Body site microbiota of Magellanic and king penguins inhabiting the Strait of Magellan follow species-specific patterns.

ABSTRACT: Animal hosts live in continuous interaction with bacterial partners, yet we still lack a clear understanding of the ecological drivers of animal-associated bacteria, particularly in seabirds. Here, we investigated the effect of body site in the structure and diversity of bacterial communities of two seabirds in the Strait of Magellan: the Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) and the king penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus). We used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to profile bacterial communities associated with body sites (chest, back, foot) of both penguins and the nest soil of Magellanic penguin. Taxonomic composition showed that Moraxellaceae family (specifically Psychrobacter) had the highest relative abundance across body sites in both penguin species, whereas Micr

SUBMITTER: Ochoa-Sanchez M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10625763 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature