Meeting Abstract

P3.186  Sunday, Jan. 6  The effect of chronic stress on the avian gut microbial community MADDEN, A.A.*; LATTIN, C.R.; ROMERO, L.M; FIERER, N.; STARKS, P.T.; Tufts University, Medford, MA; Tufts University, Medford, MA; Tufts University, Medford, MA; Univ. of Colorado, Boulder; Tufts University, Medford, MA madden.anne@gmail.com

Acute host stress causes a shift in the vertebrate gut microbial community, independent of the immune system. This can lead to the increase shedding of microbes, an up-regulation of microbial pathogenicity factors, and a decreased ability of the host to gain energy from food. Chronic stress, the maladaptive response to prolonged stress, has many negative effects on vertebrate host performance and fitness. Despite this understanding, it is not established if chronic stress leads to a continued microbial gut dysbiosis, and continued increase in microbial shedding. To assess the effect of chronic stress on the abundance and diversity of gastrointestinal bacteria within a wild-caught host system, we investigated the microbiota of house sparrows, Passer domesticus. Following acclimation to captivity, a portion of forty-six captured birds underwent a standardized chronic stress protocol—featuring rotating stressors—while the rest remained as captivity controls. Throughout four weeks, the cloaca of each bird was swabbed once. The experimental treatment was validated by measuring host blood corticosterone levels in response to stress. Changes in the cloaca bacterial community within these samples were measured using the culture-dependent methods of selective plating with subsequent bacterial colony enumeration, and high-throughput 16S rDNA sequencing. We provide a characterization of the house sparrow microbiome, and contribute to the body of knowledge on how chronic stress holistically affects vertebrate hosts.