Structure Of Microflora Research Articles

The Dynamic Distribution of Small-Tail Han Sheep Microbiota across Different Intestinal Segments.

The sheep intestinal tract is characterized by a diverse microbial ecosystem that is vital for the host to digest diet material. The importance of gut microbiota (GM) of animals has also been widely acknowledged because of its pivotal roles in the health and well-being of animals. However, there are no relevant studies on GM of small-tail Han sheep, a superior mutton variety domestic in China. In this study, the structure and distribution of gut microflora were studied by high-throughput sequencing technology. Results showed a significant difference between jejunum and cecum, jejunum, and rectum. Meanwhile, the cecum and rectum not only display higher species richness but also exhibit higher similarity of the bacterial diversity than that of the jejunum based on the results of abundance-based coverage estimator (ACE), Chao1, and Shannon indexes. Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were the predominant phyla in cecum and rectum, while higher relative abundances of Firmicutes and Cyanobacteria were observed in jejunum. At the genus level, Bacteroidetes, Ruminococcus, Lactobacillus, Flavonifractor, and Clostridium were the dominant genera in the cecum and rectum. An obvious dynamic distribution of Lactobacillus is continuously decreasing from the jejunum to the cecum, then to the rectum, whereas the result of Bacteroides is completely inverse. In addition, this study also found many kinds of bacteria associated with the production of volatile fatty acids (VFA) colonized in the large intestine. This study is the first to investigate the distribution of intestinal flora in small-tail Han sheep. The findings provide an important indication for diagnosis and treatment of intestinal diseases in small-tail Han sheep, as well as offer a direction for the development of intestinal microecological preparations.

Mikroflora’s changes at gunshot wounds in the nearest postoperative period

Relevance of a subject. Wounds of a neck are among not the most widespread, according to literature such wounds happen in 5-10% in peace time and in 0,5-3% in military, at the same time lethality reaches 32,5%. Research objective. To study changes of microflora at gunshot wounds in the next postoperative period at gunshot wounds and their influence on development of complications. Materials and methods. For the solution of a goal the analysis of changes of microflora of wound contents at 348 patients was carried out. From all arrived wounded were distributed as follows: gunshot wounds of a breast have been noted at 127 (36,4%) wounded, gunshot wounds of a neck - at 86 (24,7%), the combined wounds of a breast and neck - at 135 (38,7%) wounded. All patients were male, average age 36 ± 7 years. In the majority of observations - 235 (67,5%) there were bullet wounds, fragmentation wounds have been registered in 113 (32,4%) observations. Single wounds have been noted in 279 (80,1%), multiple - in 69 (19,8%) observations. Results. As a result of the conducted research it is established that a condition of microflora at wounds of a breast depends on time of delivery of the wounded in medical institution. In case of receipt monocultures, in comparison with the data obtained at the wounded brought after 1 hour where associations of microorganisms prevailed till 1 o'clock. Some features as a part of microflora are revealed, however, essential changes in structure of microflora depending on time of delivery haven't been received. It should be noted that in the majority of observations the carried-out antibacterial therapy can be referred to irrational as antibiotics were appointed without sensitivity. In dynamics it is established that changes of microflora are noted, since fifth postoperative days.

Effect of Curcumin on the Diversity of Gut Microbiota in Ovariectomized Rats.

Curcumin has been proven to have a weight-loss effect in a menopausal rat model induced by ovariectomy. However, the effects of curcumin on gut microfloral communities of ovariectomized (OVX) rats remains unclear. Here, we used high-throughput 16S rDNA sequencing to explore the effects of curcumin on microbial diversity in the gut of OVX rats. Female Wistar rats were subjected to either ovariectomy or a sham operation (SHAM group). The OVX rats were treated with vehicle (OVX group) or curcumin (CUR group) by oral gavage. After 12-week treatments, the weights of the bodies and uteri of rats were recorded, the levels of estradiol in the serum were assayed by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA). Then, the fragments encompassing V3–V4 16S rDNA hypervariable regions were PCR amplified from fecal samples, and the PCR products of V3–V4 were sequenced on an Illumina MiSeq for characterization of the gut microbiota. Our results showed that, compared to rats in the SHAM group, rats in the OVX group had more weight gain and lower levels of estradiol in the serum, and curcumin could cause significant weight loss in OVX rats but did not increase the levels of estradiol. Sequencing results revealed the presence of 1120, 1114, and 1119 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) found in the SHAM, OVX, and CUR groups, respectively. The percentage of shared OTUs was 86.1603%. Gut microbiota of rats from the SHAM or CUR group had higher levels of biodiversity and unevenness estimations than those from the OVX group. At the phyla level, compared to rats in SHAM group, rats in the OVX group had a higher ratio of phyla Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes in the gut; at the genus level, four differential gut microbiota (Incertae_Sedis, Anaerovorax, Anaerotruncus, and Helicobacter) between SHAM and OVX groups were found, whereas seven differential gut microbiota (Serratia, Anaerotruncus, Shewanella, Pseudomonas, Papillibacter, Exiguobacterium, and Helicobacter) between OVX and CUR groups were found. In conclusion, estrogen deficiency induced by ovariectomy caused changes in the distribution and structure of intestinal microflora in rats, and curcumin could partially reverse changes in the diversity of gut microbiota.

The Effect of Millet Porridge on the Structure of Intestinal Microflora in Mice

This study was carried out with whole nutritional millet porridge, supernatant of millet porridge and pellet of millet porridge as raw materials, and analyzed the effects of different components of millet porridge on intestinal microflora in mice. Compared with the control group, the number of intestinal flora in the experimental group showed significant difference on the 28th day after gavage. The number of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus which conferring beneficial effects to human increased significantly, but E. coli, Enterococcus and Bacteroides which conferring harmful effects to human reduced significantly, which implied that millet porridge inhibits harmful bacteria but promotes beneficial bacteria growth. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, cluster analysis and sequencing results showed that, both differences and similarities were found in the intestinal flora diversity among the experimental groups. Compared with the control group, gavage of millet porridge increased the diversity of beneficial bacteria in the intestine of mice. These results suggested that millet porridge can regulate the intestinal microflora in mice and maintain the intestinal environment health.

СТРУКТУРА МИКРОБИОЦЕНОЗА ГРУДНЫХ ДЕТЕЙ – ПАЦИЕНТОВ НАЦИОНАЛЬНОГО ГОСПИТАЛЯ ПЕДИАТРИИ Г. ХАНОЙ, СРВ

The results of studies of the microflora structure isolated from mucous pharynx and rectum of newborn patients of intensive care unit of National Hospital of Pediatrics, Hanoi, are presented. It is shown that the structure of microbiocenosis of children receiving treatment in an infectious separation unit for all groups of bacteria is different from microbiocenosis of children of noninfectious unit.

Microbial population of the digestive tract of click beetle larvae (Elateridae, Coleoptera)

The composition and functional structure of the intestinal microflora of three wireworm species (Agriotes obscurus (L.), Selatosomus aeneus (L.), and Ampedus pomorum (Herbst)) with different dietary regimes were studied. The total abundance of the microorganisms was evaluated by fluorescent microscopy, the group composition was assessed by inoculation on a solid glucose-peptone-yeast medium, and the functional diversity was estimated by multisubstrate testing. It was noted that, in the intestine of the larvae, the total number of microorganisms was lower by 1-2 orders of magnitude than in the soil and decaying wood. It was found that the composition of the intestinal microbial communities of wireworms was radically different from that of the substrate: the Bray-Curtis coefficient did not exceed 0.25. It was found that native forms accounted for more than half of the total number of saprotrophic bacteria: in the larvae, gram-positive cocci, enterobacteria, Vibrionaceae, Acinetobacter, and some genera of coryneform bacteria, which were absent in the soil and wood, prevailed. The micromycetes were either absent (Agriotes) or were found in insignificant quantities (Selatosomus, Ampedus). In Selatosomus, apart from the intestinal forms, representatives of Mezorhizobium, No- cardioides, and Erwinia, occurring on plant substrates, were observed.

Fluorescently labeled bacteria provide insight on post-mortem microbial transmigration

Microbially mediated mechanisms of human decomposition begin immediately after death, and are a driving force for the conversion of a once living organism to a resource of energy and nutrients. Little is known about post-mortem microbiology in cadavers, particularly the community structure of microflora residing within the cadaver and the dynamics of these communities during decomposition. Recent work suggests these bacterial communities undergo taxa turnover and shifts in community composition throughout the post-mortem interval. In this paper we describe how the microbiome of a living host changes and transmigrates within the body after death thus linking the microbiome of a living individual to post-mortem microbiome changes. These differences in the human post-mortem from the ante-mortem microbiome have demonstrated promise as evidence in death investigations. We investigated the post-mortem structure and function dynamics of Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium perfringens after intranasal inoculation in the animal model Mus musculus L. (mouse) to identify how transmigration of bacterial species can potentially aid in post-mortem interval estimations. S. aureus was tracked using in vivo and in vitro imaging to determine colonization routes associated with different physiological events of host decomposition, while C. perfringens was tracked using culture-based techniques. Samples were collected at discrete time intervals associated with various physiological events and host decomposition beginning at 1h and ending at 60 days post-mortem. Results suggest that S. aureus reaches its highest concentration at 5–7 days post-mortem then begins to rapidly decrease and is undetectable by culture on day 30. The ability to track these organisms as they move in to once considered sterile space may be useful for sampling during autopsy to aid in determining post-mortem interval range estimations, cause of death, and origins associated with the geographic location of human remains during death investigations.

ВИДОВИЙ СКЛАД ПАТОГЕННОЇ ТА УМОВНО-ПАТОГЕННОЇ МІКРОФЛОРИ У ХВОРИХ НА ГОСТРІ КИШКОВІ ІНФЕКЦІЇ У ДНІПРОПЕТРОВСЬКОМУ РЕГІОНІ

<p><em>За даними бактеріологічних досліджень, показано склад патогенних ентеробактерій та умовно-патогенної мікрофлори у хворих на гострі кишкові інфекції, які проходили стаціонарне лікування в умовах інфекційної лікарні м. Дніпропетровськ у 2013-2014 рр. Вивчено спектр чутливості сальмонел до «класичних кишкових» антибіотиків. Сальмонели виявили чутливість до цефтриаксону, цефотаксиму, цефтазидиму, ципрофлоксацину та були стійкі до гентаміцину, доксицикліну та левоміцетину. Результати дослідження сприятимуть уявленню про розповсюдженість збудників гострих кишкових інфекцій у сучасних умовах та допоможуть практичному лікареві у призначенні емпіричної терапії хворим на гострі кишкові інфекції або з синдромом гострого гастроентероколіту до отримання результатів лабораторних досліджень у своїх пацієнтів.</em></p><p><strong><em>Ключові слова:</em></strong><em> гострі кишкові інфекції, мікробний пейзаж, сальмонели, шигели, ешерихії, умовно-патогенна мікрофлора.</em></p>

Subchronic Exposure of Mice to Cadmium Perturbs Their Hepatic Energy Metabolism and Gut Microbiome.

Cadmium (Cd) is an environmental pollutant known to cause liver damage; however, the mechanisms of its hepatotoxicity remain poorly understood. In this study, the effects of subchronic exposure in mice to low doses of Cd on energy metabolism and the gut microbiome were evaluated. The exposure of mice to 10 mg/L Cd supplied in drinking water for 10 weeks increased hepatic triacylglycerol (TG), serum free fatty acid (FFA), and TG levels. The mRNA levels of several key genes involved in both de novo FFA synthesis and transport pathways and in TG synthesis in the liver also increased significantly in the Cd-treated mice, indicating that alterations of these genes may be a possible mechanism to explain subchronic Cd exposure induced hepatic toxicity at a molecular level. As for the gut microbiome, at the phylum level, the amounts of Firmicutes and γ-proteobacteria decreased significantly in the feces after 4 weeks of Cd exposure, and the quantity of Firmicutes decreased significantly in the cecum contents after 10 weeks of Cd exposure. In addition, 16S rRNA gene sequencing further revealed that Cd exposure significantly perturbed the gut microflora structure and richness at family and genus levels. The alteration of gut microbiome composition might result in an increase in serum lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and induce hepatic inflammation, which may indirectly cause perturbations of energy homeostasis after Cd exposure. Taken together, the present study indicated that subchronic Cd exposure caused the dysregulation of energy metabolism and changed the gut microbiome composition in mice.

СОВРЕМЕННЫЙ ПОДХОД К ФУНКЦИОНАЛЬНОМУ ПИТАНИЮ ДЕТЕЙ ПЕРВОГО ГОДА ЖИЗНИ.

<p>У статті розглядаються<br />аспекти функціонального харчування дітей раннього віку з метою профілактики та лікування дисбіозів кишечника.<br />Серед значної кількості несприятливих факторів, які впливають на здоров'я дитини, особливе місце займає<br />нераціональне харчування. Порушення в організації вигодовування дітей першого року життя є однією з провідних<br />причин поширеності аліментарнозалежних захворювань. Оптимальним продуктом харчування для дітей перших<br />місяців життя є материнське молоко, яке відповідає особливостям дитячої травної системи та обміну речовин,<br />забезпечує адекватний розвиток дитячого організму при раціональному харчуванні матері-годувальниці. На<br />даний час поширеність і тривалість грудного вигодовування не настільки високі, діти часто переводяться на<br />штучне та частково грудне вигодовування. Це створює передумови для формування порушень мікробіоценозу<br />кишечника за умов використання неадаптованих молочних сумішей. Одним із можливих шляхів вирішення<br />проблеми дисбіозів у дітей раннього віку є використання високоадаптованих молочних сумішей, збагачених<br />пребіотиками. Додаткове введення пребіотиків до складу молочних сумішей дозволяє відтворити дію<br />олігосахаридів грудного молока, нормалізувати склад мікрофлори кишечника та оптимізувати процеси травлення.</p>

INTESTINAL MICROBIOCENOSIS, FOOD TOLERANCE AND FOOD ALLERGY. CURRENT STATE OF A PROBLEM

In the review of modern literature the influence of a bacterial factor, first of all — indigenous microflora — on formation of food tolerance and immune answer of a child as a whole is in detail considered. Formation of a microbiocenosis, food and autogenic tolerance happens under the general laws. In this process the primary colonization of intestines and formation of a microflora variety which, as results of the last researches show, comes to an end by 2–4 years of life of a child has special value. In the review the major factors influencing the formation of a child intestinal microbiota both antenatal and postnatal and for the first years of life, and also their interaction are considered. The influence of a bacterial factor on formation of food tolerance and sensibilization processes, and also mechanisms of this influence is in detail discussed. The data on features of a structure of intestinal microflora at children with food allergy including the results of own researches devoted to microbiocenosis at children with food allergy and to development of tactics of management of children with this pathology are provided. The main directions and possibilities of dietary influence on biocenosis structure at children with this pathology are considered.

Disrupted Intestinal Microbiota and Intestinal Inflammation in Children with Cystic Fibrosis and Its Restoration with Lactobacillus GG: A Randomised Clinical Trial

Background & AimsIntestinal inflammation is a hallmark of cystic fibrosis (CF). Administration of probiotics can reduce intestinal inflammation and the incidence of pulmonary exacerbations. We investigated the composition of intestinal microbiota in children with CF and analyzed its relationship with intestinal inflammation. We also investigated the microflora structure before and after Lactobacillus GG (LGG) administration in children with CF with and without antibiotic treatment.MethodsThe intestinal microbiota were analyzed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Intestinal inflammation was assessed by measuring fecal calprotectin (CLP) and rectal nitric oxide (rNO) production in children with CF as compared with healthy controls. We then carried out a small double-blind randomized clinical trial with LGG.ResultsTwenty-two children with CF children were enrolled in the study (median age, 7 years; range, 2–9 years). Fecal CLP and rNO levels were higher in children with CF than in healthy controls (184±146 µg/g vs. 52±46 µg/g; 18±15 vs. 2.6±1.2 µmol/L NO2 −, respectively; P<0.01). Compared with healthy controls, children with CF had significantly different intestinal microbial core structures. The levels of Eubacterium rectale, Bacteroides uniformis, Bacteroides vulgatus, Bifidobacterium adolescentis, Bifidobacterium catenulatum, and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii were reduced in children with CF. A similar but more extreme pattern was observed in children with CF who were taking antibiotics. LGG administration reduced fecal CLP and partially restored intestinal microbiota. There was a significant correlation between reduced microbial richness and intestinal inflammation.ConclusionsCF causes qualitative and quantitative changes in intestinal microbiota, which may represent a novel therapeutic target in the treatment of CF. Administration of probiotics restored gut microbiota, supporting the efficacy of probiotics in reducing intestinal inflammation and pulmonary exacerbations.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT 01961661

Функціональний стан клубової кишки, вміст катіонних білків і цинку в клітинах панета щурів при введенні лінкоміцину, індометацину та метотрексату

In the paper the relation between the changes of a functional condition of ileum, composition of its microflora and secretory activity of Paneth cells has been investigated. Administration of lincomycin led to a reduction of total of symbiotic bacteria and appearance of opportunistic microflora. Statistically insignificant changes of speed of transit of intestinal contents and damage of barrier function of an intestinal epithelium were noted. The intestinal epithelium was characterized by signs of inflammation. Administration of indomethacin and methotrexate led to significant changes of a functional state of a small intestine of rats. The speed of transit of intestinal contents following indomethacin administration increased by 30%, and, on the contrary, decreased by 90% following administration of methotrexate. The ability of epithelium of ileum to adsorb vital dye in both cases increased (by 32 and 51%, respectively) indicating the damage of barrier function. Thus there were significant changes in structure of microflora of ileum: reduction of quantity symbiotic and emergence of opportunistic microflora, a translocation of bacteria to a mucous wall. It was concluded that animal of all three experimental groups had a reduction of the contents of cationic proteins and zinc in the secretory granules of Paneth cells. These results can testify that balance changes between simbiotic and opportunistic microflora are a factor which has an impact on intestine damage and also causes activation of secretory function of Paneth cells.

Functions of intestinal microflora in children

This review discusses the structural composition of intestinal microbiota, the functional relationship between the latter and the host, and the role of abnormal microflora in chronic diseases. A more complete view of the gut microbiota is being developed following the Human Microbiome Project. The microflora in children is plastic, susceptible to changes in response to diet modifications, antibiotic treatment and other events, providing the opportunity to study its functional role. Increasing evidence highlights the role of nutrition in the age-related development of microflora. Eubiosis, that is, a normal microflora structure, provides protection against infections, educates the immune system, ensures tolerance to foods, and contributes to nutrient digestion and energy harvest. Changes in microflora, consisting in the overpresence of harmful species or underpresence of commensal species, or dysbiosis produce dysfunctions, such as intestinal inflammation or dysmotility. Moreover abnormal pattern of microflora have been consistently detected in specific diseases. A relationship exists between eubiosis and functions and conversely between dysbiosis and dysfunctions or even diseases. Abnormalities in microflora composition may trigger or contribute to specific diseases. This raises the hypothesis to target microflora in order to restore eubiosis through the use of antibiotics, probiotics or nutrients.

Degradation of Nonylphenol Polyethoxylates and its Microflora Structure in an Anoxic-Oxic Activated Sludge Process

An anoxic-oxic activated sludge process (AOASP) was carried out to degrade nonylphenol polyethoxylates (NPEOs). The carbon source in influent was replaced stepwise by a mixture of nonylphenol decaethoxylate (M-NP10EO). The 2nd-derivative UV-spectrometry was applied to determine the total amount of M-NP10EO in water samples. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency achieves about 85% under the highest M-NP10EO loading rate, and M-NP10EO removal efficiency is about 80%. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) results of activated sludges show that the microbe species decrease but gradually stabilize with the increase of M-NP10EO concentration in influent. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) results of activated sludges showe that the dominant microflora under the highest M-NP10EO loading rate is β-Proteobacteria (35%), followed by α-Proteobacteria (15%), γ-Proteobacteria (5%) and Actinobateria (4%).

Effects of probiotics and antibiotics on diversity and structure of intestinal microflora in broiler chickens

Probitics and antibiotics are all used as growth promoters in domestic animal breeding and poultry raising. In the present study, the effects of probiotics and antibiotics on structure and diversity of the intestinal microflora of broiler 817 was investigated. Ammonia and sulfured hydrogen in fecal were detected. Then the intestinal microflora was analyzed by the pour plate method and polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) analysis. The results showed that the probiotics used significantly reduced the fecal emission of ammonia and sulfured hydrogen in broilers, and increased the number of lactic acid bacteria whereas antibiotics reduced it. Diversity analysis of cecal microflora by PCR-DGGE DNA fingerprinting revealed that the richness and variety of microflora in probiotics were obviously better than that in antibiotics group and control group. Key words: Probitics, intestinal microflora, polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE), diversity.

Influence of Pythium oligandrum on the bacterial communities that colonize the nutrient solutions and the rhizosphere of tomato plants

The influence exerted by the biocontrol oomycete Pythium oligandrum on the bacterial populations proliferating in the rhizosphere of tomato plants grown in a hydroponic system and in the circulating solutions is studied in the present experiment. Quantitative PCR and single-strand conformation polymorphism were used to investigate the genetic structure and dynamics of the bacterial communities colonizing the root systems and the various circulating solutions. Quantitative PCR assays showed that bacteria heavily colonized the rhizosphere of tomato plants with, however, no significant density changes throughout the cultural season (April-September). Single strand conformation polymorphism fingerprints revealed the occurrence of transient perturbations in the rhizospheric indigenous bacterial communities following P.oligandrum introduction in the root system of plants. This effect was, however, transient and did not persist until the end of the cropping season. Interestingly, the genetic structure of the bacterial microflora colonizing either the roots or the nutrient solutions evolved throughout the cropping season. This temporal evolution occurred whatever the presence and persistence of P.oligandrum in the rhizosphere. Evidence is also provided that bacterial microflora that colonize the root system are different from the ones colonizing the circulating solutions. The relationships between these 2 microflora (at the root and solution levels) are discussed.

INFLUENCE OF THE MILK FORMULA ENRICHED WITH BIFIDOBACTERIA STRAIN BB12 ON DEVELOPMENT OF INTESTINAL MICROFLORA IN NEWBORNS

The study deals with qualitative and quantitative structure of normal intestinal microflora in newborns before and after feeding with the formula «Agusha Gold 1» containing the strain B. lactis BB12. The specific structure of the intestinal bifidobacreria is studied in detail by means of the real-time polymerase chain reaction. It was demonstrated, that during the feeding with this formula there was a tendency towards development of the microbiota and specific structure of the intestinal bifidobacteria similar to those of the breast-fed children.

Impacts of human lysozyme transgene on the microflora of pig feces and the surrounding soil

The rapid development of genetic engineering and extensive applications of genetically engineered (GE) animals have provided many research benefits, but concerns have been raised over the potential environmental impact of transgenic animals. We investigated the effects of human lysozyme (hLZ) transgenic pigs which can express hLZ in their mammary glands on the surrounding environment from the angle of the changes of pig feces and the surrounding soil, including the probability of horizontal gene transfer (HGT), the impact on microbial communities in pig gastrointestinal (GI) tracts and soil, and the influence on the total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) content of pig excrement and surrounding soil. Results showed that hLZ gene was not detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or quantitative real-time PCR (Q-PCR) in gut microbial DNA extracts of manure or microbial DNA extracts of topsoil. PCR-Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) analysis and 16S rDNA sequence analysis showed that hLZ gene had no impact on the microflora structure of pig guts or soil. Finally, TN and TP contents were not significantly different in pig manure or soils taken at different distances from the pig site (P>0.25).

Dysbiosis in Epizootic Shell Disease of the American Lobster (Homarus americanus)

Epizootic shell disease (ESD) in the American lobster (Homarus americanus) is continuing to affect the southern New England lobster population, and the etiology of the disease has not been well defined. We hypothesized that a dysbiotic shift in the shell microbial biofilm played a key part in the etiology of the disease. We analyzed the community structure of the surface microflora of apparently healthy and diseased lobsters using multitag pyrosequencing to correlate the abundance of key taxa within the lesions. Discriminant analysis (DA) was used to identify taxa in the microbial community that were associated with diseased and healthy states. Among the 170 bacterial taxa that were identified, 58 were helpful in determining the diseased and healthy states. The remaining 112 were not significantly different between the 2 states. The genus Aquimarina was present in high abundance in both healthy and diseased lobsters, but had a significantly higher abundance on animals in the diseased state. However, DA demonstrated that this genus does not strongly discriminate between the diseased and healthy state. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that there was significant strain diversity of this genus in all the samples analyzed. Our results indicate that the lesions seen in ESD may be viewed as being correlated with a polymicrobial component rather than being caused by a discrete pathogen.