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Collembola gut passage shapes microbial communities in faecal pellets but not viability of dietary algal cells

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Abstract

Microarthropods are known as vectors for soil microorganisms, predominantly fungi. This laboratory study uses the widespread unicellular green algae Chlorella vulgaris as model to assess the role of Collembola in algal dispersal and to determine the effects of gut passage on propagation. Living algal cells were observed in 70 % of the faecal pellets of Folsomia candida, Heteromurus nitidus and Protaphorura fimata. Moreover, marker fatty acids for green algae, i.e. 16:2ω6,9 and 16:3ω3,6,9, were consistently detected in the pellets. Compared to the algal diet, the high content of methyl-branched total lipid fatty acid (TLFA) with hydroxyl substitution indicated microbial colonisation during gut passage. The TLFA profile of faeces revealed no species-specific differences but similar changes in microbial communities over the duration of feeding, indicating comparable indigenous bacteria and colonisation mechanisms during gut passage. In sum, faecal pellets of soil microarthropods such as Collembola can act as a vector for both dietary algae and specific gut-associated microorganisms, with the latter likely involved in resource degradation inside and outside the gut habitat.

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Acknowledgments

We thank W. Wosnoik for his helpful comments in statistical analysing, P. Heese for her excellent technical assistance, R. Nehring for his much-appreciated help with fatty acid analysis by GC-mass spectrometry and J. Seeger for linguistic correction.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department 10, General and Theoretical Ecology, University of Bremen, UFT Center for Environmental Research and Sustainable Technology, Leobener Str, 28359, Bremen, Germany

    Thomas Buse & Juliane Filser

  2. Institute of Biology, Ecology Group, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Philippstraße 13, 10115, Berlin, Germany

    Liliane Ruess

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  1. Thomas Buse
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  2. Liliane Ruess
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  3. Juliane Filser
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Correspondence to Thomas Buse.

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Handling Editor: Michael Heethoff.

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Buse, T., Ruess, L. & Filser, J. Collembola gut passage shapes microbial communities in faecal pellets but not viability of dietary algal cells. Chemoecology 24, 79–84 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00049-013-0145-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00049-013-0145-y

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