| Title |
Polymerase Chain Reaction-Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis Analysis of Bacterial Community Structure in the Food, Intestines, and Feces of Earthworms |
| Author |
Sung Wook Hong, Ju Sam Lee, and Kun Sub Chung* |
| Address |
Division of Biological Science and Technology, Yonsei University, Wonju 220-710, Republic of Korea |
| Bibliography |
Journal of Microbiology, 49(4),544-550, 2011,
|
| DOI |
|
| Key Words |
denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, bacterial community, 16S rRNA, earthworms |
| Abstract |
The bacterial communities in the food, intestines, and feces of earthworms were investigated by PCR-denaturing
gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). In this study, PCR-DGGE was optimized by testing 6 universal primer
sets for microbial 16S rRNA in 6 pure culture strains of intestinal microbes in earthworms. One primer
set effectively amplified 16S rRNA from bacterial populations that were found in the food, intestines, and
feces of earthworms. Compared with the reference markers from the pure culture strains, the resulting
DGGE profiles contained 28 unique DNA fragments. The dominant microorganisms in the food, intestines,
and feces of earthworms included Rhodobacterales bacterium, Fusobacteria, Ferrimonas marina, Aeromonas
popoffii, and soil bacteria. Other strains, such as Acinetobacter, Clostridium, and Veillonella, as well as rumen
bacteria and uncultured bacteria also were present. These results demonstrated that PCR-DGGE analysis
can be used to elucidate bacterial diversity and identify unculturable microorganisms. |
