Meeting Abstract
The gut harbors trillions of microbes, and we now know that health and development are influenced by these microbes. However, the relationship between the gut microbiome and the host is just beginning to be investigated in detail. Studies are establishing how the gut microbiome varies over time, between individuals and across physical states. We analyzed fecal samples from titi monkeys (Callicebus cupreus), which are New World, socially monogamous monkeys. As members of a laboratory maintained colony, the monkeys’ genealogy is known, and their diet and environment are controlled. This allows us to explore the effects of genetic relatedness versus environment on gut microbiome structure and composition. To identify types of bacteria in the titi monkey gut microbiome, we extracted genomic DNA from fecal samples of 32 monkeys, including parents and offspring. We sequenced 16S rRNA amplicons using the Illumina MiSeq and then processed data using mothur to identify and quantify bacterial types, represented as operational taxonomic units (OTUs), in each fecal sample. We detected >118,000 sequences in each fecal sample and <3,400 in each negative control. Across all samples and negative controls, we detected 2,828 OTUs, which are groups of sequences that are 97-100% identical. The OTUs with the most sequences are Prevotella, Acidaminococcaceae, and Treponema. We are processing data to explore inter-individual variation and the impact of genetic relatedness on the types of bacteria present in the gut. The gut microbiome of titi monkeys has not been reported yet, and data from this project will contribute to our understanding of the diversity and variation of gut microbiomes in non-human primates.
