Biology subjects

Bensch, H. M.

Publications and source records attributed to Bensch, H. M..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2021

Living with relatives offsets the harm caused by pathogens in natural populations

Living with relatives can be highly beneficial, enhancing reproduction and survival. However, high relatedness can increase susceptibility to pathogens, a phenomenon known as the monoculture effect. Here we examine if the benefits of living with relatives offsets the harm caused by pathogens, and if this depends if species typically live with kin. Using comparative meta-analysis across plants, animals and bacteria (nspecies= 56), we show that high within-group relatedness increases mortality when pathogens are present. Contrastingly, mortality decreased with relatedness when pathogens were rare, particularly in species that live with kin. Variation in pathogen abundances was lower across groups of relatives, but rates of mortality were more unpredictable. The effects of within-group relatedness were only evident when pathogens were manipulated, suggesting that the harm caused by pathogens is masked by the benefits of living with relatives. These results highlight the importance of kin selection for understanding disease spread in natural populations.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2019

Early-life gut dysbiosis linked to mass mortality in ostriches

Dysbiosis in the vertebrate gut microbiome has been associated with several diseases. However, it is unclear whether particular gut regions or specific time periods during ontogeny are responsible for the development of dysbiosis, especially in non-model organisms. Here we examine the microbiome associated with dysbiosis in different parts of the gastrointestinal tract (ileum, caecum, colon) in a long-lived bird with high juvenile mortality, the ostrich. Individuals that died of gut disease (n=68) had substantially different microbial composition from age-matched controls (n=50) throughout the gut. Several taxa were associated with mortality (Enterobacteriaceae, Peptostreptococcaceae, Porphyromonadaceae, Clostridium) and some with survival (Lachnospiraceae, Ruminococcaceae, Erysipelotrichaceae, Turicibacter). Repeated faecal sampling showed that pathobionts were already present shortly after hatching and proliferated in individuals with low diversity, resulting in mortality weeks later. The factors influencing seeding of the gut microbiota may therefore be key to understanding dysbiosis and host development.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2018

The development of gut microbiota in ostriches and its association with growth

The development of gut microbiota during ontogeny in vertebrates is emerging as an important process influencing physiology, immune system, health, and adult fitness. However, we have little knowledge of how the gut microbiome is colonised and develops in non-model organisms, and to what extent microbial diversity and specific taxa influence changes in fitness-related traits. Here, we used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to describe the successional development of the faecal microbiota in juvenile ostriches (Struthio camelus; n = 71) over their first three months of life, during which time a five-fold difference in weight was observed. We found a gradual increase in microbial diversity with age, an overall convergence in community composition among individuals, multiple colonisation and extinction events, and major taxonomic shifts coinciding with the cessation of yolk absorption. In addition, we discovered significant but complex associations between juvenile growth and microbial diversity, and identified distinct bacterial groups that had positive (Bacteroidaceae) and negative (Enterobacteriaceae, Enterococcaceae, Lactobacillaceae) correlations with the growth of individuals at specific ages. These results have broad implications for our understanding of the development of gut microbiota and its association with juvenile growth.

microbiology↗