Robustness of the bacterial community in the cabbage white butterfly larval midgut.

ABSTRACT: Microbial communities typically vary in composition and structure over space and time. Little is known about the inherent characteristics of communities that govern various drivers of these changes, such as random variation, changes in response to perturbation, or susceptibility to invasion. In this study, we use 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequences to describe variation among bacterial communities in the midguts of cabbage white butterfly (Pieris rapae) larvae and examine the influence of community structure on susceptibility to invasion. We compared communities in larvae experiencing the same conditions at different times (temporal variation) or fed different diets (perturbation). The most highly represented phylum was Proteobacteria, which was present in all midgut communities. The observed

SUBMITTER: Robinson CJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2836246 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature