Gut microbial ecology of Philippine gekkonids: ecoevolutionary effects on microbiome compositions

Eliades, Samuel J.; Colston, Timothy J.; Siler, Cameron D.

doi:10.1093/femsec/fiac124

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 61 publications

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“…Cloacal swabs have been shown to be an effective proxy for collecting the diversity of bacteria present in the GI tract of reptiles 19,20 . Swabs were collected using established methods for sampling reptile cloacal microbiomes 19,21 . Briefly, animals were either captured by hand or via pitfall traps according to approved protocols during biodiversity survey expeditions undertaken by TJC from 2010-2020.…”

Section: Cloacal Swabs and Stool Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Commensal protists in reptiles display flexible host range and adaptation to ectothermic hosts

Gerrick

DeSchepper

Mechler

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Parabasalid protists recently emerged as keystone members of the mammalian microbiota with important effects on their host's health. However, the prevalence and diversity of parabasalids in wild reptiles and the consequences of captivity and other environmental factors on these symbiotic protists are unknown. Reptiles are ectothermic, and their microbiomes are subject to temperature fluctuations, such as those driven by climate change. Thus, conservation efforts for threatened reptile species may benefit from understanding how shifts in temperature and captive breeding influence the microbiota, including parabasalids, to impact host fitness and disease susceptibility. Here, we surveyed intestinal parabasalids in a cohort of wild reptiles across three continents and compared these to captive animals. Reptiles harbor surprisingly few species of parabasalids compared to mammals, but these protists exhibited a flexible host-range, suggesting specific adaptations to reptilian social structures and microbiota transmission. Furthermore, reptile-associated parabasalids are adapted to wide temperature ranges, although colder temperatures significantly altered the protist transcriptomes, with increased expression of genes associated with detrimental interactions with the host. Our findings establish that parabasalids are widely distributed in the microbiota of wild and captive reptiles and highlight how these protists respond to temperature swings encountered in their ectothermic hosts.

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Section: Cloacal Swabs and Stool Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Commensal protists in reptiles display flexible host range and adaptation to ectothermic hosts

Gerrick

DeSchepper

Mechler

et al. 2023

Preprint

Self Cite

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Assessing Methodological Variability in Gut Microbiome Studies: Lessons from Southeast Asian for Effective Conservation Strategies

Haris,

Sariyati,

Ramli

et al. 2024

BIO Web Conf.

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Gut microbiome studies have gained significant attention in recent years due to their potential in unveiling the role of microbial communities in animals’ health and ecological processes. However, the lack of standardized protocols in sample handling and processing across studies introduces variability, impeding the comparability of findings. This study addresses this issue by examining methodological variations in gut microbiome research on wildlife and domesticated animals in Southeast Asia. A comprehensive search of 91 relevant studies on the SCOPUS database yielded 54 suitable publications for review, encompassing diverse taxa such as invertebrates (20), fishes (7), reptiles (3), birds (5), and mammals (19). Notably, various methodological approaches were employed to characterize microbial communities, including the source of isolation, various culture-based approaches, sequencing methods, and the targeted markers. Based on the information provided in this study, future studies should strive to develop guidelines and best practices specific to gut microbiome studies. This would enhance comparability and facilitate the integration of findings. Such efforts will also advance our understanding of the microbial diversity associated with wildlife, and its potential implications for their health and conservation.

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Commensal protists in reptiles display flexible host range and adaptation to ectothermic hosts

Gerrick,

DeSchepper,

Mechler

et al. 2023

mBio

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The eukaryome of mammals contains parabasalid protists that dramatically affect host immune function and health. However, the prevalence and diversity of parabasalids in wild reptiles and the consequences of captivity on these symbiotic protists are unknown. Reptiles are ectothermic, which expose their microbiomes to temperature fluctuations such as those driven by climate change. Thus, conservation efforts for threatened reptile species may benefit from understanding how shifts in temperature and captive breeding influence the microbiota, including parabasalids, to impact host fitness and disease susceptibility. Here, we surveyed intestinal parabasalids in wild reptiles from across three continents and compared these to captive animals. Reptiles harbor surprisingly few species of parabasalids compared to mammals, but these protists exhibited a flexible host range, suggesting specific adaptations to reptilian social structures and microbiota transmission. Furthermore, reptile-associated parabasalids are adapted to wide temperature ranges and survive colder temperatures significantly better than human-associated parabasalids. Colder temperatures altered the protist transcriptomes, causing increased expression of genes associated with detrimental interactions with their hosts. Our findings establish that parabasalids are widely distributed in the microbiota of both wild and captive reptiles and highlight how these protists respond to temperature fluctuations encountered in their ectothermic hosts. IMPORTANCE Environmental factors like climate change and captive breeding can impact the gut microbiota and host health. Therefore, conservation efforts for threatened species may benefit from understanding how these factors influence animal microbiomes. Parabasalid protists are members of the mammalian microbiota that can modulate the immune system and impact susceptibility to infections. However, little is known about parabasalids in reptiles. Here, we profile reptile-associated parabasalids in wild and captive reptiles and find that captivity has minimal impact on parabasalid prevalence or diversity. However, because reptiles are cold-blooded (ectothermic), their microbiotas experience wider temperature fluctuation than microbes in warm-blooded animals. To investigate whether extreme weather patterns affect parabasalid-host interactions, we analyzed the gene expression in reptile-associated parabasalids and found that temperature differences significantly alter genes associated with host health. These results expand our understanding of parabasalids in this vulnerable vertebrate group and highlight important factors to be taken into consideration for conservation efforts.

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Gut microbial ecology of Philippine gekkonids: ecoevolutionary effects on microbiome compositions

Cited by 4 publications

References 61 publications

Commensal protists in reptiles display flexible host range and adaptation to ectothermic hosts

Commensal protists in reptiles display flexible host range and adaptation to ectothermic hosts

Assessing Methodological Variability in Gut Microbiome Studies: Lessons from Southeast Asian for Effective Conservation Strategies

Commensal protists in reptiles display flexible host range and adaptation to ectothermic hosts

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