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Title: BACTERIAL DIVERSITY IN STREAMS ASSAYED AS PART OF THE BALTIMORE ECOCSYSTEM STUDY (BES)

Author
item HIGGINS, JAMES
item HOHN, CHRISTINA
item BELT, KENNETH - USDA, U.S. FOREST SERVICE
item HORNER, SALLY - A.A.C.C., ARNOLD, MD

Submitted to: Baltimore Ecosystem Study Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/14/2005
Publication Date: 10/19/2005
Citation: Higgins, J.A., Hohn, C.A., Belt, K., Horner, S. 2005. Bacterial diversity in streams assayed as part of the Baltimore Ecocsystem Study (BES). Baltimore Ecosystem Study Annual Meeting. October 19-20, 2005, Baltimore, MD. p.2.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Bacteria were cultured from water samples obtained from three streams sampled on a weekly basis under the auspices of the Baltimore Ecosystem Study: Pond Branch (POBR), McDonogh (MCDN), and Gwynns Falls at Gwynns Run (GFGR). Colonies present on Coliscan' agar plates, representative of a variety of colors and morphologies, were identified using sequencing of a 1100 – 1200 nt segment of the 16S rRNA gene. Over the one-year study period 528 colonies, representing ~ 176 per stream site, were analyzed. Predominating genera were Aeromonas, Enterobacter, Klebsiella, Escherichia, and Serratia. Of 175 colonies putatively identified as E. coli based on coloration, 45 (25%) were actually other genera, such as Buttiauxella, Shigella, Pseudomonas, and Enterobacter. In addition to Shigella, other potential pathogens cultured from the water samples included Salmonella typhi and Yersinia entercolitica. Using a repetitive element-based PCR assay, diversity among isolates for given stream was examined; for Y. enterocolitica, diversity between streams was comparatively low, while for E. coli, diversity among isolates within a stream was comparatively high. Overall, the data obtained from this study will increase our understanding of bacterial diversity and species richness in different stream habitats sampled under the auspices of the BES.