Gut microbiota of homing pigeons shows summer-winter variation under constant diet indicating a substantial effect of temperature.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Gut microbiotas play a pivotal role in host physiology and behaviour, and may affect host life-history traits such as seasonal variation in host phenotypic state. Generally, seasonal gut microbiota variation is attributed to seasonal diet variation. However, seasonal temperature and day length variation may also drive gut microbiota variation. We investigated summer-winter differences in the gut bacterial community (GBC) in 14 homing pigeons living outdoors under a constant diet by collecting cloacal swabs in both seasons during two years. Because temperature effects may be mediated by host metabolism, we determined basal metabolic rate (BMR) and body mass. Immune competence is influenced by day length and has a close relationship with the GBC, and it may thus be a link

SUBMITTER: Dietz MW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9749179 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature