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.

• Keywords: denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis; bacterial community; 16S rRNA; earthworms