Bacterial diversity in the intestine of sea cucumber Stichopus japonicus

The intestinal bacterial diversity of Stichopus japonicus was investigated using ۱۶S ribosomal RNA gene (rDNA) clone library and Polymerase Chain Reaction/Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE). The clone library yielded a total of ۱۸۸ clones, and these were sequenced and classified into ۱۰۶ operational taxonomic units (OTUs) with sequence similarity ranging from ۸۸ to ۱۰۰%. The coverage of the library was ۷۷.۴%, with approximately ۸۸.۷% of the sequences affiliated to Proteobacteria. Gammaproteobacteria and Vibrio sp. were the predominant groups in the intestine of S. japonicus. Some bacteria such as Legionella sp., Brachybacterium sp., Streptomyces sp., Propionigenium sp. and Psychrobacter sp were first identified in the intestine of sea cucumber

Keywords:

Intestinal bacterial diversity , ۱۶S rDNA , PCR-DGGE , Sequencing , Stichopus japonicus