The microbiome of New World vultures

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Standard

The microbiome of New World vultures. / Roggenbuck, Michael; Schnell, Ida Bærholm; Blom, Nikolaj; Bælum, Jacob; Bertelsen, Mads Frost; Sicheritz-Pontén, Thomas; Sørensen, Søren Johannes; Gilbert, M. Thomas P.; Graves, Gary R. ; Hansen, Lars H. .

In: Nature Communications, Vol. 5, 5498, 2014.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Harvard

Roggenbuck, M, Schnell, IB, Blom, N, Bælum, J, Bertelsen, MF, Sicheritz-Pontén, T, Sørensen, SJ, Gilbert, MTP, Graves, GR & Hansen, LH 2014, 'The microbiome of New World vultures', Nature Communications, vol. 5, 5498. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms6498

APA

Roggenbuck, M., Schnell, I. B., Blom, N., Bælum, J., Bertelsen, M. F., Sicheritz-Pontén, T., Sørensen, S. J., Gilbert, M. T. P., Graves, G. R., & Hansen, L. H. (2014). The microbiome of New World vultures. Nature Communications, 5, [5498]. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms6498

Vancouver

Roggenbuck M, Schnell IB, Blom N, Bælum J, Bertelsen MF, Sicheritz-Pontén T et al. The microbiome of New World vultures. Nature Communications. 2014;5. 5498. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms6498

Author

Roggenbuck, Michael ; Schnell, Ida Bærholm ; Blom, Nikolaj ; Bælum, Jacob ; Bertelsen, Mads Frost ; Sicheritz-Pontén, Thomas ; Sørensen, Søren Johannes ; Gilbert, M. Thomas P. ; Graves, Gary R. ; Hansen, Lars H. . / The microbiome of New World vultures. In: Nature Communications. 2014 ; Vol. 5.

Bibtex

@article{1889980384fe447fbd3f5cc558d6e8a7,
title = "The microbiome of New World vultures",
abstract = "Vultures are scavengers that fill a key ecosystem niche, in which they have evolved a remarkable tolerance to bacterial toxins in decaying meat. Here we report the first deep metagenomic analysis of the vulture microbiome. Through face and gut comparisons of 50 vultures representing two species, we demonstrate a remarkably conserved low diversity of gut microbial flora. The gut samples contained an average of 76 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) per specimen, compared with 528 OTUs on the facial skin. Clostridia and Fusobacteria, widely pathogenic to other vertebrates, dominate the vulture{\textquoteright}s gut microbiota. We reveal a likely faecal–oral–gut route for their origin. DNA of prey species detectable on facial swabs was completely degraded in the gut samples from most vultures, suggesting that the gastrointestinal tracts of vultures are extremely selective. Our findings show a strong adaption of vultures and their bacteria to their food source, exemplifying a specialized host–microbial alliance.",
author = "Michael Roggenbuck and Schnell, {Ida B{\ae}rholm} and Nikolaj Blom and Jacob B{\ae}lum and Bertelsen, {Mads Frost} and Thomas Sicheritz-Pont{\'e}n and S{\o}rensen, {S{\o}ren Johannes} and Gilbert, {M. Thomas P.} and Graves, {Gary R.} and Hansen, {Lars H.}",
year = "2014",
doi = "10.1038/ncomms6498",
language = "English",
volume = "5",
journal = "Nature Communications",
issn = "2041-1723",
publisher = "nature publishing group",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - The microbiome of New World vultures

AU - Roggenbuck, Michael

AU - Schnell, Ida Bærholm

AU - Blom, Nikolaj

AU - Bælum, Jacob

AU - Bertelsen, Mads Frost

AU - Sicheritz-Pontén, Thomas

AU - Sørensen, Søren Johannes

AU - Gilbert, M. Thomas P.

AU - Graves, Gary R.

AU - Hansen, Lars H.

PY - 2014

Y1 - 2014

N2 - Vultures are scavengers that fill a key ecosystem niche, in which they have evolved a remarkable tolerance to bacterial toxins in decaying meat. Here we report the first deep metagenomic analysis of the vulture microbiome. Through face and gut comparisons of 50 vultures representing two species, we demonstrate a remarkably conserved low diversity of gut microbial flora. The gut samples contained an average of 76 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) per specimen, compared with 528 OTUs on the facial skin. Clostridia and Fusobacteria, widely pathogenic to other vertebrates, dominate the vulture’s gut microbiota. We reveal a likely faecal–oral–gut route for their origin. DNA of prey species detectable on facial swabs was completely degraded in the gut samples from most vultures, suggesting that the gastrointestinal tracts of vultures are extremely selective. Our findings show a strong adaption of vultures and their bacteria to their food source, exemplifying a specialized host–microbial alliance.

AB - Vultures are scavengers that fill a key ecosystem niche, in which they have evolved a remarkable tolerance to bacterial toxins in decaying meat. Here we report the first deep metagenomic analysis of the vulture microbiome. Through face and gut comparisons of 50 vultures representing two species, we demonstrate a remarkably conserved low diversity of gut microbial flora. The gut samples contained an average of 76 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) per specimen, compared with 528 OTUs on the facial skin. Clostridia and Fusobacteria, widely pathogenic to other vertebrates, dominate the vulture’s gut microbiota. We reveal a likely faecal–oral–gut route for their origin. DNA of prey species detectable on facial swabs was completely degraded in the gut samples from most vultures, suggesting that the gastrointestinal tracts of vultures are extremely selective. Our findings show a strong adaption of vultures and their bacteria to their food source, exemplifying a specialized host–microbial alliance.

U2 - 10.1038/ncomms6498

DO - 10.1038/ncomms6498

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 25423494

VL - 5

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

SN - 2041-1723

M1 - 5498

ER -

ID: 128058561