AMDB: a database of animal gut microbial communities with manually curated metadata

Abstract

Variations in gut microbiota can be explained by animal host characteristics, including host phylogeny and diet. However, there are currently no databases that allow for easy exploration of the relationship between gut microbiota and diverse animal hosts. The Animal Microbiome Database (AMDB) is the first database to provide taxonomic profiles of the gut microbiota in various animal species. AMDB contains 2530 amplicon data from 34 projects with manually curated metadata. The total data represent 467 animal species and contain 10 478 bacterial taxa. This novel database provides information regarding gut microbiota structures and the distribution of gut bacteria in animals, with an easy-to-use interface. Interactive visualizations are also available, enabling effective investigation of the relationship between the gut microbiota and animal hosts. AMDB will contribute to a better understanding of the gut microbiota of animals.