Gary R Graves1,2, Kenan O Matterson3, Christopher M Milensky4, Brian K Schmidt4, Michael J V O'Mahoney5, Sergei V Drovetski6,7. 1. Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20013, USA. gravesg@si.edu. 2. Center for Macroecology, Evolution, and Climate, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark. gravesg@si.edu. 3. Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences (BiGeA), University of Bologna, 48100, Ravenna, Italy. 4. Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20013, USA. 5. Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20013, USA. 6. Laboratories of Analytical Biology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20013, USA. 7. Current address: USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, 10300 Baltimore Avenue, BARC-East Bldg. 308, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Stereotyped sunning behaviour in birds has been hypothesized to inhibit keratin-degrading bacteria but there is little evidence that solar irradiation affects community assembly and abundance of plumage microbiota. The monophyletic New World vultures (Cathartiformes) are renowned for scavenging vertebrate carrion, spread-wing sunning at roosts, and thermal soaring. Few avian species experience greater exposure to solar irradiation. We used 16S rRNA sequencing to investigate the plumage microbiota of wild individuals of five sympatric species of vultures in Guyana. RESULTS: The exceptionally diverse plumage microbiotas (631 genera of Bacteria and Archaea) were numerically dominated by bacterial genera resistant to ultraviolet (UV) light, desiccation, and high ambient temperatures, and genera known for forming desiccation-resistant endospores (phylum Firmicutes, order Clostridiales). The extremophile genera Deinococcus (phylum Deinococcus-Thermus) and Hymenobacter (phylum, Bacteroidetes), rare in vertebrate gut microbiotas, accounted for 9.1% of 2.7 million sequences (CSS normalized and log2 transformed). Five bacterial genera known to exhibit strong keratinolytic capacities in vitro (Bacillus, Enterococcus, Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, and Streptomyces) were less abundant (totaling 4%) in vulture plumage. CONCLUSIONS: Bacterial rank-abundance profiles from melanized vulture plumage have no known analog in the integumentary systems of terrestrial vertebrates. The prominence of UV-resistant extremophiles suggests that solar irradiation may play a significant role in the assembly of vulture plumage microbiotas. Our results highlight the need for controlled in vivo experiments to test the effects of UV on microbial communities of avian plumage.
BACKGROUND: Stereotyped sunning behaviour in birds has been hypothesized to inhibit keratin-degrading bacteria but there is little evidence that solar irradiation affects community assembly and abundance of plumage microbiota. The monophyletic New World vultures (Cathartiformes) are renowned for scavenging vertebrate carrion, spread-wing sunning at roosts, and thermal soaring. Few avian species experience greater exposure to solar irradiation. We used 16S rRNA sequencing to investigate the plumage microbiota of wild individuals of five sympatric species of vultures in Guyana. RESULTS: The exceptionally diverse plumage microbiotas (631 genera of Bacteria and Archaea) were numerically dominated by bacterial genera resistant to ultraviolet (UV) light, desiccation, and high ambient temperatures, and genera known for forming desiccation-resistant endospores (phylum Firmicutes, order Clostridiales). The extremophile genera Deinococcus (phylum Deinococcus-Thermus) and Hymenobacter (phylum, Bacteroidetes), rare in vertebrate gut microbiotas, accounted for 9.1% of 2.7 million sequences (CSS normalized and log2 transformed). Five bacterial genera known to exhibit strong keratinolytic capacities in vitro (Bacillus, Enterococcus, Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, and Streptomyces) were less abundant (totaling 4%) in vulture plumage. CONCLUSIONS: Bacterial rank-abundance profiles from melanized vulture plumage have no known analog in the integumentary systems of terrestrial vertebrates. The prominence of UV-resistant extremophiles suggests that solar irradiation may play a significant role in the assembly of vulture plumage microbiotas. Our results highlight the need for controlled in vivo experiments to test the effects of UV on microbial communities of avian plumage.
Entities:
Keywords:
Cathartiformes; Deinococcus; Extremophile; Keratin-degrading bacteria; Melanized plumage; New World vultures; Plumage microbiota; Solar irradiation; Spread-wing sunning; Ultraviolet (UV) light
Authors: Michael Roggenbuck; Ida Bærholm Schnell; Nikolaj Blom; Jacob Bælum; Mads Frost Bertelsen; Thomas Sicheritz-Pontén; Thomas Sicheritz Pontén; Søren Johannes Sørensen; M Thomas P Gilbert; Gary R Graves; Lars H Hansen Journal: Nat Commun Date: 2014-11-25 Impact factor: 14.919
Authors: Yun Xia; Daniel I Massé; Tim A McAllister; Yunhong Kong; Robert Seviour; Carole Beaulieu Journal: Bioresour Technol Date: 2012-01-28 Impact factor: 9.642
Authors: Jessica L Metcalf; Zhenjiang Zech Xu; Sophie Weiss; Simon Lax; Will Van Treuren; Embriette R Hyde; Se Jin Song; Amnon Amir; Peter Larsen; Naseer Sangwan; Daniel Haarmann; Greg C Humphrey; Gail Ackermann; Luke R Thompson; Christian Lauber; Alexander Bibat; Catherine Nicholas; Matthew J Gebert; Joseph F Petrosino; Sasha C Reed; Jack A Gilbert; Aaron M Lynne; Sibyl R Bucheli; David O Carter; Rob Knight Journal: Science Date: 2015-12-10 Impact factor: 47.728