title: Can fungal zoospores be the source of energy for the rumen protozoa Eudiplodinium maggii?
abstract: Results of our earlier studies showed the ability of ciliates Eudiplodinium maggii to digest and metabolize commercial chitin. The natural source of this polysaccharide in the rumen are fungi. The objectives of present research were to determine the effect of fungal zoospores on the survival and population density of E. maggii to quantify the concentration of chitin in the cells of protozoa and to examine the ability of E. maggii, to ferment chitin of fungal zoospores. The cultivation experiment showed that the survival of protozoa was shorter than 4 days when the culture medium was composed of buffer solution and lyophilized fungal spores. An enrichment of this medium with wheat gluten prolonged the survival of ciliates up to 8 days. The supplementation of the last medium with meadow hay enabled the protozoa to survive for 28 days but a positive effect was observed only during the last 8 days of experiment. The chitin content was 0.27 ng and 0.21-0.35 ng per single zoospore and ciliate, respectively. An increase in the concentration of volatile fatty acids (VFA) was found when protozoa were incubated with zoospores. The production rate of VFA was 46.3 pM/protozoan per h whereas the endogenous production did not exceed 31 pM/protozoan per h. The molar proportion of acetic acid was 77.7% and these of butyric and propionic acids-12.2 and 11.0%, respectively. The obtained results make it evident that carbohydrates present in fungal zoospores were utilized by protozoa in energy yielding processes.
authors.affiliation: The Kielanowski Institute of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, Polish Academy of Sciences, Instytucka 3, 05-110 Jabłonna near Warsaw, Poland. Electronic address: r.miltko@ifzz.pan.pl.
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Miltko
authors.affiliation: The Kielanowski Institute of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, Polish Academy of Sciences, Instytucka 3, 05-110 Jabłonna near Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Grzegorz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bełżecki
authors.affiliation: The Kielanowski Institute of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, Polish Academy of Sciences, Instytucka 3, 05-110 Jabłonna near Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kowalik
authors.affiliation: The Kielanowski Institute of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, Polish Academy of Sciences, Instytucka 3, 05-110 Jabłonna near Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Tadeusz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Michałowski
mesh_terms: D019342:Acetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D020148:Butyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D002404:Catheterization; D002686:Chitin / Q000378:metabolism*; D016798:Ciliophora / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D003470:Culture Media / Q000737:chemistry; D005612:Freeze Drying; D062610:Fungal Polysaccharides / Q000378:metabolism*; D005983:Glutens / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D011422:Propionates / Q000378:metabolism; D012417:Rumen / Q000382:microbiology; D012756:Sheep; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D062610:Fungal Polysaccharides; D011422:Propionates; D020148:Butyric Acid; D002686:Chitin; D005983:Glutens; D019342:Acetic Acid
keywords: Chitin content; Fermentation; Fungal zoospores; Protozoa; Rumen