Project name: Influence of fasting during moult on the gastrointestinal microbiota of penguin species

Description: Many seabirds including penguins are adapted to long periods of fasting, due to reproduction, prey availability and moult. In the past many studies have focused their attention on understanding the physiology of fasting, with limited research being done to understanding the impact fasting has on the composition of the GI microbiota. Previous studies examining the influence of fasting in Syrian hamsters, mice and pythons identified that fasting not only influences the microbial composition and diversity, but can also influence the immune response. However, the influence of fasting on the GI microbiota of penguins has not be investigated. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the microbial composition and diversity of the GI microbiota of fasting penguins during early and late moult. Faecal samples were collected from little and king penguins during moult using Quantitative Real Time PCR (qPCR) and 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing. The results from this study indicated that there was little change in the abundance of the major phyla during moult, except for a significant increase in the level of Proteobacteria in king penguins when using qPCR. The results from the 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing however, identified that although there were only small differences in the composition at the phylum level in little penguins, there is large variation at the family level and within each phyla. For king penguins, a significant variation in the microbial composition was observed at both phylum and family level with the dramatic increase in the level of Fusobacteria from 1% of the total composition to 75%. Similarly to mammals and reptiles, our result indicated that fasting during moult, alters the microbial composition of both little and king penguins and that the microbial composition during early and late moult differs for each penguin species

Data type: Other

Sample scope: Monoisolate

Release date: 2012-12-01