Evteeva N. I., Rechkin A.I.

Nizhniy Novgorod State University, Russian Federation

 The new places of reservation Enterobacteriaceae in natural systems

 

Nowadays, investigators focus attention at enterobacteria because of their biological and ecological adaptations and their possibility to live for a long time in human and animal organisms and their wide spreading in environment like many other infections. Many aspects of investigation of places of reservation and ecology of enterobacteria are not solved, but for last years works about distribution of these microorganisms on living and unliving objects have appeared (4). These organisms are also opportunistic pathogens for humans as well as for animals (2, 5, 6).

 Besides, Enterobacteriaceae were isolated from soil (4, 11), herbaceouse and arboreous plants, seeds and fresh vegetables (9, 10).

All terrestrial ecosystems consist of aboveground and belowground components which interact and influence community- and ecosystem-level processes and properties. These components are closely interlinked at the community level, reinforced by a greater degree of specificity between plants and soil organisms. A combined aboveground-belowground approach to community of microorganisms and ecosystem ecology makes clear our understanding of the regulation and functional significance of biodiversity of enterobacteria (8).

Thus, during our investigations the new places of reservation and participants of circulation enterobacteria in natural systems on the chain: soil – plants – insects were studied.

Material and methods

Objects of investigation. For searching of enterobacteria we selected bees (Apis mellifera) – 74 probes, substrates of ant-hills (Formica(s.str.) aquilonia Yarr., Formica(s.str.) pratensis Retz.) – 57 probes, and worms (Lumbricus terrestris L.) – 105 probes.

Besides, we investigated some honey-producing plants, typical for our region: Chamaenerium angustifolium (L) Scop. – 9 probes, Tilia cordata. Mill. – 50 probes, Trifolium pretense L. – 45 probes, Taraxacum officinale Wigg. – 23 probes, Rubus idaeus L. -35 probes.

We analyzed surface and tissue of steel and leaves, the whole microflora of the flowers for a period when insects visited them.

All bacteriological procedures were performed according to the standard methods. Analyses for coliform bacteria were performed by using m-Endo agar and Ploskireva media.

Enterobacteriaceae were discovered in the almost analyzed probes in our investigations. Totally 444 probes of natural system were analyzed. Isolated cultures were identified as Serratia, Hafnia, Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Citrobacter, Proteus, Morganella, Providencia, Escherichia, Erwinia.

Results and discussion.

Klebsiella (37%) and Citrobacter (40%) were shown to dominate genuses of enterobacteriae in gut of worms. Besides, we isolated Serratia, Hafnia, Citrobacter, Proteus, Escherichia, Erwinia during analyzing of worm’s guts.  

Investigation of substrates of ant-hills showed their contamination by Enterobacter (44%), which also dominanted in content of surface’s microflora of neighboring plants (67%), these plants often were infected with plant louse. Klebsiella (18,5%) is another group of enterobacteriae discovering in substrates of ant-hills.

Enteroflora of bees is the most diverse and includs 10 genuses of Enterobacteriaceae. Erwinia (30%) was indicated in the most cases. The same bacteria dominated in enteroflora of flowers of horney-producing plants: Tilia cordata. Mill. (42%), Taraxacum officinale Wigg. (78%), Rubus idaeus L.(57%).  Serratia was discovered on Tilia cordata. Mill., Rubus idaeus L., and Proteus, Providencia, Escherichia on Rubus idaeus L..

The highest degree of isolation and diversity of enterobacteriae was presented on the flowers of the honey-producing plants in comparing on vegetative parts.

The isolation of Klebsiella and Citrobacter in substrates of worm’s guts can be connected with enrichment of soil components by organic substrate, witch enhance processes of denitriphication and ammoniphication in soil. Some authors found the same microorganisms in plant’s rhizosphere in the zone with higher concentration of organic acids and gumin substrates (11). Soil and sediment particles are believed to function as microecological niches for surviving and perhaps replication of bacterial species (3).

It is significant, that enteroflora substrates of ant-hills is the same to the enteroflora of worm’s guts. Serratia, Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Citrobacter, Providencia, Escherichia, Erwinia were discovered in the both.

 Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterobacter cloacae from components of ant-hills were found naturally according to our point of view. In ant-hills such important biogeocenotic processes as nitrogen-fixation takes place and these microorganisms active participate in it. Duncan and Razzell (7) reported about the isolation of Klebsiella and Enterobacter from tree needles and bark in a forest environment, from within living white fir trees (1). The structure of ant-hills analyzed by us involved the same material. We consider the ant-hills as reservoir   for persistention Enterobacteriaceae in nature and it is necessary to investigate them attentively.

The wide diversity microorganisms of Enterobacteriaceae in microflora of bees can be explained by their ability during their fly on a large territory to have a contact with different substrates and honey-producing plants, which has very polymorphal microflora. The association of Enterobacteriaceae with other botanical material has been reported on several occasions.

Thus, during our investigation worms, substrates of ant-hills, bees and honey-producing plants was shown can be reservoir of Enterobacteriaceae in environment and take part in the chain of circulation of them in natural systems.

 

Literature cited:

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