22 Eyl 2025 Pazartesi
The intestinal microflora of earthworms Metaphire californica (Annelida: Megascolecidae), in sugarcane crops in the province of Tucumán – Argentina
Abstract : Earthworms play an important role in soil ecology. Their actions are favored by the activity of the microbial communities that inhabit the digestive tract of these organisms. The main aim of this work was to determine the communities of the intestinal microflora of Metaphire californica (Annelida: Megascolecidae), a species found in sugarcane crops in the province of Tucumán (Argentina). The worms were collected in Chicligasta, Tucumán, Argentina. The digestive tract was removed by dissection and later macerated in physiologic solution. Strains were isolated and identified using standard microbiological procedures based on their morphological and biochemical characteristics as well as molecular analysis of the 16S gene. Twenty seven samples were isolated and identified, among them, three strains were Micrococcus luteus, eight Bacillus sp., two Bacillus thuringensis, four Bacillus cereus, two Bacillus megaterium, two Bacillus marisflavi, one Lysinibacillus xylanilyticus, one Rhizobium huautlense, one Microbacterium esteraromaticum and three strains without identification. The bacteria identified in this study perform different functions in each location where they are found, so the function they perform in the different environments where they are found (soil and intestine) could be explained by extrapolation.