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Irudayarajan L, Ravindran C, Raveendran HP. Antimicrobial activity of coral-associated beneficial bacteria against coral disease-causing microbial pathogens. J Basic Microbiol 2024; 64:81-93. [PMID: 37726211 DOI: 10.1002/jobm.202300338] [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: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
Microbial infection of immune-compromised corals influences disease severity, resulting in coral mortality. However, coral-associated beneficial bacteria are known to produce antimicrobial compounds that prevent the growth of potential pathogens and invading microbes. Hence, beneficial bacteria associated with coral Porites lutea were isolated and antimicrobial protein and bioactive secondary metabolites were extracted and tested for their antimicrobial activity against putative prokaryotic and eukaryotic coral pathogens. Bioactive secondary metabolites exhibited remarkable antagonism against various coral pathogens such as Serratia marcescens, Vibrio species, and Aspergillus sydowii. Besides, the metabolites of Cobetia marina, Cobetia amphilecti, Pseudoalteromonas neustonica, and Virgibacillus halodenitrificans manifested notable inhibition against the protozoan ciliates (Uronema marinum, Holosticha diademata, Cohnilembus verminus, and Euplotes vannus) and zooplankton that are known to be involved in the secondary pathogenesis in coral diseased lesion progression. Thus, the present study may benefit in understanding coral-associated beneficial bacteria for their antagonistic interactions with microbial pathogens, as well as their potential involvement in reducing coral disease severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lawrance Irudayarajan
- Biological Oceanography Division, CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Panaji, Goa, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Chinnarajan Ravindran
- Biological Oceanography Division, CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Panaji, Goa, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Haritha P Raveendran
- Biological Oceanography Division, CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Panaji, Goa, India
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2
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Dong X, Lan H, Huang L, Zhang H, Lin X, Weng S, Peng Y, Lin J, Wang JH, Peng J, Yang Y. Metagenomic Views of Microbial Communities in Sand Sediments Associated with Coral Reefs. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2023; 85:465-477. [PMID: 35113183 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-021-01957-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Reef sediments, the home for microbes with high abundances, provide an important source of carbonates and nutrients for the growth and maintenance of coral reefs. However, there is a lack of systematic research on the composition of microbial community in sediments of different geographic sites and their potential effect on nutrient recycling and health of the coral reef ecosystem. In combination of biogeochemical measurements with gene- and genome-centric metagenomics, we assessed microbial community compositions and functional diversity, as well as profiles of antibiotic resistance genes in surface sediments of 16 coral reef sites at different depths from the Xisha islands in the South China Sea. Reef sediment microbiomes are diverse and novel at lower taxonomic ranks, dominated by Proteobacteria and Planctomycetota. Most reef sediment bacteria potentially participate in biogeochemical cycling via oxidizing various organic and inorganic compounds as energy sources. High abundances of Proteobacteria (mostly Rhizobiales and Woeseiales) are metabolically flexible and contain rhodopsin genes. Various classes of antibiotic resistance genes, hosted by diverse bacterial lineages, were identified to confer resistance to multidrug, aminoglycoside, and other antibiotics. Overall, our findings expanded the understanding of reef sediment microbial ecology and provided insights for their link to the coral reef ecosystem health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiyang Dong
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519082, China.
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519000, China.
| | - Haoyu Lan
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519082, China
| | - Liangtian Huang
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519082, China
| | - Haikun Zhang
- Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, 264003, China
| | - Xianbiao Lin
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519082, China
| | - Shengze Weng
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519082, China
| | - Yongyi Peng
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519082, China
| | - Jia Lin
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519082, China
| | - Jiang-Hai Wang
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519082, China
| | - Juan Peng
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519082, China
| | - Ying Yang
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519082, China.
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519000, China.
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3
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Henriksen NNSE, Lindqvist LL, Wibowo M, Sonnenschein EC, Bentzon-Tilia M, Gram L. Role is in the eye of the beholder-the multiple functions of the antibacterial compound tropodithietic acid produced by marine Rhodobacteraceae. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2022; 46:fuac007. [PMID: 35099011 PMCID: PMC9075582 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuac007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Many microbial secondary metabolites have been studied for decades primarily because of their antimicrobial properties. However, several of these metabolites also possess nonantimicrobial functions, both influencing the physiology of the producer and their ecological neighbors. An example of a versatile bacterial secondary metabolite with multiple functions is the tropone derivative tropodithietic acid (TDA). TDA is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial compound produced by several members of the Rhodobacteraceae family, a major marine bacterial lineage, within the genera Phaeobacter, Tritonibacter, and Pseudovibrio. The production of TDA is governed by the mode of growth and influenced by the availability of nutrient sources. The antibacterial effect of TDA is caused by disruption of the proton motive force of target microorganisms and, potentially, by its iron-chelating properties. TDA also acts as a signaling molecule, affecting gene expression in other bacteria, and altering phenotypic traits such as motility, biofilm formation, and antibiotic production in the producer. In microbial communities, TDA-producing bacteria cause a reduction of the relative abundance of closely related species and some fast-growing heterotrophic bacteria. Here, we summarize the current understanding of the chemical ecology of TDA, including the environmental niches of TDA-producing bacteria, and the molecular mechanisms governing the function and regulation of TDA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie N S E Henriksen
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts, Plads Bldg. 221, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Laura L Lindqvist
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts, Plads Bldg. 221, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Mario Wibowo
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts, Plads Bldg. 221, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Eva C Sonnenschein
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts, Plads Bldg. 221, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Mikkel Bentzon-Tilia
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts, Plads Bldg. 221, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Lone Gram
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts, Plads Bldg. 221, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
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4
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Deutsch JM, Mandelare-Ruiz P, Yang Y, Foster G, Routhu A, Houk J, De La Flor YT, Ushijima B, Meyer JL, Paul VJ, Garg N. Metabolomics Approaches to Dereplicate Natural Products from Coral-Derived Bioactive Bacteria. JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2022; 85:462-478. [PMID: 35112871 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.1c01110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Stony corals (Scleractinia) are invertebrates that form symbiotic relationships with eukaryotic algal endosymbionts and the prokaryotic microbiome. The microbiome has the potential to produce bioactive natural products providing defense and resilience to the coral host against pathogenic microorganisms, but this potential has not been extensively explored. Bacterial pathogens can pose a significant threat to corals, with some species implicated in primary and opportunistic infections of various corals. In response, probiotics have been proposed as a potential strategy to protect corals in the face of increased incidence of disease outbreaks. In this study, we screened bacterial isolates from healthy and diseased corals for antibacterial activity. The bioactive extracts were analyzed using untargeted metabolomics. Herein, an UpSet plot and hierarchical clustering analyses were performed to identify isolates with the largest number of unique metabolites. These isolates also displayed different antibacterial activities. Through application of in silico and experimental approaches coupled with genome analysis, we dereplicated natural products from these coral-derived bacteria from Florida's coral reef environments. The metabolomics approach highlighted in this study serves as a useful resource to select probiotic candidates and enables insights into natural product-mediated chemical ecology in holobiont symbiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M Deutsch
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Engineered Biosystems Building, Center for Microbial Dynamics and Infection, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Paige Mandelare-Ruiz
- Smithsonian Marine Station, Smithsonian Institution, Fort Pierce, Florida 34949, United States
| | - Yingzhe Yang
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Engineered Biosystems Building, Center for Microbial Dynamics and Infection, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Gabriel Foster
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Engineered Biosystems Building, Center for Microbial Dynamics and Infection, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Apurva Routhu
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Engineered Biosystems Building, Center for Microbial Dynamics and Infection, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Jay Houk
- Smithsonian Marine Station, Smithsonian Institution, Fort Pierce, Florida 34949, United States
| | - Yesmarie T De La Flor
- Smithsonian Marine Station, Smithsonian Institution, Fort Pierce, Florida 34949, United States
| | - Blake Ushijima
- Smithsonian Marine Station, Smithsonian Institution, Fort Pierce, Florida 34949, United States
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina 28403, United States
| | - Julie L Meyer
- Department of Soil and Water Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32603, United States
| | - Valerie J Paul
- Smithsonian Marine Station, Smithsonian Institution, Fort Pierce, Florida 34949, United States
| | - Neha Garg
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Engineered Biosystems Building, Center for Microbial Dynamics and Infection, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
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Gao C, Garren M, Penn K, Fernandez VI, Seymour JR, Thompson JR, Raina JB, Stocker R. Coral mucus rapidly induces chemokinesis and genome-wide transcriptional shifts toward early pathogenesis in a bacterial coral pathogen. THE ISME JOURNAL 2021; 15:3668-3682. [PMID: 34168314 PMCID: PMC8630044 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-021-01024-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Elevated seawater temperatures have contributed to the rise of coral disease mediated by bacterial pathogens, such as the globally distributed Vibrio coralliilyticus, which utilizes coral mucus as a chemical cue to locate stressed corals. However, the physiological events in the pathogens that follow their entry into the coral host environment remain unknown. Here, we present simultaneous measurements of the behavioral and transcriptional responses of V. coralliilyticus BAA-450 incubated in coral mucus. Video microscopy revealed a strong and rapid chemokinetic behavioral response by the pathogen, characterized by a two-fold increase in average swimming speed within 6 min of coral mucus exposure. RNA sequencing showed that this bacterial behavior was accompanied by an equally rapid differential expression of 53% of the genes in the V. coralliilyticus genome. Specifically, transcript abundance 10 min after mucus exposure showed upregulation of genes involved in quorum sensing, biofilm formation, and nutrient metabolism, and downregulation of flagella synthesis and chemotaxis genes. After 60 min, we observed upregulation of genes associated with virulence, including zinc metalloproteases responsible for causing coral tissue damage and algal symbiont photoinactivation, and secretion systems that may export toxins. Together, our results suggest that V. coralliilyticus employs a suite of behavioral and transcriptional responses to rapidly shift into a distinct infection mode within minutes of exposure to the coral microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cherry Gao
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Ralph M. Parsons Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Melissa Garren
- Working Ocean Strategies LLC, Carmel, CA, USA
- Department of Applied Environmental Science, California State University Monterey Bay, Seaside, CA, USA
| | - Kevin Penn
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Ralph M. Parsons Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Vicente I Fernandez
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Justin R Seymour
- Climate Change Cluster (C3), University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
| | - Janelle R Thompson
- Singapore Center for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jean-Baptiste Raina
- Climate Change Cluster (C3), University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
| | - Roman Stocker
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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6
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Zhu J, Lua AC. Antibacterial ultrafiltration membrane with silver nanoparticle impregnation by interfacial polymerization for ballast water. JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/pol.20210365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jianhua Zhu
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Nanyang Technological University Singapore Singapore
| | - Aik Chong Lua
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Nanyang Technological University Singapore Singapore
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7
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Ares Á, Brisbin MM, Sato KN, Martín JP, Iinuma Y, Mitarai S. Extreme storms cause rapid but short-lived shifts in nearshore subtropical bacterial communities. Environ Microbiol 2021; 22:4571-4588. [PMID: 33448616 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Revised: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Climate change scenarios predict tropical cyclones will increase in both frequency and intensity, which will escalate the amount of terrestrial run-off and mechanical disruption affecting coastal ecosystems. Bacteria are key contributors to ecosystem functioning, but relatively little is known about how they respond to extreme storm events, particularly in nearshore subtropical regions. In this study, we combine field observations and mesocosm experiments to assess bacterial community dynamics and changes in physicochemical properties during early- and late-season tropical cyclones affecting Okinawa, Japan. Storms caused large and fast influxes of freshwater and terrestrial sediment - locally known as red soil pollution - and caused moderate increases of macronutrients, especially SiO2 and PO4 3-, with up to 25 and 0.5 μM respectively. We detected shifts in relative abundances of marine and terrestrially derived bacteria, including putative coral and human pathogens, during storm events. Soil input alone did not substantially affect marine bacterial communities in mesocosms, indicating that other components of run-off or other storm effects likely exert a larger influence on bacterial communities. The storm effects were short-lived and bacterial communities quickly recovered following both storm events. The early- and late-season storms caused different physicochemical and bacterial community changes, demonstrating the context-dependency of extreme storm responses in a subtropical coastal ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ángela Ares
- Marine Biophysics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), Okinawa, Japan
| | - Margaret Mars Brisbin
- Marine Biophysics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), Okinawa, Japan
| | - Kirk N Sato
- Marine Biophysics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), Okinawa, Japan.,Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, WA, USA
| | - Juan P Martín
- Marine Biophysics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), Okinawa, Japan
| | - Yoshiteru Iinuma
- Instrumental Analysis Section, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), Okinawa, Japan
| | - Satoshi Mitarai
- Marine Biophysics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), Okinawa, Japan
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8
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Grimes DJ. The Vibrios: Scavengers, Symbionts, and Pathogens from the Sea. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2020; 80:501-506. [PMID: 32440699 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-020-01524-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Bacteria belonging to the genus Vibrio are major carbon cycle drivers in marine and estuarine environments. As is the case for most carbon cycle participants, the vibrios metabolize degradable compounds such as sugars and amino acids; they can also degrade some more recalcitrant compounds including hydrocarbons and lignins. Several vibrios are symbionts and even fewer are pathogenic for animals, including humans and marine animals and plants. This paper reviews Vibrio ecology, metabolism, and survival, and it also discusses select vibrios-V. alginolyticus, V. cholerae, V. coralliilyticus, V. cortegadensis, V. fischeri, V. harveyi, V. harveyi var. carahariae, V. ordalii, V. parahaemolyticus, and V. vulnificus.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Jay Grimes
- Department of Coastal Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi, 703 East Beach Drive, Ocean Springs, MS, 39564, USA.
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Quéré G, Intertaglia L, Payri C, Galand PE. Disease Specific Bacterial Communities in a Coralline Algae of the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea: A Combined Culture Dependent and -Independent Approach. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1850. [PMID: 31555220 PMCID: PMC6722220 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Crustose coralline red algae (CCA) are important components of marine ecosystems thriving from tropical waters and up to the poles. They fulfill important ecological services including framework building and induction of larval settlement. Like other marine organisms, CCAs have not been spared by the increase in marine disease outbreaks. The white-band syndrome has been recently observed in corallines from the Mediterranean Sea indicating that the disease threat has extended from tropical to temperate waters. Here, we examined the microbiome and the pathobiome of healthy and diseased Neogoniolithon brassica-florida coralline algae in the Mediterranean Sea by combining culture-dependent and -independent approaches. The coralline white-band syndrome was associated with a distinct pathobiome compared to healthy tissues and showed similarities with the white-band syndrome described in the Caribbean Sea. A sequence related to the genus Hoeflea, order Rhizobiales, characterized the white-band disease pathobiome described by amplicon sequencing. No representative of this genus was isolated by culture. We, however, successfully isolated an abundant member of the healthy CCA microbiome, an Alphaproteobateria of the family Rhodobacteraceae. In conclusion, we did not identify a potential causative agent of the disease, but through the complementarity of culture dependent and independent approaches we characterized the healthy microbiome of the coralline and the possible opportunistic bacteria colonizing diseased tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaëlle Quéré
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire d'Ecogéochimie des Environnements Benthiques (LECOB), Observatoire Océanologique de Banyuls, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France.,UMR 9220 ENTROPIE, 'Ecologie Marine Tropicale des Océans Pacifique et Indien', IRD, CNRS, Université de La Réunion, Noumea, New Caledonia
| | - Laurent Intertaglia
- Plateforme Bio2Mar, CNRS, Observatoire Océanologique de Banyuls, Sorbonne Université, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
| | - Claude Payri
- UMR 9220 ENTROPIE, 'Ecologie Marine Tropicale des Océans Pacifique et Indien', IRD, CNRS, Université de La Réunion, Noumea, New Caledonia
| | - Pierre E Galand
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire d'Ecogéochimie des Environnements Benthiques (LECOB), Observatoire Océanologique de Banyuls, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
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Vibrio coralliilyticus infection triggers a behavioural response and perturbs nutritional exchange and tissue integrity in a symbiotic coral. ISME JOURNAL 2018; 13:989-1003. [PMID: 30542077 PMCID: PMC6462045 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-018-0327-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Revised: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 11/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Under homoeostatic conditions, the relationship between the coral Pocillopora damicornis and Vibrio coralliilyticus is commensal. An increase in temperature, or in the abundance of V. coralliilyticus, can turn this association pathogenic, causing tissue lysis, expulsion of the corals’ symbiotic algae (genus Symbiodinium), and eventually coral death. Using a combination of microfluidics, fluorescence microscopy, stable isotopes, electron microscopy and NanoSIMS isotopic imaging, we provide insights into the onset and progression of V. coralliilyticus infection in the daytime and at night, at the tissue and (sub-)cellular level. The objective of our study was to connect the macro-scale behavioural response of the coral to the micro-scale nutritional interactions that occur between the host and its symbiont. In the daytime, polyps enhanced their mucus production, and actively spewed pathogens. Vibrio infection primarily resulted in the formation of tissue lesions in the coenosarc. NanoSIMS analysis revealed infection reduced 13C-assimilation in Symbiodinium, but increased 13C-assimilation in the host. In the night incubations, no mucus spewing was observed, and a mucus film was formed on the coral surface. Vibrio inoculation and infection at night showed reduced 13C-turnover in Symbiodinium, but did not impact host 13C-turnover. Our results show that both the nutritional interactions that occur between the two symbiotic partners and the behavioural response of the host organism play key roles in determining the progression and severity of host-pathogen interactions. More generally, our approach provides a new means of studying interactions (ranging from behavioural to metabolic scales) between partners involved in complex holobiont systems, under both homoeostatic and pathogenic conditions.
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11
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Amelia TSM, Amirul AAA, Saidin J, Bhubalan K. Identification of Cultivable Bacteria from Tropical Marine Sponges and Their Biotechnological Potentials. Trop Life Sci Res 2018; 29:187-199. [PMID: 30112149 PMCID: PMC6072720 DOI: 10.21315/tlsr2018.29.2.13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine sponges are acknowledged as bacterial hotspots in the oceanic biome. Aquatic bacteria are being investigated comprehensively for bioactive complexes and secondary metabolites. Cultivable bacteria associated with different species of sea sponges in South China Sea waters adjacent to Bidong Island, Terengganu were identified. Molecular identification was accomplished using 16S rRNA gene cloning and sequencing. Fourteen bacterial species were identified and their phylogenetic relationships were analysed by constructing a neighbour-joining tree with Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis 6. The identified species encompassed four bacterial classes that were Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria known to have been associated with sponges. The potential biotechnological applications of the identified bacteria were compared and reviewed based on relevant past studies. The biotechnological functions of the 14 cultivable isolates have been previously reported, hence reinforcing that bacteria associated with sponges are an abundant resource of scientifically essential compounds. Resilience of psychrotolerant bacteria, Psychrobacter celer, in warm tropical waters holds notable prospects for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tan Suet May Amelia
- School of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Al-Ashraf Abdullah Amirul
- School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
- Malaysian Institute of Pharmaceuticals and Nutraceuticals, National Institutes of Biotechnology Malaysia (NIBM), Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, 11700 Gelugor, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
- Centre of Chemical Biology, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
| | - Jasnizat Saidin
- School of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
- Institute of Marine Biotechnology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Kesaven Bhubalan
- School of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
- Malaysian Institute of Pharmaceuticals and Nutraceuticals, National Institutes of Biotechnology Malaysia (NIBM), Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, 11700 Gelugor, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
- Institute of Marine Biotechnology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
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12
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van de Water JAJM, Allemand D, Ferrier-Pagès C. Host-microbe interactions in octocoral holobionts - recent advances and perspectives. MICROBIOME 2018; 6:64. [PMID: 29609655 PMCID: PMC5880021 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-018-0431-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 03/01/2018] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Octocorals are one of the most ubiquitous benthic organisms in marine ecosystems from the shallow tropics to the Antarctic deep sea, providing habitat for numerous organisms as well as ecosystem services for humans. In contrast to the holobionts of reef-building scleractinian corals, the holobionts of octocorals have received relatively little attention, despite the devastating effects of disease outbreaks on many populations. Recent advances have shown that octocorals possess remarkably stable bacterial communities on geographical and temporal scales as well as under environmental stress. This may be the result of their high capacity to regulate their microbiome through the production of antimicrobial and quorum-sensing interfering compounds. Despite decades of research relating to octocoral-microbe interactions, a synthesis of this expanding field has not been conducted to date. We therefore provide an urgently needed review on our current knowledge about octocoral holobionts. Specifically, we briefly introduce the ecological role of octocorals and the concept of holobiont before providing detailed overviews of (I) the symbiosis between octocorals and the algal symbiont Symbiodinium; (II) the main fungal, viral, and bacterial taxa associated with octocorals; (III) the dominance of the microbial assemblages by a few microbial species, the stability of these associations, and their evolutionary history with the host organism; (IV) octocoral diseases; (V) how octocorals use their immune system to fight pathogens; (VI) microbiome regulation by the octocoral and its associated microbes; and (VII) the discovery of natural products with microbiome regulatory activities. Finally, we present our perspectives on how the field of octocoral research should move forward, and the recognition that these organisms may be suitable model organisms to study coral-microbe symbioses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Denis Allemand
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 8 Quai Antoine 1er, 98000, Monaco, Monaco
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Ecology and Biotechnological Potential of Bacteria Belonging to the Genus Pseudovibrio. Appl Environ Microbiol 2018; 84:AEM.02516-17. [PMID: 29453252 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02516-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Members of the genus Pseudovibrio have been isolated worldwide from a great variety of marine sources as both free-living and host-associated bacteria. So far, the available data depict a group of alphaproteobacteria characterized by a versatile metabolism, which allows them to use a variety of substrates to meet their carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorous requirements. Additionally, Pseudovibrio-related bacteria have been shown to proliferate under extreme oligotrophic conditions, tolerate high heavy-metal concentrations, and metabolize potentially toxic compounds. Considering this versatility, it is not surprising that they have been detected from temperate to tropical regions and are often the most abundant isolates obtained from marine invertebrates. Such an association is particularly recurrent with marine sponges and corals, animals that play a key role in benthic marine systems. The data so far available indicate that these bacteria are mainly beneficial to the host, and besides being involved in major nutrient cycles, they could provide the host with both vitamins/cofactors and protection from potential pathogens via the synthesis of antimicrobial secondary metabolites. In fact, the biosynthetic abilities of Pseudovibrio spp. have been emerging in recent years, and both genomic and analytic studies have underlined how these organisms promise novel natural products of biotechnological value.
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Pereira LB, Palermo BRZ, Carlos C, Ottoboni LMM. Diversity and antimicrobial activity of bacteria isolated from different Brazilian coral species. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2017; 364:4058407. [DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnx164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Letícia B. Pereira
- Center for Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (CBMEG), State University of Campinas - UNICAMP, CP 6010, Campinas, S.P., Brazil
| | - Bruna R. Z. Palermo
- Center for Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (CBMEG), State University of Campinas - UNICAMP, CP 6010, Campinas, S.P., Brazil
| | - Camila Carlos
- Center for Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (CBMEG), State University of Campinas - UNICAMP, CP 6010, Campinas, S.P., Brazil
| | - Laura M. M. Ottoboni
- Center for Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (CBMEG), State University of Campinas - UNICAMP, CP 6010, Campinas, S.P., Brazil
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15
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Raina JB, Tapiolas D, Motti CA, Foret S, Seemann T, Tebben J, Willis BL, Bourne DG. Isolation of an antimicrobial compound produced by bacteria associated with reef-building corals. PeerJ 2016; 4:e2275. [PMID: 27602265 PMCID: PMC4994080 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial communities associated with healthy corals produce antimicrobial compounds that inhibit the colonization and growth of invasive microbes and potential pathogens. To date, however, bacteria-derived antimicrobial molecules have not been identified in reef-building corals. Here, we report the isolation of an antimicrobial compound produced by Pseudovibrio sp. P12, a common and abundant coral-associated bacterium. This strain was capable of metabolizing dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), a sulfur molecule produced in high concentrations by reef-building corals and playing a role in structuring their bacterial communities. Bioassay-guided fractionation coupled with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectrometry (MS), identified the antimicrobial as tropodithietic acid (TDA), a sulfur-containing compound likely derived from DMSP catabolism. TDA was produced in large quantities by Pseudovibrio sp., and prevented the growth of two previously identified coral pathogens, Vibrio coralliilyticus and V. owensii, at very low concentrations (0.5 μg/mL) in agar diffusion assays. Genome sequencing of Pseudovibrio sp. P12 identified gene homologs likely involved in the metabolism of DMSP and production of TDA. These results provide additional evidence for the integral role of DMSP in structuring coral-associated bacterial communities and underline the potential of these DMSP-metabolizing microbes to contribute to coral disease prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Baptiste Raina
- Climate Change Cluster (C3), University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia; Marine Biology and Aquaculture, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University of North Queensland, Townsville, QLD, Australia; AIMS@JCU, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Dianne Tapiolas
- Australian Institute of Marine Science , Townsville, QLD , Australia
| | - Cherie A Motti
- Australian Institute of Marine Science , Townsville, QLD , Australia
| | - Sylvain Foret
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia; Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Torsten Seemann
- Victorian Life Sciences Computation Initiative, University of Melbourne , Melbourne, Victoria , Australia
| | - Jan Tebben
- Section Chemical Ecology, Alfred Wegener Institute, Bremerhaven, Germany; University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Bette L Willis
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia; Marine Biology and Aquaculture, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University of North Queensland, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - David G Bourne
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD, Australia; Marine Biology and Aquaculture, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University of North Queensland, Townsville, QLD, Australia
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16
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Abstract
The tissue, skeleton, and secreted mucus of corals supports a highly dynamic and diverse community of microbes, which play a major role in the health status of corals such as the provision of essential nutrients or the metabolism of waste products. However, members of the Vibrio genus are prominent as causative agents of disease in corals. The aim of this chapter is to review our understanding of the spectrum of disease effects displayed by coral-associated vibrios, with a particular emphasis on the few species where detailed studies of pathogenicity have been conducted. The role of Vibrio shilonii in seasonal bleaching of Oculina patagonica and the development of the coral probiotic hypothesis is reviewed, pointing to unanswered questions about this phenomenon. Detailed consideration is given to studies of V. coralliilyticus and related pathogens and changes in the dominance of vibrios associated with coral bleaching. Other Vibrio-associated disease syndromes discussed include yellow band/blotch disease and tissue necrosis in temperate gorgonian corals. The review includes analysis of the role of enzymes, resistance to oxidative stress, and quorum sensing in virulence of coral-associated vibrios. The review concludes that we should probably regard most-possibly all-vibrios as "opportunistic" pathogens which, under certain environmental conditions, are capable of overwhelming the defense mechanisms of appropriate hosts, leading to rapid growth and tissue destruction.
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In Silico Analysis of a Novel Plasmid from the Coral Pathogen Vibrio coralliilyticus Reveals Two Potential "Ecological Islands". Microorganisms 2016; 4:microorganisms4010003. [PMID: 27681896 PMCID: PMC5029508 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms4010003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2015] [Revised: 12/01/2015] [Accepted: 12/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
As virulence often correlates with the presence of plasmid replicons in several Vibrio spp., this study investigated whether non-chromosomal DNA could be found in the coral pathogen, Vibrio coralliilyticus BAA-450. A circular plasmid, 26,631 bp in size, was identified. DNA sequence analysis indicated that the plasmid contained 30 open reading frames, six tRNA genes, 12 inverted repeats, three direct repeats and presented no continuous sequence identity to other replicons within the database. Consequently, these findings indicate that this is a novel, previously unidentified, plasmid. Two putative “ecological islands” were also identified and are predicted to encode for various factors that would facilitate growth and survival under different ecological conditions. In addition, two open reading frames may encode proteins that contribute to the pathogenicity of the organism. Functional cooperativity is also indicated between several plasmid- and chromosomally-encoded proteins, which, in a single instance, would allow a fully functioning nutrient uptake system to be established.
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18
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Thompson JR, Rivera HE, Closek CJ, Medina M. Microbes in the coral holobiont: partners through evolution, development, and ecological interactions. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2015; 4:176. [PMID: 25621279 PMCID: PMC4286716 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2014.00176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2014] [Accepted: 12/04/2014] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last two decades, genetic and genomic studies have revealed the astonishing diversity and ubiquity of microorganisms. Emergence and expansion of the human microbiome project has reshaped our thinking about how microbes control host health-not only as pathogens, but also as symbionts. In coral reef environments, scientists have begun to examine the role that microorganisms play in coral life history. Herein, we review the current literature on coral-microbe interactions within the context of their role in evolution, development, and ecology. We ask the following questions, first posed by McFall-Ngai et al. (2013) in their review of animal evolution, with specific attention to how coral-microbial interactions may be affected under future environmental conditions: (1) How do corals and their microbiome affect each other's genomes? (2) How does coral development depend on microbial partners? (3) How is homeostasis maintained between corals and their microbial symbionts? (4) How can ecological approaches deepen our understanding of the multiple levels of coral-microbial interactions? Elucidating the role that microorganisms play in the structure and function of the holobiont is essential for understanding how corals maintain homeostasis and acclimate to changing environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janelle R. Thompson
- Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, MA, USA
| | - Hanny E. Rivera
- Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Woods Hole Oceanographic InstitutionWoods Hole, MA, USA
| | - Collin J. Closek
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity Park, PA, USA
| | - Mónica Medina
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity Park, PA, USA
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Complete Genome Sequence of Vibrio coralliilyticus Strain OCN014, Isolated from a Diseased Coral at Palmyra Atoll. GENOME ANNOUNCEMENTS 2014; 2:2/6/e01318-14. [PMID: 25523774 PMCID: PMC4271164 DOI: 10.1128/genomea.01318-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Vibrio coralliilyticus is a marine gammaproteobacterium that has been implicated as an etiological agent of disease for multiple coral genera on reefs worldwide. We report the complete genome of V. coralliilyticus strain OCN014, isolated from a diseased Acropora cytherea colony off the western reef terrace of Palmyra Atoll.
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20
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Puglisi MP, Sneed JM, Sharp KH, Ritson-Williams R, Paul VJ. Marine chemical ecology in benthic environments. Nat Prod Rep 2014; 31:1510-53. [DOI: 10.1039/c4np00017j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
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21
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Shaw KS, Rosenberg Goldstein RE, He X, Jacobs JM, Crump BC, Sapkota AR. Antimicrobial susceptibility of Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus recovered from recreational and commercial areas of Chesapeake Bay and Maryland Coastal Bays. PLoS One 2014; 9:e89616. [PMID: 24586914 PMCID: PMC3934932 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0089616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2013] [Accepted: 01/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Vibrio vulnificus and V. parahaemolyticus in the estuarine-marine environment are of human health significance and may be increasing in pathogenicity and abundance. Vibrio illness originating from dermal contact with Vibrio laden waters or through ingestion of seafood originating from such waters can cause deleterious health effects, particularly if the strains involved are resistant to clinically important antibiotics. The purpose of this study was to evaluate antimicrobial susceptibility among these pathogens. Surface-water samples were collected from three sites of recreational and commercial importance from July to September 2009. Samples were plated onto species-specific media and resulting V. vulnificus and V. parahaemolyticus strains were confirmed using polymerase chain reaction assays and tested for antimicrobial susceptibility using the Sensititre® microbroth dilution system. Descriptive statistics, Friedman two-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Kruskal-Wallis one-way ANOVA were used to analyze the data. Vibrio vulnificus (n = 120) and V. parahaemolyticus (n = 77) were isolated from all sampling sites. Most isolates were susceptible to antibiotics recommended for treating Vibrio infections, although the majority of isolates expressed intermediate resistance to chloramphenicol (78% of V. vulnificus, 96% of V. parahaemolyticus). Vibrio parahaemolyticus also demonstrated resistance to penicillin (68%). Sampling location or month did not significantly impact V. parahaemolyticus resistance patterns, but V. vulnificus isolates from St. Martin's River had lower overall intermediate resistance than that of the other two sampling sites during the month of July (p = 0.0166). Antibiotics recommended to treat adult Vibrio infections were effective in suppressing bacterial growth, while some antibiotics recommended for pediatric treatment were not effective against some of the recovered isolates. To our knowledge, these are the first antimicrobial susceptibility data of V. vulnificus and V. parahaemolyticus recovered from the Chesapeake Bay. These data can serve as a baseline against which future studies can be compared to evaluate whether susceptibilities change over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristi S. Shaw
- Horn Point Laboratory, University of Maryland, Center for Environmental Science, Cambridge, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Rachel E. Rosenberg Goldstein
- Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, University of Maryland, School of Public Health, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Xin He
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Maryland, School of Public Health, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - John M. Jacobs
- Cooperative Oxford Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean Service, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Oxford, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Byron C. Crump
- Horn Point Laboratory, University of Maryland, Center for Environmental Science, Cambridge, Maryland, United States of America
- College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Amy R. Sapkota
- Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, University of Maryland, School of Public Health, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
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22
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Vibrio coralliilyticus strain OCN008 is an etiological agent of acute Montipora white syndrome. Appl Environ Microbiol 2014; 80:2102-9. [PMID: 24463971 DOI: 10.1128/aem.03463-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Identification of a pathogen is a critical first step in the epidemiology and subsequent management of a disease. A limited number of pathogens have been identified for diseases contributing to the global decline of coral populations. Here we describe Vibrio coralliilyticus strain OCN008, which induces acute Montipora white syndrome (aMWS), a tissue loss disease responsible for substantial mortality of the coral Montipora capitata in Kāne'ohe Bay, Hawai'i. OCN008 was grown in pure culture, recreated signs of disease in experimentally infected corals, and could be recovered after infection. In addition, strains similar to OCN008 were isolated from diseased coral from the field but not from healthy M. capitata. OCN008 repeatedly induced the loss of healthy M. capitata tissue from fragments under laboratory conditions with a minimum infectious dose of between 10(7) and 10(8) CFU/ml of water. In contrast, Porites compressa was not infected by OCN008, indicating the host specificity of the pathogen. A decrease in water temperature from 27 to 23°C affected the time to disease onset, but the risk of infection was not significantly reduced. Temperature-dependent bleaching, which has been observed with the V. coralliilyticus type strain BAA-450, was not observed during infection with OCN008. A comparison of the OCN008 genome to the genomes of pathogenic V. coralliilyticus strains BAA-450 and P1 revealed similar virulence-associated genes and quorum-sensing systems. Despite this genetic similarity, infections of M. capitata by OCN008 do not follow the paradigm for V. coralliilyticus infections established by the type strain.
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23
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Wilson B, Muirhead A, Bazanella M, Huete-Stauffer C, Vezzulli L, Bourne DG. An improved detection and quantification method for the coral pathogen Vibrio coralliilyticus. PLoS One 2013; 8:e81800. [PMID: 24339968 PMCID: PMC3858260 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0081800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2013] [Accepted: 10/26/2013] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA- and RNA-based PCR and reverse-transcription real-time PCR assays were developed for diagnostic detection of the vcpA zinc-metalloprotease implicated in the virulence of the coral pathogen Vibrio coralliilyticus. Both PCR methods were highly specific for V. coralliilyticus and failed to amplify strains of closely-related Vibrio species. The assays correctly detected all globally occurring V. coralliilyticus isolates including a newly-described isolate [TAV24] infecting gorgonians in the Mediterranean Sea and highlighted those isolates that had been potentially misidentified, in particular V. tubiashii strains ATCC 19105 and RE22, historically described as important oyster pathogens. The real-time assay is sensitive, detecting 10 gene copies and the relationships between gene copy number and cycle threshold (CT) were highly linear (R2≥99.7). The real-time assay was also not affected by interference from non-target DNA. These assays are useful for rapid detection of V. coralliilyticus and monitoring of virulence levels in environmental samples, allowing for implementation of timely management steps to limit and possibly prevent losses due to V. coralliilyticus infection, as well as furthering investigations of factors affecting pathogenesis of this important marine pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan Wilson
- Centre for Marine Microbiology and Genetics, Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Andrew Muirhead
- Centre for Marine Microbiology and Genetics, Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Monika Bazanella
- Centre for Marine Microbiology and Genetics, Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Fachhochschule Krems, Krems, Austria
| | - Carla Huete-Stauffer
- Centre for Marine Microbiology and Genetics, Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Università degli Studi di Genova, Genoa, Italy
| | | | - David G. Bourne
- Centre for Marine Microbiology and Genetics, Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- * E-mail:
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24
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Draft Genome Sequence of Vibrio coralliilyticus Strain OCN008, Isolated from Kane'ohe Bay, Hawai'i. GENOME ANNOUNCEMENTS 2013; 1:1/5/e00786-13. [PMID: 24092784 PMCID: PMC3790088 DOI: 10.1128/genomea.00786-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Vibrio coralliilyticus is a Gram-negative bacterium found in seawater and is associated with diseased marine organisms. Strains of V. coralliilyticus have been shown to infect coral from multiple genera. We report the draft genome sequence of V. coralliilyticus strain OCN008, the third V. coralliilyticus genome to be sequenced.
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25
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Kimes NE, Johnson WR, Torralba M, Nelson KE, Weil E, Morris PJ. The Montastraea faveolata microbiome: ecological and temporal influences on a Caribbean reef-building coral in decline. Environ Microbiol 2013; 15:2082-94. [PMID: 23750924 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.12130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2012] [Accepted: 02/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Coral-associated microbial communities, including protists, bacteria, archaea and viruses, are important components of the coral holobiont that influence the health of corals and coral reef ecosystems. Evidence suggests that the composition of these microbial communities is affected by numerous parameters; however, little is known about the confluence of these ecological and temporal effects. In this study, we used ribosomal RNA gene sequencing to identify the zooxanthellae, bacteria and archaea associated with healthy and yellow band diseased (YBD) colonies in the Media Luna reef of La Parguera, Puerto Rico, in order to examine the influence of YBD on the Montastraea faveolata microbiome. In addition, we evaluated the influence of season on the differences between healthy and YBD M. faveolata microbiomes by sampling from the same tagged colonies in both March and September of 2007. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first coral microbiome study to examine sequences from the zooxanthellar, bacterial and archaeal communities simultaneously from individual coral samples. Our results confirm differences in the M. faveolata zooxanthellar, bacterial and archaeal communities between healthy and YBD colonies in March; however, the September communities do not exhibit the same differences. Moreover, we provide evidence that the differences in the M. faveolata microbiomes between March and September are more significant than those observed between healthy and YBD. This data suggest that the entire coral microbiome, not just the bacterial community, is a dynamic environment where both disease and season play important roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikole E Kimes
- Belle W. Baruch Institute for Marine and Coastal Sciences, University of South Carolina, Georgetown, SC 29442, USA
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26
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Cervino JM, Hauff B, Haslun JA, Winiarski-Cervino K, Cavazos M, Lawther P, Wier AM, Hughen K, Strychar KB. Ulcerated yellow spot syndrome: implications of aquaculture-related pathogens associated with soft coral Sarcophyton ehrenbergi tissue lesions. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2012; 102:137-148. [PMID: 23269388 DOI: 10.3354/dao02541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
We introduce a new marine syndrome called ulcerated yellow spot, affecting the soft coral Sarcophyton ehrenbergi. To identify bacteria associated with tissue lesions, tissue and mucus samples were taken during a 2009 Indo-Pacific research expedition near the Wakatobi Island chain, Indonesia. Polymerase chain reaction targeting the 16S rDNA gene indicated associations with the known fish-disease-causing bacterium Photobacterium damselae, as well as multiple Vibrio species. Results indicate a shift toward decreasing diversity of bacteria in lesioned samples. Photobacterium damselae ssp. piscicida, formerly known as Pasteurella piscicida, is known as the causative agent of fish pasteurellosis and in this study, was isolated solely in lesioned tissues. Globally, fish pasteurellosis is one of the most damaging fish diseases in marine aquaculture. Vibrio alginolyticus, a putative pathogen associated with yellow band disease in scleractinian coral, was also isolated from lesioned tissues. Lesions appear to be inflicting damage on symbiotic zooxanthellae (Symbiodinium sp.), measurable by decreases in mitotic index, cell density and photosynthetic efficiency. Mitotic index of zooxanthellae within infected tissue samples was decreased by ~80%, while zooxanthellae densities were decreased by ~40% in lesioned tissue samples compared with healthy coral. These results provide evidence for the presence of known aquaculture pathogens in lesioned soft coral and may be a concern with respect to cross-species epizootics in the tropics.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M Cervino
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Department of Marine Chemistry & Geochemistry, Woods Hole, Massachussetts 02543, USA
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27
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Shnit-Orland M, Sivan A, Kushmaro A. Antibacterial activity of Pseudoalteromonas in the coral holobiont. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2012; 64:851-9. [PMID: 22767125 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-012-0086-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2012] [Accepted: 06/12/2012] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Corals harbor diverse and abundant prokaryotic populations. Bacterial communities residing in the coral mucus layer may be either pathogenic or symbiotic. Some species may produce antibiotics as a method of controlling populations of competing microbial species. The present study characterizes cultivable Pseudoalteromonas sp. isolated from the mucus layer of different coral species from the northern Gulf of Eilat, Red Sea, Israel. Six mucus-associated Pseudoalteromonas spp. obtained from different coral species were screened for antibacterial activity against 23 tester strains. Five of the six Pseudoalteromonas strains demonstrated extracellular antibacterial activity against Gram-positive-but not Gram-negative-tester strains. Active substances secreted into the cell-free supernatant are heat-tolerant and inhibit growth of Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, and of ten endogenous Gram-positive marine bacteria isolated from corals. The Pseudoalteromonas spp. isolated from Red sea corals aligned in a phylogenetic tree with previously isolated Pseudoalteromonas spp. of marine origin that demonstrated antimicrobial activity. These results suggest that coral mucus-associated Pseudoalteromonas may play a protective role in the coral holobiont's defense against potential Gram-positive coral pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya Shnit-Orland
- Unit of Environmental Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
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28
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Ceh J, Raina JB, Soo RM, van Keulen M, Bourne DG. Coral-bacterial communities before and after a coral mass spawning event on Ningaloo Reef. PLoS One 2012; 7:e36920. [PMID: 22629343 PMCID: PMC3353996 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0036920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2012] [Accepted: 04/15/2012] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria associated with three coral species, Acropora tenuis, Pocillopora damicornis and Tubastrea faulkneri, were assessed before and after coral mass spawning on Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia. Two colonies of each species were sampled before and after the mass spawning event and two additional samples were collected for P. damicornis after planulation. A variable 470 bp region of the 16 S rRNA gene was selected for pyrosequencing to provide an understanding of potential variations in coral-associated bacterial diversity and community structure. Bacterial diversity increased for all coral species after spawning as assessed by Chao1 diversity indicators. Minimal changes in community structure were observed at the class level and data at the taxonomical level of genus incorporated into a PCA analysis indicated that despite bacterial diversity increasing after spawning, coral-associated community structure did not shift greatly with samples grouped according to species. However, interesting changes could be detected from the dataset; for example, α-Proteobacteria increased in relative abundance after coral spawning and particularly the Roseobacter clade was found to be prominent in all coral species, indicating that this group may be important in coral reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janja Ceh
- School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
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29
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Kvennefors ECE, Sampayo E, Kerr C, Vieira G, Roff G, Barnes AC. Regulation of bacterial communities through antimicrobial activity by the coral holobiont. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2012; 63:605-618. [PMID: 21984347 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-011-9946-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2011] [Accepted: 09/15/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Interactions between corals and associated bacteria and amongst these bacterial groups are likely to play a key role in coral health. However, the complexity of these interactions is poorly understood. We investigated the functional role of specific coral-associated bacteria in maintaining microbial communities on the coral Acropora millepora (Ehrenberg 1834) and the ability of coral mucus to support or inhibit bacterial growth. Culture-independent techniques were used to assess bacterial community structures whilst bacterial culture was employed to assess intra- and inter-specific antimicrobial activities of bacteria. Members of Pseudoalteromonas and ribotypes closely related to Vibrio coralliilyticus displayed potent antimicrobial activity against a range of other cultured isolates and grew readily on detached coral mucus. Although such bacterial ribotypes would be expected to have a competitive advantage, they were rare or absent on intact and healthy coral colonies growing in situ (analysed using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and 16S rRNA gene sequencing). The most abundant bacterial ribotypes found on healthy corals were Gammaproteobacteria, previously defined as type A coral associates. Our results indicate that this group of bacteria and specific members of the Alphaproteobacteria described here as 'type B associates' may be important functional groups for coral health. We suggest that bacterial communities on coral are kept in check by a combination of host-derived and microbial interactions and that the type A associates in particular may play a key role in maintaining stability of microbial communities on healthy coral colonies.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Charlotte E Kvennefors
- Centre for Marine Science, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia.
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30
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Temperature regulation of virulence factors in the pathogen Vibrio coralliilyticus. ISME JOURNAL 2011; 6:835-46. [PMID: 22158392 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2011.154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 160] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Sea surface temperatures (SST) are rising because of global climate change. As a result, pathogenic Vibrio species that infect humans and marine organisms during warmer summer months are of growing concern. Coral reefs, in particular, are already experiencing unprecedented degradation worldwide due in part to infectious disease outbreaks and bleaching episodes that are exacerbated by increasing SST. For example, Vibrio coralliilyticus, a globally distributed bacterium associated with multiple coral diseases, infects corals at temperatures above 27 °C. The mechanisms underlying this temperature-dependent pathogenicity, however, are unknown. In this study, we identify potential virulence mechanisms using whole genome sequencing of V. coralliilyticus ATCC (American Type Culture Collection) BAA-450. Furthermore, we demonstrate direct temperature regulation of numerous virulence factors using proteomic analysis and bioassays. Virulence factors involved in motility, host degradation, secretion, antimicrobial resistance and transcriptional regulation are upregulated at the higher virulent temperature of 27 °C, concurrent with phenotypic changes in motility, antibiotic resistance, hemolysis, cytotoxicity and bioluminescence. These results provide evidence that temperature regulates multiple virulence mechanisms in V. coralliilyticus, independent of abundance. The ecological and biological significance of this temperature-dependent virulence response is reinforced by climate change models that predict tropical SST to consistently exceed 27 °C during the spring, summer and fall seasons. We propose V. coralliilyticus as a model Gram-negative bacterium to study temperature-dependent pathogenicity in Vibrio-related diseases.
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Dittmar T, Zänker KS. Horizontal gene transfers with or without cell fusions in all categories of the living matter. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2011; 714:5-89. [PMID: 21506007 PMCID: PMC7120942 DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-0782-5_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
This article reviews the history of widespread exchanges of genetic segments initiated over 3 billion years ago, to be part of their life style, by sphero-protoplastic cells, the ancestors of archaea, prokaryota, and eukaryota. These primordial cells shared a hostile anaerobic and overheated environment and competed for survival. "Coexist with, or subdue and conquer, expropriate its most useful possessions, or symbiose with it, your competitor" remain cellular life's basic rules. This author emphasizes the role of viruses, both in mediating cell fusions, such as the formation of the first eukaryotic cell(s) from a united crenarchaeon and prokaryota, and the transfer of host cell genes integrated into viral (phages) genomes. After rising above the Darwinian threshold, rigid rules of speciation and vertical inheritance in the three domains of life were established, but horizontal gene transfers with or without cell fusions were never abolished. The author proves with extensive, yet highly selective documentation, that not only unicellular microorganisms, but the most complex multicellular entities of the highest ranks resort to, and practice, cell fusions, and donate and accept horizontally (laterally) transferred genes. Cell fusions and horizontally exchanged genetic materials remain the fundamental attributes and inherent characteristics of the living matter, whether occurring accidentally or sought after intentionally. These events occur to cells stagnating for some 3 milliard years at a lower yet amazingly sophisticated level of evolution, and to cells achieving the highest degree of differentiation, and thus functioning in dependence on the support of a most advanced multicellular host, like those of the human brain. No living cell is completely exempt from gene drains or gene insertions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Dittmar
- Inst. Immunologie, Universität Witten/Herdecke, Stockumer Str. 10, Witten, 58448 Germany
| | - Kurt S. Zänker
- Institute of Immunologie, University of Witten/Herdecke, Stockumer Str. 10, Witten, 58448 Germany
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Detection and quantification of the coral pathogen Vibrio coralliilyticus by real-time PCR with TaqMan fluorescent probes. Appl Environ Microbiol 2010; 76:5282-6. [PMID: 20525865 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00330-10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
A real-time quantitative PCR-based detection assay targeting the dnaJ gene (encoding heat shock protein 40) of the coral pathogen Vibrio coralliilyticus was developed. The assay is sensitive, detecting as little as 1 CFU per ml in seawater and 10(4) CFU per cm(2) of coral tissue. Moreover, inhibition by DNA and cells derived from bacteria other than V. coralliilyticus was minimal. This assay represents a novel approach to coral disease diagnosis that will advance the field of coral disease research.
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