Microbial environment shapes immune function and cloacal microbiota dynamics in zebra finches Taeniopygia guttata.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The relevance of the host microbiota to host ecology and evolution is well acknowledged. However, the effect of the microbial environment on host immune function and host microbiota dynamics is understudied in terrestrial vertebrates. Using a novel experimental approach centered on the manipulation of the microbial environment of zebra finches Taeniopygia guttata, we carried out a study to investigate effects of the host's microbial environment on: 1) constitutive immune function, 2) the resilience of the host cloacal microbiota; and 3) the degree to which immune function and host microbiota covary in microbial environments that differ in diversity.

Results

We explored immune indices (hemagglutination, hemolysis, IgY levels and haptoglobin concentration) and host-

SUBMITTER: van Veelen HPJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7807698 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature