Cloacal microorganisms and mating systems of four Australian bird species

Poiani, Aldo; Gwozdz, Jacek

doi:10.1071/mu01055

Cited by 16 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…We expected that if high-testosterone males were mating promiscuously, then they would be accumulating more rare bacteria from their multiple mates and would have more variable bacterial communities. For example, greater variability in cloacal microbial composition in polyandrous females of superb fairywrens (Malarus cyaneus), white-browed scrubwren (Sericornis frontalis) and common lizards (Z. vivipara) was best explained as a result of the sexual transmission of different bacterial strains by multiple mates (Poiani & Gwozdz 2002;White et al 2011). Indeed, sexually transmitted diseases have been postulated as a drivers of mating system evolution (Lombardo 1998;Ashby & Gupta 2013).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Testosterone levels are positively correlated with cloacal bacterial diversity and the relative abundance of Chlamydiae in breeding male rufous‐collared sparrows

et al. 2016

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1. Testosterone mediates several key aspects of male reproduction, but maintaining high testosterone levels can reduce long-term survival. One of the proposed pathways by which testosterone can influence survival is through increased risk of parasite infection.The hormone has the potential to affect the transmission of sexually transmitted infections by promoting behaviors that increase sexual contact rates and/or by decreasing immune function.2. We hypothesized that males with high concentrations of testosterone would increase their chances of being infected with sexually transmitted bacteria, which would manifest as increased diversity of cloacal bacteria. To test this hypothesis, we measured circulating testosterone concentrations in breeding male rufous-collared sparrows (Zonotrichia capensis) and collected cloacal swabs to quantify bacterial diversity using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing.3. There was a positive correlation between testosterone concentrations and the phylogenetic diversity of cloacal bacteria. In addition, individuals with high and medium testosterone concentrations had cloacal bacterial communities that were more similar to each other than to those of low testosterone individuals. Finally, when considering bacterial taxa that are potential avian pathogens, we found that the relative abundance of Accepted ArticleThis article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.Chlamydiae, a class of obligate intracellular parasites, was positively correlated with testosterone concentrations. 4. Two nonexclusive explanations for these results are that testosterone affects behaviors that lead to increased sexual contacts and thus the exposure and acquisition of additional phylogenetically diverse bacteria, and/or that testosterone is altering the immune system or the cloacal environment, thus making it easier for bacteria to colonize. Either way, these data suggest that increased exposure to sexually transmitted pathogens in the form of cloacal bacteria could be a cost of maintaining high testosterone levels.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Testosterone levels are positively correlated with cloacal bacterial diversity and the relative abundance of Chlamydiae in breeding male rufous‐collared sparrows

et al. 2016

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“…Given that patterns of transmission are related to the frequency (Gray et al 2001; Wawer et al 2005) and duration of contact (Kraut-Becher & Aral 2003), variation in sexual behavior between individuals and species (i.e., differences in mating systems) may influence the sexual transmission of bacteria (Mitsunaga et al 2005; Poiani & Gwozdz 2002), and thus bacterial communities of relevant reproductive structures, leading to significant inter-specific and inter-individual differences in microbiota of specific anatomical structures. A considerable amount of research, at least in humans, has been devoted to understanding how patterns of sexual contact can modify the risk of pathogen acquisition.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In another study of more than 600 men and women, Manhart and colleagues found that an increase in the number of concurrent sexual partners (=increased promiscuity) was associated with an increased risk for contraction of a sexually transmitted pathogen (Manhart et al 2002). In contrast to the amount of research done in this single species, there has been surprisingly little research done regarding how differences in sexual behavior (i.e., number of partners and patterns of concurrency) affect bacterial (pathogenic and non-pathogenic) community composition in non-model taxa (but see (Poiani & Gwozdz 2002) and (Webberley et al 2002). This is important, as existing data, from a limited number of species, already suggest that large differences in microbiota, may exist (Rivera, Frank, et al 2010b; Spear et al 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Newer studies using PCR-based methods have revealed extremely complex microbial communities, some with clear associations with health-related conditions like obesity (Turnbaugh et al 2009), cigarette use (Erb-Downward et al 2011), and oral hygiene (Paster et al 2001). Other studies have linked sexual behavior in humans (De et al 2004; Manhart et al 2002) and other vertebrate taxa (Poiani & Gwozdz 2002) to differences in bacterial communities of the lower reproductive tract. Specifically, microbial communities, including obligate pathogens (e.g., Chlamydia spp .)…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Promiscuity in mice is associated with increased vaginal bacterial diversity

MacManes

2011

Naturwissenschaften

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Differences in the number of sexual partners (i.e., mating system) have the potential to exert a strong influence on the bacterial communities present in reproductive structures like the vagina. Because this structure serves as a conduit for gametes, bacteria present there may have a pronounced, direct effect on host reproductive success. As a first step towards the identification of the relationship between sexual behavior and potentially pathogenic bacterial communities inhabiting vital reproductive structures—as well as their potential effects on fitness, I sought to quantify differences in bacterial diversity in a promiscuous and monogamous mammal species. To accomplish this, I used 2 sympatric species of Peromyscus rodents—P. californicus and P. maniculatus that differ with regard to numbers of sexual partners per individual to test the hypothesis that bacterial diversity should be greater in the promiscuous P. maniculatus relative to the monogamous P. californicus. As predicted, phylogenetically controlled and operational taxonomic unit-based indices of bacterial diversity indicated that diversity is greater in the promiscuous species. These results provide important new insights into the effects of mating system on bacterial diversity in free-living vertebrates, and may suggest a potential cost of promiscuity.

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“…Harmful bacteria, viruses and yeast are known to reside in the cloaca of avian species. The cloaca is the route for faecal as well as semen discharge, giving cloacal microorganisms the potential to be sexually transmitted in birds (Poiani & Wilks 2000a, 2000b, Poiani & Gwozdz 2002, Poiani 2002. Cloacal contact during copulation in birds tends to bias transmission of venereal microorganisms from male to female, although the final level of infection detected in both sexes will be also a function of the number of partners individuals of each sex have and the ability of males and females to clear their body from invading microparasites (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%