ARS | Publication request: WHO'S THERE?-COMMUNITY ANALYSES OF BACTERIA IN SWINE FECES AND WASTE HANDLING PITS USING PCR AND PURE CULTURE ISOLATION

Submitted to: American Society of Animal Science Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: July 23, 1999
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Storage of swine waste is associated with the production of a variety of odorous compounds. Although the generation of these chemicals is the result of microbiological activity, little is known about the types of microorganisms responsible for their production. Fecal and waste storage pit samples were collected from a local swine production facility. For pit tsamples, total colony counts on medium containing clarified swine slurry were 2-20 times higher than those obtained on rumen fluid medium. In contrast, the highest counts for fecal samples were obtained on rumen fluid containing medium. Antibiotic resistant organisms were found in all samples, and the level of resistance ranged from 4% erythromycin resistance in 6 ft pit samples to 32% tylosin resistance in 3 ft pit samples. Randomly selected colonies from the highest dilutions were isolated. Similarity analyses of 16S rDNA sequences derived from the bacteria indicated the presence of primarily low G+C Gram-positive bacteria, such a Clostridium sp., Streptococcus sp., and Lactobacillus sp. in both pit and fecal samples. Total DNA was also isolated from the fecal and pit samples. DNA sequence analyses of PCR amplified 16S rDNA genes were carried out to identify predominant bacteria. Similarity analyses of the 16S sequences indicated the presence of primarily low G+C Gram-positive bacteria, such as Clostridium sp., Streptococcus sp., and Lactobacillus sp. in both ecosystems. A variety of methanogenic archaebacteria were identified from the pit DNA. A large number of unidentified sequences were also found. These results indicate that the primary eubacteria identified in swine feces and waste pits are low G+C, Gram-positive bacteria.