Phyllostomid bat microbiome composition is associated to feeding strategies. gut metagenome

The members of the New-World leaf-nosed family of bats, show a remarkable evolutionary diversification of dietary strategies. Here we explore the gut microbiome composition of different feeding specialists: insectivore Macrotus waterhousii, sanguivore Desmodus rotundus, nectarivores Leptonycteris yerbabuenae and Glossophaga soricina, and frugivores Carollia sowelli and Artibeus jamaicensis. The V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene from three intestinal regions of three individuals per species was amplified and community composition and structure was analyzed. . The main characteristics defining microbiome composition in these bats were feeding type and species.