000K utf8 1100 $c2023 1500 eng 2050 urn:nbn:de:gbv:8:3-2023-00734-9 3000 Buffard, Pauline 4000 A simple path to complexity: horizontal gene transfer in microbial communities$hChristian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel [Buffard, Pauline] 4030 Kiel$nChristian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel 4209 This thesis delves into the pivotal role of Horizontal Gene Transfer (HGT) in microbial communities, which are vital components of ecosystems, impacting the health of organisms. Genetic variation, significantly driven by HGT, is crucial for ecosystem functioning. The study applied Quistad et al.'s established method for tracking HGT in complex microbial communities. This entailed cultivating compost-derived microbial communities on cellulose paper with the host model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. These communities were then repeatedly treated with Mobile Genetic Elements (MGEs) from other communities to facilitate HGT tracking. Following this, a streamlined and improved pipeline was successfully employed to trace HGT events between these paper-grown communities, utilizing metagenomics data. The research showed that fueling communities with MGEs influenced the fitness of their eukaryotic host, with both positive and negative effects. Microbial composition of host-associated communities remained unaffected. Although metagenomics faced challenges in tracking HGT within the nematode gut, dominant genera like Ochrobactrum and Pseudochrobactrum showed a notable inclination for gene acquisition in this environment. These genomes were effectively monitored and identified as recipients of recent HGT events facilitated by MGEs. This work highlights the value of simplified experimental setups in understanding complex microbial community dynamics and advances our knowledge of HGT's role in shaping community function. 4950 https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:gbv:8:3-2023-00734-9$xR$3Volltext$534 4961 https://macau.uni-kiel.de/receive/macau_mods_00004061 5051 570 5550 Caenorhabditis elegans 5550 Gut microbiome 5550 Horizontal gene transfer 5550 Host-microbe interactions 5550 Microbial communities 5550 Mobile genetic elements