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Yang Q, Ling J, Zhang Y, Zhou W, Wei Z, Li J, Zhang Y, Dong J, Qian P. Microbial nitrogen removal in reef-building corals: A light-sensitive process. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 359:142394. [PMID: 38777199 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Scleractinian corals are the main framework-building groups in tropical coral reefs. In the coral holobiont, nitrogen-cycling mediated by microbes is fundamental for sustaining the coral reef ecosystems. However, little direct evidence characterizing the activities of microbial nitrogen removal via complete denitrification and anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) in stony corals has been presented. In this study, multiple incubation experiments using 15N-tracer were conducted to identify and characterize N2 production by denitrification and anammox in the stony coral Pocillopora damicornis. The rates of denitrification and anammox were recorded up to 0.765 ± 0.162 and 0.078 ± 0.009 nmol N2 cm-2 h-1 respectively. Denitrification contributed the majority (∼90%) of N2 production by microbial nitrogen removal in stony corals. The microbial nitrogen removal activities showed diel rhythms, which might correspond to photosynthetic oxygen production. The N2 production rates of anammox and denitrification increased with incubation time. To the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to confirm and characterize the activities of complete denitrification and anammox in stony corals via stable isotope techniques. This study extends the understanding on nitrogen-cycling in coral reefs and how it participates in corals' resilience to environmental stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingsong Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Ocean Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
| | - Juan Ling
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China; Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Weiguo Zhou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhangliang Wei
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
| | - Jie Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanying Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China; Ocean School, Yantai University, Yantai, China.
| | - Junde Dong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China; Tropical Marine Biological Research Station in Hainan, CAS-HKUST Sanya Joint Laboratory of Marine Science Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Hainan Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Biotechnology, Sanya, China; Shantou Marine Plants Experiment Station, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shantou, China.
| | - Peiyuan Qian
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China; Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China; Department of Ocean Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
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2
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Vohsen SA, Herrera S. Coral microbiomes are structured by environmental gradients in deep waters. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOME 2024; 19:38. [PMID: 38858739 PMCID: PMC11165896 DOI: 10.1186/s40793-024-00579-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Coral-associated microbiomes vary greatly between colonies and localities with functional consequences on the host. However, the full extent of variability across the ranges of most coral species remains unknown, especially for corals living in deep waters which span greater ranges. Here, we characterized the microbiomes of four octocoral species from mesophotic and bathyal deep-sea habitats in the northern Gulf of Mexico, Muricea pendula, Swiftia exserta, Callogorgia delta, and Paramuricea biscaya, using 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding. We sampled extensively across their ranges to test for microbiome differentiation between and within species, examining the influence of environmental factors that vary with depth (53-2224 m) and geographic location (over 680 m) as well as the host coral's genotype using RAD-sequencing. RESULTS Coral microbiomes were often dominated by amplicon sequence variants whose abundances varied across their hosts' ranges, including symbiotic taxa: corallicolids, Endozoicomonas, members of the Mollicutes, and the BD1-7 clade. Coral species, depth, and geographic location significantly affected diversity, microbial community composition, and the relative abundance of individual microbes. Depth was the strongest environmental factor determining microbiome structure within species, which influenced the abundance of most dominant symbiotic taxa. Differences in host genotype, bottom temperature, and surface primary productivity could explain a significant part of the microbiome variation associated with depth and geographic location. CONCLUSIONS Altogether, this work demonstrates that the microbiomes of corals in deep waters vary substantially across their ranges in accordance with depth and other environmental conditions. It reveals that the influence of depth on the ecology of mesophotic and deep-sea corals extends to its effects on their microbiomes which may have functional consequences. This work also identifies the distributions of microbes including potential parasites which can be used to inform restoration plans in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel A Vohsen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA.
- Lehigh Oceans Research Center, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA.
| | - Santiago Herrera
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA.
- Lehigh Oceans Research Center, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA.
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3
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Ju H, Zhang J, Zou Y, Xie F, Tang X, Zhang S, Li J. Bacteria undergo significant shifts while archaea maintain stability in Pocillopora damicornis under sustained heat stress. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 250:118469. [PMID: 38354884 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Global warming reportedly poses a critical risk to coral reef ecosystems. Bacteria and archaea are crucial components of the coral holobiont. The response of archaea associated with warming is less well understood than that of the bacterial community in corals. Also, there have been few studies on the dynamics of the microbial community in the coral holobiont under long-term heat stress. In order to track the dynamic alternations in the microbial communities within the heat-stressed coral holobiont, three-week heat-stress monitoring was carried out on the coral Pocillopora damicornis. The findings demonstrate that the corals were stressed at 32 °C, and showed a gradual decrease in Symbiodiniaceae density with increasing duration of heat stress. The archaeal community in the coral holobiont remained relatively unaltered by the increasing temperature, whereas the bacterial community was considerably altered. Sustained heat stress exacerbated the dissimilarities among parallel samples of the bacterial community, confirming the Anna Karenina Principle in animal microbiomes. Heat stress leads to more complex and unstable microbial networks, characterized by an increased average degree and decreased modularity, respectively. With the extension of heat stress duration, the relative abundances of the gene (nifH) and genus (Tistlia) associated with nitrogen fixation increased in coral samples, as well as the potential pathogenic bacteria (Flavobacteriales) and opportunistic bacteria (Bacteroides). Hence, our findings suggest that coral hosts might recruit nitrogen-fixing bacteria during the initial stages of suffering heat stress. An environment that is conducive to the colonization and development of opportunistic and pathogenic bacteria when the coral host becomes more susceptible as heat stress duration increases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huimin Ju
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China; Sanya National Marine Ecosystem Research Station, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yiyang Zou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China
| | - Feiyang Xie
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China
| | - Xiaoyu Tang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Si Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China; Sanya National Marine Ecosystem Research Station, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, 511458, China
| | - Jie Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China; Sanya National Marine Ecosystem Research Station, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
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4
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Lima LFO, Alker AT, Morris MM, Edwards RA, de Putron SJ, Dinsdale EA. Pre-Bleaching Coral Microbiome Is Enriched in Beneficial Taxa and Functions. Microorganisms 2024; 12:1005. [PMID: 38792833 PMCID: PMC11123844 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12051005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Coral reef health is tightly connected to the coral holobiont, which is the association between the coral animal and a diverse microbiome functioning as a unit. The coral holobiont depends on key services such as nitrogen and sulfur cycling mediated by the associated bacteria. However, these microbial services may be impaired in response to environmental changes, such as thermal stress. A perturbed microbiome may lead to coral bleaching and disease outbreaks, which have caused an unprecedented loss in coral cover worldwide, particularly correlated to a warming ocean. The response mechanisms of the coral holobiont under high temperatures are not completely understood, but the associated microbial community is a potential source of acquired heat-tolerance. Here we investigate the effects of increased temperature on the taxonomic and functional profiles of coral surface mucous layer (SML) microbiomes in relationship to coral-algal physiology. We used shotgun metagenomics in an experimental setting to understand the dynamics of microbial taxa and genes in the SML microbiome of the coral Pseudodiploria strigosa under heat treatment. The metagenomes of corals exposed to heat showed high similarity at the level of bacterial genera and functional genes related to nitrogen and sulfur metabolism and stress response. The coral SML microbiome responded to heat with an increase in the relative abundance of taxa with probiotic potential, and functional genes for nitrogen and sulfur acquisition. Coral-algal physiology significantly explained the variation in the microbiome at taxonomic and functional levels. These consistent and specific microbial taxa and gene functions that significantly increased in proportional abundance in corals exposed to heat are potentially beneficial to coral health and thermal resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laís F. O. Lima
- Marine Biology, Scripps Institute of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA;
- San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
| | - Amanda T. Alker
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, SA 5045, USA;
| | - Megan M. Morris
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA;
| | - Robert A. Edwards
- Flinders Accelerator Microbiome Exploration, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia;
| | | | - Elizabeth A. Dinsdale
- Flinders Accelerator Microbiome Exploration, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia;
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5
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Messer LF, Bourne DG, Robbins SJ, Clay M, Bell SC, McIlroy SJ, Tyson GW. A genome-centric view of the role of the Acropora kenti microbiome in coral health and resilience. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2902. [PMID: 38575584 PMCID: PMC10995205 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46905-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Microbial diversity has been extensively explored in reef-building corals. However, the functional roles of coral-associated microorganisms remain poorly elucidated. Here, we recover 191 bacterial and 10 archaeal metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) from the coral Acropora kenti (formerly A. tenuis) and adjacent seawater, to identify microbial functions and metabolic interactions within the holobiont. We show that 82 MAGs were specific to the A. kenti holobiont, including members of the Pseudomonadota, Bacteroidota, and Desulfobacterota. A. kenti-specific MAGs displayed significant differences in their genomic features and functional potential relative to seawater-specific MAGs, with a higher prevalence of genes involved in host immune system evasion, nitrogen and carbon fixation, and synthesis of five essential B-vitamins. We find a diversity of A. kenti-specific MAGs encode the biosynthesis of essential amino acids, such as tryptophan, histidine, and lysine, which cannot be de novo synthesised by the host or Symbiodiniaceae. Across a water quality gradient spanning 2° of latitude, A. kenti microbial community composition is correlated to increased temperature and dissolved inorganic nitrogen, with corresponding enrichment in molecular chaperones, nitrate reductases, and a heat-shock protein. We reveal mechanisms of A. kenti-microbiome-symbiosis on the Great Barrier Reef, highlighting the interactions underpinning the health of this keystone holobiont.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren F Messer
- Centre for Microbiome Research, School of Biomedical Sciences, Translational Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4102, Australia.
- Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, Scotland, UK.
| | - David G Bourne
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD, 4810, Australia
| | - Steven J Robbins
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Megan Clay
- Centre for Microbiome Research, School of Biomedical Sciences, Translational Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Sara C Bell
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD, 4810, Australia
| | - Simon J McIlroy
- Centre for Microbiome Research, School of Biomedical Sciences, Translational Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Gene W Tyson
- Centre for Microbiome Research, School of Biomedical Sciences, Translational Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4102, Australia.
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6
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Ravindran C, Irudayarajan L, Raveendran HP. Possible beneficial interactions of ciliated protozoans with coral health and resilience. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0121723. [PMID: 37702497 PMCID: PMC10617535 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01217-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial interactions contribute significantly to coral health in the marine environment. Most beneficial associations have been described with their bacterial communities, but knowledge of beneficial associations between protozoan ciliates and corals is still lacking. Ciliates are important bacterial predators and provide nutrition to higher trophic-level organisms. The mucus secreted by corals and the microenvironment of the coral surface layer attract ciliates based on their food preferences. The mixotrophic and heterotrophic ciliates play a major role in nutrient cycling by increasing nitrogen, phosphorus, and extractable sulfur, which can enhance the proliferation of coral beneficial microbe. Besides, bacterial predator ciliates reduce the pathogenic bacterial population that infects the coral and also act as bioindicators for assessing the toxicity of the reef ecosystem. Thus, these ciliates can be used as a beneficial partner in influencing coral health and resilience under various stress conditions. Herein, we explore the urgent need to understand the complex beneficial interactions of ciliates that may occur in the coral reef ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chinnarajan Ravindran
- Biological Oceanography Division, CSIR - National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Lawrance Irudayarajan
- Biological Oceanography Division, CSIR - National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Haritha P. Raveendran
- Biological Oceanography Division, CSIR - National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa, India
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7
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Mannochio-Russo H, Swift SOI, Nakayama KK, Wall CB, Gentry EC, Panitchpakdi M, Caraballo-Rodriguez AM, Aron AT, Petras D, Dorrestein K, Dorrestein TK, Williams TM, Nalley EM, Altman-Kurosaki NT, Martinelli M, Kuwabara JY, Darcy JL, Bolzani VS, Wegley Kelly L, Mora C, Yew JY, Amend AS, McFall-Ngai M, Hynson NA, Dorrestein PC, Nelson CE. Microbiomes and metabolomes of dominant coral reef primary producers illustrate a potential role for immunolipids in marine symbioses. Commun Biol 2023; 6:896. [PMID: 37653089 PMCID: PMC10471604 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05230-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The dominant benthic primary producers in coral reef ecosystems are complex holobionts with diverse microbiomes and metabolomes. In this study, we characterize the tissue metabolomes and microbiomes of corals, macroalgae, and crustose coralline algae via an intensive, replicated synoptic survey of a single coral reef system (Waimea Bay, O'ahu, Hawaii) and use these results to define associations between microbial taxa and metabolites specific to different hosts. Our results quantify and constrain the degree of host specificity of tissue metabolomes and microbiomes at both phylum and genus level. Both microbiome and metabolomes were distinct between calcifiers (corals and CCA) and erect macroalgae. Moreover, our multi-omics investigations highlight common lipid-based immune response pathways across host organisms. In addition, we observed strong covariation among several specific microbial taxa and metabolite classes, suggesting new metabolic roles of symbiosis to further explore.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Mannochio-Russo
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Organic Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, São Paulo State University, Araraquara, SP, 14800-060, Brazil.
| | - Sean O I Swift
- Daniel K. Inouye Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education, Department of Oceanography and Sea Grant College Program, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA.
| | - Kirsten K Nakayama
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Christopher B Wall
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
- Ecology Behavior and Evolution Section, Department of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Emily C Gentry
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Morgan Panitchpakdi
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Andrés M Caraballo-Rodriguez
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Allegra T Aron
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Denver, Denver, CO, 80210, USA
| | - Daniel Petras
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Cluster of Excellence "Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections" (CMFI), University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Kathleen Dorrestein
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | | | - Taylor M Williams
- Marine Option Program, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Eileen M Nalley
- Hawai'i Sea Grant College Program, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Noam T Altman-Kurosaki
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, 311 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | | | - Jeff Y Kuwabara
- Marine Option Program, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - John L Darcy
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Vanderlan S Bolzani
- Department of Biochemistry and Organic Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, São Paulo State University, Araraquara, SP, 14800-060, Brazil
| | - Linda Wegley Kelly
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, CA, USA
| | - Camilo Mora
- Geography, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Joanne Y Yew
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Anthony S Amend
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Margaret McFall-Ngai
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Nicole A Hynson
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Pieter C Dorrestein
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Craig E Nelson
- Daniel K. Inouye Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education, Department of Oceanography and Sea Grant College Program, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
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8
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Pei PT, Liu L, Jing XL, Liu XL, Sun LY, Gao C, Cui XH, Wang J, Ma ZL, Song SY, Sun ZH, Wang CY. Meta-analysis reveals variations in microbial communities from diverse stony coral taxa at different geographical distances. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1087750. [PMID: 37520377 PMCID: PMC10374221 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1087750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Coral-associated microbial communities play a vital role in underpinning the health and resilience of reef ecosystems. Previous studies have demonstrated that the microbial communities of corals are affected by multiple factors, mainly focusing on host species and geolocation. However, up-to-date, insight into how the coral microbiota is structured by vast geographic distance with rich taxa is deficient. In the present study, the coral microbiota in six stony coral species collected from the coastal area of three countries, including United States of America (USA), Australia and Fiji, was used for analysis. It was found that the geographic influence on the coral microbiota was stronger than the coral host influence, even though both were significant. Interestingly, the contribution of the deterministic process to bacterial community composition increased as geographical distance grew. A total of 65 differentially abundant features of functions in coral microbial communities were identified to be associated with three geolocations. While in the same coastal area of USA, the similar relationship of coral microbiota was consistent with the phylogenetic relationship of coral hosts. In contrast to the phylum Proteobacteria, which was most abundant in other coral species in USA, Cyanobacteria was the most abundant phylum in Orbicella faveolata. The above findings may help to better understand the multiple natural driving forces shaping the coral microbial community to contribute to defining the healthy baseline of the coral microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng-Tao Pei
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, The Ministry of Education of China, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- School of Pharmacy, Fujian Health College, Fuzhou, China
- Single-Cell Center, Chinese Academy of Science Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
- Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts, National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Qingdao, China
| | - Lu Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Fujian Health College, Fuzhou, China
- Single-Cell Center, Chinese Academy of Science Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao-Li Jing
- High Performance Computing and System Simulation Platform, National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Qingdao, China
| | - Xiao-Lu Liu
- Single-Cell Center, Chinese Academy of Science Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lu-Yang Sun
- Single-Cell Center, Chinese Academy of Science Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chen Gao
- Single-Cell Center, Chinese Academy of Science Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiao-Han Cui
- Single-Cell Center, Chinese Academy of Science Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Single-Cell Center, Chinese Academy of Science Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
- Department of Mathematics, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Zhong-Lian Ma
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, The Ministry of Education of China, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts, National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Qingdao, China
| | - Shu-Yue Song
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, The Ministry of Education of China, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts, National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Qingdao, China
| | - Zhi-Hua Sun
- Department of Mathematics, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Chang-Yun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, The Ministry of Education of China, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts, National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Qingdao, China
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9
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Mohamed AR, Ochsenkühn MA, Kazlak AM, Moustafa A, Amin SA. The coral microbiome: towards an understanding of the molecular mechanisms of coral-microbiota interactions. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2023; 47:fuad005. [PMID: 36882224 PMCID: PMC10045912 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuad005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Corals live in a complex, multipartite symbiosis with diverse microbes across kingdoms, some of which are implicated in vital functions, such as those related to resilience against climate change. However, knowledge gaps and technical challenges limit our understanding of the nature and functional significance of complex symbiotic relationships within corals. Here, we provide an overview of the complexity of the coral microbiome focusing on taxonomic diversity and functions of well-studied and cryptic microbes. Mining the coral literature indicate that while corals collectively harbour a third of all marine bacterial phyla, known bacterial symbionts and antagonists of corals represent a minute fraction of this diversity and that these taxa cluster into select genera, suggesting selective evolutionary mechanisms enabled these bacteria to gain a niche within the holobiont. Recent advances in coral microbiome research aimed at leveraging microbiome manipulation to increase coral's fitness to help mitigate heat stress-related mortality are discussed. Then, insights into the potential mechanisms through which microbiota can communicate with and modify host responses are examined by describing known recognition patterns, potential microbially derived coral epigenome effector proteins and coral gene regulation. Finally, the power of omics tools used to study corals are highlighted with emphasis on an integrated host-microbiota multiomics framework to understand the underlying mechanisms during symbiosis and climate change-driven dysbiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amin R Mohamed
- Biology Program, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi 129188, United Arab Emirates
| | - Michael A Ochsenkühn
- Biology Program, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi 129188, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ahmed M Kazlak
- Systems Genomics Laboratory, American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
- Biotechnology Graduate Program, American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Ahmed Moustafa
- Systems Genomics Laboratory, American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
- Biotechnology Graduate Program, American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
- Department of Biology, American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Shady A Amin
- Biology Program, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi 129188, United Arab Emirates
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology (CGSB), New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi 129188, United Arab Emirates
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10
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Tandon K, Ricci F, Costa J, Medina M, Kühl M, Blackall LL, Verbruggen H. Genomic view of the diversity and functional role of archaea and bacteria in the skeleton of the reef-building corals Porites lutea and Isopora palifera. Gigascience 2022; 12:giac127. [PMID: 36683362 PMCID: PMC9868349 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giac127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
At present, our knowledge on the compartmentalization of coral holobiont microbiomes is highly skewed toward the millimeter-thin coral tissue, leaving the diverse coral skeleton microbiome underexplored. Here, we present a genome-centric view of the skeleton of the reef-building corals Porites lutea and Isopora palifera, through a compendium of ∼400 high-quality bacterial and archaeal metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), spanning 34 phyla and 57 classes. Skeletal microbiomes harbored a diverse array of stress response genes, including dimethylsulfoniopropionate synthesis (dsyB) and metabolism (DMSP lyase). Furthermore, skeletal MAGs encoded an average of 22 ± 15 genes in P. lutea and 28 ± 23 in I. palifera with eukaryotic-like motifs thought to be involved in maintaining host association. We provide comprehensive insights into the putative functional role of the skeletal microbiome on key metabolic processes such as nitrogen fixation, dissimilatory and assimilatory nitrate, and sulfate reduction. Our study provides critical genomic resources for a better understanding of the coral skeletal microbiome and its role in holobiont functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kshitij Tandon
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Australia
| | - Francesco Ricci
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Australia
- Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Joana Costa
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Australia
| | - Mónica Medina
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Michael Kühl
- Marine Biological Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, DK-3000 Helsingør, Denmark
| | - Linda L Blackall
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Australia
| | - Heroen Verbruggen
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Australia
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11
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Lima LFO, Alker AT, Papudeshi B, Morris MM, Edwards RA, de Putron SJ, Dinsdale EA. Coral and Seawater Metagenomes Reveal Key Microbial Functions to Coral Health and Ecosystem Functioning Shaped at Reef Scale. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2022:10.1007/s00248-022-02094-6. [PMID: 35965269 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-022-02094-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The coral holobiont is comprised of a highly diverse microbial community that provides key services to corals such as protection against pathogens and nutrient cycling. The coral surface mucus layer (SML) microbiome is very sensitive to external changes, as it constitutes the direct interface between the coral host and the environment. Here, we investigate whether the bacterial taxonomic and functional profiles in the coral SML are shaped by the local reef zone and explore their role in coral health and ecosystem functioning. The analysis was conducted using metagenomes and metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) associated with the coral Pseudodiploria strigosa and the water column from two naturally distinct reef environments in Bermuda: inner patch reefs exposed to a fluctuating thermal regime and the more stable outer reefs. The microbial community structure in the coral SML varied according to the local environment, both at taxonomic and functional levels. The coral SML microbiome from inner reefs provides more gene functions that are involved in nutrient cycling (e.g., photosynthesis, phosphorus metabolism, sulfur assimilation) and those that are related to higher levels of microbial activity, competition, and stress response. In contrast, the coral SML microbiome from outer reefs contained genes indicative of a carbohydrate-rich mucus composition found in corals exposed to less stressful temperatures and showed high proportions of microbial gene functions that play a potential role in coral disease, such as degradation of lignin-derived compounds and sulfur oxidation. The fluctuating environment in the inner patch reefs of Bermuda could be driving a more beneficial coral SML microbiome, potentially increasing holobiont resilience to environmental changes and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laís F O Lima
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
- College of Biological Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Amanda T Alker
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Bhavya Papudeshi
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Megan M Morris
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, USA
| | - Robert A Edwards
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | | | - Elizabeth A Dinsdale
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
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12
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Corinaldesi C, Varrella S, Tangherlini M, Dell'Anno A, Canensi S, Cerrano C, Danovaro R. Changes in coral forest microbiomes predict the impact of marine heatwaves on habitat-forming species down to mesophotic depths. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 823:153701. [PMID: 35134420 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Global warming is causing the increase in intensity and frequency of heatwaves, which are often associated with mass mortality events of marine organisms from shallow and mesophotic rocky habitats, including gorgonians and other sessile organisms. We investigated the microbiome responses of the gorgonians Paramuricea clavata, Eunicella cavolini, and the red coral Corallium rubrum to the episodic temperature anomalies detected in the North Western Mediterranean, during August 2011. Although the investigated corals showed no signs of visible necrosis, the abundance of associated Bacteria and Archaea increased with increasing seawater temperature, suggesting their temperature-dependent proliferation. Coral microbiomes were highly sensitive to thermal anomaly amplitude and exhibited increased bacterial diversity to greater thermal shifts. This effect was explained by the decline of dominant bacterial members and the increase of new, rare and opportunistic taxa, including pathogens, revealing a direct effect of heatwave-induced alteration of the microbiomes and not a secondary consequence of coral necrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cinzia Corinaldesi
- Department of Materials, Environmental Sciences and Urban Planning, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy.
| | - Stefano Varrella
- Department of Materials, Environmental Sciences and Urban Planning, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Michael Tangherlini
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Fano Marine Centre, Viale Adriatico 1-N, 61032 Fano, Italy
| | - Antonio Dell'Anno
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Sara Canensi
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Carlo Cerrano
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Roberto Danovaro
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy; Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy
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13
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Haydon TD, Suggett DJ, Siboni N, Kahlke T, Camp EF, Seymour JR. Temporal Variation in the Microbiome of Tropical and Temperate Octocorals. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2022; 83:1073-1087. [PMID: 34331071 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-021-01823-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial members of the coral holobiont play an important role in determining coral fitness. However, most knowledge of the coral microbiome has come from reef-building scleractinian corals, with far less known about the nature and importance of the microbiome of octocorals (subclass Octocorallia), which contribute significantly to reef biodiversity and functional complexity. We examined the diversity and structure of the bacterial component of octocoral microbiomes over summer and winter, with a focus on two temperate (Erythropodium hicksoni, Capnella gaboensis; Sydney Harbour) and two tropical (Sinularia sp., Sarcophyton sp.; Heron Island) species common to reefs in eastern Australia. Bacterial communities associated with these octocorals were also compared to common temperate (Plesiastrea versipora) and tropical (Acropora aspera) hard corals from the same reefs. Using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, bacterial diversity was found to be heterogeneous among octocorals, but we observed changes in composition between summer and winter for some species (C. gaboensis and Sinularia sp.), but not for others (E. hicksoni and Sarcophyton sp.). Bacterial community structure differed significantly between all octocoral species within both the temperate and tropical environments. However, on a seasonal basis, those differences were less pronounced. The microbiomes of C. gaboensis and Sinularia sp. were dominated by bacteria belonging to the genus Endozoicomonas, which were a key conserved feature of their core microbiomes. In contrast to previous studies, our analysis revealed that Endozoicomonas phylotypes are shared across different octocoral species, inhabiting different environments. Together, our data demonstrates that octocorals harbour a broad diversity of bacterial partners, some of which comprise 'core microbiomes' that potentially impart important functional roles to their hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trent D Haydon
- Climate Change Cluster, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia.
| | - David J Suggett
- Climate Change Cluster, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Nachshon Siboni
- Climate Change Cluster, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Tim Kahlke
- Climate Change Cluster, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Emma F Camp
- Climate Change Cluster, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Justin R Seymour
- Climate Change Cluster, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia
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14
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Maire J, Buerger P, Chan WY, Deore P, Dungan AM, Nitschke MR, van Oppen MJH. Effects of Ocean Warming on the Underexplored Members of the Coral Microbiome. Integr Comp Biol 2022; 62:1700-1709. [PMID: 35259253 PMCID: PMC9801979 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The climate crisis is one of the most significant threats to marine ecosystems. It is leading to severe increases in sea surface temperatures and in the frequency and magnitude of marine heatwaves. These changing conditions are directly impacting coral reef ecosystems, which are among the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth. Coral-associated symbionts are particularly affected because summer heatwaves cause coral bleaching-the loss of endosymbiotic microalgae (Symbiodiniaceae) from coral tissues, leading to coral starvation and death. Coral-associated Symbiodiniaceae and bacteria have been extensively studied in the context of climate change, especially in terms of community diversity and dynamics. However, data on other microorganisms and their response to climate change are scarce. Here, we review current knowledge on how increasing temperatures affect understudied coral-associated microorganisms such as archaea, fungi, viruses, and protists other than Symbiodiniaceae, as well as microbe-microbe interactions. We show that the coral-microbe symbiosis equilibrium is at risk under current and predicted future climate change and argue that coral reef conservation initiatives should include microbe-focused approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Patrick Buerger
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia,Applied BioSciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Wing Yan Chan
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Pranali Deore
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Ashley M Dungan
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | | | - Madeleine J H van Oppen
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia,Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia
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15
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Glaze TD, Erler DV, Siljanen HMP. Microbially facilitated nitrogen cycling in tropical corals. THE ISME JOURNAL 2022; 16:68-77. [PMID: 34226659 PMCID: PMC8692614 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-021-01038-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Tropical scleractinian corals support a diverse assemblage of microbial symbionts. This 'microbiome' possesses the requisite functional diversity to conduct a range of nitrogen (N) transformations including denitrification, nitrification, nitrogen fixation and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA). Very little direct evidence has been presented to date verifying that these processes are active within tropical corals. Here we use a combination of stable isotope techniques, nutrient uptake calculations and captured metagenomics to quantify rates of nitrogen cycling processes in a selection of tropical scleractinian corals. Denitrification activity was detected in all species, albeit with very low rates, signifying limited importance in holobiont N removal. Relatively greater nitrogen fixation activity confirms that corals are net N importers to reef systems. Low net nitrification activity suggests limited N regeneration capacity; however substantial gross nitrification activity may be concealed through nitrate consumption. Based on nrfA gene abundance and measured inorganic N fluxes, we calculated significant DNRA activity in the studied corals, which has important implications for coral reef N cycling and warrants more targeted investigation. Through the quantification and characterisation of all relevant N-cycling processes, this study provides clarity on the subject of tropical coral-associated biogeochemical N-cycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas D Glaze
- Centre for Coastal Biogeochemistry Research, School of Environment Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, Australia.
| | - Dirk V Erler
- Centre for Coastal Biogeochemistry Research, School of Environment Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, Australia
| | - Henri M P Siljanen
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
- Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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16
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Silva DP, Epstein HE, Vega Thurber RL. Best practices for generating and analyzing 16S rRNA amplicon data to track coral microbiome dynamics. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1007877. [PMID: 36891260 PMCID: PMC9987214 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1007877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the past two decades, researchers have searched for methods to better understand the relationship between coral hosts and their microbiomes. Data on how coral-associated bacteria are involved in their host's responses to stressors that cause bleaching, disease, and other deleterious effects can elucidate how they may mediate, ameliorate, and exacerbate interactions between the coral and the surrounding environment. At the same time tracking coral bacteria dynamics can reveal previously undiscovered mechanisms of coral resilience, acclimatization, and evolutionary adaptation. Although modern techniques have reduced the cost of conducting high-throughput sequencing of coral microbes, to explore the composition, function, and dynamics of coral-associated bacteria, it is necessary that the entire procedure, from collection to sequencing, and subsequent analysis be carried out in an objective and effective way. Corals represent a difficult host with which to work, and unique steps in the process of microbiome assessment are necessary to avoid inaccuracies or unusable data in microbiome libraries, such as off-target amplification of host sequences. Here, we review, compare and contrast, and recommend methods for sample collection, preservation, and processing (e.g., DNA extraction) pipelines to best generate 16S amplicon libraries with the aim of tracking coral microbiome dynamics. We also discuss some basic quality assurance and general bioinformatic methods to analyze the diversity, composition, and taxonomic profiles of the microbiomes. This review aims to be a generalizable guide for researchers interested in starting and modifying the molecular biology aspects of coral microbiome research, highlighting best practices and tricks of the trade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise P Silva
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | - Hannah E Epstein
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
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17
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Maire J, Blackall LL, van Oppen MJH. Intracellular Bacterial Symbionts in Corals: Challenges and Future Directions. Microorganisms 2021; 9:2209. [PMID: 34835335 PMCID: PMC8619543 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9112209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Corals are the main primary producers of coral reefs and build the three-dimensional reef structure that provides habitat to more than 25% of all marine eukaryotes. They harbor a complex consortium of microorganisms, including bacteria, archaea, fungi, viruses, and protists, which they rely on for their survival. The symbiosis between corals and bacteria is poorly studied, and their symbiotic relationships with intracellular bacteria are only just beginning to be acknowledged. In this review, we emphasize the importance of characterizing intracellular bacteria associated with corals and explore how successful approaches used to study such microorganisms in other systems could be adapted for research on corals. We propose a framework for the description, identification, and functional characterization of coral-associated intracellular bacterial symbionts. Finally, we highlight the possible value of intracellular bacteria in microbiome manipulation and mitigating coral bleaching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Maire
- School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia; (L.L.B.); (M.J.H.v.O.)
| | - Linda L. Blackall
- School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia; (L.L.B.); (M.J.H.v.O.)
| | - Madeleine J. H. van Oppen
- School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia; (L.L.B.); (M.J.H.v.O.)
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia
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18
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King WL, Kaestli M, Siboni N, Padovan A, Christian K, Mills D, Seymour J, Gibb K. Pearl Oyster Bacterial Community Structure Is Governed by Location and Tissue-Type, but Vibrio Species Are Shared Among Oyster Tissues. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:723649. [PMID: 34434182 PMCID: PMC8381468 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.723649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Diseases of bivalves of aquacultural importance, including the valuable Australian silver-lipped pearl oyster (Pinctada maxima), have been increasing in frequency and severity. The bivalve microbiome is linked to health and disease dynamics, particularly in oysters, with putative pathogens within the Vibrio genus commonly implicated in oyster diseases. Previous studies have been biased toward the Pacific oyster because of its global dominance in oyster aquaculture, while much less is known about the microbiome of P. maxima. We sought to address this knowledge gap by characterizing the P. maxima bacterial community, and we hypothesized that bacterial community composition, and specifically the occurrence of Vibrio, will vary according to the sampled microenvironment. We also predicted that the inside shell swab bacterial composition could represent a source of microbial spillover biofilm into the solid pearl oyster tissues, thus providing a useful predictive sampling environment. We found that there was significant heterogeneity in bacterial composition between different pearl oyster tissues, which is consistent with patterns reported in other bivalve species and supports the hypothesis that each tissue type represents a unique microenvironment for bacterial colonization. We suggest that, based on the strong effect of tissue-type on the pearl oyster bacterial community, future studies should apply caution when attempting to compare microbial patterns from different locations, and when searching for disease agents. The lack of association with water at each farm also supported the unique nature of the microbial communities in oyster tissues. In contrast to the whole bacterial community, there was no significant difference in the Vibrio community among tissue types nor location. These results suggest that Vibrio species are shared among different pearl oyster tissues. In particular, the similarity between the haemolymph, inside shell and solid tissues, suggests that the haemolymph and inside shell environment is a source of microbial spillover into the oyster tissues, and a potentially useful tool for non-destructive routine disease testing and early warning surveillance. These data provide important foundational information for future studies identifying the factors that drive microbial assembly in a valuable aquaculture species.
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Affiliation(s)
- William L King
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Mirjam Kaestli
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia
| | - Nachshon Siboni
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Anna Padovan
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia
| | - Keith Christian
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia
| | - David Mills
- Genecology Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sunshine Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Justin Seymour
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Karen Gibb
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia
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19
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van der Zande RM, Mulders YR, Bender-Champ D, Hoegh-Guldberg O, Dove S. Asymmetric physiological response of a reef-building coral to pulsed versus continuous addition of inorganic nutrients. Sci Rep 2021; 11:13165. [PMID: 34162916 PMCID: PMC8222273 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-92276-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Coral reefs, especially those located near-shore, are increasingly exposed to anthropogenic, eutrophic conditions that are often chronic. Yet, corals under unperturbed conditions may frequently receive natural and usually temporary nutrient supplementation through biological sources such as fishes. We compared physiological parameters indicative of long- and short-term coral health (day and night calcification, fragment surface area, productivity, energy reserves, and tissue stoichiometry) under continuous and temporary nutrient enrichment. The symbiotic coral Acropora intermedia was grown for 7 weeks under continuously elevated (press) levels of ammonium (14 µmol L-1) and phosphate (10 µmol L-1) as separate and combined treatments, to discern the individual and interactive nutrient effects. Another treatment exposed A. intermedia twice-daily to an ammonium and phosphate pulse of the same concentrations as the press treatments to simulate natural biotic supplementation. Press exposure to elevated ammonium or phosphate produced mixed effects on physiological responses, with little interaction between the nutrients in the combined treatment. Overall, corals under press exposure transitioned resources away from calcification. However, exposure to nutrient pulses often enhanced physiological responses. Our findings indicate that while continuous nutrient enrichment may pose a threat to coral health, episodic nutrient pulses that resemble natural nutrient supplementation may significantly benefit coral health and physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rene M. van der Zande
- grid.1003.20000 0000 9320 7537Coral Reef Ecosystems Lab, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072 Australia ,grid.1003.20000 0000 9320 7537Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072 Australia ,grid.1003.20000 0000 9320 7537Global Change Institute, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Yannick R. Mulders
- grid.1003.20000 0000 9320 7537Coral Reef Ecosystems Lab, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Dorothea Bender-Champ
- grid.1003.20000 0000 9320 7537Coral Reef Ecosystems Lab, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072 Australia ,grid.1003.20000 0000 9320 7537Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072 Australia ,grid.1003.20000 0000 9320 7537Global Change Institute, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Ove Hoegh-Guldberg
- grid.1003.20000 0000 9320 7537Coral Reef Ecosystems Lab, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072 Australia ,grid.1003.20000 0000 9320 7537Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072 Australia ,grid.1003.20000 0000 9320 7537Global Change Institute, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Sophie Dove
- grid.1003.20000 0000 9320 7537Coral Reef Ecosystems Lab, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072 Australia ,grid.1003.20000 0000 9320 7537Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072 Australia
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20
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Röthig T, Puntin G, Wong JCY, Burian A, McLeod W, Baker DM. Holobiont nitrogen control and its potential for eutrophication resistance in an obligate photosymbiotic jellyfish. MICROBIOME 2021; 9:127. [PMID: 34078452 PMCID: PMC8173792 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-021-01075-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Marine holobionts depend on microbial members for health and nutrient cycling. This is particularly evident in cnidarian-algae symbioses that facilitate energy and nutrient acquisition. However, this partnership is highly sensitive to environmental change-including eutrophication-that causes dysbiosis and contributes to global coral reef decline. Yet, some holobionts exhibit resistance to dysbiosis in eutrophic environments, including the obligate photosymbiotic scyphomedusa Cassiopea xamachana. METHODS Our aim was to assess the mechanisms in C. xamachana that stabilize symbiotic relationships. We combined labelled bicarbonate (13C) and nitrate (15N) with metabarcoding approaches to evaluate nutrient cycling and microbial community composition in symbiotic and aposymbiotic medusae. RESULTS C-fixation and cycling by algal Symbiodiniaceae was essential for C. xamachana as even at high heterotrophic feeding rates aposymbiotic medusae continuously lost weight. Heterotrophically acquired C and N were readily shared among host and algae. This was in sharp contrast to nitrate assimilation by Symbiodiniaceae, which appeared to be strongly restricted. Instead, the bacterial microbiome seemed to play a major role in the holobiont's DIN assimilation as uptake rates showed a significant positive relationship with phylogenetic diversity of medusa-associated bacteria. This is corroborated by inferred functional capacity that links the dominant bacterial taxa (~90 %) to nitrogen cycling. Observed bacterial community structure differed between apo- and symbiotic C. xamachana putatively highlighting enrichment of ammonium oxidizers and nitrite reducers and depletion of nitrogen-fixers in symbiotic medusae. CONCLUSION Host, algal symbionts, and bacterial associates contribute to regulated nutrient assimilation and cycling in C. xamachana. We found that the bacterial microbiome of symbiotic medusae was seemingly structured to increase DIN removal and enforce algal N-limitation-a mechanism that would help to stabilize the host-algae relationship even under eutrophic conditions. Video abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Till Röthig
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR of China
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Giulia Puntin
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR of China
- Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Jane C. Y. Wong
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR of China
| | - Alfred Burian
- Marine Ecology Department, Lurio University, Nampula, Mozambique
- Department of Computational Landscape Ecology, UFZ– Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Wendy McLeod
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR of China
| | - David M. Baker
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR of China
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21
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Tilstra A, Roth F, El-Khaled YC, Pogoreutz C, Rädecker N, Voolstra CR, Wild C. Relative abundance of nitrogen cycling microbes in coral holobionts reflects environmental nitrate availability. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:201835. [PMID: 34109033 PMCID: PMC8170195 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.201835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Recent research suggests that nitrogen (N) cycling microbes are important for coral holobiont functioning. In particular, coral holobionts may acquire bioavailable N via prokaryotic dinitrogen (N2) fixation or remove excess N via denitrification activity. However, our understanding of environmental drivers on these processes in hospite remains limited. Employing the strong seasonality of the central Red Sea, this study assessed the effects of environmental parameters on the proportional abundances of N cycling microbes associated with the hard corals Acropora hemprichii and Stylophora pistillata. Specifically, we quantified changes in the relative ratio between nirS and nifH gene copy numbers, as a proxy for seasonal shifts in denitrification and N2 fixation potential in corals, respectively. In addition, we assessed coral tissue-associated Symbiodiniaceae cell densities and monitored environmental parameters to provide a holobiont and environmental context, respectively. While ratios of nirS to nifH gene copy numbers varied between seasons, they revealed similar seasonal patterns in both coral species, with ratios closely following patterns in environmental nitrate availability. Symbiodiniaceae cell densities aligned with environmental nitrate availability, suggesting that the seasonal shifts in nirS to nifH gene abundance ratios were probably driven by nitrate availability in the coral holobiont. Thereby, our results suggest that N cycling in coral holobionts probably adjusts to environmental conditions by increasing and/or decreasing denitrification and N2 fixation potential according to environmental nitrate availability. Microbial N cycling may, thus, extenuate the effects of changes in environmental nitrate availability on coral holobionts to support the maintenance of the coral-Symbiodiniaceae symbiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjen Tilstra
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Florian Roth
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Tvärminne Zoological Station, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Yusuf C. El-Khaled
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Claudia Pogoreutz
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Nils Rädecker
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christian R. Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Christian Wild
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
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22
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Brown T, Sonett D, Zaneveld JR, Padilla-Gamiño JL. Characterization of the microbiome and immune response in corals with chronic Montipora white syndrome. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:2591-2606. [PMID: 33763924 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Coral diseases have increased in frequency and intensity around the tropics worldwide. However, in many cases, little is known about their etiology. Montipora white syndrome (MWS) is a common disease affecting the coral Montipora capitata, a major reef builder in Hawai'i. Chronic Montipora white syndrome (cMWS) is a slow-moving form of the disease that affects M. capitata throughout the year. The effects of this chronic disease on coral immunology and microbiology are currently unknown. In this study, we use prophenoloxidase immune assays and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to characterize the microbiome and immunological response associated with cMWS. Our results show that immunological and microbiological responses are highly localized. Relative to diseased samples, apparently healthy portions of cMWS corals differed in immune activity and in the relative abundance of microbial taxa. Coral tissues with cMWS showed decreased tyrosinase-type catecholase and tyrosinase-type cresolase activity and increased laccase-type activity. Catecholase and cresolase activity were negatively correlated across all tissue types with microbiome richness. The localized effect of cMWS on coral microbiology and immunology is probably an important reason for the slow progression of the disease. This local confinement may facilitate interventions that focus on localized treatments on tissue types. This study provides an important baseline to understand the interplay between the microbiome and immune system and the mechanisms used by corals to manage chronic microbial perturbations associated with white syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya Brown
- School of Aquatic and Fisheries Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Dylan Sonett
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Washington, Bothell, Washington, USA
| | - Jesse R Zaneveld
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Washington, Bothell, Washington, USA
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23
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Discovery and quantification of anaerobic nitrogen metabolisms among oxygenated tropical Cuban stony corals. THE ISME JOURNAL 2021; 15:1222-1235. [PMID: 33342999 PMCID: PMC8115149 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-020-00845-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Coral reef health depends on an intricate relationship among the coral animal, photosynthetic algae, and a complex microbial community. The holobiont can impact the nutrient balance of their hosts amid an otherwise oligotrophic environment, including by cycling physiologically important nitrogen compounds. Here we use 15N-tracer experiments to produce the first simultaneous measurements of ammonium oxidation, nitrate reduction, and nitrous oxide (N2O) production among five iconic species of reef-building corals (Acropora palmata, Diploria labyrinthiformis, Orbicella faveolata, Porites astreoides, and Porites porites) in the highly protected Jardines de la Reina reefs of Cuba. Nitrate reduction is present in most species, but ammonium oxidation is low potentially due to photoinhibition and assimilatory competition. Coral-associated rates of N2O production indicate a widespread potential for denitrification, especially among D. labyrinthiformis, at rates of ~1 nmol cm-2 d-1. In contrast, A. palmata displays minimal active nitrogen metabolism. Enhanced rates of nitrate reduction and N2O production are observed coincident with dark net respiration periods. Genomes of bacterial cultures isolated from multiple coral species confirm that microorganisms with the ability to respire nitrate anaerobically to either dinitrogen gas or ammonium exist within the holobiont. This confirmation of anaerobic nitrogen metabolisms by coral-associated microorganisms sheds new light on coral and reef productivity.
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25
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Marchioro GM, Glasl B, Engelen AH, Serrão EA, Bourne DG, Webster NS, Frade PR. Microbiome dynamics in the tissue and mucus of acroporid corals differ in relation to host and environmental parameters. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9644. [PMID: 32874778 PMCID: PMC7439960 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Corals are associated with diverse microbial assemblages; however, the spatial-temporal dynamics of intra-species microbial interactions are poorly understood. The coral-associated microbial community varies substantially between tissue and mucus microhabitats; however, the factors controlling the occurrence, abundance, and distribution of microbial taxa over time have rarely been explored for different coral compartments simultaneously. Here, we test (1) differentiation in microbiome diversity and composition between coral compartments (surface mucus and tissue) of two Acropora hosts (A. tenuis and A. millepora) common along inshore reefs of the Great Barrier Reef, as well as (2) the potential linkage between shifts in individual coral microbiome families and underlying host and environmental parameters. Amplicon based 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing of 136 samples collected over 14 months, revealed significant differences in bacterial richness, diversity and community structure among mucus, tissue and the surrounding seawater. Seawater samples were dominated by members of the Synechococcaceae and Pelagibacteraceae bacterial families. The mucus microbiome of Acropora spp. was dominated by members of Flavobacteriaceae, Synechococcaceae and Rhodobacteraceae and the tissue was dominated by Endozoicimonaceae. Mucus microbiome in both Acropora species was primarily correlated with seawater parameters including levels of chlorophyll a, ammonium, particulate organic carbon and the sum of nitrate and nitrite. In contrast, the correlation of the tissue microbiome to the measured environmental (i.e., seawater parameters) and host health physiological factors differed between host species, suggesting host-specific modulation of the tissue-associated microbiome to intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Furthermore, the correlation between individual coral microbiome members and environmental factors provides novel insights into coral microbiome-by-environment dynamics and hence has potential implications for current reef restoration and management efforts (e.g. microbial monitoring and observatory programs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia M Marchioro
- University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal.,CCMAR - Centre of Marine Sciences, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal.,AIMS@JCU, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Bettina Glasl
- AIMS@JCU, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.,Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.,College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Queensland, Townsville, Australia
| | - Aschwin H Engelen
- CCMAR - Centre of Marine Sciences, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Ester A Serrão
- CCMAR - Centre of Marine Sciences, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - David G Bourne
- AIMS@JCU, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.,Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.,College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Queensland, Townsville, Australia
| | - Nicole S Webster
- AIMS@JCU, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.,Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.,Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Pedro R Frade
- CCMAR - Centre of Marine Sciences, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
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Roach TNF, Little M, Arts MGI, Huckeba J, Haas AF, George EE, Quinn RA, Cobián-Güemes AG, Naliboff DS, Silveira CB, Vermeij MJA, Kelly LW, Dorrestein PC, Rohwer F. A multiomic analysis of in situ coral-turf algal interactions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:13588-13595. [PMID: 32482859 PMCID: PMC7306781 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1915455117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Viruses, microbes, and host macroorganisms form ecological units called holobionts. Here, a combination of metagenomic sequencing, metabolomic profiling, and epifluorescence microscopy was used to investigate how the different components of the holobiont including bacteria, viruses, and their associated metabolites mediate ecological interactions between corals and turf algae. The data demonstrate that there was a microbial assemblage unique to the coral-turf algae interface displaying higher microbial abundances and larger microbial cells. This was consistent with previous studies showing that turf algae exudates feed interface and coral-associated microbial communities, often at the detriment of the coral. Further supporting this hypothesis, when the metabolites were assigned a nominal oxidation state of carbon (NOSC), we found that the turf algal metabolites were significantly more reduced (i.e., have higher potential energy) compared to the corals and interfaces. The algae feeding hypothesis was further supported when the ecological outcomes of interactions (e.g., whether coral was winning or losing) were considered. For example, coral holobionts losing the competition with turf algae had higher Bacteroidetes-to-Firmicutes ratios and an elevated abundance of genes involved in bacterial growth and division. These changes were similar to trends observed in the obese human gut microbiome, where overfeeding of the microbiome creates a dysbiosis detrimental to the long-term health of the metazoan host. Together these results show that there are specific biogeochemical changes at coral-turf algal interfaces that predict the competitive outcomes between holobionts and are consistent with algal exudates feeding coral-associated microbes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ty N F Roach
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, HI 96744;
- Biosphere 2, University of Arizona, Oracle, AZ 85739
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182
- Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182
| | - Mark Little
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182
- Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182
| | - Milou G I Arts
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, 1090 GE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), Utrecht University, 1790 AB, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T1Z4
| | - Joel Huckeba
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, 1090 GE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Andreas F Haas
- Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), Utrecht University, 1790 AB, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Emma E George
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T1Z4
| | - Robert A Quinn
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823
| | | | | | - Cynthia B Silveira
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182
- Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182
| | - Mark J A Vermeij
- Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), Utrecht University, 1790 AB, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
- Caribbean Research and Management of Biodiversity (CARMABI), Willemstad, Curaçao
| | | | - Pieter C Dorrestein
- Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Forest Rohwer
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182;
- Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182
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27
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Vanwonterghem I, Webster NS. Coral Reef Microorganisms in a Changing Climate. iScience 2020; 23:100972. [PMID: 32208346 PMCID: PMC7096749 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.100972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Revised: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Coral reefs are one of the most diverse and productive ecosystems on the planet, yet they have suffered tremendous losses due to anthropogenic disturbances and are predicted to be one of the most adversely affected habitats under future climate change conditions. Coral reefs can be viewed as microbially driven ecosystems that rely on the efficient capture, retention, and recycling of nutrients in order to thrive in oligotrophic waters. Microorganisms play vital roles in maintaining holobiont health and ecosystem resilience under environmental stress; however, they are also key players in positive feedback loops that intensify coral reef decline, with cascading effects on biogeochemical cycles and marine food webs. There is an urgent need to develop a fundamental understanding of the complex microbial interactions within coral reefs and their role in ecosystem acclimatization, and it is important to include microorganisms in reef conservation in order to secure a future for these unique environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inka Vanwonterghem
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Nicole S Webster
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia
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28
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Meron D, Maor-Landaw K, Eyal G, Elifantz H, Banin E, Loya Y, Levy O. The Complexity of the Holobiont in the Red Sea Coral Euphyllia paradivisa under Heat Stress. Microorganisms 2020; 8:E372. [PMID: 32155796 PMCID: PMC7143197 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8030372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Revised: 03/01/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The recognition of the microbiota complexity and their role in the evolution of their host is leading to the popularization of the holobiont concept. However, the coral holobiont (host and its microbiota) is still enigmatic and unclear. Here, we explore the complex relations between different holobiont members of a mesophotic coral Euphyllia paradivisa. We subjected two lines of the coral-with photosymbionts, and without photosymbionts (apo-symbiotic)-to increasing temperatures and to antibiotics. The different symbiotic states were characterized using transcriptomics, microbiology and physiology techniques. The bacterial community's composition is dominated by bacteroidetes, alphaproteobacteria, and gammaproteobacteria, but is dependent upon the symbiont state, colony, temperature treatment, and antibiotic exposure. Overall, the most important parameter determining the response was whether the coral was a symbiont/apo-symbiotic, while the colony and bacterial composition were secondary factors. Enrichment Gene Ontology analysis of coral host's differentially expressed genes demonstrated the cellular differences between symbiotic and apo-symbiotic samples. Our results demonstrate the significance of each component of the holobiont consortium and imply a coherent link between them, which dramatically impacts the molecular and cellular processes of the coral host, which possibly affect its fitness, particularly under environmental stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dalit Meron
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel; (D.M.); (K.M.-L.); (G.E.); (H.E.); (E.B.)
- Morris Kahn Marine Research Station, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - Keren Maor-Landaw
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel; (D.M.); (K.M.-L.); (G.E.); (H.E.); (E.B.)
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Gal Eyal
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel; (D.M.); (K.M.-L.); (G.E.); (H.E.); (E.B.)
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland St. Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia
| | - Hila Elifantz
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel; (D.M.); (K.M.-L.); (G.E.); (H.E.); (E.B.)
| | - Ehud Banin
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel; (D.M.); (K.M.-L.); (G.E.); (H.E.); (E.B.)
- The Institute for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Yossi Loya
- Department of Zoology, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel;
| | - Oren Levy
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel; (D.M.); (K.M.-L.); (G.E.); (H.E.); (E.B.)
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29
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Lima LFO, Weissman M, Reed M, Papudeshi B, Alker AT, Morris MM, Edwards RA, de Putron SJ, Vaidya NK, Dinsdale EA. Modeling of the Coral Microbiome: the Influence of Temperature and Microbial Network. mBio 2020; 11:e02691-19. [PMID: 32127450 PMCID: PMC7064765 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02691-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Host-associated microbial communities are shaped by extrinsic and intrinsic factors to the holobiont organism. Environmental factors and microbe-microbe interactions act simultaneously on the microbial community structure, making the microbiome dynamics challenging to predict. The coral microbiome is essential to the health of coral reefs and sensitive to environmental changes. Here, we develop a dynamic model to determine the microbial community structure associated with the surface mucus layer (SML) of corals using temperature as an extrinsic factor and microbial network as an intrinsic factor. The model was validated by comparing the predicted relative abundances of microbial taxa to the relative abundances of microbial taxa from the sample data. The SML microbiome from Pseudodiploria strigosa was collected across reef zones in Bermuda, where inner and outer reefs are exposed to distinct thermal profiles. A shotgun metagenomics approach was used to describe the taxonomic composition and the microbial network of the coral SML microbiome. By simulating the annual temperature fluctuations at each reef zone, the model output is statistically identical to the observed data. The model was further applied to six scenarios that combined different profiles of temperature and microbial network to investigate the influence of each of these two factors on the model accuracy. The SML microbiome was best predicted by model scenarios with the temperature profile that was closest to the local thermal environment, regardless of the microbial network profile. Our model shows that the SML microbiome of P. strigosa in Bermuda is primarily structured by seasonal fluctuations in temperature at a reef scale, while the microbial network is a secondary driver.IMPORTANCE Coral microbiome dysbiosis (i.e., shifts in the microbial community structure or complete loss of microbial symbionts) caused by environmental changes is a key player in the decline of coral health worldwide. Multiple factors in the water column and the surrounding biological community influence the dynamics of the coral microbiome. However, by including only temperature as an external factor, our model proved to be successful in describing the microbial community associated with the surface mucus layer (SML) of the coral P. strigosa The dynamic model developed and validated in this study is a potential tool to predict the coral microbiome under different temperature conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laís F O Lima
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
- College of Biological Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Maya Weissman
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Micheal Reed
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Bhavya Papudeshi
- National Center for Genome Analysis Support, Pervasive Institute of Technology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Amanda T Alker
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Megan M Morris
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Robert A Edwards
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
- Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
| | | | - Naveen K Vaidya
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
- Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Dinsdale
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
- Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
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Fiore CL, Jarett JK, Steinert G, Lesser MP. Trait-Based Comparison of Coral and Sponge Microbiomes. Sci Rep 2020; 10:2340. [PMID: 32047192 PMCID: PMC7012828 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59320-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Corals and sponges harbor diverse microbial communities that are integral to the functioning of the host. While the taxonomic diversity of their microbiomes has been well-established for corals and sponges, their functional roles are less well-understood. It is unclear if the similarities of symbiosis in an invertebrate host would result in functionally similar microbiomes, or if differences in host phylogeny and environmentally driven microhabitats within each host would shape functionally distinct communities. Here we addressed this question, using metatranscriptomic and 16S rRNA gene profiling techniques to compare the microbiomes of two host organisms from different phyla. Our results indicate functional similarity in carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur assimilation, and aerobic nitrogen cycling. Additionally, there were few statistical differences in pathway coverage or abundance between the two hosts. For example, we observed higher coverage of phosphonate and siderophore metabolic pathways in the star coral, Montastraea cavernosa, while there was higher coverage of chloroalkane metabolism in the giant barrel sponge, Xestospongia muta. Higher abundance of genes associated with carbon fixation pathways was also observed in M. cavernosa, while in X. muta there was higher abundance of fatty acid metabolic pathways. Metagenomic predictions based on 16S rRNA gene profiling analysis were similar, and there was high correlation between the metatranscriptome and metagenome predictions for both hosts. Our results highlight several metabolic pathways that exhibit functional similarity in these coral and sponge microbiomes despite the taxonomic differences between the two microbiomes, as well as potential specialization of some microbially based metabolism within each host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cara L Fiore
- University of New Hampshire, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering, Durham, NH, USA.
- Appalachian State University, Biology Department, Boone, NC, USA.
| | - Jessica K Jarett
- University of New Hampshire, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering, Durham, NH, USA
- AnimalBiome, Oakland, CA, USA
| | - Georg Steinert
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, Carl-von-Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Marine Symbioses, Kiel, Germany
| | - Michael P Lesser
- University of New Hampshire, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering, Durham, NH, USA
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31
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Matthews JL, Raina J, Kahlke T, Seymour JR, Oppen MJH, Suggett DJ. Symbiodiniaceae‐bacteria interactions: rethinking metabolite exchange in reef‐building corals as multi‐partner metabolic networks. Environ Microbiol 2020; 22:1675-1687. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Revised: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L. Matthews
- Climate Change Cluster University of Technology Sydney 2007 New South Wales Australia
| | - Jean‐Baptiste Raina
- Climate Change Cluster University of Technology Sydney 2007 New South Wales Australia
| | - Tim Kahlke
- Climate Change Cluster University of Technology Sydney 2007 New South Wales Australia
| | - Justin R. Seymour
- Climate Change Cluster University of Technology Sydney 2007 New South Wales Australia
| | - Madeleine J. H. Oppen
- The University of Melbourne Parkville 3010 Victoria Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science PMB No 3 Townsville MC 4810 QLD Australia
| | - David J. Suggett
- Climate Change Cluster University of Technology Sydney 2007 New South Wales Australia
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32
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Tilstra A, El-Khaled YC, Roth F, Rädecker N, Pogoreutz C, Voolstra CR, Wild C. Denitrification Aligns with N 2 Fixation in Red Sea Corals. Sci Rep 2019; 9:19460. [PMID: 31857601 PMCID: PMC6923481 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55408-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Denitrification may potentially alleviate excess nitrogen (N) availability in coral holobionts to maintain a favourable N to phosphorous ratio in the coral tissue. However, little is known about the abundance and activity of denitrifiers in the coral holobiont. The present study used the nirS marker gene as a proxy for denitrification potential along with measurements of denitrification rates in a comparative coral taxonomic framework from the Red Sea: Acropora hemprichii, Millepora dichotoma, and Pleuractis granulosa. Relative nirS gene copy numbers associated with the tissues of these common corals were assessed and compared with denitrification rates on the holobiont level. In addition, dinitrogen (N2) fixation rates, Symbiodiniaceae cell density, and oxygen evolution were assessed to provide an environmental context for denitrification. We found that relative abundances of the nirS gene were 16- and 17-fold higher in A. hemprichii compared to M. dichotoma and P. granulosa, respectively. In concordance, highest denitrification rates were measured in A. hemprichii, followed by M. dichotoma and P. granulosa. Denitrification rates were positively correlated with N2 fixation rates and Symbiodiniaceae cell densities. Our results suggest that denitrification may counterbalance the N input from N2 fixation in the coral holobiont, and we hypothesize that these processes may be limited by photosynthates released by the Symbiodiniaceae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjen Tilstra
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, 28359, Germany.
| | - Yusuf C El-Khaled
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, 28359, Germany
| | - Florian Roth
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Nils Rädecker
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Claudia Pogoreutz
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Christian R Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, 78464, Germany
| | - Christian Wild
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, 28359, Germany
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33
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Wada N, Ishimochi M, Matsui T, Pollock FJ, Tang SL, Ainsworth TD, Willis BL, Mano N, Bourne DG. Characterization of coral-associated microbial aggregates (CAMAs) within tissues of the coral Acropora hyacinthus. Sci Rep 2019; 9:14662. [PMID: 31601819 PMCID: PMC6787259 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-49651-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial diversity associated with corals has been studied extensively, however, localization of bacterial associations within the holobiont is still poorly resolved. Here we provide novel insight into the localization of coral-associated microbial aggregates (CAMAs) within tissues of the coral Acropora hyacinthus. In total, 318 and 308 CAMAs were characterized via histological and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) approaches respectively, and shown to be distributed extensively throughout coral tissues collected from five sites in Japan and Australia. The densities of CAMAs within the tissues were negatively correlated with the distance from the coastline (i.e. lowest densities at offshore sites). CAMAs were randomly distributed across the six coral tissue regions investigated. Within each CAMA, bacterial cells had similar morphological characteristics, but bacterial morphologies varied among CAMAs, with at least five distinct types identified. Identifying the location of microorganisms associated with the coral host is a prerequisite for understanding their contributions to fitness. Localization of tissue-specific communities housed within CAMAs is particularly important, as these communities are potentially important contributors to vital metabolic functions of the holobiont.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naohisa Wada
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Nangang, 11529, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Marine Science and Resources, College of Bioresource Science, Nihon University, Fujisawa, 252-0813, Kanagawa, Japan.,AIMS@JCU, Townsville, 4811, QLD, Australia
| | - Mizuki Ishimochi
- Department of Marine Science and Resources, College of Bioresource Science, Nihon University, Fujisawa, 252-0813, Kanagawa, Japan.,Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa, 903-0213, Japan
| | - Taeko Matsui
- Department of Marine Science and Resources, College of Bioresource Science, Nihon University, Fujisawa, 252-0813, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - F Joseph Pollock
- The Nature Conservancy, Caribbean Division, Coral Gables, FL, 33134, USA.,AIMS@JCU, Townsville, 4811, QLD, Australia.,Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, 16802, PA, USA
| | - Sen-Lin Tang
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Nangang, 11529, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tracy D Ainsworth
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, NSW, Australia
| | - Bette L Willis
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, QLD, Australia.,AIMS@JCU, Townsville, 4811, QLD, Australia
| | - Nobuhiro Mano
- Department of Marine Science and Resources, College of Bioresource Science, Nihon University, Fujisawa, 252-0813, Kanagawa, Japan.
| | - David G Bourne
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, QLD, Australia. .,AIMS@JCU, Townsville, 4811, QLD, Australia. .,Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, 4810, QLD, Australia.
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Rosales SM, Sinigalliano C, Gidley M, Jones PR, Gramer LJ. Oceanographic habitat and the coral microbiomes of urban-impacted reefs. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7552. [PMID: 31565557 PMCID: PMC6743471 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Coral reefs are in decline worldwide. In response to this habitat loss, there are efforts to grow, outplant, and restore corals in many regions. The physical oceanographic habitat of corals-such as sea temperature, waves, ocean currents, and available light-is spatially heterogeneous. We therefore hypothesize that outplant location may affect microbiomes, and ultimately, coral health and restoration success. We evaluated the influence of the physical oceanographic habitat on microbes in wild Porites astreoides and Siderastrea siderea. Tissue samples were collected at four Florida reefs in March, June, and September of 2015. We estimated oceanographic conditions from moored instruments, diver observations, remote sensing data, and numerical models. We analyzed microbiomes using amplicon 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing data. We found microbial alpha-diversity negatively correlated with in situ sea temperature (which represented both the annual cycle and upwelling), as well as modeled alongshore currents, in situ sea-level, and modeled tide. Microbial beta-diversity correlated positively with significant wave height and alongshore currents from models, remotely-sensed relative turbidity, and in situ temperature. We found that archaea from the order Marine Group II decrease with increases in significant wave height, suggesting that this taxon may be influenced by waves. Also, during times of high wave activity, the relative abundance of bacteria from the order Flavobacteriales increases, which may be due to resuspension and cross-shelf transport of sediments. We also found that bacteria from the order SAR86 increase in relative abundance with increased temperature, which suggests that this taxon may play a role in the coral microbiome during periods of higher temperature. Overall, we find that physical oceanographic variability correlates with the structure of these coral microbiomes in ways that could be significant to coral health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M Rosales
- Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.,Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Christopher Sinigalliano
- Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Maribeth Gidley
- Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.,Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Paul R Jones
- Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.,Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Lewis J Gramer
- Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.,Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Miami, FL, USA
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35
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Pootakham W, Mhuantong W, Yoocha T, Putchim L, Jomchai N, Sonthirod C, Naktang C, Kongkachana W, Tangphatsornruang S. Heat-induced shift in coral microbiome reveals several members of the Rhodobacteraceae family as indicator species for thermal stress in Porites lutea. Microbiologyopen 2019; 8:e935. [PMID: 31544365 PMCID: PMC6925168 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2019] [Revised: 08/25/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The coral holobiont is a complex ecosystem consisting of coral animals and a highly diverse consortium of associated microorganisms including algae, fungi, and bacteria. Several studies have highlighted the importance of coral‐associated bacteria and their potential roles in promoting the host fitness and survival. Recently, dynamics of coral‐associated microbiomes have been demonstrated to be linked to patterns of coral heat tolerance. Here, we examined the effect of elevated seawater temperature on the structure and diversity of bacterial populations associated with Porites lutea, using full‐length 16S rRNA sequences obtained from Pacific Biosciences circular consensus sequencing. We observed a significant increase in alpha diversity indices and a distinct shift in microbiome composition during thermal stress. There was a marked decline in the apparent relative abundance of Gammaproteobacteria family Endozoicomonadaceae after P. lutea had been exposed to elevated seawater temperature. Concomitantly, the bacterial community structure shifted toward the predominance of Alphaproteobacteria family Rhodobacteraceae. Interestingly, we did not observe an increase in relative abundance of Vibrio‐related sequences in our heat‐stressed samples even though the appearance of Vibrio spp. has often been detected in parallel with the increase in the relative abundance of Rhodobacteraceae during thermal bleaching in other coral species. The ability of full‐length 16S rRNA sequences in resolving taxonomic uncertainty of associated bacteria at a species level enabled us to identify 24 robust indicator bacterial species for thermally stressed corals. It is worth noting that the majority of those indicator species were members of the family Rhodobacteraceae. The comparison of bacterial community structure and diversity between corals in ambient water temperature and thermally stressed corals may provide a better understanding on how bacteria symbionts contribute to the resilience of their coral hosts to ocean warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wirulda Pootakham
- National Omics Center, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Wuttichai Mhuantong
- Enzyme Technology Research Team, Biorefinery and Bioproduct Technology Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Thippawan Yoocha
- National Omics Center, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | | | - Nukoon Jomchai
- National Omics Center, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Chutima Sonthirod
- National Omics Center, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Chaiwat Naktang
- National Omics Center, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Wasitthee Kongkachana
- National Omics Center, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Sithichoke Tangphatsornruang
- National Omics Center, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathum Thani, Thailand
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36
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A genomic view of the reef-building coral Porites lutea and its microbial symbionts. Nat Microbiol 2019; 4:2090-2100. [DOI: 10.1038/s41564-019-0532-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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37
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Liu YC, Huang RM, Bao J, Wu KY, Wu HY, Gao XY, Zhang XY. The unexpected diversity of microbial communities associated with black corals revealed by high-throughput Illumina sequencing. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2019; 365:5047306. [PMID: 29982506 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fny167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 06/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The microbes associated with black corals remain poorly studied. The present study is the first attempt to investigate microbial community structure in the black corals Antipathes ceylonensis and A. dichotoma from the South China Sea by using high-throughput Illumina sequencing. A total of 52 bacterial and 3 archaeal phyla were recovered in this study, suggesting the black corals harboured highly diverse microbial communities. Among the 55 microbial phyla, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, Acidobacteria and Actinobacteria dominated in the two black corals from the South China Sea. Although most of the microbial phyla recovered from the two black corals have been reported in previous studies on coral-associated microbes, eight bacterial phyla including Synergistetes, Thermi, AncK6, GNO2, NKB19, NC10, WWE1 and GAL15, and the archaeal phylum Parvarchaeota are reported for the first time from corals in this study, which expands our knowledge about the diversity of coral-associated microbes. The comparison of microbial communities in the different black coral species indicated that A. ceylonensis harboured few abundant bacterial genera such as Citrobacter and Pseudomonas, whereas a high diversity of rare bacterial genera (<1% abundance), such as Winogradskyella and Rubricoccus, was detected only in A. dichotoma. These results suggested that the microbial community in black corals exhibited species-specific variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Chun Liu
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, 483 Wushan Road, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Ri-Ming Huang
- College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, 483 Wushan Road, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Jie Bao
- School of Biological Science and Technology, University of Jinan, 336 West Road of Nan Xinzhuang, Jinan 250022, China
| | - Ke-Yue Wu
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, 483 Wushan Road, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Heng-Yu Wu
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, 483 Wushan Road, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Xiang-Yang Gao
- College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, 483 Wushan Road, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Xiao-Yong Zhang
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, 483 Wushan Road, Guangzhou 510642, China
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38
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van Oppen MJH, Blackall LL. Coral microbiome dynamics, functions and design in a changing world. Nat Rev Microbiol 2019; 17:557-567. [DOI: 10.1038/s41579-019-0223-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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39
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Huggett MJ, Apprill A. Coral microbiome database: Integration of sequences reveals high diversity and relatedness of coral-associated microbes. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2019; 11:372-385. [PMID: 30094953 PMCID: PMC7379671 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.12686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2018] [Accepted: 08/04/2018] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Coral-associated microorganisms are thought to play a fundamental role in the health and ecology of corals, but understanding of specific coral-microbial interactions are lacking. In order to create a framework to examine coral-microbial specificity, we integrated and phylogenetically compared 21,100 SSU rRNA gene Sanger-produced sequences from bacteria and archaea associated with corals from previous studies, and accompanying host, location and publication metadata, to produce the Coral Microbiome Database. From this database, we identified 39 described and candidate phyla of Bacteria and two Archaea phyla associated with corals, demonstrating that corals are one of the most phylogenetically diverse animal microbiomes. Secondly, this new phylogenetic resource shows that certain microorganisms are indeed specific to corals, including evolutionary distinct hosts. Specifically, we identified 2-37 putative monophyletic, coral-specific sequence clusters within bacterial genera associated with the greatest number of coral species (Vibrio, Endozoicomonas and Ruegeria) as well as functionally relevant microbial taxa ("Candidatus Amoebophilus", "Candidatus Nitrosopumilus" and under recognized cyanobacteria). This phylogenetic resource provides a framework for more targeted studies of corals and their specific microbial associates, which is timely given the escalated need to understand the role of the coral microbiome and its adaptability to changing ocean and reef conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan J. Huggett
- School of Environmental and Life SciencesUniversity of NewcastleOurimbahNSW, 2258Australia
- School of ScienceEdith Cowan UniversityJoondalupWAAustralia
| | - Amy Apprill
- Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry DepartmentWoods Hole Oceanographic InstitutionWoods HoleMAUSA
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40
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Zhang XY, Hao HL, Lau SCK, Wang HY, Han Y, Dong LM, Huang RM. Biodiversity and antifouling activity of fungi associated with two soft corals from the South China Sea. Arch Microbiol 2019; 201:757-767. [PMID: 30840101 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-019-01639-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Revised: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Bacteria in corals have been studied in detail in the past decades. However, the biodiversity and bioactivity of fungi in corals are still poorly understood. This study investigated the biodiversity and antifouling activity of fungi in soft corals Cladiella krempfi and Sarcophyton tortuosum from the South China Sea. A high diverse and abundant fungal community was found in the two soft corals. Furthermore, five isolates shared 83-95% similarity with their closest relatives, indicating that they might be novel species in genera Phaeoshaeria and Mucor. In addition, approximately 50% of the representative isolates exhibited distinct antifouling activity. In particular, isolates Fungal sp. SCAU132 and Fungal sp. SCAU133 displayed very strong antifouling activity against Bugula neritina, suggesting they can provide a potential resource for further investigation on isolation of novel antifouling metabolites. To our knowledge, this study is the first report to investigate the biodiversity and antifouling activity of fungi in C. krempfi and S. tortuosum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Yong Zhang
- Joint Laboratory of Guangdong Province and Hong Kong Region on Marine Bior-esource Conservation and Exploitation, College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, 510642, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hui-Li Hao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, 510642, Guangzhou, China
| | - Stanley Chun Kwan Lau
- Department of Ocean Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clearwater Bay, 999077, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Huai-You Wang
- Division of Life Science and Center for Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clearwater Bay, 999077, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yu Han
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, 510642, Guangzhou, China
| | - Li-Mei Dong
- College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, 510642, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Ri-Ming Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety, College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, 510642, Guangzhou, China.
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41
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Tipton L, Darcy JL, Hynson NA. A Developing Symbiosis: Enabling Cross-Talk Between Ecologists and Microbiome Scientists. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:292. [PMID: 30842763 PMCID: PMC6391321 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Like all interactions, the success of cross-discipline collaborations relies on effective communication. Ecology offers theoretical frameworks and lexicons to study microbiomes. Yet some of the terms and concepts borrowed from ecology are being used discordantly by microbiome studies from their traditional definitions. Here we define some of the ecological terms and concepts as they are used in ecology and the study of microbiomes. Where applicable, we have provided the historical context of the terms, highlighted examples from microbiome studies, and considered the research methods involved. We divided these concepts into four sections: Biomes, Diversity, Symbiosis, and Succession. Biomes encompass the interactions within the biotic and abiotic features of an environment. This extends to the term "microbiome," derived from "biome," and includes an environment and all the microbes within it. Diversity encompasses patterns of species richness, abundance, and biogeography, all of which are important to understanding the distribution of microbiomes. Symbiosis emphasizes the relationships between organisms within a community. Symbioses are often misunderstood to be synonymous with mutualism. We discard that implication, in favor of a broader, more historically accurate definition which spans the continuum from parasitism to mutualism. Succession includes classical succession, alternative stable states, community assembly frameworks, and r/K-selection. Our hope is that as microbiome researchers continue to apply ecological terms, and as ecologists continue to gain interest in microbiomes, each will do so in a way that enables cross-talk between them. We recommend initiating these collaborations by using a common lexicon, from which new concepts can emerge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Tipton
- Department of Botany, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, United States
| | - John L. Darcy
- Department of Botany, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, United States
| | - Nicole A. Hynson
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, United States
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42
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Beurmann S, Ushijima B, Videau P, Svoboda CM, Chatterjee A, Aeby GS, Callahan SM. Dynamics of acute Montipora white syndrome: bacterial communities of healthy and diseased M. capitata colonies during and after a disease outbreak. Microbiology (Reading) 2018; 164:1240-1253. [DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Beurmann
- †Present address: Institute for Genome Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- 2Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, Kāne‘ohe, HI, USA
- 1Department of Microbiology, Universtiy of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Blake Ushijima
- 3Oregon State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Patrick Videau
- 4Dakota State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Madison, SD, USA
| | - Christina M. Svoboda
- 1Department of Microbiology, Universtiy of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
- 2Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, Kāne‘ohe, HI, USA
| | | | - Greta S. Aeby
- 2Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, Kāne‘ohe, HI, USA
| | - Sean M. Callahan
- 1Department of Microbiology, Universtiy of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
- 2Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, Kāne‘ohe, HI, USA
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Keller-Costa T, Eriksson D, Gonçalves JMS, Gomes NCM, Lago-Lestón A, Costa R. The gorgonian coral Eunicella labiata hosts a distinct prokaryotic consortium amenable to cultivation. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2018; 93:4563573. [PMID: 29069352 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fix143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Accepted: 10/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial communities inhabiting gorgonian corals are believed to benefit their hosts through nutrient provision and chemical defence; yet much remains to be learned about their phylogenetic uniqueness and cultivability. Here, we determined the prokaryotic community structure and distinctiveness in the gorgonian Eunicella labiata by Illumina sequencing of 16S rRNA genes from gorgonian and seawater metagenomic DNA. Furthermore, we used a 'plate-wash' methodology to compare the phylogenetic diversity of the 'total' gorgonian bacteriome and its 'cultivatable' fraction. With 1016 operational taxonomic units (OTUs), prokaryotic richness was higher in seawater than in E. labiata where 603 OTUs were detected, 68 of which were host-specific. Oceanospirillales and Rhodobacterales predominated in the E. labiata communities. One Oceanospirillales OTU, classified as Endozoicomonas, was particularly dominant, and closest relatives comprised exclusively uncultured clones from other gorgonians. We cultivated a remarkable 62% of the bacterial symbionts inhabiting E. labiata: Ruegeria, Sphingorhabdus, Labrenzia, other unclassified Rhodobacteraceae, Vibrio and Shewanella ranked among the 10 most abundant genera in both the cultivation-independent and dependent samples. In conclusion, the E. labiata microbiome is diverse, distinct from seawater and enriched in (gorgonian)-specific bacterial phylotypes. In contrast to current understanding, many dominant E. labiata symbionts can, indeed, be cultivated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Keller-Costa
- Instituto de Bioengenharia e Biociências (iBB), Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Dominic Eriksson
- Centro de Ciências do Mar (CCMAR), Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Jorge M S Gonçalves
- Centro de Ciências do Mar (CCMAR), Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Newton C M Gomes
- Departamento de Biologia (CESAM), Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Asunción Lago-Lestón
- Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE), 22860 Ensenada, Mexico
| | - Rodrigo Costa
- Instituto de Bioengenharia e Biociências (iBB), Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal
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44
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BluePharmTrain: Biology and Biotechnology of Marine Sponges. GRAND CHALLENGES IN MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-69075-9_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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45
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Mera H, Bourne DG. Disentangling causation: complex roles of coral-associated microorganisms in disease. Environ Microbiol 2017; 20:431-449. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.13958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hanaka Mera
- College of Science and Engineering; James Cook University; Townsville Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - David G. Bourne
- College of Science and Engineering; James Cook University; Townsville Queensland 4811, Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science; PMB 3, Townsville, Queensland 4810 Australia
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46
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Cleary DFR, Polónia ARM. Bacterial and archaeal communities inhabiting mussels, sediment and water in Indonesian anchialine lakes. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek 2017; 111:237-257. [PMID: 29027059 DOI: 10.1007/s10482-017-0944-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Anchialine lakes are a globally rare and unique ecosystem consisting of saline lakes surrounded by land and isolated from the surrounding marine environment. These lakes host a unique flora and fauna including numerous endemic species. Relatively few studies have, however, studied the prokaryote communities present in these lakes and compared them with the surrounding 'open water' marine environment. In the present study, we used a 16S rRNA gene barcoded pyrosequencing approach to examine prokaryote (Bacteria and Archaea) composition in three distinct biotopes (sediment, water and the mussel Brachidontes sp.) inhabiting four habitats, namely, three marine lakes and the surrounding marine environment of Berau, Indonesia. Biotope and habitat proved significant predictors of variation in bacterial and archaeal composition and higher taxon abundance. Most bacterial sequences belonged to OTUs assigned to the Proteobacteria. Compared to sediment and water, mussels had relatively high abundances of the classes Mollicutes and Epsilonproteobacteria. Most archaeal sequences, in turn, belonged to OTUs assigned to the Crenarchaeota with the relative abundance of crenarchaeotes highest in mussel samples. For both Bacteria and Archaea, the main variation in composition was between water samples on the one hand and sediment and mussel samples on the other. Sediment and mussels also shared much more OTUs than either shared with water. Abundant bacterial OTUs in mussels were related to organisms previously obtained from corals, oysters and the deepsea mussel Bathymodiolus manusensis. Abundant archaeal OTUs in mussels, in contrast, were closely related to organisms previously obtained from sediment.
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Affiliation(s)
- D F R Cleary
- CESAM and Department of Biology, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - A R M Polónia
- CESAM and Department of Biology, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
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47
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Sharp KH, Pratte ZA, Kerwin AH, Rotjan RD, Stewart FJ. Season, but not symbiont state, drives microbiome structure in the temperate coral Astrangia poculata. MICROBIOME 2017; 5:120. [PMID: 28915923 PMCID: PMC5603060 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-017-0329-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Accepted: 08/20/2017] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding the associations among corals, their photosynthetic zooxanthella symbionts (Symbiodinium), and coral-associated prokaryotic microbiomes is critical for predicting the fidelity and strength of coral symbioses in the face of growing environmental threats. Most coral-microbiome associations are beneficial, yet the mechanisms that determine the composition of the coral microbiome remain largely unknown. Here, we characterized microbiome diversity in the temperate, facultatively symbiotic coral Astrangia poculata at four seasonal time points near the northernmost limit of the species range. The facultative nature of this system allowed us to test seasonal influence and symbiotic state (Symbiodinium density in the coral) on microbiome community composition. RESULTS Change in season had a strong effect on A. poculata microbiome composition. The seasonal shift was greatest upon the winter to spring transition, during which time A. poculata microbiome composition became more similar among host individuals. Within each of the four seasons, microbiome composition differed significantly from that of surrounding seawater but was surprisingly uniform between symbiotic and aposymbiotic corals, even in summer, when differences in Symbiodinium density between brown and white colonies are the highest, indicating that the observed seasonal shifts are not likely due to fluctuations in Symbiodinium density. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that symbiotic state may not be a primary driver of coral microbial community organization in A. poculata, which is a surprise given the long-held assumption that excess photosynthate is of importance to coral-associated microbes. Rather, other environmental or host factors, in this case, seasonal changes in host physiology associated with winter quiescence, may drive microbiome diversity. Additional studies of A. poculata and other facultatively symbiotic corals will provide important comparisons to studies of reef-building tropical corals and therefore help to identify basic principles of coral microbiome assembly, as well as functional relationships among holobiont members.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koty H. Sharp
- Department of Biology, Marine Biology and Environmental Science, Roger Williams University, 1 Old Ferry Road, Bristol, RI 02809 USA
| | | | | | - Randi D. Rotjan
- Boston University, Boston, USA
- New England Aquarium, Boston, USA
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48
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Roach TNF, Abieri ML, George EE, Knowles B, Naliboff DS, Smurthwaite CA, Kelly LW, Haas AF, Rohwer FL. Microbial bioenergetics of coral-algal interactions. PeerJ 2017. [PMID: 28649468 PMCID: PMC5482263 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Human impacts are causing ecosystem phase shifts from coral- to algal-dominated reef systems on a global scale. As these ecosystems undergo transition, there is an increased incidence of coral-macroalgal interactions. Mounting evidence indicates that the outcome of these interaction events is, in part, governed by microbially mediated dynamics. The allocation of available energy through different trophic levels, including the microbial food web, determines the outcome of these interactions and ultimately shapes the benthic community structure. However, little is known about the underlying thermodynamic mechanisms involved in these trophic energy transfers. This study utilizes a novel combination of methods including calorimetry, flow cytometry, and optical oxygen measurements, to provide a bioenergetic analysis of coral-macroalgal interactions in a controlled aquarium setting. We demonstrate that the energetic demands of microbial communities at the coral-algal interaction interface are higher than in the communities associated with either of the macroorganisms alone. This was evident through higher microbial power output (energy use per unit time) and lower oxygen concentrations at interaction zones compared to areas distal from the interface. Increases in microbial power output and lower oxygen concentrations were significantly correlated with the ratio of heterotrophic to autotrophic microbes but not the total microbial abundance. These results suggest that coral-algal interfaces harbor higher proportions of heterotrophic microbes that are optimizing maximal power output, as opposed to yield. This yield to power shift offers a possible thermodynamic mechanism underlying the transition from coral- to algal-dominated reef ecosystems currently being observed worldwide. As changes in the power output of an ecosystem are a significant indicator of the current state of the system, this analysis provides a novel and insightful means to quantify microbial impacts on reef health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ty N F Roach
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States of America
| | - Maria L Abieri
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States of America.,Department of Marine Biology, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Emma E George
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States of America
| | - Ben Knowles
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States of America
| | - Douglas S Naliboff
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States of America
| | - Cameron A Smurthwaite
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States of America
| | - Linda Wegley Kelly
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States of America
| | - Andreas F Haas
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States of America
| | - Forest L Rohwer
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States of America
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49
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Bourne DG, Morrow KM, Webster NS. Insights into the Coral Microbiome: Underpinning the Health and Resilience of Reef Ecosystems. Annu Rev Microbiol 2016; 70:317-40. [PMID: 27482741 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-102215-095440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 322] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Corals are fundamental ecosystem engineers, creating large, intricate reefs that support diverse and abundant marine life. At the core of a healthy coral animal is a dynamic relationship with microorganisms, including a mutually beneficial symbiosis with photosynthetic dinoflagellates (Symbiodinium spp.) and enduring partnerships with an array of bacterial, archaeal, fungal, protistan, and viral associates, collectively termed the coral holobiont. The combined genomes of this coral holobiont form a coral hologenome, and genomic interactions within the hologenome ultimately define the coral phenotype. Here we integrate contemporary scientific knowledge regarding the ecological, host-specific, and environmental forces shaping the diversity, specificity, and distribution of microbial symbionts within the coral holobiont, explore physiological pathways that contribute to holobiont fitness, and describe potential mechanisms for holobiont homeostasis. Understanding the role of the microbiome in coral resilience, acclimation, and environmental adaptation is a new frontier in reef science that will require large-scale collaborative research efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- David G Bourne
- Marine Biology and Aquaculture, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia 4811; .,Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia 4810
| | - Kathleen M Morrow
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia 4810.,Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03824
| | - Nicole S Webster
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia 4810
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50
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Holm JB, Heidelberg KB. Microbiomes of Muricea californica and M. fruticosa: Comparative Analyses of Two Co-occurring Eastern Pacific Octocorals. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:917. [PMID: 27445997 PMCID: PMC4914490 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.00917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2016] [Accepted: 05/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Octocorals are sources of novel but understudied microbial diversity. Conversely, scleractinian or reef-building coral microbiomes have been heavily examined in light of the threats of climate change. Muricea californica and Muricea fruticosa are two co-occurring species of gorgonian octocoral abundantly found in the kelp forests of southern California, and thus provide an excellent basis to determine if octocoral microbiomes are host specific. Using Illumina MiSeq amplicon sequencing and replicate samples, we evaluated the microbiomes collected from multiple colonies of both species of Muricea to measure both inter- and intra-colony microbiome variabilities. In addition, microbiomes from overlying sea water and nearby zoanthids (another benthic invertebrate) were also included in the analysis to evaluate whether bacterial taxa specifically associate with octocorals. This is also the first report of microbiomes from these species of Muricea. We show that microbiomes isolated from each sample type are distinct, and specifically, that octocoral species type had the greatest effect on predicting the composition of the Muricea microbiome. Bacterial taxa contributing to compositional differences include distinct strains of Mycoplasma associated with either M. californica or M. fruticosa, an abundance of Spirochaetes observed on M. californica, and a greater diversity of γ-Proteobacteria associated with M. fruticosa. Many of the bacterial taxa contributing to these differences are known for their presence in photosymbiont-containing invertebrate microbiomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna B Holm
- Division of Marine Environmental Biology, Department of Biological Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles CA, USA
| | - Karla B Heidelberg
- Division of Marine Environmental Biology, Department of Biological Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles CA, USA
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