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Evaluation of temperature gradient gel electrophoresis for the analysis of prey DNA within the guts of invertebrate predators

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

G.L. Harper ,
S.K. Sheppard ,
J.D. Harwood ,
D.S. Read ,
D.M. Glen ,
M.W. Bruford  and
W.O.C. Symondson
G.L. Harper
Affiliation:
Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, PO Box 915, Cardiff, CF10 3TL, UK
S.K. Sheppard
Affiliation:
Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, PO Box 915, Cardiff, CF10 3TL, UK
J.D. Harwood
Affiliation:
Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, PO Box 915, Cardiff, CF10 3TL, UK
D.S. Read
Affiliation:
Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, PO Box 915, Cardiff, CF10 3TL, UK
D.M. Glen
Affiliation:
IACR-Long Ashton Research Station, Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Bristol, Long Ashton, Bristol, BS41 9AF, UK
M.W. Bruford
Affiliation:
Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, PO Box 915, Cardiff, CF10 3TL, UK
W.O.C. Symondson*
Affiliation:
Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, PO Box 915, Cardiff, CF10 3TL, UK
*
*Fax: 029 20 874305 E-mail: Symondson@Cardiff.ac.uk
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Abstract

The utility of temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TGGE) as a means of analysing the gut contents of predators was evaluated. Generalist predators consume multiple prey species and a species-specific primer approach may not always be a practical means of analysing predator responses to prey diversity in complex and biodiverse ecosystems. General invertebrate primers were used to amplify the gut contents of predators, generating banding patterns that identified component prey remains. There was no evidence of dominance of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) by predator DNA. When applied to field samples of the carabid predator Pterostichus melanarius (Illiger) nine banding patterns were detected, including one for aphids. To further distinguish between species, group-specific primers were designed to separate species of earthworm and aphid. TGGE of the earthworm PCR products generated banding patterns that varied with haplotype in some species. Aphid and earthworm DNA could be detected in the guts of carabids for up to 24 h using TGGE. In P. melanarius, with low numbers of prey per insect gut (mean < 3), interpretation of banding patterns proved to be tractable. Potential problems of interpretation of TGGE gels caused by multiple prey bands, cryptic bands, haplotype variation, taxonomic uncertainties (especially with regard to earthworms), secondary predation, scavenging and presence of parasites and parasitoids in the prey or the predators, are discussed. The results suggest that PCR, using combinations of general invertebrate and group-specific primers followed by TGGE, provides a potentially useful approach to the analysis of multiple uncharacterized prey in predators.

Keywords

aphidcarabid beetleearthwormgut content analysispredator–prey interactionsPterostichus melanarius
Type
Review Article
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 96 , Issue 3 , June 2006 , pp. 295 - 304
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2006

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