@article{hulcr_latimer_henley_rountree_fierer_lucky_lowman_dunn_2012, title={A Jungle in There: Bacteria in Belly Buttons are Highly Diverse, but Predictable}, volume={7}, ISSN={1932-6203}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0047712}, DOI={10.1371/journal.pone.0047712}, abstractNote={The belly button is one of the habitats closest to us, and yet it remains relatively unexplored. We analyzed bacteria and arachaea from the belly buttons of humans from two different populations sampled within a nation-wide citizen science project. We examined bacterial and archaeal phylotypes present and their diversity using multiplex pyrosequencing of 16S rDNA libraries. We then tested the oligarchy hypothesis borrowed from tropical macroecology, namely that the frequency of phylotypes in one sample of humans predicts its frequency in another independent sample. We also tested the predictions that frequent phylotypes (the oligarchs) tend to be common when present, and tend to be more phylogenetically clustered than rare phylotypes. Once rarefied to four hundred reads per sample, bacterial communities from belly buttons proved to be at least as diverse as communities known from other skin studies (on average 67 bacterial phylotypes per belly button). However, the belly button communities were strongly dominated by a few taxa: only 6 phylotypes occurred on >80% humans. While these frequent bacterial phylotypes (the archaea were all rare) are a tiny part of the total diversity of bacteria in human navels (<0.3% of phylotypes), they constitute a major portion of individual reads (∼1/3), and are predictable among independent samples of humans, in terms of both the occurrence and evolutionary relatedness (more closely related than randomly drawn equal sets of phylotypes). Thus, the hypothesis that “oligarchs” dominate diverse assemblages appears to be supported by human-associated bacteria. Although it remains difficult to predict which species of bacteria might be found on a particular human, predicting which species are most frequent (or rare) seems more straightforward, at least for those species living in belly buttons.}, number={11}, journal={PLoS ONE}, publisher={Public Library of Science (PLoS)}, author={Hulcr, Jiri and Latimer, Andrew M. and Henley, Jessica B. and Rountree, Nina R. and Fierer, Noah and Lucky, Andrea and Lowman, Margaret D. and Dunn, Robert R.}, editor={Moreau, Corrie S.Editor}, year={2012}, month={Nov}, pages={e47712} }
 @article{hulcr_rountree_diamond_stelinski_fierer_dunn_2012, title={Mycangia of Ambrosia Beetles Host Communities of Bacteria}, volume={64}, ISSN={["1432-184X"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84866735178&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1007/s00248-012-0055-5}, abstractNote={The research field of animal and plant symbioses is advancing from studying interactions between two species to whole communities of associates. High-throughput sequencing of microbial communities supports multiplexed sampling for statistically robust tests of hypotheses about symbiotic associations. We focus on ambrosia beetles, the increasingly damaging insects primarily associated with fungal symbionts, which have also been reported to support bacteria. To analyze the diversity, composition, and specificity of the beetles' prokaryotic associates, we combine global sampling, insect anatomy, 454 sequencing of bacterial rDNA, and multivariate statistics to analyze prokaryotic communities in ambrosia beetle mycangia, organs mostly known for transporting symbiotic fungi. We analyze six beetle species that represent three types of mycangia and include several globally distributed species, some with major economic importance (Dendroctonus frontalis, Xyleborus affinis, Xyleborus bispinatus-ferrugineus, Xyleborus glabratus, Xylosandrus crassiusculus, and Xylosandrus germanus). Ninety-six beetle mycangia yielded 1,546 bacterial phylotypes. Several phylotypes appear to form the core microbiome of the mycangium. Three Mycoplasma (originally thought restricted to vertebrates), two Burkholderiales, and two Pseudomonadales are repeatedly present worldwide in multiple beetle species. However, no bacterial phylotypes were universally present, suggesting that ambrosia beetles are not obligately dependent on bacterial symbionts. The composition of bacterial communities is structured by the host beetle species more than by the locality of origin, which suggests that more bacteria are vertically transmitted than acquired from the environment. The invasive X. glabratus and the globally distributed X. crassiusculus have unique sets of bacteria, different from species native to North America. We conclude that the mycangium hosts in multiple vertically transmitted bacteria such as Mycoplasma, most of which are likely facultative commensals or parasites.}, number={3}, journal={MICROBIAL ECOLOGY}, author={Hulcr, J. and Rountree, N. R. and Diamond, S. E. and Stelinski, L. L. and Fierer, N. and Dunn, R. R.}, year={2012}, month={Oct}, pages={784–793} }