Novel role for Aeromonas jandaei as a digestive tract symbiont of the North American medicinal leech.
The gut bacteria of the North American medicinal leech, Macrobdella decora, were characterized. Biochemical tests and DNA sequences indicated that Aeromonas jandaei is the dominant culturable symbiont in leeches from a broad geographic area. In this work we identified a new habitat for A. jandaei, and here we suggest that there is unexpected specificity between leeches and Aeromonas species.
Siddall
Mark E
ME
Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024, USA. siddall@amnh.org
Worthen
Paul L
PL
Johnson
Matthew
M
Graf
Joerg
J
D000333:Aeromonas / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000818:Animals; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000382:microbiology*; D007865:Leeches / Q000382:microbiology*; D009656:North America; D010641:Phenotype; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013559:Symbiosis