Open AccessMolecular profiling and identification of methanogenic archaeal species from rabbit caecum
Author(s) -
Kušar Darja,
Avguštin Gorazd
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
fems microbiology ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.377
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 1574-6941
pISSN - 0168-6496
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6941.2010.00980.x
Subject(s) - biology , methanogen , caecum , temperature gradient gel electrophoresis , archaea , 16s ribosomal rna , microbiology and biotechnology , ribosomal dna , population , ribosomal rna , feces , phylogenetic tree , bacteria , gene , genetics , medicine , demography , sociology
During a comparison of 16S rDNA PCR‐denaturant gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) profiles of methanogenic archaea from rumen fluid, rabbit caecum and pig feces, a unique band common to all rabbit caecum samples was observed. DGGE profiling also showed that the methanogen community from the New Zealand White adult rabbits is different and less complex than the methanogen communities from the rumen and pig feces. Small subunit ribosomal gene sequences of methanogenic archaea were subsequently retrieved from the constructed rabbit caecum 16S rDNA gene library. Results of the phylogenetic analysis indicated that rabbit caecum is inhabited by members of the genus Methanobrevibacter and is possibly one‐species dominated, because all the retrieved sequences exhibited similarity values of 99% or higher. This species may well be a novel species of the genus Methanobrevibacter . It belongs to a distinct phylogenetic group containing Methanobrevibacter woesei, Methanobrevibacter thaueri and Methanobrevibacter gottschalkii strains isolated from animal feces, and Methanobrevibacter smithii from the predominating methanogen population of the human large bowel.