Genomic and functional analysis of the microbiota of the folivorous bird Opisthocomus hoazin associated with complex polysaccharide digestion via ultra-deep-sequencing

• Grant number: 24/17771-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: August 01, 2025
• End date: March 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biology
• Principal Investigator: Gabriela Felix Persinoti
• Grantee: Monyque Karoline de Paula Silva
• Host Institution: Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM). Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (Brasil). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/04891-3 - Enzymatic mechanisms from the microbiome of aquatic herbivores for depolymerization and metabolism of complex carbohydrates, AP.TEM

Abstract

The hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin) is a unique folivorous bird endemic to the tropical rainforests of the Amazon and adjacent regions in South America. This enigmatic bird, unlike other avian species, possesses a highly specialized fermentative foregut that harbors a complex microbiota responsible for the fermentation of ingested leaves - a process analogous to that observed in ruminants. This adaptation enables the efficient digestion of lignocellulosic material, making the hoatzin a singular model for genomic investigation. Although taxonomic studies based on target gene sequencing (16S) have indicated that the hoatzin shares some microorganisms with ruminants and possesses a significant number of unique species, its microbiota remains unexplored from a genomic perspective. In this project, we propose to investigate for the first time and on a genomic scale, the genetic and functional diversity of the microbiota of this enigmatic bird, focusing on the microbial community associated with the depolymerization of plant material. To achieve this, automated pipelines will be developed for the integration of ultra-deep metagenomic data (combining Illumina short reads and PacBio long reads) with metatranscriptomic data, enabling an unprecedented characterization of this unique microbiota. In addition to providing new insights into the evolutionary, ecological, and functional aspects of the symbiosis between the hoatzin and its microbiota, this study will allow for the detailed reconstruction of metabolic pathways associated with the degradation and utilization of complex polysaccharides present in its diet. (AU)