Wild black bears harbor simple gut microbial communities with little difference between the jejunum and colon.

ABSTRACT: The gut microbiome (GMB), comprising the commensal microbial communities located in the gastrointestinal tract, has co-evolved in mammals to perform countless micro-ecosystem services to facilitate physiological functions. Because of the complex inter-relationship between mammals and their gut microbes, the number of studies addressing the role of the GMB on mammalian health is almost exclusively limited to human studies and model organisms. Furthermore, much of our knowledge of wildlife-GMB relationships is based on studies of colonic GMB communities derived from the feces of captive specimens, leaving our understanding of the GMB in wildlife limited. To better understand wildlife-GMB relationships, we engaged hunters as citizen scientists to collect biological samples from legally harves

SUBMITTER: Gillman SJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7695734 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature