Archaeal and bacterial 16Sr RNA gene sequencing from the gut microbiota of a wide range of animals

This study investigates the diversity of archaea in a wide range of animals, to identify the dominant and rare archaeal lineages in the gut, as well as the factors influencing the structure and abundance of the archaeal community. This study is based on 341 samples collected from 269 species of animals belonging invertebrates, fish, amphibians, birds, reptiles and mammals. The 16S rRNA gene of Archaea was amplified using primers specific to this domain and sequenced with Miseq. The 16S rRNA gene of all prokaryotes was also sequenced (Miseq) after amplification with prokaryotic universal primers.