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Diversity and novelty of the gut microbial community of an herbivorous rodent (Neotoma bryanti)

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Abstract

Mammalian herbivores host diverse microbial communities to aid in fermentation and potentially detoxification of dietary compounds. However, the microbial ecology of herbivorous rodents, especially within the largest superfamily of mammals (Muroidea) has received little attention. We conducted a preliminary inventory of the intestinal microbial community of Bryant’s woodrat (Neotoma bryanti), an herbivorous Muroidea rodent. We collected woodrat feces, generated 16S rDNA clone libraries, and obtained sequences from 171 clones. Our results demonstrate that the woodrat gut hosts a large number of novel microorganisms, with 96% of the total microbial sequences representing novel species. These include several microbial genera that have previously been implicated in the metabolism of plant toxins. Interestingly, a comparison of the community structure of the woodrat gut with that of other mammals revealed that woodrats have a microbial community more similar to foregut rather than hindgut fermenters. Moreover, their microbial community was different to that of previously studied herbivorous rodents. Therefore, the woodrat gut may represent a useful resource for the identification of novel microbial genes involved in cellulolytic or detoxification processes.

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Acknowledgments

We thank J. Malenke and J. Varner for animal collection, and K. Smith and D. Dunn for help with 16S rDNA sequencing. We also thank Kerrin Grant and one other anonymous reviewer for helping to improve the manuscript. This study was supported by grants from SICB, Sigma Xi, Southwest Association of Naturalists, American Museum of Natural History, and NSF GRFP to K.D.K and NSF IOS 0817527 to M.D.D.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA

    Kevin D. Kohl, Colin Dale & M. Denise Dearing

  2. Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, 15 North 2030 East, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA

    Robert B. Weiss

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  1. Kevin D. Kohl
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Correspondence to Kevin D. Kohl.

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Kohl, K.D., Weiss, R.B., Dale, C. et al. Diversity and novelty of the gut microbial community of an herbivorous rodent (Neotoma bryanti). Symbiosis 54, 47–54 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13199-011-0125-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13199-011-0125-3

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