Stopover habitat selection drives variation in the gut microbiome composition and pathogen acquisition by migrating shorebirds.

ABSTRACT: Long-distance host movements play a major regulatory role in shaping microbial communities of their digestive tract. Here, we studied gut microbiota composition during seasonal migration in five shorebird species (Charadrii) that use different migratory (stopover) habitats. Our analyses revealed significant interspecific variation in both composition and diversity of gut microbiome, but the effect of host identity was weak. A strong variation in gut microbiota was observed between coastal and inland (dam reservoir and river valley) stopover habitats within species. Comparisons between host age classes provided support for an increasing alpha diversity of gut microbiota during ontogeny and an age-related remodeling of microbiome composition. There was, however, no correlation between microb

SUBMITTER: Wlodarczyk R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11008731 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature