CAA: Microbial Phylogenetic Structure and Diversity in the Unique Fermenting Crop of the Hoatzin (Opisthocomus Hoazin)

自生命开始以来，世界上一直以微生物为主，微生物塑造了所有动物的进化。肠道是微生物器官的一个很好的例子。它需要微生物才能发挥其自然功能。这项研究的主要兴趣是了解微生物多样性在肠道中的作用。这个项目使用了一种非常特殊的动物--草食性作物发酵霍特津作为模型。这只鸟是已知的唯一一例在作物中进行发酵消化的病例，类似于牛的瘤胃。不断扩大的基因组资源-16SrRNA基因和DGGE的调查-将被用来描述作物细菌群落及其发育模式。在一系列微生物之后，将确定雏鸟如何在成长过程中增加其细菌群落的多样性，在这些微生物中，早期的微生物定居者有助于新物种的定居。这项建议中描述的工作将增加微生物成分，帮助我们理解发酵消化的进化，这与所有哺乳动物的结肠相关。该项目将巩固波多黎各大学、美国本土机构和南美研究人员之间的合作，为学生提供一个独特的机会，让他们接触热带生物多样性，扩大他们的研究经验。关于这种不寻常的鸟类的信息预计会受到外行媒体和科学文献的关注。hoatzin对食物生态学、微生物群落结构、鸟类学和保护生物学的教育有很大的参考价值。

The world has been predominantly microbial since the beginning of life, and microbes have shaped the evolution of all animals. The gut is a good example of a microbial organ. It needs microbes for its natural function. The main interest of this investigation is to understand the role of microbial diversity in the gut. This project uses as a model a very special animal, the herbivorous crop-fermenting hoatzin. This bird is the only known case with fermentative digestion in the crop, analogous to the rumen of cattle. The expanding genomic resources -survey of 16SrRNA genes and DGGE- will be used to characterize the crop bacterial community and its pattern of development. A determination will be made of how the chicks increase the diversity of their bacterial communities as they grow, following a succession of microbes, in which early microbial colonizers facilitate the colonization of newer species. A high proportion of the adult crop microbial diversity will be characterized.The work described in this proposal will add a microbial component to our understanding of the evolution of fermentative digestion, relevant to the colon of all mammals. The project will consolidate collaborations between University of Puerto Rico, mainland US Institutions, and South American researchers, bringing a unique opportunity to expose students to tropical biodiversity and expand their research experience. Information on such an unusual bird can be expected to receive attention in the lay press as well as the scientific literature.The hoatzin is a great reference in education on alimentary ecology, microbial community structure, ornithology and conservation biology.