Microbial diversity in scorpion intestine (Buthus martensii Karsch)

Abstract:

Scorpion is an important officinal animal, and has a high nutritional value. In this study, the culture-independent and culture-dependent methods were used to investigate the microbial diversity in the scorpion's intestine. Results based on culture-independent method showed the bacteria to be related to α, β, γ-proteobacteria. Bacteria isolated by the culture-dependent method were high G+C, gram-positive bacteria. The genera Enterobacter, Serratia and Ochrobactrum were detected by both methods. To sum up the results from the two methods, the bacteria in scorpion intestine belong to 23 genera, which are Enterobacter、Serratia、Pseudomonas、Acinetobacter、Aeromonas、Citrobacter、Pedobacter、 Delftia、Ralstonia、Ochrobactrum、Sphingomonas、Exiguobacterium、Gordonia、Nocardia、Rhodococcus、Janibacte、Kocuria、Micrococcus、Agromyces、Microbacterium、Agrococcus、Deinococcus、Ornithinimicrobium, and some uncultured species. The two methods have both advantages and shortcomings. However, when used simultaneously, they complement each other．