ARS | Publication request: PURE CULTURE AND PCR ANALYSES OF SULFATE-REDUCING BACTERIA FROM SWINE FECES AND STORED SWINE MANURE

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: June 9, 2004
Publication Date: June 9, 2004
Citation: Whitehead, T.R., Cook, K.L., Cotta, M.A. 2004. Pure culture and pcr analyses of sulfate-reducing bacteria from swine feces and stored swine manure [abstract]. Reproduction Nutrition Development. 44(1):S32.

Technical Abstract: Storage of swine manure from large-scale swine facilities results in the microbiological production of a variety of odorous compounds, including ammonia, organic acids and alcohols, and sulfides. Such odors can create a nuisance to local populace and may contribute to health problems for swine facility workers and animals. Production of hydrogen sulfide, a particularly odorous compound, is associated with the presence of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), but little is known about the population of SRB in the swine intestinal tract and stored swine manure. Swine feces and stored swine manure from a local facility were used as a potential source of SRB. Serial dilutions from the feces and manure, using Postgate's medium, was used to enrich for SRB, then pure cultures were isolated by streaking on Postgate-agar medium. Total DNA was isolated from the fecal suspension, swine manure slurry, enrichment cultures, and isolated pure cultures for use in direct PCR of the dissimilitory sulfite reductase A (dsrA) gene for phylogenetic analyses, as well as 16S rDNA sequence analyses of pure cultures. Pure culture isolates from feces and manure were presumptively identified as Desulfovibrio species by both 16S rDNA and dsrA sequence analyses. However, direct PCR and sequencing of the dsrA gene from total DNA isolated from the manure slurry also indicated the presence of Desulfobulbus-like SRB as well as Desulfovibiro-like SRB. These results suggest that molecular methods could be developed to monitor different populations of SRB in manure following alterations in swine diet as well as variations in manure handling operations.