Unveiled feather microcosm: feather microbiota of passerine birds is closely associated with host species identity and bacteriocin-producing bacteria

0505050 - ÚBO 2020 RIV GB eng J - Journal Article
Gvoždíková Javůrková, Veronika - Kreisinger, J. - Procházka, Petr - Požgayová, Milica - Ševčíková, K. - Brlík, Vojtěch - Adamík, P. - Heneberg, P. - Porkert, J.
Unveiled feather microcosm: feather microbiota of passerine birds is closely associated with host species identity and bacteriocin-producing bacteria.
The ISME Journal. Roč. 13, č. 9 (2019), s. 2363-2376. ISSN 1751-7362. E-ISSN 1751-7370
Institutional support: RVO:68081766
Keywords : RNA gene database * regrading bacteria * gastrointestinal tract * gut microbiota * diversity * plumage * evolution * identification * color
OECD category: Ecology
Impact factor: 9.180, year: 2019
Method of publishing: Open access
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41396-019-0438-4

The functional relevance of microbiota is a key aspect for understanding host–microbiota interactions. Mammalian skin harbours a complex consortium of beneficial microorganisms known to provide health and immune-boosting advantages. As yet, however, little is known about functional microbial communities on avian feathers, including their co-evolution with the host and factors determining feather microbiota (FM) diversity. Using 16S rRNA profiling, we investigated how host species identity, phylogeny and geographic origin determine FM in free-living passerine birds. Moreover, we estimated the relative abundance of bacteriocin-producing bacteria (BPB) and keratinolytic feather damaging bacteria (FDB) and evaluated the ability of BPB to affect FM diversity and relative abundance of FDB. Host species identity was associated with feather bacterial communities more strongly than host geographic origin. FM functional properties differed in terms of estimated BPB and FDB relative abundance, with both showing interspecific variation. FM diversity was negatively associated with BPB relative abundance across species, whereas BPB and FDB relative abundance was positively correlated. This study provides the first thorough evaluation of antimicrobial peptides-producing bacterial communities inhabiting the feather integument, including their likely potential to mediate niche-competition and to be associated with functional speciesspecific feather microbiota in avian hosts.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0296571