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Fermenters in the earthworm gut: do transients matter?
Lydia Zeibich1, Oliver Schmidt1, Harold L Drake1
1Department of Ecological Microbiology, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany.
FEMS Microbiology Ecology
|November 17, 2018
Summary
Earthworm gut microbes rapidly ferment nutrients, unlike soil microbes. Nutrient availability influences microbial communities, suggesting ingested transient microbes contribute to gut fermentation.
Area of Science:
- Microbial Ecology
- Soil Science
- Gastrointestinal Microbiology
Background:
- Earthworms significantly impact soil ecosystems.
- The origin and role of microbes in earthworm guts remain debated, with many presumed transient.
- Soil microbes' limited response to gut conditions hinders understanding of their contribution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the fermentative capabilities of microbes in the soil and gut of the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris.
- To determine if responsive gut fermenters originate from the soil environment.
- To elucidate the role of nutrient availability and anoxia in shaping microbial communities within the earthworm gut.
Main Methods:
- Comparison of microbial fermentation in anoxic microcosms using soil and earthworm gut content.
- Challenging microcosms with complex nutrients simulating gizzard-disrupted cells.
- Analysis of microbial community composition using 16S rRNA and 16S rRNA gene sequencing.
Main Results:
- Unsupplemented gut content showed rapid fermentation, while soil showed negligible fermentation.
- Both soil and gut content exhibited robust fermentation when supplemented with complex nutrients.
- Responsive fermentative taxa in supplemented treatments showed similarities between soil and gut, dominated by Proteobacteria and Firmicutes.
Conclusions:
- Nutrient availability significantly influences the metabolic status and composition of microbial communities.
- Detectable differences in fermentative taxa between soil and gut are partly due to nutrient-dependent metabolic activity.
- Ingested transient microbes likely contribute to fermentation within the earthworm alimentary canal.
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