The hindgut of the termite Reticulitermes flavipes harbors a complex symbiotic community consisting of protists, bacteria, and archaea. These symbionts aid in the digestion of lignocellulose from the termite's wood meal. Termite hindguts were sampled and the V4 hyper-variable region of the 16S rRNA gene was sequenced and analyzed from individual termites. The core microbiota of worker termites ...

The functional relationship between cardioacceleratory peptide 2 (CAP2) and hindgut activity during wandering behaviour was investigated in fifth-instar larvae of the tobacco hawkmoth Manduca sexta. Inspection of the alimentary canal on the day prior to wandering showed that the gut, in preparation for metamorphosis, was voided of all contents by 18:00 h. Associated with this event, which we re...

By marking cells of early gastrula stage embryos, we showed that in embryos mutant for a strong tll allele the fate map is shifted posteriorly and the hindgut anlage is deleted. We therefore used aspects of hindgut development to characterize the phenotype of new and previously described tll alleles. In embryos mutant for the various alleles, relative levels of blastoderm expression of Trg (T-r...

Acute laminitis has been associated with the overgrowth of gram-positive bacteria within the equine hindgut, causing the release of factor(s) leading to ischemia-reperfusion of the digits. The products of fermentation which trigger acute laminitis are, as yet, unknown; however, vasoactive amines are possible candidates. The objectives of this study were to use an in vitro model of carbohydrate ...

Cereal grains are often included in equine diets. When starch intake exceeds foregut digestion starch will reach the hindgut, impacting microbial ecology. Probiotics (e.g., lactobacilli) are reported to mitigate GI dysbioses in other species. This study was conducted to determine the effect of exogenous lactobacilli on pH and the growth of amylolytic and lactate-utilizing bacteria. Feces were c...

Microbes that have adopted endosymbiotic life styles not only have evolved to live in specialized habitats within living organisms, but the living habitats also have evolved to accommodate them. The hindgut of the passalid beetle (Odontotaenius disjunctus) is lined with a cuticle that undergoes dramatic topographic changes during the life cycle of the beetle. This manuscript addresses the chang...

Cellulase activity measured as filter paper digesting activity (FPase) and carboxymethyl cellulase (CMCase) was demonstrated in hindgut extracts of the cockroach Periplaneta americana. The highest activities measured amounted to 0.89 and 0.12 U . ml for CMCase and FPase, respectively. The cellulolytic capacity of the hindgut population increased dramatically when protozoa were present, and the ...

Objective: Prebiotics are used to support the gastrointestinal health via stimulating particular beneficial parts of the autochthonous microflora and enhancing their metabolism. Horses often suffer from gastrointestinal disturbances after feed changes or behavioral stress in response to transport. Therefore, the supplementation with prebiotic compounds might reduce the risk for intestinal dysre...