Protist microbiota of Planorbidae snails

Microbial communities associated to macroorganisms might influence host development and homeostasis. Many studies highlighted the diversity and distribution of prokaryotes within these assemblages. However, the diversity of microbial eukaryotes remains almost unknown. We developed blocking and specific primers to analyze protist communities associated to several ramshorn snail strains, reducing the amplification of host DNA. These mollusks are hosts for human parasites of the Schistosoma genus. We believe that these primer sets also offer new possibilities to study the hidden diversity of Mollusca microbiota.