Isolation and Identification of Pathogenic Bacteria in the Digestive Microbiota of Aquatic Beetles

Insects, leading the

richest group in terms of species diversity in the world of living organisms,

display the largest diversity in terms of feeding, habitat and adaptation to

different living environments. In addition to studies related to the use of

insects in the search for alternative foods in the world in general, the focus

has been on toxicologic and pathogenic research about insects. The habitats of

aquatic beetles are basically the water sources used for both agricultural and

drinking water, so aquatic beetles gain further importance. Aquatic insects

from the families Helophoridae and Hydrophiliae were collected from different

localities in Erzurum and surroundings. After 17 beetle’s species were identified and its

digestive tracts were dissected under aseptic conditions and microbiological

analyses were performed. Isolates were identified by analyzing molecular and

conventional data together. In addition to conventional analyses, 16S rDNA gene

sequences were amplified with PCR reaction and DNA sequencing analyses were

performed. After BLAST analysis of the obtained DNA sequences, GenBank accession

numbers were obtained. In this study, the aim was to identify definite and

potential human pathogens in bacteria isolated from the intestinal microbiota

cultures, characterized with conventional and molecular methods, of insects

among the aquatic beetles.<o:p></o:p>