Comparative Study of Bacterial Communities in Nepenthes Pitchers and Their Correlation to Species and Fluid Acidity.
Pitchers are specialized digestive organs of carnivorous plants which evolved for trapping prey and represent a unique environment harboring hidden diversity of unexplored microbes forming transient hydrolytic microcosms. In this study, the diversity of bacterial communities in the pitcher fluids of seven local Nepenthes found in Thailand was assessed by tagged 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene amplicon sequencing on an Ion PGM™ platform. A total of 1,101,000 filtered sequences were obtained which were taxonomically classified into 20 phyla, 48 classes, 72 orders, 153 families, and 442 genera while the remainder (1.43 %) could not be assigned to any existing taxa. Proteobacteria represented the predominant members in closed pitchers and more diversified bacterial taxa particularly Bacteriodetes and Actinobacteria, showed increasing abundance in open pitchers containing insect bodies. Principal coordinate analysis revealed that distribution of bacterial taxa was not significantly related to the Nepenthes species but strongly correlated to the pH of the pitcher fluids (pH 1.7-6.7). Acidicella was a highly dominant bacterial genus in acidic pitcher fluids while Dyella and Mycobacterium were also common genera in most pitchers. A unique microbial community structure was found in Nepenthes ampullaria which could reflect their adaptation to digest leaf litter, in addition to insect prey. The work revealed the highly unexplored nature of bacterial microcosms in Nepenthes pitcher fluids and provides insights into their community structure in this unique ecological system.
Enzyme Technology Laboratory, Bioresources Technology Unit, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), 113 Thailand Science Park, Paholyothin Road, Khlong Luang, Pathumthani, 12120, Thailand. pattanopk@biotec.or.th.
Pattanop
P
Kanokratana
Enzyme Technology Laboratory, Bioresources Technology Unit, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), 113 Thailand Science Park, Paholyothin Road, Khlong Luang, Pathumthani, 12120, Thailand.
Wuttichai
W
Mhuanthong
Enzyme Technology Laboratory, Bioresources Technology Unit, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), 113 Thailand Science Park, Paholyothin Road, Khlong Luang, Pathumthani, 12120, Thailand.
Thanaporn
T
Laothanachareon
Genome Institute, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Thailand Science Park, Khlong Luang, Pathumthani, 12120, Thailand.
Sithichoke
S
Tangphatsornruang
Enzyme Technology Laboratory, Bioresources Technology Unit, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), 113 Thailand Science Park, Paholyothin Road, Khlong Luang, Pathumthani, 12120, Thailand.
Lily
L
Eurwilaichitr
Southeast Asian Nepenthes Study and Research Foundation (SEANSRF), PO Box 36, Lamai, Koh Samui, Suratthani, 84310, Thailand.
Trongtham
T
Kruetreepradit
Southeast Asian Nepenthes Study and Research Foundation (SEANSRF), PO Box 36, Lamai, Koh Samui, Suratthani, 84310, Thailand.
Shawn
S
Mayes
Enzyme Technology Laboratory, Bioresources Technology Unit, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), 113 Thailand Science Park, Paholyothin Road, Khlong Luang, Pathumthani, 12120, Thailand.
Verawat
V
Champreda
D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018533:Biomass; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D056186:Metagenomics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013045:Species Specificity; D013785:Thailand; D064028:Tracheophyta / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology*
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
16S rRNA gene; Bacterial diversity; Nepenthes; Next-generation sequencing; Pitcher fluid