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Related Concept Videos

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Molecular taxonomy has revolutionized the understanding and classification of bacteria, providing precise insights into their diversity, evolutionary relationships, and ecological roles. By utilizing molecular techniques such as DNA sequencing and fingerprinting, researchers have made significant strides in various fields related to bacterial studies.Resolving Taxonomic AmbiguitiesMolecular taxonomy has been instrumental in distinguishing closely related bacterial species initially thought to...
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The phylum Tenericutes, which includes the single class Mollicutes, comprises bacteria that lack cell walls. The term "Mollicutes" derives from the Latin word mollis, meaning "soft." These organisms are among the smallest known and are commonly referred to as mycoplasmas due to the prominence of the genus Mycoplasma, which includes well-known human pathogens. Despite their inability to stain gram-positively (a result of their lack of cell walls), mycoplasmas are phylogenetically related to the...
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Consistent spatial patterns in microbial taxa of red squirrel gut microbiomes.

Alicia Halhed1,2, Lauren Petrullo3,4, Stan Boutin5

  • 1Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada.

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Spatial location significantly shapes the gut microbiome of red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus). Environmental transmission is the likely driver for these localized microbial patterns in the squirrel gut ecosystem.

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Microbiology
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Gut microbiomes are complex ecosystems with poorly understood drivers of variation, particularly concerning spatial and temporal factors.
  • Understanding these drivers is crucial for comprehending microbial community assembly in wild populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify the key drivers of gut microbiome composition in the North American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus).
  • To investigate the influence of spatial location and environmental factors on gut microbial communities over time.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of over 900 gut microbiome samples from red squirrels.
  • Utilizing a large-scale dataset with spatiotemporal replication to assess microbial community assembly.
  • Differentiating between core and non-core gut microbiomes to identify distinct spatial patterns.

Main Results:

  • Spatial location emerged as a primary determinant of gut microbial community composition in red squirrels.
  • The non-core gut microbiome exhibited highly localized spatial patterns across seasons and study areas.
  • The core gut microbiome also displayed spatial patterns, though less pronounced than the non-core component.

Conclusions:

  • Environmental transmission of microbiota is the most probable mechanism driving the observed spatiotemporal distribution of the red squirrel gut microbiome.
  • Local environmental factors play a significant role in shaping the gut microbial communities of this species.