Meeting Abstract
Vertebrates coexist with microorganisms in diverse symbiotic associations that range from beneficial to detrimental to the host. Most research has aimed at deciphering the nature of the composite microbial community genome, or microbiome, from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and skin of mammals (i.e. humans). In mammals, the GI tract microbiome aids digestion, enhances nutrient uptake, and prevents the establishment of pathogenic microorganisms. However, the GI tract microbiome of the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) is distinct from all other vertebrates studied to date, being comprised of Fusobacteria in the lower GI tract with lesser abundances of Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. The function of these communities is largely unknown. But, microbiome taxonomy can help to diagnose host health or disease. Pathogenic and harmful microorganisms associated with crocodilians are known to include Salmonella spp. and others. Changes in the overall microbial community composition may also help to determine microbiome (and host) response to environmental perturbations, including physicochemisty, diet, and stress. Moreover, GI tract microbial communities have likely co-evolved with their vertebrate host over geologic time, which means that evolutionary hypotheses can be tested from microbiome information. A review of the current understanding of microbial symbiosis associated with alligator health (the good) and disease (the bad) reveals new avenues for reptile and amphibian microbiome research (the unknown). Exploring the present-day associations between alligators and their symbiotic microorganisms provides a window into the geologic past, and will likely be invaluable for identifying host health or disease in the future.
