Defining the "core microbiome" of the microbial communities in the tonsils of healthy pigs.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Porcine tonsils are the colonization site for many pathogenic as well as commensal microorganisms and are the primary lymphoid tissue encountered by organisms entering through the mouth or nares. The goal of this study was to provide an in-depth characterization of the composition and structure of the tonsillar microbial communities and to define the core microbiome in the tonsils of healthy pigs, using high throughput bar-coded 454-FLX pyrosequencing.

Results

Whole tonsils were collected at necropsy from 12 16-week-old finisher pigs from two healthy herds. Tonsil brushes were also used to collect samples from four of these animals. Bacterial DNA was isolated from each sample, amplified by PCR with universal primers specific for the bacterial 16S rRNA genes, and t

SUBMITTER: Lowe BA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3297519 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature