Digestive physiology of Pomacea canaliculata: symbiotic microbial organisms that inhabit within ducts of the digestive gland

DELLAGNOLA FEDERICO, VEGA ISRAEL A

Mendoza

Congreso; Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo; 2012

This current work is part of an investigation program dealing with the identification of an intracellular pigmented prokaryote that live in specific cells of the digestive gland of the freshwater snail Pomacea canaliculata. In this context, we studied the bacterial composition (using the gene that codifies the 16S ribosomal RNA of ~1500 bp) that inhabit in the ducts of the digestive gland (that communicates this gland and the stomach) to extend our knowledge of the scenario where this putative endosymbiosis is established. One hundred and five high quality clones were obtained and they represented 26 ribotypes (classified at lower taxonomical level) covering six bacterial phyla. The metabolic profile of these ribotypes is compatible with the herbivorous nature of this snail (cellulose-like polysaccharides degradation and nitrogen fixation) and its ability to tolerate heavy metals (metals reduction) in freshwater bodies.