First isolation of microorganisms from the gut diverticulum of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae): new perspectives for an insect-bacteria association

• Main Authors: Desiely Silva Gusmão, Adão Valmir Santos, Danyelle Cristine Marini, Érica de Souza Russo, Anelise Maria Dias Peixoto, Maurício Bacci Júnior, Marília Amorim Berbert-Molina, Francisco José Alves Lemos
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde 2007-12-01
• Series: Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz.
• Subjects: Aedes aegypti; gut diverticulum; microbiota; Serratia sp
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0074-02762007000800005

We show for the first time that the ventral diverticulum of the mosquito gut (impermeable sugar storage organ) harbors microorganisms. The gut diverticulum from newly emerged and non-fed Aedes aegypti was dissected under aseptic conditions, homogenized and plated on BHI medium. Microbial isolates were identified by sequencing of 16S rDNA for bacteria and 28S rDNA for yeast. A direct DNA extraction from Ae. aegypti gut diverticulum was also performed. The bacterial isolates were: Bacillus sp., Bacillus subtilis and Serratia sp. The latter was the predominant bacteria found in our isolations. The yeast species identified was Pichia caribbica.