MICROBIAL COMMUNITY STRUCTURE IN GASTROINTESTINAL TRACTS OF DOMESTIC-ANIMALS - COMPARATIVE ANALYSES USING RIBOSOMAL-RNA-TARGETED OLIGONUCLEOTIDE PROBES
Cz. Lin et al., MICROBIAL COMMUNITY STRUCTURE IN GASTROINTESTINAL TRACTS OF DOMESTIC-ANIMALS - COMPARATIVE ANALYSES USING RIBOSOMAL-RNA-TARGETED OLIGONUCLEOTIDE PROBES, FEMS microbiology, ecology, 22(4), 1997, pp. 281-294
The microbial community structure of the gastrointestinal (GI) tracts
of various domestic animals (bovine, ovine, caprine, and swine) was ev
aluated using oligonucleotide probes targeting the small subunit (SSU)
ribosomal RNA (rRNA) of major microbial groups. Bacterial, eukaryotic
, and archaeal rRNAs were estimated to account for approximately 60-90
%, 3-30% and 0.5-3%, respectively, of the total rRNA present in the GI
tracts of most of the animals examined in this study. The abundance o
f phylogenetically defined groups of methanogens and sulfate-reducing
bacteria (SRB) was also evaluated. Methanobacteriales were the predomi
nant methanogens in the rumen of bovine and caprine, while Methanomicr
obiales predominated in the ovine rumen. A dominant archaeal group cou
ld not be identified in other sampling locations of the GI tract of th
ese ruminants and in the GI tract of pigs, using the available collect
ion of group-specific probes. Desulfovibrio species were the most abun
dant Gram-negative SRB targeted by available probes in the GI tract of
nearly all animals.