Bacterial diversity of the Yellow River Taisui by 16S rRNA gene sequencing

Abstract:

[Background] Taisui has a history of use in China dating to ancient times. In Shennong Bencaojing, it is listed as a medicine capable of supporting healthy qi, strengthening the body’s constitution and promoting longevity. However, as an organism, its constituents and classification are still unclear causing inadequate identification of its medicinal value. It is highly necessary to analyze its components objectively using modern biological analytical techniques. [Objective] To determine the existence of prokaryotes in Taisui, and to analyze the types of bacteria and the relationships among them. [Methods] The Illumina MiSeq 2×250 platform was used to carry out sequencing of V4 regions of the 16S rRNA gene of bacteria in the Yellow River Taisui. FLASH and other software packages were used to analyze the data. [Results] A total of 626 operational taxonomical units were found, involving 19 phyla, 49 classes, 80 orders, 107 families, and 112 genera. The top 10 dominant bacteria at the genus level were found to be Bacteroides, Coprococcus, Escherichia, Ruminococcus, Lactobacillus, [Ruminococcus], Oscillospira, Faecalibacterium, Shewanella, and Halomonas. [Conclusion] There are different microbial communities of bacteria in the Yellow River Taisui.