over time within individuals. Neither the composition nor richness of bacterial communities differed significantly between the sexes. Our results show that zebra finches housed together under controlled conditions show consistent variation between individuals in their gut microflora that is not attributable to differences in host exposure to environmental microbial sources. Future studies could usefully explore the origin of this individual-specific variation and its consequences for host fitness and sexual selection.",
keywords = "16S rDNA, bacterial diversity and temporal stability , faecal microbial community analysis , passerine , PCR–TGGE",
author = "Clare Benskin and Glenn Rhodes and Pickup, {Roger W.} and Kenneth Wilson and Hartley, {Ian R.}",
year = "2010",
month = dec,
doi = "10.1111/j.1365-294X.2010.04892.x",
language = "English",
volume = "19",
pages = "5531--5544",
journal = "Molecular Ecology",
issn = "0962-1083",
publisher = "Blackwell Publishing Ltd",
number = "24",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Diversity and temporal stability of bacterial communities in a model passerine bird, the zebra finch.

AU - Benskin, Clare

AU - Rhodes, Glenn

AU - Pickup, Roger W.

AU - Wilson, Kenneth

AU - Hartley, Ian R.

PY - 2010/12

Y1 - 2010/12

N2 - The composition and dynamics of the gastrointestinal bacterial communities in birds is determined by both host-specific and environmental exposure factors yet these are poorly understood. We selected the zebra finch, Taeniopygia guttata, as the host species to examine the diversity and temporal stability of the faecal microflora in a bird, owing to its importance as a model organism in avian ecology, neuroscience and evolution studies. The stability of the gut bacterial community of individual male and female zebra finches was assessed through repeat faecal sampling via culture and temperature gradient gel electrophoresis and partial sequencing of PCR-amplified eubacterial 16S rRNA gene products. Nineteen bacterial genera were detected across all samples (n = 99), with each bird carrying on average six operational taxonomic units. Using a novel statistical approach, we showed that bacterial assemblages and community richness varied between individual birds but remained stable over time within individuals. Neither the composition nor richness of bacterial communities differed significantly between the sexes. Our results show that zebra finches housed together under controlled conditions show consistent variation between individuals in their gut microflora that is not attributable to differences in host exposure to environmental microbial sources. Future studies could usefully explore the origin of this individual-specific variation and its consequences for host fitness and sexual selection.

AB - The composition and dynamics of the gastrointestinal bacterial communities in birds is determined by both host-specific and environmental exposure factors yet these are poorly understood. We selected the zebra finch, Taeniopygia guttata, as the host species to examine the diversity and temporal stability of the faecal microflora in a bird, owing to its importance as a model organism in avian ecology, neuroscience and evolution studies. The stability of the gut bacterial community of individual male and female zebra finches was assessed through repeat faecal sampling via culture and temperature gradient gel electrophoresis and partial sequencing of PCR-amplified eubacterial 16S rRNA gene products. Nineteen bacterial genera were detected across all samples (n = 99), with each bird carrying on average six operational taxonomic units. Using a novel statistical approach, we showed that bacterial assemblages and community richness varied between individual birds but remained stable over time within individuals. Neither the composition nor richness of bacterial communities differed significantly between the sexes. Our results show that zebra finches housed together under controlled conditions show consistent variation between individuals in their gut microflora that is not attributable to differences in host exposure to environmental microbial sources. Future studies could usefully explore the origin of this individual-specific variation and its consequences for host fitness and sexual selection.

KW - 16S rDNA

KW - bacterial diversity and temporal stability

KW - faecal microbial community analysis

KW - passerine

KW - PCR–TGGE

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=78650100110&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/j.1365-294X.2010.04892.x

DO - 10.1111/j.1365-294X.2010.04892.x

M3 - Journal article

VL - 19

SP - 5531

EP - 5544

JO - Molecular Ecology

JF - Molecular Ecology

SN - 0962-1083

IS - 24

ER -