Plumage microorganism communities of tidal marsh sparrows

Alice M Hotopp; Brian J Olsen; Suzanne L Ishaq; Serita D Frey; Adrienne I Kovach; Michael T Kinnison; Franco N Gigliotti; Mackenzie R Roeder; Kristina M Cammen

doi:10.1016/j.isci.2023.108668

Plumage microorganism communities of tidal marsh sparrows

iScience. 2023 Dec 7;27(1):108668. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108668. eCollection 2024 Jan 19.

Authors

Alice M Hotopp¹, Brian J Olsen^{1

2}, Suzanne L Ishaq³, Serita D Frey⁴, Adrienne I Kovach⁴, Michael T Kinnison^{1

2}, Franco N Gigliotti⁵, Mackenzie R Roeder¹, Kristina M Cammen^{6

2}

Affiliations

¹ School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA.
² Maine Center for Genetics in the Environment, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA.
³ School of Food and Agriculture, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA.
⁴ Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA.
⁵ Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
⁶ School of Marine Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA.

Abstract

Microorganism communities can shape host phenotype evolution but are often comprised of thousands of taxa with varied impact on hosts. Identification of taxa influencing host evolution relies on first describing microorganism communities and acquisition routes. Keratinolytic (keratin-degrading) microorganisms are hypothesized to be abundant in saltmarsh sediments and to contribute to plumage evolution in saltmarsh-adapted sparrows. Metabarcoding was used to describe plumage bacterial (16S rRNA) and fungal (ITS) communities in three sparrow species endemic to North America's Atlantic coast saltmarshes. Results describe limited within-species variability and moderate host species-level patterns in microorganism diversity and community composition. A small percentage of overall microorganism diversity was comprised of potentially keratinolytic microorganisms, warranting further functional studies. Distinctions between plumage and saltmarsh sediment bacteria, but not fungal, communities were detected, suggesting multiple bacterial acquisition routes and/or vertebrate host specialization. This research lays groundwork for future testing of causal links between microorganisms and avian host evolution.

Keywords: Evolutionary biology; Microbiology; Ornithology.