1
|
Matarredona L, Zafrilla B, Rubio-Portillo E, Bonete MJ, Esclapez J. Deepening the knowledge of universal stress proteins in Haloferax mediterranei. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:124. [PMID: 38229402 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12899-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Haloarchaea, like many other microorganisms, have developed defense mechanisms such as universal stress proteins (USPs) to cope with environmental stresses affecting microbial growth. Despite the wide distribution of these proteins in Archaea, their biochemical characteristics still need to be discovered, and there needs to be more knowledge about them focusing on halophilic Archaea. Therefore, elucidating the role of USPs would provide valuable information to improve future biotechnological applications. Accordingly, transcriptional expression of the 37 annotated USPs in the Haloferax mediterranei genome has been examined under different stress conditions. From a global perspective, finding a clear tendency between particular USPs and specific stress conditions was not possible. Contrary, data analysis indicates that there is a recruitment mechanism of proteins with a similar sequence able to modulate the H. mediterranei growth, accelerating or slowing it, depending on their number. In fact, only three of these USPs were expressed in all the tested conditions, pointing to the cell needing a set of USPs to cope with stress conditions. After analysis of the RNA-Seq data, three differentially expressed USPs were selected and homologously overexpressed. According to the growth data, the overexpression of USPs induces a gain of tolerance in response to stress, as a rule. Therefore, this is the only work that studies all the USPs in an archaeon. It represents a significant first base to continue advancing, not only in this important family of stress proteins but also in the field of biotechnology and, at an industrial level, to improve applications such as designing microorganisms resistant to stress situations. KEY POINTS: • Expression of Haloferax mediterranei USPs has been analyzed in stress conditions. • RNA-seq analysis reveals that most of the USPs in H. mediterranei are downregulated. • Homologous overexpression of USPs results in more stress-tolerant strains.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Matarredona
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Alicante, Ap 99, 03080, Alicante, Spain
| | - Basilio Zafrilla
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Alicante, Ap 99, 03080, Alicante, Spain
| | - Esther Rubio-Portillo
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, University of Alicante, Ap 99, 03080, Alicante, Spain
| | - María-José Bonete
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Alicante, Ap 99, 03080, Alicante, Spain
| | - Julia Esclapez
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Alicante, Ap 99, 03080, Alicante, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Rubio-Portillo E, Robertson S, Antón J. Coral mucus as a reservoir of bacteriophages targeting Vibrio pathogens. ISME J 2024; 18:wrae017. [PMID: 38366190 PMCID: PMC10945359 DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wrae017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
The increasing trend in sea surface temperature promotes the spread of Vibrio species, which are known to cause diseases in a wide range of marine organisms. Among these pathogens, Vibrio mediterranei has emerged as a significant threat, leading to bleaching in the coral species Oculina patagonica. Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that infect bacteria, thereby regulating microbial communities and playing a crucial role in the coral's defense against pathogens. However, our understanding of phages that infect V. mediterranei is limited. In this study, we identified two phage species capable of infecting V. mediterranei by utilizing a combination of cultivation and metagenomic approaches. These phages are low-abundance specialists within the coral mucus layer that exhibit rapid proliferation in the presence of their hosts, suggesting a potential role in coral defense. Additionally, one of these phages possesses a conserved domain of a leucine-rich repeat protein, similar to those harbored in the coral genome, that plays a key role in pathogen recognition, hinting at potential coral-phage coevolution. Furthermore, our research suggests that lytic Vibrio infections could trigger prophage induction, which may disseminate genetic elements, including virulence factors, in the coral mucus layer. Overall, our findings underscore the importance of historical coral-phage interactions as a form of coral immunity against invasive Vibrio pathogens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Esther Rubio-Portillo
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante 03690, Spain
| | - Sophia Robertson
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante 03690, Spain
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, United States
| | - Josefa Antón
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante 03690, Spain
- Multidisciplinary Institute of Environmental Studies Ramon Margalef, Alicante 03690, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Aldeguer-Riquelme B, Rubio-Portillo E, Álvarez-Rogel J, Giménez-Casalduero F, Otero XL, Belando MD, Bernardeau-Esteller J, García-Muñoz R, Forcada A, Ruiz JM, Santos F, Antón J. Factors structuring microbial communities in highly impacted coastal marine sediments (Mar Menor lagoon, SE Spain). Front Microbiol 2022; 13:937683. [PMID: 36160249 PMCID: PMC9491240 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.937683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Coastal marine lagoons are environments highly vulnerable to anthropogenic pressures such as agriculture nutrient loading or runoff from metalliferous mining. Sediment microorganisms, which are key components in the biogeochemical cycles, can help attenuate these impacts by accumulating nutrients and pollutants. The Mar Menor, located in the southeast of Spain, is an example of a coastal lagoon strongly altered by anthropic pressures, but the microbial community inhabiting its sediments remains unknown. Here, we describe the sediment prokaryotic communities along a wide range of environmental conditions in the lagoon, revealing that microbial communities were highly heterogeneous among stations, although a core microbiome was detected. The microbiota was dominated by Delta- and Gammaproteobacteria and members of the Bacteroidia class. Additionally, several uncultured groups such as Asgardarchaeota were detected in relatively high proportions. Sediment texture, the presence of Caulerpa or Cymodocea, depth, and geographic location were among the most important factors structuring microbial assemblages. Furthermore, microbial communities in the stations with the highest concentrations of potentially toxic elements (Fe, Pb, As, Zn, and Cd) were less stable than those in the non-contaminated stations. This finding suggests that bacteria colonizing heavily contaminated stations are specialists sensitive to change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Borja Aldeguer-Riquelme
- Department of Physiology, Genetics, and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Esther Rubio-Portillo
- Department of Physiology, Genetics, and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - José Álvarez-Rogel
- Department of Agricultural Engineering of the Escuela Técnica Superior Ingeniería Agronómica (ETSIA) & Soil Ecology and Biotechnology Unit of the Institute of Plant Biotechnology, Technical University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Spain
| | | | - Xose Luis Otero
- Cross-Research in Environmental Technologies (CRETUS), Departamento de Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Facultade de Bioloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - María-Dolores Belando
- Seagrass Ecology Group, Spanish Oceanography Institute of the Spanish National Research Council, Oceanography Center of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Jaime Bernardeau-Esteller
- Seagrass Ecology Group, Spanish Oceanography Institute of the Spanish National Research Council, Oceanography Center of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Rocío García-Muñoz
- Seagrass Ecology Group, Spanish Oceanography Institute of the Spanish National Research Council, Oceanography Center of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Aitor Forcada
- Department of Marine Science and Applied Biology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Juan M. Ruiz
- Seagrass Ecology Group, Spanish Oceanography Institute of the Spanish National Research Council, Oceanography Center of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Fernando Santos
- Department of Physiology, Genetics, and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Josefa Antón
- Department of Physiology, Genetics, and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
- Multidisciplinary Institute of Environmental Studies Ramón Margalef, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
- *Correspondence: Josefa Antón,
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Rubio-Portillo E, Martin-Cuadrado AB, Ramos-Esplá AÁ, Antón J. Metagenomics Unveils Posidonia oceanica "Banquettes" as a Potential Source of Novel Bioactive Compounds and Carbohydrate Active Enzymes (CAZymes). mSystems 2021; 6:e0086621. [PMID: 34519521 PMCID: PMC8547425 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00866-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Posidonia oceanica is a long-living and very slow-growing marine seagrass endemic to the Mediterranean Sea. It produces large amounts of leaf material and rhizomes, which can reach the shore and build important banks known as "banquettes." In recent years, interest in the potential uses of these P. oceanica banquettes has increased, and it was demonstrated that biomass extracts showed antioxidant, antifungal, and antiviral activities. The discovery of new compounds through the culture of microorganisms is limited, and to overcome this limitation, we performed a metagenomic study to investigate the microbial community associated with P. oceanica banquettes. Our results showed that the microbial community associated with P. oceanica banquettes was dominated by Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Cyanobacteria. Pseudoalteromonas was the dominant genus, followed by Alteromonas, Labrenzia, and Aquimarina. The metagenome reads were binned and assembled into 23 nearly complete metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), which belonged to new families of Cyanobacteria, Myxococcota, and Granulosicoccaceae and also to the novel genus recently described as Gammaproteobacteria family UBA10353. A comparative analysis with 60 published metagenomes from different environments, including seawater, marine biofilms, soils, corals, sponges, and hydrothermal vents, indicated that banquettes have numbers of natural products and carbohydrate active enzymes (CAZymes) similar to those found for soils and were only surpassed by marine biofilms. New proteins assigned to cellulosome modules and lignocellulose-degrading enzymes were also found. These results unveiled the diverse microbial composition of P. oceanica banquettes and determined that banquettes are a potential source of bioactive compounds and novel enzymes. IMPORTANCE Posidonia oceanica is a long-living and very slow-growing marine seagrass endemic to the Mediterranean Sea that forms large amounts of leaf material and rhizomes, which can reach the shore and build important banks known as "banquettes." These banquettes accumulate on the shore, where they can prevent erosion, although they also cause social concern due to their impact on beach use. Furthermore, Posidonia dry material has been considered a source of traditional remedies in several areas of the Mediterranean, and a few studies have been carried out to explore pharmacological activities of Posidonia extracts. The work presented here provides the first characterization of the microbiome associated with Posidonia banquettes. We carried out a metagenomic analysis together with an in-depth comparison of the banquette metagenome with 60 published metagenomes from different environments. This comparative analysis has unveiled the potential that Posidonia banquettes have for the synthesis of natural products, both in abundance (only surpassed by marine biofilms) and novelty. These products include mainly nonribosomal peptides and carbohydrate active enzymes. Thus, the interest of our work lies in the interest of Posidonia "waste" material as a source of new bioactive compounds and CAZymes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Esther Rubio-Portillo
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | | | - Alfonso Ángel Ramos-Esplá
- Department of Marine Sciences and Applied Biology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
- CIMAR, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Josefa Antón
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Silveira CB, Luque A, Roach TN, Villela H, Barno A, Green K, Reyes B, Rubio-Portillo E, Le T, Mead S, Hatay M, Vermeij MJ, Takeshita Y, Haas A, Bailey B, Rohwer F. Biophysical and physiological processes causing oxygen loss from coral reefs. eLife 2019; 8:49114. [PMID: 31793432 PMCID: PMC6890468 DOI: 10.7554/elife.49114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 10/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The microbialization of coral reefs predicts that microbial oxygen consumption will cause reef deoxygenation. Here we tested this hypothesis by analyzing reef microbial and primary producer oxygen metabolisms. Metagenomic data and in vitro incubations of bacteria with primary producer exudates showed that fleshy algae stimulate incomplete carbon oxidation metabolisms in heterotrophic bacteria. These metabolisms lead to increased cell sizes and abundances, resulting in bacteria consuming 10 times more oxygen than in coral incubations. Experiments probing the dissolved and gaseous oxygen with primary producers and bacteria together indicated the loss of oxygen through ebullition caused by heterogenous nucleation on algae surfaces. A model incorporating experimental production and loss rates predicted that microbes and ebullition can cause the loss of up to 67% of gross benthic oxygen production. This study indicates that microbial respiration and ebullition are increasingly relevant to reef deoxygenation as reefs become dominated by fleshy algae. Rising water temperatures, pollution and other factors are increasingly threatening corals and the entire reef ecosystems they build. The potential for corals to resist and recover from the stress these factors cause ultimately depends on their ability to compete against fast-growing fleshy algae that can rapidly take over the reefs. Living on the fleshy algae, the coral and in the surrounding water are communities of bacteria and other microbes that help maintain the health of the coral reef. Both corals and algae modify the chemical and physical environment of the reef to alter the composition of the microbial communities for their own benefit. Algae, for instance, release large amounts of sugars and other molecules of organic carbon into the water. These carbon molecules are then taken up by the bacteria, along with oxygen, to produce chemical energy via a process called respiration. This could cause the levels of oxygen in the water to decrease, potentially damaging the corals and creating more open space for the algae. Previous studies have revealed how communities of microbes on coral reefs use organic carbon, but it remains unclear how they affect the levels of oxygen in the reefs. To address this question, Silveira et al. used an approach called metagenomics to analyze the bacteria in samples of water from 87 reefs across the Pacific and the Caribbean, and also performed experiments with reef bacteria grown in the laboratory. The experiments showed that bacteria growing in the presence of fleshy algae became larger and more abundant than bacteria growing near corals, resulting in the water containing lower levels of oxygen. Furthermore, the fleshy algae produced bubbles of oxygen that were released from the water. Silveira et al. developed a mathematical model that predicted that these bubbles, combined with the respiration of bacteria that live near algae, caused the loss of 67% of the oxygen in the water surrounding the reef. These findings represent a fundamental step towards understanding how changes in the levels of oxygen in water affect the ability of coral reefs to resist and recover from stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia B Silveira
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, United States.,Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, United States
| | - Antoni Luque
- Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, United States.,Computational Science Research Center, San Diego State University, San Diego, United States.,Department of Mathematics and Statistics, San Diego State University, San Diego, United States
| | - Ty Nf Roach
- Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii at Mānoa, Kāneohe, United States
| | - Helena Villela
- Department of Microbiology, Rio de Janeiro Federal University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Adam Barno
- Department of Microbiology, Rio de Janeiro Federal University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Kevin Green
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, United States
| | - Brandon Reyes
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, United States
| | - Esther Rubio-Portillo
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Tram Le
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, United States
| | - Spencer Mead
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, United States
| | - Mark Hatay
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, United States.,Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, United States
| | - Mark Ja Vermeij
- CARMABI Foundation, Willemstad, Curaçao.,Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity andEcosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Andreas Haas
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Utrecht University, Texel, Netherlands
| | - Barbara Bailey
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, San Diego State University, San Diego, United States
| | - Forest Rohwer
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, United States.,Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, United States
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Rubio-Portillo E, Gago JF, Martínez-García M, Vezzulli L, Rosselló-Móra R, Antón J, Ramos-Esplá AA. Vibrio communities in scleractinian corals differ according to health status and geographic location in the Mediterranean Sea. Syst Appl Microbiol 2018; 41:131-138. [DOI: 10.1016/j.syapm.2017.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Revised: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 11/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
|
7
|
Rubio-Portillo E, Kersting DK, Linares C, Ramos-Esplá AA, Antón J. Biogeographic Differences in the Microbiome and Pathobiome of the Coral Cladocora caespitosa in the Western Mediterranean Sea. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:22. [PMID: 29410656 PMCID: PMC5787083 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2017] [Accepted: 01/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The endemic Mediterranean zooxanthellate scleractinian reef-builder Cladocora caespitosa is among the organisms most affected by warming-related mass mortality events in the Mediterranean Sea. Corals are known to contain a diverse microbiota that plays a key role in their physiology and health. Here we report the first study that examines the microbiome and pathobiome associated with C. caespitosa in three different Mediterranean locations (i.e., Genova, Columbretes Islands, and Tabarca Island). The microbial communities associated with this species showed biogeographical differences, but shared a common core microbiome that probably plays a key role in the coral holobiont. The putatively pathogenic microbial assemblage (i.e., pathobiome) of C. caespitosa also seemed to depend on geographic location and the human footprint. In locations near the coast and with higher human influence, the pathobiome was entirely constituted by Vibrio species, including the well-known coral pathogens Vibrio coralliilyticus and V. mediterranei. However, in the Columbretes Islands, located off the coast and the most pristine of the analyzed locations, no changes among microbial communities associated to healthy and necrosed samples were detected. Hence, our results provide new insights into the microbiome of the temperate corals and its role in coral health status, highlighting its dependence on the local environmental conditions and the human footprint.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Esther Rubio-Portillo
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Diego K Kersting
- Working Group on Geobiology and Anthropocene Research, Institute of Geological Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristina Linares
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Josefa Antón
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Rubio-Portillo E, Santos F, Martínez-García M, de Los Ríos A, Ascaso C, Souza-Egipsy V, Ramos-Esplá AA, Anton J. Structure and temporal dynamics of the bacterial communities associated to microhabitats of the coral Oculina patagonica. Environ Microbiol 2017; 18:4564-4578. [PMID: 27690185 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.13548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Corals are known to contain a diverse microbiota that plays a paramount role in the physiology and health of holobiont. However, few studies have addressed the variability of bacterial communities within the coral host. In this study, bacterial community composition from the mucus, tissue and skeleton of the scleractinian coral Oculina patagonica were investigated seasonally at two locations in the Western Mediterranean Sea, to further understand how environmental conditions and the coral microbiome structure are related. We used denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis in combination with next-generation sequencing and electron microscopy to characterize the bacterial community. The bacterial communities were significantly different among coral compartments, and coral tissue displayed the greatest changes related to environmental conditions and coral health status. Species belonging to the Rhodobacteraceae and Vibrionaceae families form part of O. patagonica tissues core microbiome and may play significant roles in the nitrogen cycle. Furthermore, sequences related to the coral pathogens, Vibrio mediterranei and Vibrio coralliilyticus, were detected not only in bleached corals but also in healthy ones, even during cold months. This fact opens a new view onto unveiling the role of pathogens in the development of coral diseases in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Esther Rubio-Portillo
- Department of Marine Sciences and Applied Biology, University of Alicante, Alicante, 03080, Spain
| | - Fernando Santos
- Department of Physiology, Genetics, and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, 03080, Spain
| | - Manuel Martínez-García
- Department of Physiology, Genetics, and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, 03080, Spain
| | - Asunción de Los Ríos
- Department of Biogeochemistry and Microbial Ecology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Madrid, 28006, Spain
| | - Carmen Ascaso
- Department of Biogeochemistry and Microbial Ecology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Madrid, 28006, Spain
| | | | - Alfonso A Ramos-Esplá
- Department of Marine Sciences and Applied Biology, University of Alicante, Alicante, 03080, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Marina (CIMAR), Universidad de Alicante-Ayuntamiento de Santa Pola, Alicante, Spain
| | - Josefa Anton
- Department of Physiology, Genetics, and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, 03080, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Rubio-Portillo E, Izquierdo-Muñoz A, Gago JF, Rosselló-Mora R, Antón J, Ramos-Esplá AA. Effects of the 2015 heat wave on benthic invertebrates in the Tabarca Marine Protected Area (southeast Spain). Mar Environ Res 2016; 122:135-142. [PMID: 27810225 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2016.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2016] [Revised: 10/20/2016] [Accepted: 10/24/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
In the late summer of 2015, extensive mortality of scleratinian corals, gorgonians, and sponges was observed in the Marine Protected Area of Tabarca (southeast Spain). Quantitative data indicated that at 25 m depth the sea fan Eunicella singularis was the most affected species (50% of colonies affected by partial mortality); while in shallow waters more than 40% of the endemic scleractinian coral Cladocora caespitosa population showed tissue lesions that affected more than 10% of their surfaces. Other affected species were the scleractinian corals Oculina patagonica and Phyllangia mouchezii, the sea fan Leptogorgia sarmentosa and the sponge Sarcotragus fasciculatus. This mortality event coincided with an abnormal rise in seawater temperature in this region. Microbiological analysis showed a higher abundance of culturable Vibrio species in invertebrates exhibiting tissue lesions, which indicated that these opportunistic pathogens could be a key factor in the process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Esther Rubio-Portillo
- Department of Marine Science and Applied Biology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain; Centro de Investigación Marina de Santa Pola (CIMAR), University of Alicante-Santa Pola Town Council, Cabo de Santa Pola s/n, Alicante, Spain; Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain.
| | - Andrés Izquierdo-Muñoz
- Centro de Investigación Marina de Santa Pola (CIMAR), University of Alicante-Santa Pola Town Council, Cabo de Santa Pola s/n, Alicante, Spain
| | - Juan F Gago
- Marine Microbiology Group, Department of Ecology and Marine Resources, Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA, CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Spain
| | - Ramon Rosselló-Mora
- Marine Microbiology Group, Department of Ecology and Marine Resources, Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA, CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Spain
| | - Josefa Antón
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Alfonso A Ramos-Esplá
- Department of Marine Science and Applied Biology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain; Centro de Investigación Marina de Santa Pola (CIMAR), University of Alicante-Santa Pola Town Council, Cabo de Santa Pola s/n, Alicante, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Torres M, Rubio-Portillo E, Antón J, Ramos-Esplá AA, Quesada E, Llamas I. Selection of the N-Acylhomoserine Lactone-Degrading Bacterium Alteromonas stellipolaris PQQ-42 and of Its Potential for Biocontrol in Aquaculture. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:646. [PMID: 27242684 PMCID: PMC4860449 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.00646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2015] [Accepted: 04/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The production of virulence factors by many pathogenic microorganisms depends on the intercellular communication system called quorum sensing, which involves the production and release of signal molecules known as autoinducers. Based on this, new-therapeutic strategies have emerged for the treatment of a variety of infections, such as the enzymatic degradation of signaling molecules, known as quorum quenching (QQ). In this study, we present the screening of QQ activity amongst 450 strains isolated from a bivalve hatchery in Granada (Spain), and the selection of the strain PQQ-42, which degrades a wide range of N-acylhomoserine lactones (AHLs). The selected strain, identified as Alteromonas stellipolaris, degraded the accumulation of AHLs and reduced the production of protease and chitinase and swimming motility of a Vibrio species in co-cultivation experiments in vitro. In the bio-control experiment, strain PQQ-42 significantly reduced the pathogenicity of Vibrio mediterranei VibC-Oc-097 upon the coral Oculina patagonica showing a lower degree of tissue damage (29.25 ± 14.63%) in its presence, compared to when the coral was infected with V. mediterranei VibC-Oc-097 alone (77.53 ± 13.22%). Our results suggest that this AHL-degrading bacterium may have biotechnological applications in aquaculture.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marta Torres
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Microbiology, University of GranadaGranada, Spain; Biomedical Research Centre (CIBM), Institute of Biotechnology, University of GranadaGranada, Spain
| | - Esther Rubio-Portillo
- Department of Marine Science and Applied Biology, University of Alicante Alicante, Spain
| | - Josefa Antón
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante Alicante, Spain
| | - Alfonso A Ramos-Esplá
- Department of Marine Science and Applied Biology, University of Alicante Alicante, Spain
| | - Emilia Quesada
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Microbiology, University of GranadaGranada, Spain; Biomedical Research Centre (CIBM), Institute of Biotechnology, University of GranadaGranada, Spain
| | - Inmaculada Llamas
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Microbiology, University of GranadaGranada, Spain; Biomedical Research Centre (CIBM), Institute of Biotechnology, University of GranadaGranada, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Rubio-Portillo E, Souza-Egipsy V, Ascaso C, de Los Rios Murillo A, Ramos-Esplá AA, Antón J. Eukarya associated with the stony coral Oculina patagonica from the Mediterranean Sea. Mar Genomics 2014; 17:17-23. [PMID: 24950182 DOI: 10.1016/j.margen.2014.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2014] [Revised: 06/05/2014] [Accepted: 06/05/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Oculina patagonica is a putative alien scleractinian coral from the Southwest Atlantic that inhabits across the Mediterranean Sea. Here, we have addressed the diversity of Eukarya associated with this coral and its changes related to the environmental conditions and coral status. A total of 46 colonies of O. patagonica were taken from Alicante coast (Spain) and Pietra Ligure coast (Italy) and analyzed using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of the small-subunit 18S rRNA and 16S plastid rRNA genes, internal transcribed spacer region 2 (ITS 2) analyses, and electron microscopy. Our results show that Eukarya and plastid community associated to O. patagonica change with environmental conditions and coral status. Cryptic species, which can be difficult to identify by optical methods, were distinguished by 18S rRNA gene DGGE: the barnacle Megatrema anglicum, which was detected at two locations, and two boring sponges related to Cliona sp. and Siphonodictyon coralliphagum detected in samples from Tabarca and Alicante Harbour, respectively. Eukaryotic phototrophic community from the skeletal matrix of healthy corals was dominated by Ochrosphaera sp. while bleached corals from the Harbour and Tabarca were associated to different uncultured phototrophic organism. Differences in ultrastructural morphologies of the zooxanthellae between healthy and bleached corals were observed. Nevertheless, no differences were found in Symbiodinium community among time, environments, coral status and location, showing that O. patagonica hosted only one genotype of Symbiodinium belonging to clade B2. The fact that this clade has not been previously detected in other Mediterranean corals and is more frequent in the tropical Western Atlantic, is a new evidence that O. patagonica is an alien species in the Mediterranean Sea.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Esther Rubio-Portillo
- Dpto. Ciencias del Mar y Biología Aplicada, Universidad de Alicante, 03080 Alicante, Spain.
| | - Virginia Souza-Egipsy
- Servicio de Microscopía Electrónica, Instituto de Ciencias Agrarias-CSIC, Serrano 115 bis, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen Ascaso
- Dpto Biogeoquímica y Ecología Microbiana, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC, Serrano 115 bis, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Asunción de Los Rios Murillo
- Dpto Biogeoquímica y Ecología Microbiana, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC, Serrano 115 bis, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Alfonso A Ramos-Esplá
- Dpto. Ciencias del Mar y Biología Aplicada, Universidad de Alicante, 03080 Alicante, Spain; Centro de Investigación Marina (CIMAR), Universidad de Alicante-Ayuntamiento de Santa Pola, Cabo de Santa Pola s/n, Alicante, Spain
| | - Josefa Antón
- Department of Physiology, Genetics, and Microbiology, University of Alicante, 03080 Alicante, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Rubio-Portillo E, Yarza P, Peñalver C, Ramos-Esplá AA, Antón J. New insights into Oculina patagonica coral diseases and their associated Vibrio spp. communities. ISME J 2014; 8:1794-807. [PMID: 24621525 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2014.33] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2013] [Revised: 02/04/2014] [Accepted: 02/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Bleaching of Oculina patagonica has been extensively studied in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, although no studies have been carried out in the Western basin. In 1996 Vibrio mediterranei was reported as the causative agent of bleaching in O. patagonica but it has not been related to bleached or healthy corals since 2003, suggesting that it was no longer involved in bleaching of O. patagonica. In an attempt to clarify the relationship between Vibrio spp., seawater temperature and coral diseases, as well as to investigate the putative differences between Eastern and Western Mediterranean basins, we have analysed the seasonal patterns of the culturable Vibrio spp. assemblages associated with healthy and diseased O. patagonica colonies. Two sampling points located in the Spanish Mediterranean coast were chosen for this study: Alicante Harbour and the Marine Reserve of Tabarca. A complex and dynamic assemblage of Vibrio spp. was present in O. patagonica along the whole year and under different environmental conditions and coral health status. While some Vibrio spp. were detected all year around in corals, the known pathogens V. mediteranei and V. coralliilyticus were only present in diseased specimens. The pathogenic potential of these bacteria was studied by experimental infection under laboratory conditions. Both vibrios caused diseased signs from 24 °C, being higher and faster at 28 °C. Unexpectedly, the co-inoculation of these two Vibrio species seemed to have a synergistic pathogenic effect over O. patagonica, as disease signs were readily observed at temperatures at which bleaching is not normally observed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Esther Rubio-Portillo
- Dpto. Ciencias del Mar y Biología Aplicada, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | | | - Cindy Peñalver
- Department of Physiology, Genetics, and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Alfonso A Ramos-Esplá
- 1] Dpto. Ciencias del Mar y Biología Aplicada, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain [2] Centro de Investigación Marina (CIMAR), Universidad de Alicante-Ayuntamiento de Santa Pola, Cabo de Santa Pola s/n, Alicante, Spain
| | - Josefa Antón
- 1] Department of Physiology, Genetics, and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain [2] Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio Ramón Margalef, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| |
Collapse
|