Diet-related composition of the gut microbiota of Lumbricus rubellus as revealed by a molecular fingerprinting technique and cloning

Interactions between earthworms and microorganisms are essential for the functioning of soil ecosystems as they affect organic matter degradation and nutrient cycling. This is also true for the alpine region, where socio-economic changes lead to the increasing abandonment of pastures, which in turn, causes a considerable shift in the diet of saprotrophic invertebrates and thus impacts food web and decomposition processes. To enhance our understanding of how this diet shift influences earthworms and associated microorganisms, we studied the gut content and cast microbiota of Lumbricus rubellus (Lumbricidae, Oligochaeta), a key macrodecomposer on alpine pastureland in the Central Alps. A feeding experiment with L. rubellus and three different food sources that represent the vegetation shift from an alpine pasture to an abandoned site was set up. Earthworms were collected in the field, transferred to a climate chamber and fed with cow manure, dwarf shrub or grass litter for six weeks. PCR-DGGE (Polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis) analysis of the DNA extracted from the substrates, the earthwormsʹ gut contents and casts revealed that the gut and cast microbiota was strongly influenced by the food source ingested. Cloning of bacterial 16S rRNA gene fragments demonstrated that the intestinal content was dominated by Proteobacteria, especially from the Gamma-subclass, followed by members of the phyla Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria and Firmicutes. In contrast, Actinobacteria were detected abundantly in all samples types when a cultivation approach was used. In conclusion, the gut microbiota of L. rubellus was shown to be substantially affected by the food source ingested, suggesting that this essential macrodecomposer is exposed to the diet shift resulting from a land-use change in the alpine area.