Allometry and Ecology of the Bilaterian Gut Microbiome.

ABSTRACT: Classical ecology provides principles for construction and function of biological communities, but to what extent these apply to the animal-associated microbiota is just beginning to be assessed. Here, we investigated the influence of several well-known ecological principles on animal-associated microbiota by characterizing gut microbial specimens from bilaterally symmetrical animals (Bilateria) ranging from flies to whales. A rigorously vetted sample set containing 265 specimens from 64 species was assembled. Bacterial lineages were characterized by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Previously published samples were also compared, allowing analysis of over 1,098 samples in total. A restricted number of bacterial phyla was found to account for the great majority of gut colonists. Gut microb

SUBMITTER: Sherrill-Mix S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5874926 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature