Session 3B: Effect of diet on the gut bacterial community of 13-lined ground squirrels
Session Number
Session 3B: 1st Presentation
Advisor(s)
Dr. Garret Suen, University of Wisconsin
Location
Lecture Hall
Start Date
26-4-2018 12:40 PM
End Date
26-4-2018 1:25 PM
Abstract
The gut bacterial community (GBC) plays a vital role in contributing to host health and is sensitive to changes in diet. Previous research in wild caught woodrats found that the GBC of dietary specialists was susceptible to change after introduction to captivity. Although wild caught woodrats brought into captivity lost diversity in their GBC, a significant portion was retained, suggesting that captive woodrat GBCs are representative of wild woodrat microbiotas. However, no such study has looked at the effects of a captive diet on the GBC of wild thirteen-lined ground squirrels (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus). To test this, cecum content was collected from wild caught squirrels and wild caught squirrels fed lab chow. DNA was extracted and quantified, and the 16S rRNA V4 region was PCR amplified and sequenced with Illumina MiSeq. We used mothur to analyze the sequences for quality control and classification of bacteria, and the results were statistically analyzed with R. We expect that, compared to captive diet squirrels, wild diet squirrels have a more diverse GBC likely due to a more diverse diet. These results have implications for studying wild animals in captivity, especially for rodents and hibernating animals, and highlight the dynamic nature of the GBC.
Session 3B: Effect of diet on the gut bacterial community of 13-lined ground squirrels
Lecture Hall
The gut bacterial community (GBC) plays a vital role in contributing to host health and is sensitive to changes in diet. Previous research in wild caught woodrats found that the GBC of dietary specialists was susceptible to change after introduction to captivity. Although wild caught woodrats brought into captivity lost diversity in their GBC, a significant portion was retained, suggesting that captive woodrat GBCs are representative of wild woodrat microbiotas. However, no such study has looked at the effects of a captive diet on the GBC of wild thirteen-lined ground squirrels (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus). To test this, cecum content was collected from wild caught squirrels and wild caught squirrels fed lab chow. DNA was extracted and quantified, and the 16S rRNA V4 region was PCR amplified and sequenced with Illumina MiSeq. We used mothur to analyze the sequences for quality control and classification of bacteria, and the results were statistically analyzed with R. We expect that, compared to captive diet squirrels, wild diet squirrels have a more diverse GBC likely due to a more diverse diet. These results have implications for studying wild animals in captivity, especially for rodents and hibernating animals, and highlight the dynamic nature of the GBC.