Environmental factors shape the community of symbionts in the hoopoe uropygial gland more than genetic factors.

ABSTRACT: Exploring processes of coevolution of microorganisms and their hosts is a new imperative for life sciences. If bacteria protect hosts against pathogens, mechanisms facilitating the intergenerational transmission of such bacteria will be strongly selected by evolution. By disentangling the diversity of bacterial strains from the uropygium of hoopoes (Upupa epops) due to genetic relatedness or to a common environment, we explored the importance of horizontal (from the environment) and vertical (from parents) acquisition of antimicrobial-producing symbionts in this species. For this purpose, we compared bacterial communities among individuals in nonmanipulated nests; we also performed a cross-fostering experiment using recently hatched nestlings before uropygial gland development and some nes

SUBMITTER: Ruiz-Rodriguez M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4249055 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature