The effects of antibiotics and illness on gut microbial composition in the fawn-footed mosaic-tailed rat (Melomys cervinipes)
Rymer, Tasmin L., and Pillay, Neville (2023) The effects of antibiotics and illness on gut microbial composition in the fawn-footed mosaic-tailed rat (Melomys cervinipes). PLoS ONE, 18. e0281533.
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Abstract
The gut microbiota are critical for maintaining the health and physiological function of individuals. However, illness and treatment with antibiotics can disrupt bacterial community composition, the consequences of which are largely unknown in wild animals. In this study, we described and quantified the changes in bacterial community composition in response to illness and treatment with antibiotics in a native Australian rodent, the fawn-footed mosaic-tailed rat (Melomys cervinipes). We collected faecal samples during an undiagnosed illness outbreak in a captive colony of animals, and again at least one year later, and quantified the microbiome at each time point using 16s ribosomal rRNA gene sequencing. Gut bacterial composition was quantified at different taxonomic levels, up to family. Gut bacterial composition changed between time periods, indicating that illness, treatment with antibiotics, or a combination affects bacterial communities. While some bacterial groups increased in abundance, others decreased, suggesting differential effects and possible co-adapted and synergistic interactions. Our findings provide a greater understanding of the dynamic nature of the gut microbiome of a native Australian rodent species and provides insights into the management and ethical well-being of animals kept under captive conditions.
Item ID: | 78419 |
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Item Type: | Article (Research - C1) |
ISSN: | 1932-6203 |
Copyright Information: | © 2023 Rymer, Pillay. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. |
Date Deposited: | 02 May 2023 01:44 |
FoR Codes: | 31 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 3107 Microbiology > 310703 Microbial ecology @ 70% 31 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 3102 Bioinformatics and computational biology > 310299 Bioinformatics and computational biology not elsewhere classified @ 30% |
SEO Codes: | 28 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 2801 Expanding knowledge > 280102 Expanding knowledge in the biological sciences @ 50% 28 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 2801 Expanding knowledge > 280103 Expanding knowledge in the biomedical and clinical sciences @ 50% |
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