Bat guano-dwelling microbes and antimicrobial properties of the pygidial gland secretion of a troglophilic ground beetle against them

Abstract

Bat guano is an important source of microbial diversity in caves and can be a source of potential pathogens. Laemostenus (Pristonychus) punctatus is a guanophilic ground beetle species, which pygidial gland secretion exhibits action against pathogenic and other microbes. The distribution and diversity of microbes in bat guano from a karstic cave were determined in this study. Additionally, antimicrobial activity of the pygidial gland secretion of L. (P.) punctatus against guano-dwelling microbes was tested; minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and chemical composition of the secretion were analyzed. In total, 63 different bacterial species and 16 fungal morphotypes were isolated from guano samples by the cultivation method and confirmed using and phenotypic characterization and molecular identification. There was a difference in the composition of certain microorganisms between the sampling points (cave locations) and between the guano layers. The largest number of bacterial isolates belongs to the genera Lysinibacillus and Paenibacillus, while Pseudomonas species were highly abundant at the innermost sampling point. For the guanophilic fungi, the majority are ascomycetes, with Penicillium and Aspergillus as the most dominant genera. Meyerozyma guilliermondii was the only yeast species found in the guano samples. The most sensitive isolates were Enterococcus eurekensis (MIC 0.007 mg/mL) and Escherichia fergusonii (MIC 0.028 mg/mL). The most sensitive fungal isolates were M. guilliermondii, Penicillium expansum, and Trichoderma harzianum (MIC 0.15 mg/mL). This study opens a new possibility for better understanding of ecological relations between microorganisms and troglophilic ground beetles and for detailed investigations of morpho-anatomical aspects of pygidial glands.