Phylogenetic analysis of bacterial community in the gut of American cockroach (Periplaneta americana)

Abstract:

Abstract:［Objective］ The present study was to fully evaluate the intestinal bacterial community of Periplaneta americana，an important model to study insects.［Methods］We investigated the bacterial community of P. americanagut by culture-independent methods，involving constructing the 16S rRNA gene library and microbial diversity analysis.［Results］The phylotypes were affiliated with Proteobacteria(66.4%)，Bacteroidetes (17.8%)，Firmicutes (14.5%)，Fusobacteria (0.6%) and unclassified bacteria (0.6%)．Phylogenetic analysis shows that 15% of the sequences clustered with that from a closely related omnivorous cockroach;and 59% clustered with that from more distantly related animals，including omnivorous，herbivorous，and carnivorous animals，which differ greatly in feeding habits． Moreover，18% of the clones showed high sequence identity with potential pathogens closely related to human diseases，which also reinforces the concept of the cockroach as a carrier of pathogens．［Conclusion］Due to their habits of feeding on a variety of foodstuffs，omnivorous cockroaches harbor a large and diverse microbial community in the gut． The host phylogeny and dietary habits might be critical for the intestinal bacterial community composition of cockroaches.