Analysis of the evolution of microbial communities associated with different cultures of rotifer strains belonging to different cryptic species of the Brachionus plicatilis species complex

The evolution of the composition of microbial communities associated with cultures of 3 different strains belonging to different cryptic species of the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis was monitored during four subsequent cycles of batch cultivation using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, cluster analysis, multidimensional scaling and principal component analysis. The data suggest that the evolving microbial communities are different with different B. plicatilis strain cultures. Moreover, large changes in rotifer growth rate were found to be associated with large changes in the microbial community composition, suggesting that there might be a causal link. Finally, Lorenz curves and Gini-coefficient analysis revealed that good performing B. plicatilis cultures showed a more even microbial community structure.