Characterization and ecology of carboxymethylcellulase-producing anaerobic bacterial communities associated with the intestinal tract of the pinfish, Lagodon rhomboides

Abstract

Carboxymethylcellulase (CMCase)-producing obligate anaerobes were isolated from the intestinal tract contents but not the feeding habitat of seagrass- consuming pinfish. Taxonomic characterization of these CMCase-producing strains revealed four taxonomic clusters; three were clostridial and one was of unknown taxonomic affinity. Our results demonstrated that the CMCase- producing obligate anaerobe community from pinfish differed from functionally similar microbial communities in terrestrial herbivores.