Differences between bacterial communities in the gut of a soil-feeding termite (Cubitermes niokoloensis) and its mounds

In tropical ecosystems, termite mound soils constitute an important soil compartment covering around 10% of African soils. Previous studies have shown (S. Fall, S. Nazaret, J. L. Chotte, and A. Brauman, Microb. Ecol. 28:191-199, 2004) that the bacterial genetic structure of the mounds of soil-feeding termites (Cubitermes niokoloensis) is different from that of their surrounding soil. The aim of this study was to characterize the specificity of bacterial communities within mounds with respect to the digestive and soil origins of the mound. We have compared the bacterial community structures of a termite mound, termite gut sections, and surrounding soil using PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis and cloning and sequencing of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene fragments. DGGE analysis revealed a drastic difference between the genetic structures of the bacterial communities of the termite gut and the mound. Analysis of 266 clones, including 54 from excised bands, revealed a high level of diversity in each biota investigated. The soil-feeding termite mound was dominated by the Actinobacteria phylum, whereas the Firmicutes and Proteobacteria phyla dominate the gut sections of termites and the surrounding soil, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses revealed a distinct clustering of Actinobacteria phylotypes between the mound and the surrounding soil. The Actinobacteria clones of the termite mound were diverse, distributed among 10 distinct families, and like those in the termite gut environment lightly dominated by the Nocardioidaceae family. Our findings confirmed that the soil-feeding termite mound (C. niokoloensis) represents a specific bacterial habitat in the tropics.     

Phylogenetic analysis of the gut bacterial microflora of the fungus-growing termite Odontotermes formosanus

We constructed a bacterial 16S rRNA gene clone library from the gut microbial community of O. formosanus and phylogenetically analyzed it in order to contribute to the evolutional study of digestive symbiosis and method development for termite control. After screening by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis, 56 out of 280 clones with unique RFLP patterns were sequenced and phylogenetically analyzed. The representative phylotypes were affiliated to four phylogenetic groups, Firmicutes, the Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi group, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria of the domain Bacteira. No one clone affiliated with the phylum Spirochaetes was identified, in contrast to the case of wood-feeding termites. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that nearly half of the representative clones (25 phylotypes) formed monophyletic clusters with clones obtained from other termite species, especially with the sequences retrieved from fungus-growing termites. These results indicate that the presence of termite-specific bacterial lineages implies a coevolutional relationship of gut microbes and host termites.     

Host and environmental influences on the gut bacterial community of carabid beetles in distinct paddy fields

The relationship between the gut bacterial communities of carabid beetles and their habitats holds implications for understanding ecological dynamics. This study examined the gut bacterial communities of two carabid beetle species, Chlaenius pallipes and Pheropsophus jessoensis, in terraced and flat paddy fields. Differences in gut bacterial communities were evident at the species level and were based on habitat. Specifically, P. jessoensis had a greater presence of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria in terraced fields but more Actinobacteria in flatland fields. In comparison, C. pallipes consistently showed high levels of Firmicutes in both habitats. These differences were reflected at class and genus levels, emphasizing the role of host specificity in shaping gut microbiota. Alpha diversity metrics indicated that P. jessoensis hosted a more diverse bacterial community than C. pallipes. Terraced fields, however, showed slightly reduced diversity in P. jessoensis, suggesting environmental effects on microbial populations. Beta diversity analysis using Bray–Curtis distances differentiated the bacterial communities of the two beetles. Multivariate analysis of variance reinforced these findings. Insights from the Sloan neutral model indicate that environmental factors predominantly influence bacterial community assembly through stochastic processes. Functionally, metabolism was highlighted, indicating the role of gut bacteria in beetle metabolic processes. Notably, energy metabolism varied between field types, revealing environmental effects on gut bacterial functions. This study offers in-depth insights into interactions between host-specific and environmental factors influencing gut bacterial communities of carabid beetles, contributing to a broader understanding of microbial ecology and the roles of environment and host in microbiota dynamics.     

基于高通量测序技术研究水貂远端肠道细菌群落组成

【目的】研究水貂远端肠道微生物群落组成及其多样性。【方法】通过高通量测序技术研究水貂远端肠内容物细菌的组成和多样性。【结果】从10只健康水貂远端肠道内容物样品中得到146 287高质量序列代表17个菌门、167个细菌属。水貂肠道细菌以厚壁菌门(59.99%)、拟杆菌门(16.2%)、梭杆菌门(11.5%)、放线菌门(5.9%)和变形菌门(5.3%)为主,其中厚壁菌门最为丰富。厚壁菌门中的梭菌目是最丰富的目,而梭菌目中的链球菌占有50%以上的OTUs,是最大的细菌属。【结论】水貂肠道内存在复杂的微生物区系,这对进一步研究水貂对营养物质吸收利用提供了理论基础。     

Molecular phylogenetic diversity of the bacterial community in the gut of the termite Coptotermes formosanus

The phylogenetic diversity of the bacterial community in the gut of the termite Coptotermes formosanus was investigated using a 16S rRNA gene clone library constructed by PCR. After screening by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis, 49 out of 261 clones with unique RFLP patterns were sequenced and phylogenetically analyzed. Many of the clones (94%) were derived from Bacteroidales, Spirochaetes, and low G + C content gram-positive bacteria consisting of Clostridiales, Mycoplasmatales, Bacillales, and Lactobacillales. In addition, a few clones derived from Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Planctomycetes, Verrucomicrobia, and the candidate phylum "Synergistes" were also found. The most frequently identified RFLP type, BCf1-03, was assigned to the order Bacteroideales, and it constituted about 70% of the analyzed clones. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that the representative clones found in this study tended to form some clusters with the sequences cloned from the termite gut in several other studies, suggesting the existence of termite-specific bacterial lineages.     

Characterization of gut bacterial flora of Apis mellifera from north-west Pakistan

Gut microbiota has been recognized to play a beneficial role in honey bees (Apis mellifera). Present study was designed to characterize the gut bacterial flora of honey bees in north-west Pakistan. Total 150 aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria from guts of 45 worker bees were characterized using biochemical assays and 16S rDNA sequencing followed by bioinformatics analysis. The gut isolates were classified into three bacterial phyla of Firmicutes (60%), Proteobacteria (26%) and Actinobacteria (14%). Most of the isolates belonged to genera and families of Staphylococcus, Bacillus, Enterococcus, Ochrobactrum, Sphingomonas, Ralstonia, Enterobacteriaceae, Corynebacterium and Micrococcineae. Many of these bacteria were tolerant to acidic environments and fermented sugars, hence considered beneficial gut inhabitants and involved the maintenance of a healthy microbiota. However, several opportunistic commensals that proliferate in the hive environment including members Staphylococcus haemolyticus group and Sphingomonas paucimobilis were also identified. This is the first report on bee gut microbiota from north-west Pakistan geographically situated at the crossroads of Indian subcontinent and central Asia.     

土壤细菌网络互作调控线虫肠道细菌群落

动物肠道细菌群落在联系宿主与生态系统功能中发挥着至关重要的作用。【目的】本研究旨在评估绿肥翻压和水稻生长不同时期对土壤细菌和线虫肠道细菌群落组成和结构的影响,并探究土壤细菌和线虫肠道细菌群落间的潜在关联关系。【方法】基于盆栽试验,结合16S rRNA基因高通量测序技术,分析黑麦草翻压和对照处理下水稻生长的前期(返青期)和后期(收获期)土壤细菌和线虫肠道细菌群落,结合网络分析研究土壤细菌网络互作对线虫肠道细菌群落的潜在影响。【结果】黑麦草翻压对土壤细菌和线虫肠道细菌群落组成和结构没有显著影响(P>0.05);水稻生长后期样品比前期样品具有更高的α多样性。基于随机森林机器学习法获得的土壤细菌和线虫肠道细菌生物标志物之间存在广泛的显著相关关系,为土壤细菌群落变化调控线虫肠道细菌群落组成提供了有力的证据。共现网络分析表明土壤细菌之间的正相互作用显著促进了土壤细菌和线虫肠道细菌之间的正相互作用(P<0.01),进而影响了线虫肠道细菌之间的网络互作。结构方程模型进一步表明土壤养分含量的降低主要通过降低土壤细菌之间正相互作用,从而间接影响线虫肠道细菌之间的互作。【结论】土壤细菌互作可能在...     

Catching a glimpse of the bacterial gut community of companion animals: a canine and feline perspective

Dogs and cats have gained a special position in human society by becoming our principal companion animals. In this context, efforts to ensure their health and welfare have increased exponentially, with in recent times a growing interest in assessing the impact of the gut microbiota on canine and feline health. Recent technological advances have generated new tools to not only examine the intestinal microbial composition of dogs and cats, but also to scrutinize the genetic repertoire and associated metabolic functions of this microbial community. The application of high-throughput sequencing techniques to canine and feline faecal samples revealed similarities in their bacterial composition, with Fusobacteria, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes as the most prevalent and abundant phyla, followed by Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria. Although key bacterial members were consistently present in their gut microbiota, the taxonomic composition and the metabolic repertoire of the intestinal microbial population may be influenced by several factors, including diet, age and anthropogenic aspects, as well as intestinal dysbiosis. The current review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the multitude of factors which play a role in the modulation of the canine and feline gut microbiota and that of their human owners with whom they share the same environment.     

Comparison of the gut microbiota from soldier and worker castes of the termite Reticulitermes grassei

The bacterial microbiota from the whole gut of soldier and worker castes of the termite Reticulitermes grassei was isolated and studied. In addition, the 16S rDNA bacterial genes from gut DNA were PCR-amplified using Bacteria-selective primers, and the 16S rDNA amplicons subsequently cloned into Escherichia coli. Sequences of the cloned inserts were then used to determine closest relatives by comparison with published sequences and with sequences from our previous work. The clones were found to be affiliated with the phyla Spirochaetes, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Synergistetes, Verrucomicrobia, and candidate phyla Termite Group 1 (TG1) and Termite Group 2 (TG2). No significant differences were observed with respect to the relative bacterial abundances between soldier and worker phylotypes. The phylotypes obtained in this study were compared with reported sequences from other termites, especially those of phylotypes related to Spirochaetes, Wolbachia (an Alphaproteobacteria), Actinobacteria, and TG1. Many of the clone phylotypes detected in soldiers grouped with those of workers. Moreover, clones CRgS91 (soldiers) and CRgW68 (workers), both affiliated with 'Endomicrobia', were the same phylotype. Soldiers and workers also seemed to have similar relative protist abundances. Heterotrophic, poly-β-hydroxyalkanoate-accumulating bacteria were isolated from the gut of soldiers and shown to be affiliated with Actinobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria. We noted that Wolbachia was detected in soldiers but not in workers. Overall, the maintenance by soldiers and workers of comparable axial and radial redox gradients in the gut is consistent with the similarities in the prokaryotes and protists comprising their microbiota.     

Structure and topology of microbial communities in the major gut compartments of Melolontha melolontha larvae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

Physicochemical gut conditions and the composition and topology of the intestinal microbiota in the major gut compartments of the root-feeding larva of the European cockchafer (Melolontha melolontha) were studied. Axial and radial profiles of pH, O2, H2, and redox potential were measured with microsensors. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of bacterial 16S rRNA genes in midgut samples of individual larvae revealed a simple but variable and probably nonspecific community structure. In contrast, the T-RFLP profiles of the hindgut samples were more diverse but highly similar, especially in the wall fraction, indicating the presence of a gut-specific community involved in digestion. While high acetate concentrations in the midgut and hindgut (34 and 15 mM) corroborated the presence of microbial fermentation in both compartments, methanogenesis was confined to the hindgut. Methanobrevibacter spp. were the only methanogens detected and were restricted to this compartment. Bacterial 16S rRNA gene clone libraries of the hindgut were dominated by clones related to the Clostridiales. Clones related to the Actinobacteria, Bacillales, Lactobacillales, and gamma-Proteobacteria were restricted to the lumen, whereas clones related to the beta- and delta-Proteobacteria were found only on the hindgut wall. Results of PCR-based analyses and fluorescence in situ hybridization of whole cells with group-specific oligonucleotide probes documented that Desulfovibrio-related bacteria comprise 10 to 15% of the bacterial community at the hindgut wall. The restriction of the sulfate-reducer-specific adenosine-5'-phosphosulfate reductase gene apsA to DNA extracts of the hindgut wall in larvae from four other populations in Europe suggested that sulfate reducers generally colonize this habitat.     

Insights into the gut bacterial communities of spider from wild with no evidence of phylosymbiosis

In the present study, an effort has been made to elucidate the gut bacterial diversity of twelve species of the family Araneidae under three subfamilies collected from 5 states of India along with their predicted metabolic role in functional metabolism. Further, we also compared the host species phylogeny based on partial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences with the gut bacteria composition dendrogram to decipher the phylosymbiotic relationships. Analysis revealed the presence of 22 bacterial phyla, 145 families, and 364 genera in the gut, with Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Deinococcus-Thermus as the highest abundant phyla. Moreover, phylum Bacteriodetes was dominated only in Cyclosa mulmeinensis and Chlamydiae in Neoscona bengalensis. At the genus level, Bacillus, Acinetobacter, Cutibacterium, Pseudomonas, and Staphylococcus were the most dominant genera. Furthermore, the genus Prevotella was observed only in Cyclosa mulmeinensis, and endosymbiont Wolbachia only in Eriovixia laglaizei. The differential abundance analysis (DeSeq2) revealed the 19 significant ASVs represented by the genera like Acinetobacter, Vagoccoccus, Prevotella, Staphylococcus, Curvibacter, Corynebacterium, Paracoccus, Streptococcus, Microbacterium, and Pseudocitrobacter. The inter- and intra-subfamilies comparison based on diversity indices (alpha and beta diversity) revealed that the subfamily Araneinae have high richness and diversity than Argiopinae and Gasteracanthinae. The phylosymbiotic analysis revealed that there is no congruence between the gut bacteria composition dendrogram with their host phylogeny.     

Niche heterogeneity determines bacterial community structure in the termite gut (Reticulitermes santonensis)

Differences in microenvironment and interactions of microorganisms within and across habitat boundaries should influence structure and diversity of the microbial communities within an ecosystem. We tested this hypothesis using the well characterized gut tract of the European subterranean termite Reticulitermes santonensis as a model. By cloning and sequencing analysis and molecular fingerprinting (terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism), we characterized the bacterial microbiota in the major intestinal habitats - the midgut, the wall of the hindgut paunch, the hindgut fluid and the intestinal protozoa. The bacterial community was very diverse (> 200 ribotypes) and comprised representatives of several phyla, including Firmicutes (mainly clostridia, streptococci and Mycoplasmatales-related clones), Bacteroidetes, Spirochaetes and a number of Proteobacteria, all of which were unevenly distributed among the four habitats. The largest group of clones fell into the so-called Termite group 1 (TG-1) phylum, which has no cultivated representatives. The majority of the TG-1 clones were associated with the protozoa and formed two phylogenetically distinct clusters, which consisted exclusively of clones previously retrieved from the gut of this and other Reticulitermes species. Also the other clones represented lineages of microorganisms that were exclusively recovered from the intestinal tract of termites. The termite specificity of these lineages was underscored by the finding that the closest relatives of the bacterial clones obtained from R. santonensis were usually derived also from the most closely related termites. Overall, differences in diversity between the different gut habitats and the uneven distribution of individual phylotypes support conclusively that niche heterogeneity is a strong determinant of the structure and spatial organization of the microbial community in the termite gut.     

CINC blockade prevents neutrophil Ca(2+) signaling upregulation and gut bacterial translocation in thermal injury

In this study, we have evaluated the role of cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant (CINC), in the upregulation of neutrophil Ca(2+) signaling in neutrophils from thermally injured rats treated with anti-CINC antibody. Additionally, we have determined the effect of the treatment with CINC antibody on the accumulation of activated neutrophils in the intestinal wall, and the effect of such accumulation on gut bacterial translocation. Measurements of myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and immunohistochemical localization of neutrophils determined neutrophil sequestration in the rat intestine. Agar culture analyses and a specific Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase gene polymerase chain reaction was carried out to detect gut indigenous bacterial invasion into intestinal wall and extraintestinal mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN). The results showed that pretreatment of rats with anti-CINC antibody attenuated the thermal injury-induced enhancement in [Ca(2+)](i) responses in neutrophils both in the basal and Formyl-Met-Leu-Phe stimulated conditions. Moreover, treatment with the CINC antibody decreased neutrophil infiltration into the gut and attenuated thermal injury-caused translocation of bacteria into the MLN.     

Phylogenetic and morphological diversity of Bacteroidales members associated with the gut wall of termites

The microbial community adherent directly or indirectly to the gut wall of termites is distinct from that of the other habitats in the gut. The bacterial 16S rRNA genes were identified from the fractionated gut walls of two termite species, Hodotermopsis sjoestedti and Neotermes koshunensis, and compared with those previously identified from Reticulitermes speratus. Surprisingly, the bacterial constituents were almost entirely different among the termites at the phylotype level (the criterion of the phylotype was >97% nucleotide identity). Bacteria in the order Bacteroidales, which were commonly abundant symbionts on gut walls, were phylogenetically analyzed. They were dispersed in a number of clusters formed by phylotypes from the guts of various termites. In situ hybridization with probes specific for some phylotypes and a phylogenetic cluster detected the cells of several Bacteroidales members with a significant variety of cell morphology in the gut wall fractions, which reflects the phylogenetic diversity of this order.     

Use of phage battery to investigate the actinofloral layers of termite gut microflora

AIMS: The termite gut microbiota can include a variety of micro-organisms from the three domains: Bacteria, Archaea and Eucarya. The bacterial groups from the gut systems are mainly affiliated to the proteobacteria, the Gram-positive groups Bacterioiodes/Flavobacterium branch and the spirochetes, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria. However, culture independent molecular studies have revealed that the majority of these microbial gut symbionts have not yet been cultured, including actinobacterial clusters associated with termite guts. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to selectively isolate the actinofloral layers of gut associated microflora of the Coptotermes lacteus (Froggatt) species located at the Sunshine Coast Region of Queensland, Australia to increase our knowledge on the diversity of actinobacterial taxa present in the termite guts. METHODS AND RESULTS: Actinofloral layers associated with the guts of the wood-eating subterranean termite C. lacteus were investigated by exploiting the phage susceptibility of different gut associated bacteria which impede the growth of actinomycetes on isolation plates. These unwanted microbial taxa were removed by exposing the gut contents to polyvalent bacteriophages specifically targeting different background bacterial taxa and after their removal from the isolation plates previously undetected and novel actinomycetes were successfully cultured from the gut samples. CONCLUSIONS: Use of bacteriophages as a means of selective pressure successfully revealed the presence of novel actinomycete species within the guts of C. lacteus. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Molecular ecology has undoubtedly revealed the fascinating diversity of micro-organisms, which cannot be cultured. However, these advances in the field still have not provided the ability to detect and isolate micro-organisms effectively from their ecological niches. Accordingly, studies like the one described here have importance in increasing the chances of uncultured taxa to be isolated to complement molecular microbial ecological efforts towards the establishment of an understanding on the diversity of termite gut microflora.     

Characterization of bacterial community structure in the rhizosphere of Triticum aestivum L.

The plant microbiome influence plant health, yield and vigor and has attained a considerable attention in the present era. In the current study, native bacterial community composition and diversity colonizing Triticum aestivum L. rhizosphere at two distant geographical locations including Mirpur Azad Kashmir and Islamabad was elucidated. Based on IonS5™XL platform sequencing of respective samples targeting 16S rRNA gene that harbor V3-V4 conserved region revealed 1364 and 1254 microbial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) at ≥97% similarity and were classified into 23, 20 phyla; 70, 65 classes; 101, 87 orders; 189,180 families; 275, 271 genera and 94, 95 species. Respective predominant phyla accounting for 97.90% and 98.60% of bacterial community were Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Chloroflexi and Gemmatimonadetes. Diversity indices revealed variations in relative abundance of bacterial taxa owing to distant geographical locations however predominant bacterial taxa at both locations were similar. These findings paved a way to dissect consequence of associated microbiota on future wheat production system.     

Do diet and taxonomy influence insect gut bacterial communities?

Many insects contain diverse gut microbial communities. While several studies have focused on a single or small group of species, comparative studies of phylogenetically diverse hosts can illuminate general patterns of host–microbiota associations. In this study, we tested the hypotheses that (i) host diet and (ii) host taxonomy structure intestinal bacterial community composition among insects. We used published 16S rRNA gene sequence data for 58 insect species in addition to four beetle species sampled from the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge to test these hypotheses. Overall, gut bacterial species richness in these insects was low. Decaying wood xylophagous insects harboured the richest bacterial gut flora (102.8 species level operational taxonomic units (OTUs)/sample ± 71.7, 11.8 ± 5.9 phylogenetic diversity (PD)/sample), while bees and wasps harboured the least rich bacterial communities (11.0 species level OTUs/sample ± 5.4, 2.6 ± 0.8 PD/sample). We found evidence to support our hypotheses that host diet and taxonomy structure insect gut bacterial communities (P < 0.001 for both). However, while host taxonomy was important in hymenopteran and termite gut community structure, diet was an important community structuring factor particularly for insect hosts that ingest lignocellulose‐derived substances. Our analysis provides a baseline comparison of insect gut bacterial communities from which to test further hypotheses concerning proximate and ultimate causes of these associations.     

Inter-individual differences in the gene content of human gut bacterial species

BackgroundGene content differences in human gut microbes can lead to inter-individual phenotypic variations such as digestive capacity. It is unclear whether gene content variation is caused by differences in microbial species composition or by the presence of different strains of the same species; the extent of gene content variation in the latter is unknown. Unlike pan-genome studies of cultivable strains, the use of metagenomic data can provide an unbiased view of structural variation of gut bacterial strains by measuring them in their natural habitats, the gut of each individual in this case, representing native boundaries between gut bacterial populations. We analyzed publicly available metagenomic data from fecal samples to characterize inter-individual variation in gut bacterial species.ResultsA comparison of 11 abundant gut bacterial species showed that the gene content of strains from the same species differed, on average, by 13% between individuals. This number is based on gene deletions only and represents a lower limit, yet the variation is already in a similar range as observed between completely sequenced strains of cultivable species. We show that accessory genes that differ considerably between individuals can encode important functions, such as polysaccharide utilization and capsular polysaccharide synthesis loci.ConclusionMetagenomics can yield insights into gene content variation of strains in complex communities, which cannot be predicted by phylogenetic marker genes alone. The large degree of inter-individual variability in gene content implies that strain resolution must be considered in order to fully assess the functional potential of an individual''s human gut microbiome.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13059-015-0646-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Characterization of the gut bacterial community in Manduca sexta and effect of antibiotics on bacterial diversity and nematode reproduction

The tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta , is a model lepidopteran insect used to study the pathogenic and mutualistic phases of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) and their bacterial symbionts. While intestinal microbial communities could potentially compete with the EPN and its bacterial partner for nutrient resources of the insect, the microbial gut community had not been characterized previously. Here, we show that the midgut of M. sexta raised on an artificial diet contained mostly Gram-positive cocci and coryneforms including Staphylococcus, Pediococcus, Micrococcus and Corynebacterium . Major perturbation in the gut community was observed on addition of antibiotics to the diet. Paenibacillus and several Proteobacteria such as Methylobacterium, Sphingomonas and Acinetobacter were primary genera identified under these conditions. Furthermore, the reproduction of the nematode Steinernema carpocapsae was less efficient, and the level of nematode colonization by its symbiont Xenorhabdus nematophila reduced, in insects reared on a diet containing antibiotics. The effect of antibiotics and perturbation of gut microbiota on nematode reproduction is discussed.     

Characterization of the gut microbiota in early life stages of pikeperch Sander lucioperca

This study characterized the gastrointestinal microbiome of nine juvenile farmed pikeperch Sander lucioperca using a metagenomics approach based on bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Potential changes in the gut microbiota during 2 months of S. lucioperca juvenile life were investigated. Results revealed that gut microbiota was dominated by Proteobacteria (95–92%), while other phyla Firmicutes (1–1·5%) and Actinobacteria (0·9–1·5%) were less abundant. At the family level, fish‐gut microbiota were dominated by Enterobacteriaceae, which constituted c. 83% of all DNA sequence reads. Such a situation was present in all of the examined fish except one, which showed a different proportion of particular microbial taxa than the other fish. In this fish, a higher relative abundance (%) of Fusobacteria (21·0%), Bacteroidetes (9·5%) and Firmicutes (7·5%) was observed. There were no significant differences in the gut microbiome structure at different stages of development in the examined fish. This may indicate that Proteobacteria inhabiting the gut microbiota at an early stage of life are a necessary component of the pikeperch microbiome that may support proper nutrition of the fish. The information obtained on the gut microbiome could be useful in determining juvenile S. lucioperca health and improving rearing conditions by welfare monitoring in aquaculture.