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Hummel G, Aagaard K. Arthropods to Eutherians: A Historical and Contemporary Comparison of Sparse Prenatal Microbial Communities Among Animalia Species. Am J Reprod Immunol 2024; 92:e13897. [PMID: 39140417 DOI: 10.1111/aji.13897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Since the advent of next-generation sequencing, investigators worldwide have sought to discern whether a functional and biologically or clinically relevant prenatal microbiome exists. One line of research has led to the hypothesis that microbial DNA detected in utero/in ovo or prior to birth/hatching is a result of contamination and does not belong to viable and functional microbes. Many of these preliminary evaluations have been conducted in humans, mice, and nonhuman primates due to sample and specimen availability. However, a comprehensive review of the literature across animal species suggests organisms that maintain an obligate relationship with microbes may act as better models for interrogating the selective pressures placed on vertical microbial transfer over traditional laboratory species. To date, studies in humans and viviparous laboratory species have failed to illustrate the clear presence and transfer of functional microbes in utero. Until a ground truth regarding the status and relevance of prenatal microbes can be ascertained, it is salient to conduct parallel investigations into the prevalence of a functional prenatal microbiome across the developmental lifespan of multiple organisms in the kingdom Animalia. This comprehensive understanding is necessary not only to determine the role of vertically transmitted microbes and their products in early human health but also to understand their full One Health impact. This review is among the first to compile such comprehensive primary conclusions from the original investigator's conclusions, and hence collectively illustrates that prenatal microbial transfer is supported by experimental evidence arising from over a long and rigorous scientific history encompassing a breadth of species from kingdom Animalia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwendolynn Hummel
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine) and Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Kjersti Aagaard
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine) and Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
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2
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Barón MD, Martín-Vivaldi M, Martínez-Renau E, Soler JJ. Extra Nestlings That Are Condemned to Die Increase Reproductive Success in Hoopoes. Am Nat 2024; 203:503-512. [PMID: 38489778 DOI: 10.1086/728883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
AbstractThe adaptive value of routinely laying more eggs than can be successfully fledged has intrigued evolutionary biologists for decades. Extra eggs could, for instance, be adaptive as insurance against hatching failures. Moreover, because recent literature demonstrates that sibling cannibalism is frequent in the Eurasian hoopoe (Upupa epops), producing extra offspring that may be cannibalized by older siblings might also be adaptive in birds. Here, directed to explore this possibility in hoopoes, we performed a food supplementation experiment during the laying period and a clutch size manipulation during the hatching stage. We found that females with the food supplement laid on average one more egg than control females and that the addition of a close-to-hatch egg at the end of the hatching period increased the intensity of sibling cannibalism and enhanced fledging success in hoopoe nests. Because none of the extra nestlings from the experimental extra eggs survived until fledging, these results strongly suggest that hoopoes obtain fitness advantages by using temporarily abundant resources to produce additional nestlings that will be cannibalized. These results therefore suppose the first experimental demonstration of the nutritive adaptive function of laying extra eggs in vertebrates with parental care.
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3
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Martínez-Renau E, Mazorra-Alonso M, Ruiz-Castellano C, Martín-Vivaldi M, Martín-Platero AM, Barón MD, Soler JJ. Microbial infection risk predicts antimicrobial potential of avian symbionts. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1010961. [DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1010961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Symbiotic bacteria on animal hosts can prevent pathogenic bacterial infections by several mechanisms. Among them, symbiotic bacteria can indirectly enhance host’s immune responses or, directly, produce antimicrobial substances against pathogens. Due to differences in life-style, different host species are under different risks of microbial infections. Consequently, if symbiotic bacteria are somewhat selected by genetically determined host characteristics, we would expect the antimicrobial properties of bacterial symbionts to vary among host species and to be distributed according to risk of infection. Here we have tested this hypothesis by measuring the antimicrobial ability of the bacterial strains isolated from the uropygial-gland skin of 19 bird species differing in nesting habits, and, therefore, in risk of microbial infection. In accordance with our predictions, intensity and range of antimicrobial effects against the indicator strains assayed varied among bird species, with hole-and open-nesters showing the highest and the lowest values, respectively. Since it is broadly accepted that hole-nesters have higher risks of microbial infection than open nesters, our results suggest that the risk of infection is a strong driver of natural selection to enhance immunocompetence of animals through selecting for antibiotic-producing symbionts. Future research should focus on characterizing symbiotic bacterial communities and detecting coevolutionary processes with particular antibiotic-producing bacteria within-host species.
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4
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Soler JJ, Martínez-Renau E, Azcárate-García M, Ruiz-Castellano C, Martín J, Martín-Vivaldi M. Made-up mouths with preen oil reveal genetic and phenotypic conditions of starling nestlings. Behav Ecol 2022; 33:494-503. [PMID: 35592878 PMCID: PMC9113258 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arac024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal coloration results from pigments, nanostructures, or the cosmetic use of natural products, and plays a central role in social communication. The role of cosmetic coloration has traditionally been focused in scenarios of sexual selection, but it could also take place in other contexts. Here, by using spotless starlings (Sturnus unicolor) as a model system, we explore the possibility that nestlings cosmetically use their intensely yellow-colored uropygial secretion to signal their genetic and/or phenotypic quality. In agreement with the hypothetical cosmetic use of the uropygial secretion, (i) video recorded nestlings collected secretion with the bill at the age of feathering, (ii) cotton swabs turned to the color of secretion after rubbing with them nestlings' gape, and (iii) gape and skin colorations correlated positively with that of secretion. Furthermore, we found that (iv) secretion coloration has a genetic component, and (v) associated positively with Vitamin E supplementation and (vi) with plasma carotenoid concentration, which highlights the informative value of nestling secretion. Finally, (vii) coloration of begging-related traits and of secretion of nestlings predicted parental feeding preferences. Consequently, all these results strongly suggest that the cosmetic use of colored uropygial secretion might also play a role in parent-offspring communication, complementing or amplifying information provided by the flamboyant colored gapes and skin of nestlings. The use of makeups by offspring for communication with relatives has been scarcely explored and we hope that these results will encourage further investigations in birds and other taxa with parental care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan José Soler
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (CSIC), 04120 Almería, Spain
- Unidad asociada (CSIC): Coevolución: cucos, hospedadores y bacterias simbiontes, Universidad de Granada, 18071-Granada, Spain
| | - Ester Martínez-Renau
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (CSIC), 04120 Almería, Spain
| | - Manuel Azcárate-García
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (CSIC), 04120 Almería, Spain
| | - Cristina Ruiz-Castellano
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (CSIC), 04120 Almería, Spain
| | - José Martín
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), 28006-Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel Martín-Vivaldi
- Unidad asociada (CSIC): Coevolución: cucos, hospedadores y bacterias simbiontes, Universidad de Granada, 18071-Granada, Spain
- Departamento de Zoología, Universidad de Granada, 18071-Granada, Spain
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5
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Díaz-Lora S, Pérez-Contreras T, Azcárate-García M, Peralta-Sánchez JM, Martínez-Bueno M, José Soler J, Martín-Vivaldi M. Cosmetic coloration of cross-fostered eggs affects paternal investment in the hoopoe ( Upupa epops). Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20203174. [PMID: 33947236 PMCID: PMC8097196 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.3174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The signalling hypothesis suggests that avian eggshell coloration is a sexually selected female signal advertising her quality to its male partner, thereby stimulating his provisioning rate. This hypothesis has been tested for structural eggshell pigments, but not for cosmetic colorations, such as that produced by the uropygial secretion on eggshells. During the breeding season, female hoopoes (Upupa epops) host in their uropygial glands symbiotic bacteria. Females actively smear the eggshells with their secretion, protecting embryos from pathogenic trans-shell infections and changing eggshell coloration. Because the colour of the secretions is related to their antimicrobial potential, cosmetic eggshell coloration may act as a cue or even as a post-mating sexually selected signal if it affects male provisioning rates. To experimentally test this hypothesis, we cross-fostered already-smeared clutches between hoopoe nests, and quantified male feeding behaviour to females before and after the experiment. This approach allows disentanglement of the effects of female quality and of egg coloration on male investment. In accordance with the hypothesis, males adjusted their provisioning rate to the eggshell cosmetic coloration. This is, to our knowledge, the first experimental demonstration that egg colour stained with uropygial secretion could act as a post-mating sexual signal of female quality to males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Díaz-Lora
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada (UGR), Granada, Spain
| | - Tomás Pérez-Contreras
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada (UGR), Granada, Spain
- Unidad asociada: Coevolución: cucos, hospedadores y bacterias simbiontes, Universidad de Granada (UGR), Granada, Spain
| | - Manuel Azcárate-García
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA-CSIC), Almería, Spain
| | | | - Manuel Martínez-Bueno
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada (UGR), Granada, Spain
- Unidad asociada: Coevolución: cucos, hospedadores y bacterias simbiontes, Universidad de Granada (UGR), Granada, Spain
| | - Juan José Soler
- Unidad asociada: Coevolución: cucos, hospedadores y bacterias simbiontes, Universidad de Granada (UGR), Granada, Spain
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA-CSIC), Almería, Spain
| | - Manuel Martín-Vivaldi
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada (UGR), Granada, Spain
- Unidad asociada: Coevolución: cucos, hospedadores y bacterias simbiontes, Universidad de Granada (UGR), Granada, Spain
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6
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Mazorra-Alonso M, Tomás G, Soler JJ. Microbially Mediated Chemical Ecology of Animals: A Review of Its Role in Conspecific Communication, Parasitism and Predation. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:274. [PMID: 33801728 PMCID: PMC8065758 DOI: 10.3390/biology10040274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Revised: 03/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Microbial symbionts are nowadays considered of pivotal importance for animal life. Among the many processes where microorganisms are involved, an emerging research avenue focuses on their major role in driving the evolution of chemical communication in their hosts. Volatiles of bacterial origin may underlie chemical communication and the transfer of social information through signals, as well as inadvertent social information. We reviewed the role of microorganisms in animal communication between conspecifics, and, because the microbiome may cause beneficial as well as deleterious effects on their animal hosts, we also reviewed its role in determining the outcome of the interactions with parasites and predators. Finally, we paid special attention to the hypothetical role of predation and parasitism in driving the evolution of the animal microbiome. We highlighted the novelty of the theoretical framework derived from considering the microbiota of animals in scenarios of communication, parasitism, and predation. We aimed to encourage research in these areas, suggesting key predictions that need to be tested to better understand what is one of the main roles of bacteria in animal biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónica Mazorra-Alonso
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 04120 Almería, Spain
| | - Gustavo Tomás
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 04120 Almería, Spain
- Unidad Asociada (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas): Coevolución: Cucos, Hospedadores y Bacterias Simbiontes, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
| | - Juan José Soler
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 04120 Almería, Spain
- Unidad Asociada (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas): Coevolución: Cucos, Hospedadores y Bacterias Simbiontes, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
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7
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Whittaker DJ, Hagelin JC. Female-Based Patterns and Social Function in Avian Chemical Communication. J Chem Ecol 2020; 47:43-62. [PMID: 33103230 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-020-01230-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Much of the growing interest in avian chemical signals has focused on the role of kin recognition or mate attraction, often with an emphasis on males, with uropygial gland secretions perhaps providing information about an individual's identity and quality. Yet, data collected to date suggest sexual dimorphism in uropygial glands and secretions are often emphasized in female, rather than in male birds. That is, when a sexual difference occurs (often during the breeding season only), it is the female that typically exhibits one of three patterns: (1) a larger uropygial gland, (2) a greater abundance of volatile or semi-volatile preen oil compounds and/or (3) greater diversity of preen oil compounds or associated microbes. These patterns fit a majority of birds studied to date (23 of 30 chemically dimorphic species exhibit a female emphasis). Multiple species that do not fit are confounded by a lack of data for seasonal effects or proper quantitative measures of chemical compounds. We propose several social functions for these secretions in female-based patterns, similar to those reported in mammals, but which are largely unstudied in birds. These include: (1) intersexual advertisement of female receptivity or quality, including priming effects on male physiology, (2) intrasexual competition, including scent marking and reproductive suppression or (3) parental behaviors, such as parent-offspring recognition and chemical protection of eggs and nestlings. Revisiting the gaps of chemical studies to quantify the existence of female social chemosignals and any fitness benefit(s) during breeding are potentially fruitful but overlooked areas of future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle J Whittaker
- BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
| | - Julie C Hagelin
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, USA
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8
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Chiale MC, Carril J, Montalti D, Barbeito CG. Comparative morphology and histochemistry of the uropygial gland of the endangered and endemic Hooded Grebe (
Podiceps gallardoi
, Podicipediformes). ACTA ZOOL-STOCKHOLM 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/azo.12357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- María Cecilia Chiale
- Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias Laboratorio de Histología y Embriología Descriptiva Experimental y Comparada Universidad Nacional de La Plata Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Julieta Carril
- Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias Laboratorio de Histología y Embriología Descriptiva Experimental y Comparada Universidad Nacional de La Plata Buenos Aires Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Diego Montalti
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) Buenos Aires Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo Sección Ornitología Universidad Nacional de La Plata Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Claudio Gustavo Barbeito
- Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias Laboratorio de Histología y Embriología Descriptiva Experimental y Comparada Universidad Nacional de La Plata Buenos Aires Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) Buenos Aires Argentina
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9
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Tomás G, Zamora-Muñoz C, Martín-Vivaldi M, Barón MD, Ruiz-Castellano C, Soler JJ. Effects of Chemical and Auditory Cues of Hoopoes (Upupa epops) in Repellence and Attraction of Blood-Feeding Flies. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.579667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
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10
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Nyholm SV. In the beginning: egg-microbe interactions and consequences for animal hosts. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190593. [PMID: 32772674 PMCID: PMC7435154 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Microorganisms are associated with the eggs of many animals. For some hosts, the egg serves as the ideal environment for the vertical transmission of beneficial symbionts between generations, while some bacteria use the egg to parasitize their hosts. In a number of animal groups, egg microbiomes often perform other essential functions. The eggs of aquatic and some terrestrial animals are especially susceptible to fouling and disease since they are exposed to high densities of microorganisms. To overcome this challenge, some hosts form beneficial associations with microorganisms, directly incorporating microbes and/or microbial products on or in their eggs to inhibit pathogens and biofouling. Other functional roles for egg-associated microbiomes are hypothesized to involve oxygen and nutrient acquisition. Although some egg-associated microbiomes are correlated with increased host fitness and are essential for successful development, the mechanisms that lead to such outcomes are often not well understood. This review article will discuss different functions of egg microbiomes and how these associations have influenced the biology and evolution of animal hosts. This article is part of the theme issue 'The role of the microbiome in host evolution'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spencer V. Nyholm
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269USA
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11
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Hassanin A, Shoeib M, Massoud D. Micro- and macroanatomical features of the uropygial gland of duck ( Anas platyrhynchos) and pigeon ( Columba livia). Biotech Histochem 2020; 96:213-222. [PMID: 32603233 DOI: 10.1080/10520295.2020.1782990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
Abstract
We describe the morphological, histological and histochemical characteristics of the uropygial gland of the duck (Anas platyrhynchos) and pigeon (Columba livia). The weight and dimensions of the glands were recorded. The gland openings onto the papilla in ducks were surrounded by double tufts of downy feathers; the tufts were held together by an oily secretion. In the pigeon, the gland opening was onto naked skin. Samples for light and transmission electron microscopy were obtained from adult birds. Gland morphometry of the duck showed greater dimensions and relative gland weight than the pigeon. In both species the gland was lined by stratified epithelium, packed with secretary tubules and filled with oil droplets that were discharged into a central cavity. In the pigeon, the gland was branched and alveolar with a wide central lumen, whereas in the duck it was simple and branched tubular. Ultrastructural analysis of both species revealed that the fat globules tended to condense in the peripheral layers of the secretory and degenerative cells, and the nuclei exhibited pyknosis, which suggest the holocrine nature of the gland. Morphometric and histological analysis of the gland showed that the architecture is similar among birds; however, some species-specific differences suggest a functional correlation with the habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amin Hassanin
- Department of Histology and Cytology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sadat City, Sadat City, Egypt
| | - Mahmoud Shoeib
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Diaa Massoud
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Jouf University, Sakakah, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt
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12
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Corl A, Charter M, Rozman G, Toledo S, Turjeman S, Kamath PL, Getz WM, Nathan R, Bowie RCK. Movement ecology and sex are linked to barn owl microbial community composition. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:1358-1371. [PMID: 32115796 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Revised: 02/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The behavioural ecology of host species is likely to affect their microbial communities, because host sex, diet, physiology, and movement behaviour could all potentially influence their microbiota. We studied a wild population of barn owls (Tyto alba) and collected data on their microbiota, movement, diet, size, coloration, and reproduction. The composition of bacterial species differed by the sex of the host and female owls had more diverse bacterial communities than their male counterparts. The abundance of two families of bacteria, Actinomycetaceae and Lactobacillaceae, also varied between the sexes, potentially as a result of sex differences in hormones and immunological function, as has previously been found with Lactobacillaceae in the microbiota of mice. Male and female owls did not differ in the prey they brought to the nest, which suggests that dietary differences are unlikely to underlie the differences in their microbiota. The movement behaviour of the owls was associated with the host microbiota in both males and females because owls that moved further from their nest each day had more diverse bacterial communities than owls that stayed closer to their nests. This novel result suggests that the movement ecology of hosts can impact their microbiota, potentially on the basis of their differential encounters with new bacterial species as the hosts move and forage across the landscape. Overall, we found that many aspects of the microbial community are correlated with the behavioural ecology of the host and that data on the microbiota can aid in generating new hypotheses about host behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ammon Corl
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Motti Charter
- Movement Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,The Shamir Research Institute and Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Gabe Rozman
- Movement Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Sivan Toledo
- Blavatnik School of Computer Science, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Sondra Turjeman
- Movement Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Pauline L Kamath
- School of Food and Agriculture, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA
| | - Wayne M Getz
- Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.,School of Mathematical Sciences, University of KwaZulu, Natal, South Africa
| | - Ran Nathan
- Movement Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Rauri C K Bowie
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.,Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
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13
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Rodríguez-Ruano SM, Martín-Vivaldi M, Peralta-Sánchez JM, García-Martín AB, Martínez-García Á, Soler JJ, Valdivia E, Martínez-Bueno M. Seasonal and Sexual Differences in the Microbiota of the Hoopoe Uropygial Secretion. Genes (Basel) 2018; 9:genes9080407. [PMID: 30103505 PMCID: PMC6115775 DOI: 10.3390/genes9080407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Revised: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 08/03/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The uropygial gland of hoopoe nestlings and nesting females hosts bacterial symbionts that cause changes in the characteristics of its secretion, including an increase of its antimicrobial activity. These changes occur only in nesting individuals during the breeding season, possibly associated with the high infection risk experienced during the stay in the hole-nests. However, the knowledge on hoopoes uropygial gland microbial community dynamics is quite limited and based so far on culture-dependent and molecular fingerprinting studies. In this work, we sampled wild and captive hoopoes of different sex, age, and reproductive status, and studied their microbiota using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and pyrosequencing. Surprisingly, we found a complex bacterial community in all individuals (including non-nesting ones) during the breeding season. Nevertheless, dark secretions from nesting hoopoes harbored significantly higher bacterial density than white secretions from breeding males and both sexes in winter. We hypothesize that bacterial proliferation may be host-regulated in phases of high infection risk (i.e., nesting). We also highlight the importance of specific antimicrobial-producing bacteria present only in dark secretions that may be key in this defensive symbiosis. Finally, we discuss the possible role of environmental conditions in shaping the uropygial microbiota, based on differences found between wild and captive hoopoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia M Rodríguez-Ruano
- Departamento de Microbiología, Universidad de Granada, E-18071 Granada, Spain.
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, CZ-370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czechia.
| | - Manuel Martín-Vivaldi
- Departamento de Zoología, Universidad de Granada, E-18071 Granada, Spain.
- Unidad Asociada Coevolución: Cucos, Hospedadores y Bacterias Simbiontes, Universidad de Granada, E-18071 Granada, Spain.
| | | | | | - Ángela Martínez-García
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, CSIC), E-04120 Almeria, Spain.
| | - Juan J Soler
- Unidad Asociada Coevolución: Cucos, Hospedadores y Bacterias Simbiontes, Universidad de Granada, E-18071 Granada, Spain.
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, CSIC), E-04120 Almeria, Spain.
| | - Eva Valdivia
- Departamento de Microbiología, Universidad de Granada, E-18071 Granada, Spain.
- Unidad Asociada Coevolución: Cucos, Hospedadores y Bacterias Simbiontes, Universidad de Granada, E-18071 Granada, Spain.
- Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad de Granada, E-18071 Granada, Spain.
| | - Manuel Martínez-Bueno
- Departamento de Microbiología, Universidad de Granada, E-18071 Granada, Spain.
- Unidad Asociada Coevolución: Cucos, Hospedadores y Bacterias Simbiontes, Universidad de Granada, E-18071 Granada, Spain.
- Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad de Granada, E-18071 Granada, Spain.
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14
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Martín-Vivaldi M, Soler JJ, Martínez-García Á, Arco L, Juárez-García-Pelayo N, Ruiz-Rodríguez M, Martínez-Bueno M. Acquisition of Uropygial Gland Microbiome by Hoopoe Nestlings. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2018; 76:285-297. [PMID: 29250734 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-017-1125-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Mutualistic symbioses between animals and bacteria depend on acquisition of appropriate symbionts while avoiding exploitation by non-beneficial microbes. The mode of acquisition of symbionts would determine, not only the probability of encountering but also evolutionary outcomes of mutualistic counterparts. The microbiome inhabiting the uropygial gland of the European hoopoe (Upupa epops) includes a variety of bacterial strains, some of them providing antimicrobial benefits. Here, the mode of acquisition and stability of this microbiome is analyzed by means of Automated rRNA Intergenic Spacer Analysis and two different experiments. The first experiment impeded mothers' access to their glands, thus avoiding direct transmission of microorganisms from female to offspring secretions. The second experiment explored the stability of the microbiomes by inoculating glands with secretions from alien nests. The first experiment provoked a reduction in similarity of microbiomes of mother and nestlings. Interestingly, some bacterial strains were more often detected when females had not access to their glands, suggesting antagonistic effects among bacteria from different sources. The second experiment caused an increase in richness of the microbiome of receivers in terms of prevalence of Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) that reduced differences in microbiomes of donors and receivers. That occurred because OTUs that were present in donors but not in receivers incorporated to the microbiome of the latter, which provoked that cross-inoculated nestlings got similar final microbiomes that included the most prevalent OTUs. The results are therefore consistent with a central role of vertical transmission in bacterial acquisition by nestling hoopoes and support the idea that the typical composition of the hoopoe gland microbiome is reached by the incorporation of some bacteria during the nestling period. This scenario suggests the existence of a coevolved core microbiome composed by a mix of specialized vertically transmitted strains and facultative symbionts able to coexist with them. The implications of this mixed mode of transmission for the evolution of the mutualism are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Martín-Vivaldi
- Departamento de Zoología, Universidad de Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain.
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (CSIC), 04120, Almería, Spain.
| | - Juan José Soler
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (CSIC), 04120, Almería, Spain
| | | | - Laura Arco
- Departamento de Zoología, Universidad de Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain
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15
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Caspers BA, Hagelin JC, Paul M, Bock S, Willeke S, Krause ET. Zebra Finch chicks recognise parental scent, and retain chemosensory knowledge of their genetic mother, even after egg cross-fostering. Sci Rep 2017; 7:12859. [PMID: 28993703 PMCID: PMC5634463 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-13110-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2016] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Mechanisms underlying parent-offspring recognition in birds have fascinated researchers for centuries. Yet, the possibility that chicks recognise parental odour at hatching has been completely overlooked, despite the fact that olfaction is one of the first sensory modalities to develop, and social chemosignals occur in avian taxa. Here we show that Zebra Finch chicks (Taeniopygia guttata) are capable of identifying parental odours at hatching. In our first experiment, chicks begged significantly longer in response to the odour of their genetic mother or father compared to the odour of a non-relative of the same sex and reproductive status. In a second experiment, we cross-fostered eggs and tested the response of hatchlings to the scent of genetic vs. foster parents. Chicks from cross-fostered eggs responded significantly more to the odour of their genetic mother than their foster mother, but exhibited no difference in response to genetic vs. foster fathers. This is the first evidence that embryonic altricial birds are capable of acquiring chemosensory knowledge of their parents during early development, and retain chemical familiarity with their genetic mother despite egg cross-fostering. Furthermore our data reveals that kin recognition in birds can develop without any association with a genetic parent at hatching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara A Caspers
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Research Group Olfactory Communication, Bielefeld University, Morgenbreede 45, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany.
| | - Julie C Hagelin
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska, 99775, USA
| | - Madeleine Paul
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Research Group Olfactory Communication, Bielefeld University, Morgenbreede 45, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Sandra Bock
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Research Group Olfactory Communication, Bielefeld University, Morgenbreede 45, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Sandra Willeke
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Research Group Olfactory Communication, Bielefeld University, Morgenbreede 45, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - E Tobias Krause
- Institute of Animal Welfare and Animal Husbandry, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Dörnbergstr. 25-27, 29223, Celle, Germany
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16
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Abstract
The microbiome is a vital component to the evolution of a host and much of what we know about the microbiome derives from studies on humans and captive animals. But captivity alters the microbiome and mammals have unique biological adaptations that affect their microbiomes (e.g., milk). Birds represent over 30% of known tetrapod diversity and possess their own suite of adaptations relevant to the microbiome. In a previous study, we showed that 59 species of birds displayed immense variation in their microbiomes and host (bird) taxonomy and ecology were most correlated with the gut microbiome. In this Frontiers Focused Review, I put those results in a broader context by discussing how collecting and analyzing wild microbiomes contributes to the main goals of evolutionary biology and the specific ways that birds are unique microbial hosts. Finally, I outline some of the methodological considerations for adding microbiome sampling to the research of wild animals and urge researchers to do so. To truly understand the evolution of a host, we need to understand the millions of microorganisms that inhabit it as well: evolutionary biology needs wild microbiomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Hird
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of ConnecticutStorrs, CT, USA
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17
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Moreno-Rueda G. Preen oil and bird fitness: a critical review of the evidence. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2017; 92:2131-2143. [PMID: 28231637 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2016] [Revised: 01/23/2017] [Accepted: 01/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The uropygial gland is a holocrine complex exclusive to birds that produces an oleaginous secretion (preen oil) whose function is still debated. Herein, I examine critically the evidence for the many hypotheses of potential functions of this gland. The main conclusion is that our understanding of this gland is still in its infancy. Even for functions that are considered valid by most researchers, real evidence is scarce. Although it seems clear that preen oil contributes to plumage maintenance, we do not know whether this is due to a role in reducing mechanical abrasion or in reducing feather degradation by keratinophilic organisms. Evidence for a function against pathogenic bacteria is mixed, as preen oil has been demonstrated to act against bacteria in vitro, but not in vivo. Nor is it clear whether preen oil can combat pathogenic bacteria on eggshells to improve hatching success. Studies on the effect of preen oil against dermatophytes are very scarce and there is no evidence of a function against chewing lice. It seems clear, however, that preen oil improves waterproofing, but it is unclear whether this acts by creating a hydrophobic layer or simply by improving plumage structure. Several hypotheses proposed for the function of preen oil have been poorly studied, such as reduction of drag in flight. Similarly, we do not know whether preen oil functions as repellent against predators or parasites, makes birds unpalatable, or functions to camouflage birds with ambient odours. On the other hand, a growing body of work shows the important implications of volatiles in preen oil with regard to social communication in birds. Moreover, preen oil clearly alters plumage colouration. Finally, studies examining the impact of preen oil on fitness are lacking, and the costs or limitations of preen-oil production also remain poorly known. The uropygial gland appears to have several non-mutually exclusive functions in birds, and thus is likely to be subject to several selective pressures. Therefore, future studies should consider how the inevitable trade-offs among different functions drive the evolution of uropygial gland secretions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregorio Moreno-Rueda
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, E-18071, Granada, Spain
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18
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Martínez-García Á, Martín-Vivaldi M, Rodríguez-Ruano SM, Peralta-Sánchez JM, Valdivia E, Soler JJ. Nest Bacterial Environment Affects Microbiome of Hoopoe Eggshells, but Not That of the Uropygial Secretion. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0158158. [PMID: 27409772 PMCID: PMC4943718 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0158158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2016] [Accepted: 06/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The study of associations between symbiotic bacterial communities of hosts and those of surrounding environments would help to understand how bacterial assemblages are acquired, and how they are transmitted from one to another location (i.e. symbiotic bacteria acquisition by hosts). Hoopoes (Upupa epops) smear their eggshells with uropygial secretion (oily secretion produced in their uropygial gland) that harbors antibiotic producing bacteria. Trying to elucidate a possible role of nest material and cloaca microbiota in determining the bacterial community of the uropygial gland and the eggshells of hoopoes, we characterized bacterial communities of nest material, cloaca, uropygial gland and eggshells by the ARISA fingerprinting. Further, by adding material with scarce bacteria and antimicrobial properties, we manipulated the bacterial community of nest material and thus tested experimentally its effects on the microbiomes of the uropygial secretion and of the eggshells. The experiment did not influence the microbiome of the uropygial secretion of females, but affected the community established on eggshells. This is the first experimental evidence indicating that nest material influences the bacterial community of the eggshells and, therefore, probability of embryo infection. Some of the bacterial strains detected in the secretion were also in the bacterial communities of the nest material and of cloaca, but their occurrence within nests was not associated, which suggests that bacterial environments of nest material and cloaca are not sources of symbiotic bacteria for the gland. These results do not support a role of nest environments of hoopoes as reservoirs of symbiotic bacteria. We discuss possible scenarios explaining bacterial acquisition by hoopoes that should be further explored.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Eva Valdivia
- Departamento de Microbiología Universidad de Granada, E-18071 Granada, Spain
| | - Juan J. Soler
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (CSIC) E-04120 Almería, Spain
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19
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Golüke S, Dörrenberg S, Krause ET, Caspers BA. Female Zebra Finches Smell Their Eggs. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0155513. [PMID: 27192061 PMCID: PMC4871452 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0155513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2016] [Accepted: 04/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Parental investment in unrelated offspring seems maladaptive from an evolutionary perspective, due to the costs of energy and resources that cannot be invested in related offspring at the same time. Therefore selection should favour mechanisms to discriminate between own and foreign offspring. In birds, much emphasis has been placed on understanding the visual mechanisms underlying egg recognition. However, olfactory egg recognition has almost been completely ignored. Here, we investigated whether female zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) are able to discriminate between their own and a conspecific egg based on olfactory cues alone. Zebra finches are colonial—breeding songbirds. Eggs are monomorphic, i.e. without any spotting pattern, and intraspecific brood parasitism frequently occurs. In a binary choice experiment, female zebra finches were given the choice between the scent of their own and a conspecific egg. After the onset of incubation, females chose randomly and showed no sign of discrimination. However, shortly before hatching, females preferred significantly the odour of their own egg. The finding that females are capable to smell their own egg may inspire more research on the potential of olfaction involved in egg recognition, especially in cases where visual cues might be limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Golüke
- Research Group Olfactory Communication, Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
- * E-mail: (SG); (BAC)
| | - Sebastian Dörrenberg
- Research Group Olfactory Communication, Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - E. Tobias Krause
- Friedrich-Loeffler Institut, Institute of Animal Welfare and Animal Husbandry, Celle, Germany
| | - Barbara A. Caspers
- Research Group Olfactory Communication, Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
- * E-mail: (SG); (BAC)
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Soler JJ, Martínez-García Á, Rodríguez-Ruano SM, Martínez-Bueno M, Martín-Platero AM, Peralta-Sánchez JM, Martín-Vivaldi M. Nestedness of hoopoes' bacterial communities: symbionts from the uropygial gland to the eggshell. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Juan J. Soler
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (CSIC); E-04120 Almería Spain
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21
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Martínez-García Á, Soler JJ, Rodríguez-Ruano SM, Martínez-Bueno M, Martín-Platero AM, Juárez-García N, Martín-Vivaldi M. Preening as a Vehicle for Key Bacteria in Hoopoes. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2015; 70:1024-1033. [PMID: 26078039 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-015-0636-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2015] [Accepted: 05/26/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Oily secretions produced in the uropygial gland of incubating female hoopoes contain antimicrobial-producing bacteria that prevent feathers from degradation and eggs from pathogenic infection. Using the beak, females collect the uropygial gland secretion and smear it directly on the eggshells and brood patch. Thus, some bacterial strains detected in the secretion should also be present on the eggshell, beak, and brood patch. To characterize these bacterial communities, we used Automatic Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Analysis (ARISA), which distinguishes between taxonomically different bacterial strains (i.e. different operational taxonomic units [OTUs]) by the size of the sequence amplified. We identified a total of 146 different OTUs with sizes between 139 and 999 bp. Of these OTUs, 124 were detected in the uropygial oil, 106 on the beak surface, 97 on the brood patch, and 98 on the eggshell. The highest richness of OTUs appeared in the uropygial oil samples. Moreover, the detection of some OTUs on the beak, brood patch, and eggshells of particular nests depended on these OTUs being present in the uropygial oil of the female. These results agree with the hypothesis that symbiotic bacteria are transmitted from the uropygial gland to beak, brood patch, and eggshell surfaces, opening the possibility that the bacterial community of the secretion plays a central role in determining the communities of special hoopoe eggshell structures (i.e., crypts) that, soon after hatching, are filled with uropygial oil, thereby protecting embryos from pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Juan J Soler
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (CSIC), E-04120, Almería, Spain
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22
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Environmental factors shape the community of symbionts in the hoopoe uropygial gland more than genetic factors. Appl Environ Microbiol 2014; 80:6714-23. [PMID: 25172851 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02242-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Exploring processes of coevolution of microorganisms and their hosts is a new imperative for life sciences. If bacteria protect hosts against pathogens, mechanisms facilitating the intergenerational transmission of such bacteria will be strongly selected by evolution. By disentangling the diversity of bacterial strains from the uropygium of hoopoes (Upupa epops) due to genetic relatedness or to a common environment, we explored the importance of horizontal (from the environment) and vertical (from parents) acquisition of antimicrobial-producing symbionts in this species. For this purpose, we compared bacterial communities among individuals in nonmanipulated nests; we also performed a cross-fostering experiment using recently hatched nestlings before uropygial gland development and some nestlings that were reared outside hoopoe nests. The capacity of individuals to acquire microbial symbionts horizontally during their development was supported by our results, since cross-fostered nestlings share bacterial strains with foster siblings and nestlings that were not in contact with hoopoe adults or nests also developed the symbiosis. Moreover, nestlings could change some bacterial strains over the course of their stay in the nest, and adult females changed their bacterial community in different years. However, a low rate of vertical transmission was inferred, since genetic siblings reared in different nests shared more bacterial strains than they shared with unrelated nestlings raised in different nests. In conclusion, hoopoes are able to incorporate new symbionts from the environment during the development of the uropygium, which could be a selective advantage if strains with higher antimicrobial capacity are incorporated into the gland and could aid hosts in fighting against pathogenic and disease-causing microbes.
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