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Mazorra-Alonso M, Peralta-Sánchez JM, Martín-Vivaldi M, Martínez-Bueno M, Gómez RN, Soler JJ. Volatiles of symbiotic bacterial origin explain ectoparasitism and fledging success of hoopoes. Anim Microbiome 2024; 6:26. [PMID: 38725090 PMCID: PMC11084096 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-024-00312-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Some parasites use olfactory cues to detect their hosts and, since bacterial symbionts are partially responsible for animal odours, they could influence host parasitism. By autoclaving nest materials of hoopoe (Upupa epops) nests before reproduction started, we explored the hypothetical links between host-associated bacteria, volatiles and parasitism. During the nestling stage, we (i) estimated the level of ectoparasitism by chewing lice (Suborder Mallophaga) in adult hoopoe females and by Carnus haemapterus flies in nestlings, and (ii) characterized microbial communities and volatile profiles of nest environments (nest material and nest cavity, respectively) and uropygial secretions. RESULTS Experimental nests had less diverse bacterial communities and more diverse volatile profiles than control nests, while occupants experienced lower intensity of parasitism in experimental than in control nests. The experiment also affected beta diversity of the microbial communities of nest material and of the volatiles of the nestling uropygial secretions. Moreover, microbial communities of uropygial secretions and of nest materials covaried with their volatile profiles, while the volatile profile of the bird secretions explained nest volatile profile. Finally, a subset of the volatiles and bacteria detected in the nest material and uropygial secretions were associated with the ectoparasitism intensity of both adult females and nestlings, and with fledging success. CONCLUSIONS These results show that a component of animal odours is linked with the microbial communities of the host and its reproductive environment, and emphasize that the associations between bacteria, ectoparasitism and reproductive success are partially mediated by volatiles of bacterial origin. Future work should focus on mechanisms underlying the detected patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónica Mazorra-Alonso
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (CSIC), Almería, Spain
| | | | - Manuel Martín-Vivaldi
- Departamento de Zoología, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
- Unidad Asociada (CSIC): Coevolución: Cucos, Hospedadores y Bacterias Simbiontes. Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Manuel Martínez-Bueno
- Departamento de Microbiología, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
- Unidad Asociada (CSIC): Coevolución: Cucos, Hospedadores y Bacterias Simbiontes. Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Rafael Núñez Gómez
- Servicio de Instrumentación Científica, Estación Experimental del Zaidín (CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - Juan José Soler
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (CSIC), Almería, Spain.
- Unidad Asociada (CSIC): Coevolución: Cucos, Hospedadores y Bacterias Simbiontes. Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain.
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Xin J, Cao H, Bao X, Hu C. Does nest occupancy by birds influence the microbial composition? Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1232208. [PMID: 38053547 PMCID: PMC10694247 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1232208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Nest microbiota plays a vital role in the breeding and development of birds, which not only provides protection to bird hosts but also negatively affects the host. At present, it is unclear whether the composition of the microbes in the nests is affected by nesting. For this reason, we hung artificial nest boxes to simulate the natural nesting environment and combined 16S rRNA and ITS high-throughput sequencing technology to further study the differences in microbial composition and richness between used nests and control nests of Japanese tits (Parus minor). The study found that the bacteria in used nests and control nests showed significant differences at the phylum level (p < 0.05). It is also worth noting that the predominant bacteria in used nests were Proteobacteria (51.37%), Actinobacteria (29.72%), Bacteroidetes (6.59%), and Firmicutes (3.82%), while the predominant bacteria in control nests were Proteobacteria (93.70%), Bacteroidetes (2.33%), and Acidobacteria (2.06%). Both used nests and control nests showed similar fungi at the phylum level, which consisted mainly of Ascomycota and Basidiomycota, although significant differences were found in their relative abundance between both groups. The results of alpha diversity analysis showed significant differences in bacteria between the two groups and not in fungi. However, the beta diversity analysis showed significant differences between both bacteria and fungi. In summary, our results showed that the used nests had a higher abundance of beneficial microbiota and a lower presence of pathogenic microbiota. Therefore, we speculate that birds will change the characteristics of the nest microbial composition in the process of nest breeding to ensure their smooth reproductive development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajia Xin
- College of Life Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Heqin Cao
- Forestry College, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
- Research Center for Biodiversity and Nature Conservation, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Xiaoyang Bao
- College of Life Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Canshi Hu
- College of Life Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
- Research Center for Biodiversity and Nature Conservation, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
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Díaz-Lora S, Pérez-Contreras T, Azcárate-García M, Peralta-Sánchez JM, Martínez-Bueno M, José Soler J, Martín-Vivaldi M. Cosmetic coloration of cross-fostered eggs affects paternal investment in the hoopoe ( Upupa epops). Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20203174. [PMID: 33947236 PMCID: PMC8097196 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.3174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The signalling hypothesis suggests that avian eggshell coloration is a sexually selected female signal advertising her quality to its male partner, thereby stimulating his provisioning rate. This hypothesis has been tested for structural eggshell pigments, but not for cosmetic colorations, such as that produced by the uropygial secretion on eggshells. During the breeding season, female hoopoes (Upupa epops) host in their uropygial glands symbiotic bacteria. Females actively smear the eggshells with their secretion, protecting embryos from pathogenic trans-shell infections and changing eggshell coloration. Because the colour of the secretions is related to their antimicrobial potential, cosmetic eggshell coloration may act as a cue or even as a post-mating sexually selected signal if it affects male provisioning rates. To experimentally test this hypothesis, we cross-fostered already-smeared clutches between hoopoe nests, and quantified male feeding behaviour to females before and after the experiment. This approach allows disentanglement of the effects of female quality and of egg coloration on male investment. In accordance with the hypothesis, males adjusted their provisioning rate to the eggshell cosmetic coloration. This is, to our knowledge, the first experimental demonstration that egg colour stained with uropygial secretion could act as a post-mating sexual signal of female quality to males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Díaz-Lora
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada (UGR), Granada, Spain
| | - Tomás Pérez-Contreras
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada (UGR), Granada, Spain
- Unidad asociada: Coevolución: cucos, hospedadores y bacterias simbiontes, Universidad de Granada (UGR), Granada, Spain
| | - Manuel Azcárate-García
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA-CSIC), Almería, Spain
| | | | - Manuel Martínez-Bueno
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada (UGR), Granada, Spain
- Unidad asociada: Coevolución: cucos, hospedadores y bacterias simbiontes, Universidad de Granada (UGR), Granada, Spain
| | - Juan José Soler
- Unidad asociada: Coevolución: cucos, hospedadores y bacterias simbiontes, Universidad de Granada (UGR), Granada, Spain
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA-CSIC), Almería, Spain
| | - Manuel Martín-Vivaldi
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada (UGR), Granada, Spain
- Unidad asociada: Coevolución: cucos, hospedadores y bacterias simbiontes, Universidad de Granada (UGR), Granada, Spain
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Mazorra-Alonso M, Martín-Vivaldi M, Peralta-Sánchez JM, Soler JJ. Autoclaving Nest-Material Remains Influences the Probability of Ectoparasitism of Nestling Hoopoes ( Upupa epops). BIOLOGY 2020; 9:biology9100306. [PMID: 32977475 PMCID: PMC7598243 DOI: 10.3390/biology9100306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 09/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Nest bacterial environment influences avian reproduction directly because it might include pathogenic- or antibiotic-producing bacteria or indirectly because predators or ectoparasites can use volatile compounds from nest bacterial metabolism to detect nests of their avian hosts. Hoopoes (Upupa epops) do not build nests. They rather reuse holes or nest-boxes that contain remains of nest-materials from previous breeding seasons. Interestingly, it has been recently described that the nest's bacterial environment partly affects the uropygial gland microbiota of hoopoe females and eggshells. Blood-sucking ectoparasites use chemical cues to find host nests, so we experimentally tested the hypothetical effects of microorganisms inhabiting nest-material remains before reproduction regarding the intensity of ectoparasitism suffered by 8-day-old nestling hoopoes. In accordance with the hypothesis, nestlings hatched in nest-boxes with autoclaved nest-material remains from the previous reproductive seasons suffered less from ectoparasites than those hatched in the control nest-boxes with nonautoclaved nest-material. Moreover, we found a positive association between the bacterial density of nest-material during the nestling phase and ectoparasitism intensity that was only apparent in nest-boxes with autoclaved nest-material. However, contrary to our expectations, nest bacterial load was positively associated with fledgling success. These results suggest a link between the community of microorganisms of nest-material remains and the intensity of ectoparasitism, and, on the other hand, that the nest bacterial environment during reproduction is related to fledging success. Here, we discuss possible mechanisms explaining the experimental and correlative results, including the possibility that the experimental autoclaving of nest material affected the microbiota of females and nestlings' secretion and/or nest volatiles that attracted ectoparasites, therefore indirectly affecting both the nest bacterial environment at the nestling stage and fledging success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónica Mazorra-Alonso
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 04120 Almería, Spain
- Correspondence: (M.M.-A.); (J.J.S.); Tel.: +34-950-281-045 (ext. 768) (M.M.-A.); +34-950-281-045 (ext. 317) (J.J.S.)
| | - Manuel Martín-Vivaldi
- Unidad Asociada Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas: Coevolución: Cucos, Hospedadores y Bacterias Simbiontes, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain;
- Departamento de Zoología, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
| | | | - Juan José Soler
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 04120 Almería, Spain
- Unidad Asociada Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas: Coevolución: Cucos, Hospedadores y Bacterias Simbiontes, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain;
- Correspondence: (M.M.-A.); (J.J.S.); Tel.: +34-950-281-045 (ext. 768) (M.M.-A.); +34-950-281-045 (ext. 317) (J.J.S.)
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Spotless starlings prefer spotless eggs: conspecific brood parasites cue on eggshell spottiness to avoid ectoparasites. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Svobodová J, Šmídová L, Javůrková VG. Different incubation patterns affect selective antimicrobial properties of the egg interior: experimental evidence from eggs of precocial and altricial birds. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:jeb.201442. [PMID: 30814292 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.201442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Avian eggs contend with omnipresent microorganisms entering the egg interior, where they affect embryo viability and hatchling phenotype. The incubation behaviour and deposition of egg white antimicrobial proteins (AMPs) vary highly across the avian altricial-precocial spectrum. Experimental evidence of how these alterations in avian reproductive strategies affect the antimicrobial properties of the precocial and altricial egg interior is lacking, however. Here, we tested the egg white antimicrobial activity in eggs of two representative model species, from each end of the avian altricial-precocial spectrum, against potentially pathogenic and beneficial probiotic microorganisms. Eggs were experimentally treated to mimic un-incubated eggs in the nest, partial incubation during the egg-laying period, the onset of full incubation and the increased deposition of two main egg white AMPs, lysozyme and ovotransferrin. We moreover assessed to what extent egg antimicrobial components, egg white pH and AMP concentrations varied as a result of different incubation patterns. Fully incubated precocial and altricial eggs decreased their antimicrobial activity against a potentially pathogenic microorganism, whereas partial incubation significantly enhanced the persistence of a beneficial probiotic microorganism in precocial eggs. These effects were most probably conditioned by temperature-dependent alterations in egg white pH and AMP concentrations. While lysozyme concentration and pH decreased in fully incubated precocial but not altricial eggs, egg white ovotransferrin increased along with the intensity of incubation in both precocial and altricial eggs. This study is the first to experimentally demonstrate that different incubation patterns may have selective antimicrobial potential mediated by species-specific effects on antimicrobial components in the egg white.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Svobodová
- Czech University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Department of Ecology, Kamýcká 1176, 165 21 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Lucie Šmídová
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Veronika Gvoždíková Javůrková
- Czech University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Department of Animal Science, Kamýcká 957, 165 21 Prague 6, Czech Republic
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Phillips JN, Berlow M, Derryberry EP. The Effects of Landscape Urbanization on the Gut Microbiome: An Exploration Into the Gut of Urban and Rural White-Crowned Sparrows. Front Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
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