Gut microbiota dynamics and their impact on body condition in nestlings of the yellow-rumped flycatchers, Ficedula zanthopygia
Investigating the gut microbiome during host development is essential for understanding its influence on host health and fitness. While host body condition is a crucial fitness-related trait and a strong predictor of viability in numerous animal species, its relationship with gut bacteria remains un...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Microbiology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1595357/full |
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| author | Longru Jin Longru Jin Longru Jin Longru Jin Pai Zhang Pai Zhang Pai Zhang Pai Zhang Keping Sun Keping Sun Keping Sun Keping Sun Haitao Wang Haitao Wang Haitao Wang Haitao Wang |
| author_facet | Longru Jin Longru Jin Longru Jin Longru Jin Pai Zhang Pai Zhang Pai Zhang Pai Zhang Keping Sun Keping Sun Keping Sun Keping Sun Haitao Wang Haitao Wang Haitao Wang Haitao Wang |
| author_sort | Longru Jin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Investigating the gut microbiome during host development is essential for understanding its influence on host health and fitness. While host body condition is a crucial fitness-related trait and a strong predictor of viability in numerous animal species, its relationship with gut bacteria remains underexplored, particularly in non-model organisms. This study examines the gut microbiome of the altricial wild bird species, yellow-rumped flycatchers (Ficedula zanthopygia), by analyzing nestling feces through 16S rRNA sequencing at four developmental stages: Day 3, Day 6, Day 9 and Day 12 post-hatching. We explored the temporal dynamics of the gut microbiome and its correlation with body condition, a key indicator of fitness. Our results demonstrate signinficant shifts in microbial community composition and diversity throughout development. Notably, Day 3 nestlings displayed lower alpha diversity compared to later stages, while microbial diversity stabilized from Days 6 to 12. Both the age of the nestlings and the environmental conditions of the nest box significantly shaped the gut microbial community structure. A contemporaneous relationship was observed, where the scaled-mass index (SMI) at Day 6 positively correlating with microbial diversity at that time. Additionally, a time-lagged effect emerged, linking SMI at Day 9 to microbial diversity at Day 6. These findings highlight the vital role of the gut microbiome in the development of nestlings, particularly emphasizing Day 6 as a critical period due to its stable microbial diversity and association with SMI. This study underscores the influence of gut bacteria on host fitness in developing birds. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-228b71b6ad3a49429eadf2c8d38fb3bf |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1664-302X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Microbiology |
| spelling | doaj-art-228b71b6ad3a49429eadf2c8d38fb3bf2025-08-20T02:00:58ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Microbiology1664-302X2025-05-011610.3389/fmicb.2025.15953571595357Gut microbiota dynamics and their impact on body condition in nestlings of the yellow-rumped flycatchers, Ficedula zanthopygiaLongru Jin0Longru Jin1Longru Jin2Longru Jin3Pai Zhang4Pai Zhang5Pai Zhang6Pai Zhang7Keping Sun8Keping Sun9Keping Sun10Keping Sun11Haitao Wang12Haitao Wang13Haitao Wang14Haitao Wang15Jilin Engineering Laboratory for Avian Ecology and Conservation Genetics, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, ChinaJilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, ChinaJilin Provincial International Cooperation Key Laboratory for Biological Control of Agricultural Pests, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, ChinaKey Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Changchun, ChinaJilin Engineering Laboratory for Avian Ecology and Conservation Genetics, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, ChinaJilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, ChinaJilin Provincial International Cooperation Key Laboratory for Biological Control of Agricultural Pests, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, ChinaKey Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Changchun, ChinaJilin Engineering Laboratory for Avian Ecology and Conservation Genetics, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, ChinaJilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, ChinaJilin Provincial International Cooperation Key Laboratory for Biological Control of Agricultural Pests, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, ChinaKey Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Changchun, ChinaJilin Engineering Laboratory for Avian Ecology and Conservation Genetics, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, ChinaJilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, ChinaJilin Provincial International Cooperation Key Laboratory for Biological Control of Agricultural Pests, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, ChinaKey Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Changchun, ChinaInvestigating the gut microbiome during host development is essential for understanding its influence on host health and fitness. While host body condition is a crucial fitness-related trait and a strong predictor of viability in numerous animal species, its relationship with gut bacteria remains underexplored, particularly in non-model organisms. This study examines the gut microbiome of the altricial wild bird species, yellow-rumped flycatchers (Ficedula zanthopygia), by analyzing nestling feces through 16S rRNA sequencing at four developmental stages: Day 3, Day 6, Day 9 and Day 12 post-hatching. We explored the temporal dynamics of the gut microbiome and its correlation with body condition, a key indicator of fitness. Our results demonstrate signinficant shifts in microbial community composition and diversity throughout development. Notably, Day 3 nestlings displayed lower alpha diversity compared to later stages, while microbial diversity stabilized from Days 6 to 12. Both the age of the nestlings and the environmental conditions of the nest box significantly shaped the gut microbial community structure. A contemporaneous relationship was observed, where the scaled-mass index (SMI) at Day 6 positively correlating with microbial diversity at that time. Additionally, a time-lagged effect emerged, linking SMI at Day 9 to microbial diversity at Day 6. These findings highlight the vital role of the gut microbiome in the development of nestlings, particularly emphasizing Day 6 as a critical period due to its stable microbial diversity and association with SMI. This study underscores the influence of gut bacteria on host fitness in developing birds.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1595357/fullgut microbiomeyellow-rumped flycatchermicrobial diversitynestlingtemporal dynamicsSMI |
| spellingShingle | Longru Jin Longru Jin Longru Jin Longru Jin Pai Zhang Pai Zhang Pai Zhang Pai Zhang Keping Sun Keping Sun Keping Sun Keping Sun Haitao Wang Haitao Wang Haitao Wang Haitao Wang Gut microbiota dynamics and their impact on body condition in nestlings of the yellow-rumped flycatchers, Ficedula zanthopygia Frontiers in Microbiology gut microbiome yellow-rumped flycatcher microbial diversity nestling temporal dynamics SMI |
| title | Gut microbiota dynamics and their impact on body condition in nestlings of the yellow-rumped flycatchers, Ficedula zanthopygia |
| title_full | Gut microbiota dynamics and their impact on body condition in nestlings of the yellow-rumped flycatchers, Ficedula zanthopygia |
| title_fullStr | Gut microbiota dynamics and their impact on body condition in nestlings of the yellow-rumped flycatchers, Ficedula zanthopygia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Gut microbiota dynamics and their impact on body condition in nestlings of the yellow-rumped flycatchers, Ficedula zanthopygia |
| title_short | Gut microbiota dynamics and their impact on body condition in nestlings of the yellow-rumped flycatchers, Ficedula zanthopygia |
| title_sort | gut microbiota dynamics and their impact on body condition in nestlings of the yellow rumped flycatchers ficedula zanthopygia |
| topic | gut microbiome yellow-rumped flycatcher microbial diversity nestling temporal dynamics SMI |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1595357/full |
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