Influence of developmental stage on the antibiotic resistome and virome of the critically endangered kākāpō (Strigops habroptilus)
Abstract
Endemic to Aotearoa New Zealand, the kākāpō is among the world’s rarest bird species with a current population of less than 250 individuals. As part of ongoing research efforts to support the conservation of this intensively managed species, we utilised a metatranscriptomics approach to elucidate, for the first time, the expression of antibiotic resistance genes within the kākāpō chick and adult gut microbiomes, further leveraging these data to describe the kākāpō virome. To determine differences among members of the kākāpō population, our data were obtained from birds encompassing different ages, sexes, geographic locations and antibiotic histories. We additionally analysed a time-series dataset following a single male kākāpō over the course of antibiotic treatment during a case of exudative cloacitis. There were significant differences between chicks and adult kākāpō in both the expression of antibiotic resistance genes and their viromes. Expression of these genes indicated potential resistance against 32 antibiotic classes, including 14 single classes of antibiotic and 18 multidrug classes. We identified 74 viral families, but no known avian-infecting viruses. Our case study of the single kākāpō during antibiotic treatment revealed notable changes in expression across time, with a reassuring lack of antibiotic resistance gene expression towards the end of the treatment, indicative of continued efficacy of antibiotic treatment. These novel data will help to inform…
Read the paper
Related studies
- Bile Acid 7α-Dehydroxylating Gut Bacteria Secrete Antibiotics that Inhibit Clostridium difficile: Role of Secondary Bile Acids
- Ketogenic diet alleviates colitis by reduction of colonic group 3 innate lymphoid cells through altering gut microbiome
- Altered gut microbiome composition and function are associated with gut barrier dysfunction in healthy relatives of patients with Crohn's disease
- Diet, obesity, and the gut microbiome as determinants modulating metabolic outcomes in a non-human primate model
- Immune Impairment Associated with Vitamin A Deficiency: Insights from Clinical Studies and Animal Model Research
- Glyphosate-based herbicides influence antioxidants, reproductive hormones and gut microbiome but not reproduction: A long-term experiment in an avian model
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.