报告人（Guest）：Dr. Yichen Liu（刘逸宸） 

讨论主题（Topic）：Ancient DNA analysis of coprolites reveals the role of gut microbiota in mammal adaptation to environment

时间（Time）：2019.3.15 上午   9:30-10:30

地点（Location）：北楼702室（Room 702, North Building） 

内容简介：

Gut bacterial communities (microbiota) perform essential functions for their hosts, including nutrient synthesis, dietary toxin degradation, and host immunity development. Several key examples have recently identified additional, yet unique, roles that the gut microbiota can play in mammalian adaption. However, the evidence of gut microbiota in mammalian adaptation to past environments remains limited, especially within extinct animals. The extinct cave goat (Myotragus balearicus), which maintained a toxic diet, was used as a model species to investigate how the gut microbiota aided mammal adaptation in the past. DNA was extracted from eight ancient goat coprolites (faecal remains), and metagenomic shotgun sequencing was preformed by creating both double- and single-stranded DNA libraries. Robust ancient gut microbiota were reconstructed from the coprolites by utilizing stringent controls and a novel model to assess DNA damage of unmapped DNA sequences. I will present results from this study and will discuss the strength of utilizing paleomicrobiology to explore adaptive processes of the past.

报告人信息：

刘逸宸，澳大利亚古DNA研究中心（Australian Centre for Ancient DNA）博士，主要研究微生物组和表观遗传组在古代动物适应环境中的作用。动物的微生物组和表观遗传组常常能够迅速地响应环境刺激，并能在短时间内（1代内）影响动物表型及其对环境的适应度。其兴趣领域是，探索如何利用古DNA技术从微进化的时间尺度上来研究微生物组和表观遗传组对哺乳动物进化的作用。