Abstract:
Seasonal reproduction is a period of extreme physiological
and behavioural changes, yet we know little about how
it may affect host microbial communities (i.e. microbiota)
and pathogen transmission. Here, we investigated shifts of
the bacterial microbiota in saliva, urine and faeces during
the seasonal reproduction of bats in South Africa, and test
for an interaction in shedding patterns of both bacterial
(Leptospira) and viral (adeno- and herpesviruses) agents. Based
on a comparative approach in two cave-dwelling bat species
and high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, we
demonstrated a clear signature in microbiota changes over
the reproduction season, consistent across the multiple body
habitats investigated, and associated with the sex, age and
reproductive condition of bats. We observed in parallel highly
dynamic shedding patterns for both bacteria and viruses, but
did not find a significant association between viral shedding and bacterial microbiota composition. Indeed, only Leptospira shedding was associated with
alterations in both the diversity and composition of the urinary microbiota. These results illustrate
how seasonal reproduction in bats substantially affects microbiota composition and infection
dynamics, and have broad implications for the understanding of disease ecology in important
reservoir hosts, such as bats.
