title: Bacterial community structure in tree hole habitats of Ochlerotatus triseriatus: influences of larval feeding.
abstract: We investigated the bacterial community composition of tree holes in relation to the presence and absence of larvae of the mosquito Ochlerotatus triseriatus. Larvae were eliminated from a subset of natural tree holes with Bacillus thuringiensis serovar israelensis, and total bacterial numbers, slow- and fast-growing colony-forming units on minimal media, and 16S rRNA gene sequence data from water column and leaf material were obtained. Total bacterial counts did not change significantly with treatment; however, the number of slow-growing cultivable bacteria significantly increased in the absence of larvae. Sequence classifications and comparisons of sequence libraries using LIBSHUFF indicated that the elimination of larvae significantly altered bacterial community composition. Major groups apparently affected by larvae were Flavobacteriaceae, Rhodobacteraceae, Comamonadaceae, and Sphingomonadaceae. A clear dominance of Flavobacteriaceae in the water column after larval removal suggests members of this group are a major bacterial food source.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Kaufman
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maknojia
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bagdasarian
authors.forename: E D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Walker
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry*; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D017753:Ecosystem; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000382:microbiology*; D007814:Larva; D008824:Michigan; D044969:Ochlerotatus; D010641:Phenotype; D010802:Phylogeny; D014197:Trees / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal