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Nestling Oral Microbial Colonization in Tree Swallows ( Tachycineta bicolor )
Author(s) -
Danhof Heather Ann,
Thorpe Patrick A.,
Lombardo Michael P.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.24.1_supplement.854.1
Subject(s) - biology , nest (protein structural motif) , temperature gradient gel electrophoresis , host (biology) , zoology , ecology , offspring , colonization , 16s ribosomal rna , genetics , gene , pregnancy , biochemistry
Microbes may have a positive impact on the fitness of birds through improving host nutrition and/or host pathogen defense. The oral microbial community of nestling Tree Swallows was characterized by sampling of the pharyngeal region. Nestling Tree Swallows were sampled at Nesting Day (ND) 3 and ND 18. Nestlings typically leave the nest box on ND19. Both parents were also sampled. DNA was extracted from samples and a hypervariable region of the 16s rRNA gene was amplified. PCR products were run on a denaturing gradient gel (DGGE) which separates similar sized products based on their individual sequence variation. We predict that parents and offspring will be more similar to each other than unrelated swallows due to transfer of microbes between mates and between parents and offspring. We also predict that adult‐like microbial communities will develop over time and show increasing similarity to adults by ND18. Characterization of the patterns within and between families as well as identifying microbes represented by specific bands will provide a direction for determining the influence of specific microbes on avian fitness. Funding provided by National Science Foundation S‐STEMS program, McNair Scholars Program, and GVSU Department of Biology.