Publications by authors named "Margaret L Doolin"
Background: Parasitic infections challenge vertebrate health worldwide, and off-target effects of antiparasitic treatments may be an additional obstacle to recovery. However, there have been few investigations of the effects of antiparasitics on the gut microbiome in the absence of parasites.
Methods: We investigated whether two common antiparasitics-albendazole (ALB) and metronidazole (MTZ)-significantly alter the gut microbiome of parasite-free mice.
Vertebrates rely on their gut microbiome for digestion, and changes to gut microbial communities can impact host health. Past work, primarily in model organisms, has revealed that endoparasites disrupt the gut microbiome. Here, using wild-caught white-throated woodrats (Neotoma albigula), we tested whether naturally acquired parasite infections are associated with different microbiome structure and function.
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- A study assessed the tolerance of two herbivorous woodrat species (desert woodrat and Bryant's woodrat) to creosote bush, a toxic plant, across a 900 km area in the US southwest.
- Researchers used plant metabarcoding of feces to determine consumption levels and conducted feeding trials to measure tolerance, finding significant differences between the species.
- Woodrats living close to creosote bush were more tolerant to its toxic resin, suggesting that herbivores can adapt to toxic plant metabolites even when not directly exposed, prompting further investigation into genetic factors behind this tolerance.