Valle-Molinares, Roger H.

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    Identificación y caracterización de los microorganismos asociados a la pared intestinal de Onychochaeta borincana (Oligochaeta: Glossoscolecidae)
    (2006) Valle-Molinares, Roger H.; Borges-Delgado, Sonia; College of Arts and Sciences - Sciences; Navas, Vivian; Ríos-Velázquez, Carlos; Department of Biology; Mari-Mutt, José A.
    The intestinal symbiotic relationship between microorganisms and invertebrates is well known. In the case of soil arthropods, the relationship is widely studied, but in earthworms this relation has been only suggested. An intestinal endosymbiosis between Onychochaeta borincana Borges 1994 and a microorganism has been proposed but it has not been proven. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), physiological (BIOLOG) and molecular biology (polymerase chain reaction “PCR” of 16S rDNA and fluorescence in situ hybridization FISH) techniques were employed to identify and characterize the bacterial flora associated with the intestinal wall of O. borincana, in order to determine the possibility of a symbiotic relationship between bacteria and the earthworm, which may affect the worm’s digestive processes. Two cleansing methods were used (moderate and intense), and evaluated to determine which are eliminated most of the microorganisms belonging to the transitory flora. The intense method was the most efficient. Amplification of bacterial 16S rDNA from the total genomic ADN of the gut was not possible. FISH trials showed no bacteria associated with the intestinal wall of O. borincana after intense cleaning, maybe because this cleansing procedure left none or too little an amount of these microorganisms. However, microbiological test show that four endospore-forming and β-hemolytic bacillar strains remained associated to the intestinal wall of O. borincana even after intense cleaning. They are physiologically similar to Bacillus cereus, a gram-positive bacterium that has been reported as an intestinal symbiont in some edaphic arthropods. These results were corroborated by SEM that showed bacillar structures similar to streptobacillus adhered to the intestinal wall. Nonetheless, the relationship between Onychochaeta borincana and Bacillus cereus remains to be defined by further research which may determine a symbiotic relationship among these organisms.