The gastrointestinal tract of the white-throated Woodrat (Neotoma albigula) harbors distinct consortia of oxalate-degrading bacteria.

ABSTRACT: The microbiota inhabiting the mammalian gut is a functional organ that provides a number of services for the host. One factor that may regulate the composition and function of gut microbial communities is dietary toxins. Oxalate is a toxic plant secondary compound (PSC) produced in all major taxa of vascular plants and is consumed by a variety of animals. The mammalian herbivore Neotoma albigula is capable of consuming and degrading large quantities of dietary oxalate. We isolated and characterized oxalate-degrading bacteria from the gut contents of wild-caught animals and used high-throughput sequencing to determine the distribution of potential oxalate-degrading taxa along the gastrointestinal tract. Isolates spanned three genera: Lactobacillus, Clostridium, and Enterococcus. Over half o

SUBMITTER: Miller AW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3957601 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature