Early-life intestinal microbiome in Trachemys scripta elegans analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing

Area of Science:

• * Herpetology
• * Microbiology
• * Ecology

Background:

• * Red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans) hatchlings rely on yolk reserves initially.
• * The gut microbiome plays a crucial role in organismal adaptation to new environments.
• * Early-life gut microbiome assembly in turtles remains largely uncharacterized.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To systematically analyze the intestinal microbiome composition in red-eared slider hatchlings at four distinct early-life stages (0, 10, 20, and 30 days post-hatching).
• * To understand the dynamic changes in gut microbial taxa during the critical transition from yolk-dependent to exogenous feeding.

Main Methods:

• * High-throughput sequencing of intestinal contents from red-eared slider hatchlings.
• * Analysis of microbial community structure at four time points: 0, 10, 20, and 30 days post-hatching.
• * Assessment of dominant phyla, specific bacterial families (e.g., Bacteroidaceae), and genera (e.g., Clostridium).

Main Results:

• * Dominant phyla shifted from Firmicutes and Proteobacteria (0 day) to predominantly Firmicutes (10 day), then included Bacteroidetes (20 and 30 days).
• * Bacteroidaceae family members were absent at 0 and 10 days, becoming dominant by 20 and 30 days.
• * Microbiome richness was lowest at 0 and 30 days, while diversity peaked at 10 and 30 days.

Conclusions:

• * The intestinal microbiome of red-eared slider hatchlings undergoes significant dynamic assembly during early development.
• * Specific microbial taxa, like Bacteroidaceae, emerge and dominate as hatchlings transition to feeding.
• * These microbial shifts likely contribute to the turtles' adaptation and environmental tolerance.