Bacterial Community Diversity in Quagga Mussels (Dreissena bugensis) Using 16S Ribosomal DNA

Melissa Parrott
Hanover College
Mentor: Dr. James Maki

The quagga mussel (Dreissena bugensis) is an invasive species to the Great Lakes.  There is no information in the literature regarding the community of bacteria that are able to colonize this mussel.  We examined the Bacterial community of four quagga mussels from Lake Michigan using molecular techniques including DNA extraction, amplification of the 16S rDNA using Bacterial domain specific primers and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), cloning and Amplified Ribosomal DNA Restriction Analysis (ARDRA).  We hypothesized that different mussels collected from the same area would have a number of common Bacterial colonizers.  After PCR amplification of extracted DNA, 34 to 46 16S rDNA clones from each mussel were examined using ARDRA.  Each unique restriction pattern was considered a phylotype.  The data showed shared phylotypes in all four clone libraries, indicating the mussels had common Bacterial inhabitants and supported the hypothesis.  Unique phylotypes from the DNA extracted from the mussels indicated that each individual mussel possesses its own distinct Bacterial community.  Rarefaction and coverage (Good’s C) curves estimated that the Bacterial community of each mussel was greater than what has so far been analyzed.  Further clones will be generated and examined to gain a more accurate assessment of the Bacterial diversity in quagga mussels.  The 16S rDNA from unique phylotypes will be sequenced and analyzed phylogenetically.  Determining Bacterial community diversity will allow for greater understanding of the interactions the mussels have with their environment and their effect on total ecosystem function and health.
 

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