Environmental temperature affects the composition, structure, and function of the gut microbial communities in host animals. To elucidate the role of gut microbiota in thermal adaptation, we designed a 2 species × 3 temperatures experiment, whereby we acclimated adult males of two agamid lizard species (warm-climate and cold-climate ) to 20, 28, and 36°C for 2 weeks and then collected their fecal and small-intestinal samples to analyze and compare the microbiota using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing technology. The fecal microbiota displayed more pronounced interspecific differences in microbial community than the small-intestinal microbiota in the two species occurring in thermally different regions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGenomic signatures of local adaptation have been identified in many species but remain sparsely studied in amphibians. Here, we explored genome-wide divergence within the Asiatic toad, , to study local adaptation and genomic offset (i.e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The metabolic cold-climate adaption hypothesis predicts that animals from cold environments have relatively high metabolic rates compared with their warm-climate counterparts. However, studies testing this hypothesis are sparse. Here, we compared gut microbes between two cold-climate lizard species of the genus Phrynocephalus to see if gut microbiota could help lizards adapt to cold environments by promoting metabolism.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFComposition and diversity in gut microbiota are impacted by a wide variety of factors. The similarity of gut microbiota in related or sympatric species has been gaining recent traction. Here, 16S rRNA gene sequencing technology was employed to study the gut microbiota of three sympatric frog species, namely , , and .
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNumerous studies have demonstrated that food shapes the structure and composition of the host's oral and gut microbiota. The disorder of oral and gut microbiota may trigger various host diseases. Here, we collected oral and gut samples from wild water monitor lizards () and their captive conspecifics fed with bullfrogs, eggs, and depilated chicken, aiming to examine dietary correlates of oral and gut microbiota.
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