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Delgadillo-Ordoñez N, Garcias-Bonet N, Raimundo I, García FC, Villela H, Osman EO, Santoro EP, Curdia J, Rosado JGD, Cardoso P, Alsaggaf A, Barno A, Antony CP, Bocanegra C, Berumen ML, Voolstra CR, Benzoni F, Carvalho S, Peixoto RS. Probiotics reshape the coral microbiome in situ without detectable off-target effects in the surrounding environment. Commun Biol 2024; 7:434. [PMID: 38594357 PMCID: PMC11004148 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06135-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Beneficial microorganisms for corals (BMCs), or probiotics, can enhance coral resilience against stressors in laboratory trials. However, the ability of probiotics to restructure the coral microbiome in situ is yet to be determined. As a first step to elucidate this, we inoculated putative probiotic bacteria (pBMCs) on healthy colonies of Pocillopora verrucosa in situ in the Red Sea, three times per week, during 3 months. pBMCs significantly influenced the coral microbiome, while bacteria of the surrounding seawater and sediment remained unchanged. The inoculated genera Halomonas, Pseudoalteromonas, and Bacillus were significantly enriched in probiotic-treated corals. Furthermore, the probiotic treatment also correlated with an increase in other beneficial groups (e.g., Ruegeria and Limosilactobacillus), and a decrease in potential coral pathogens, such as Vibrio. As all corals (treated and non-treated) remained healthy throughout the experiment, we could not track health improvements or protection against stress. Our data indicate that healthy, and therefore stable, coral microbiomes can be restructured in situ, although repeated and continuous inoculations may be required in these cases. Further, our study provides supporting evidence that, at the studied scale, pBMCs have no detectable off-target effects on the surrounding microbiomes of seawater and sediment near inoculated corals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalia Delgadillo-Ordoñez
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- Marine Science and Bioscience Programs, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Neus Garcias-Bonet
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Inês Raimundo
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- Marine Science and Bioscience Programs, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Francisca C García
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Helena Villela
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Eslam O Osman
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Erika P Santoro
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Joao Curdia
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Joao G D Rosado
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- Marine Science and Bioscience Programs, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Pedro Cardoso
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- Marine Science and Bioscience Programs, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed Alsaggaf
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- Marine Science and Bioscience Programs, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Adam Barno
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- Marine Science and Bioscience Programs, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Chakkiath Paul Antony
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Carolina Bocanegra
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Michael L Berumen
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- Marine Science and Bioscience Programs, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Francesca Benzoni
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- Marine Science and Bioscience Programs, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Susana Carvalho
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- Marine Science and Bioscience Programs, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Raquel S Peixoto
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.
- Marine Science and Bioscience Programs, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.
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2
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Mannochio-Russo H, Swift SOI, Nakayama KK, Wall CB, Gentry EC, Panitchpakdi M, Caraballo-Rodriguez AM, Aron AT, Petras D, Dorrestein K, Dorrestein TK, Williams TM, Nalley EM, Altman-Kurosaki NT, Martinelli M, Kuwabara JY, Darcy JL, Bolzani VS, Wegley Kelly L, Mora C, Yew JY, Amend AS, McFall-Ngai M, Hynson NA, Dorrestein PC, Nelson CE. Microbiomes and metabolomes of dominant coral reef primary producers illustrate a potential role for immunolipids in marine symbioses. Commun Biol 2023; 6:896. [PMID: 37653089 PMCID: PMC10471604 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05230-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The dominant benthic primary producers in coral reef ecosystems are complex holobionts with diverse microbiomes and metabolomes. In this study, we characterize the tissue metabolomes and microbiomes of corals, macroalgae, and crustose coralline algae via an intensive, replicated synoptic survey of a single coral reef system (Waimea Bay, O'ahu, Hawaii) and use these results to define associations between microbial taxa and metabolites specific to different hosts. Our results quantify and constrain the degree of host specificity of tissue metabolomes and microbiomes at both phylum and genus level. Both microbiome and metabolomes were distinct between calcifiers (corals and CCA) and erect macroalgae. Moreover, our multi-omics investigations highlight common lipid-based immune response pathways across host organisms. In addition, we observed strong covariation among several specific microbial taxa and metabolite classes, suggesting new metabolic roles of symbiosis to further explore.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Mannochio-Russo
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Organic Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, São Paulo State University, Araraquara, SP, 14800-060, Brazil.
| | - Sean O I Swift
- Daniel K. Inouye Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education, Department of Oceanography and Sea Grant College Program, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA.
| | - Kirsten K Nakayama
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Christopher B Wall
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
- Ecology Behavior and Evolution Section, Department of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Emily C Gentry
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Morgan Panitchpakdi
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Andrés M Caraballo-Rodriguez
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Allegra T Aron
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Denver, Denver, CO, 80210, USA
| | - Daniel Petras
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Cluster of Excellence "Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections" (CMFI), University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Kathleen Dorrestein
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | | | - Taylor M Williams
- Marine Option Program, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Eileen M Nalley
- Hawai'i Sea Grant College Program, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Noam T Altman-Kurosaki
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, 311 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | | | - Jeff Y Kuwabara
- Marine Option Program, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - John L Darcy
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Vanderlan S Bolzani
- Department of Biochemistry and Organic Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, São Paulo State University, Araraquara, SP, 14800-060, Brazil
| | - Linda Wegley Kelly
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, CA, USA
| | - Camilo Mora
- Geography, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Joanne Y Yew
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Anthony S Amend
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Margaret McFall-Ngai
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Nicole A Hynson
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Pieter C Dorrestein
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Craig E Nelson
- Daniel K. Inouye Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education, Department of Oceanography and Sea Grant College Program, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
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3
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Xiang N, Meyer A, Pogoreutz C, Rädecker N, Voolstra CR, Wild C, Gärdes A. Excess labile carbon promotes diazotroph abundance in heat-stressed octocorals. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:221268. [PMID: 36938541 PMCID: PMC10014249 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.221268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen limitation is the foundation of stable coral-algal symbioses. Diazotrophs, prokaryotes capable of fixing N2 into ammonia, support the productivity of corals in oligotrophic waters, but could contribute to the destabilization of holobiont functioning when overstimulated. Recent studies on reef-building corals have shown that labile dissolved organic carbon (DOC) enrichment or heat stress increases diazotroph abundance and activity, thereby increasing nitrogen availability and destabilizing the coral-algal symbiosis. However, the (a)biotic drivers of diazotrophs in octocorals are still poorly understood. We investigated diazotroph abundance (via relative quantification of nifH gene copy numbers) in two symbiotic octocorals, the more mixotrophic soft coral Xenia umbellata and the more autotrophic gorgonian Pinnigorgia flava, under (i) labile DOC enrichment for 21 days, followed by (ii) combined labile DOC enrichment and heat stress for 24 days. Without heat stress, relative diazotroph abundances in X. umbellata and P. flava were unaffected by DOC enrichment. During heat stress, DOC enrichment (20 and 40 mg glucose l-1) increased the relative abundances of diazotrophs by sixfold in X. umbellata and fourfold in P. flava, compared with their counterparts without excess DOC. Our data suggest that labile DOC enrichment and concomitant heat stress could disrupt the nitrogen limitation in octocorals by stimulating diazotroph proliferation. Ultimately, the disruption of nitrogen cycling may further compromise octocoral fitness by destabilizing symbiotic nutrient cycling. Therefore, improving local wastewater facilities to reduce labile DOC input into vulnerable coastal ecosystems may help octocorals cope with ocean warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Xiang
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen Bremen 28359, Germany
- Section of Polar Biological Oceanography, Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven 27570, Germany
- Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), Bremen 28359, Germany
| | - Achim Meyer
- Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), Bremen 28359, Germany
| | - Claudia Pogoreutz
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz 78457, Germany
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nils Rädecker
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz 78457, Germany
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Christian Wild
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen Bremen 28359, Germany
| | - Astrid Gärdes
- Section of Polar Biological Oceanography, Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven 27570, Germany
- Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), Bremen 28359, Germany
- Hochschule Bremerhaven, Fachbereich 1, An der Karlstadt 8, Bremerhaven 27568, Germany
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4
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Zelli E, Simancas-Giraldo SM, Xiang N, Dessì C, Katzer ND, Tilstra A, Wild C. Individual and combined effect of organic eutrophication (DOC) and ocean warming on the ecophysiology of the Octocoral Pinnigorgia flava. PeerJ 2023; 11:e14812. [PMID: 36814959 PMCID: PMC9940650 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) enrichment and ocean warming both negatively affect hard corals, but studies on their combined effects on other reef organisms are scarce. Octocorals are likely to become key players in future reef communities, but they are still highly under-investigated with regard to their responses to global and local environmental changes. Thus, we evaluated the individual and combined effects of DOC enrichment (10, 20 and 40 mg L-1 DOC, added as glucose) and warming (stepwise from 26 to 32 °C) on the widespread Indo-Pacific gorgonian Pinnigorgia flava in a 45-day laboratory experiment. Oxygen fluxes (net photosynthesis and respiration), as well as Symbiodiniaceae cell density and coral growth were assessed. Our results highlight a differential ecophysiological response to DOC enrichment and warming as well as their combination. Individual DOC addition did not significantly affect oxygen fluxes nor Symbiodiniaceae cell density and growth, while warming significantly decreased photosynthesis rates and Symbiodiniaceae cell density. When DOC enrichment and warming were combined, no effect on P. flava oxygen fluxes was observed while growth responded to certain DOC conditions depending on the temperature. Our findings indicate that P. flava is insensitive to the individual effect of DOC enrichment, but not to warming and the two stressors combined. This suggests that, if temperature remains below certain thresholds, this gorgonian species may gain a competitive advantage over coral species that are reportedly more affected by DOC eutrophication. However, under the expected increasing temperature scenarios, it is also likely that this octocoral species will be negatively affected, with potential consequences on community structure. This study contributes to our understanding of the conditions that drive phase shift dynamics in coastal coral reef ecosystemds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Zelli
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology & Chemistry (FB 2), University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany,School of Science, University of Waikato, Tauranga, New Zealand
| | | | - Nan Xiang
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology & Chemistry (FB 2), University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany,Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Alfred Wegener Institute, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Claudia Dessì
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology & Chemistry (FB 2), University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany,Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Nadim Daniel Katzer
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology & Chemistry (FB 2), University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Arjen Tilstra
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology & Chemistry (FB 2), University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Christian Wild
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology & Chemistry (FB 2), University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
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5
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Nelson CE, Wegley Kelly L, Haas AF. Microbial Interactions with Dissolved Organic Matter Are Central to Coral Reef Ecosystem Function and Resilience. ANNUAL REVIEW OF MARINE SCIENCE 2023; 15:431-460. [PMID: 36100218 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-marine-042121-080917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
To thrive in nutrient-poor waters, coral reefs must retain and recycle materials efficiently. This review centers microbial processes in facilitating the persistence and stability of coral reefs, specifically the role of these processes in transforming and recycling the dissolved organic matter (DOM) that acts as an invisible currency in reef production, nutrient exchange, and organismal interactions. The defining characteristics of coral reefs, including high productivity, balanced metabolism, high biodiversity, nutrient retention, and structural complexity, are inextricably linked to microbial processing of DOM. The composition of microbes and DOM in reefs is summarized, and the spatial and temporal dynamics of biogeochemical processes carried out by microorganisms in diverse reef habitats are explored in a variety of key reef processes, including decomposition, accretion, trophictransfer, and macronutrient recycling. Finally, we examine how widespread habitat degradation of reefs is altering these important microbe-DOM interactions, creating feedbacks that reduce reef resilience to global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig E Nelson
- Daniel K. Inouye Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education, Department of Oceanography, and Sea Grant College Program, School of Ocean and Earth Sciences and Technology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai'i, USA;
| | - Linda Wegley Kelly
- Marine Biology Research Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA;
| | - Andreas F Haas
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), Texel, The Netherlands;
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6
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Mezger SD, Klinke A, Tilstra A, El-Khaled YC, Thobor B, Wild C. The widely distributed soft coral Xenia umbellata exhibits high resistance against phosphate enrichment and temperature increase. Sci Rep 2022; 12:22135. [PMID: 36550166 PMCID: PMC9780247 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26325-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Both global and local factors affect coral reefs worldwide, sometimes simultaneously. An interplay of these factors can lead to phase shifts from hard coral dominance to algae or other invertebrates, particularly soft corals. However, most studies have targeted the effects of single factors, leaving pronounced knowledge gaps regarding the effects of combined factors on soft corals. Here, we investigated the single and combined effects of phosphate enrichment (1, 2, and 8 μM) and seawater temperature increase (26 to 32 °C) on the soft coral Xenia umbellata by quantifying oxygen fluxes, protein content, and stable isotope signatures in a 5-week laboratory experiment. Findings revealed no significant effects of temperature increase, phosphate enrichment, and the combination of both factors on oxygen fluxes. However, regardless of the phosphate treatment, total protein content and carbon stable isotope ratios decreased significantly by 62% and 7% under temperature increase, respectively, suggesting an increased assimilation of their energy reserves. Therefore, we hypothesize that heterotrophic feeding may be important for X. umbellata to sustain their energy reserves under temperature increase, highlighting the advantages of a mixotrophic strategy. Overall, X. umbellata shows a high tolerance towards changes in global and local factors, which may explain their competitive advantage observed at many Indo-Pacific reef locations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selma D. Mezger
- grid.7704.40000 0001 2297 4381Department of Marine Ecology, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Leobener Str. 6, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Annabell Klinke
- grid.7704.40000 0001 2297 4381Department of Marine Ecology, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Leobener Str. 6, 28359 Bremen, Germany ,grid.461729.f0000 0001 0215 3324Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research, Fahrenheitstraße 6, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Arjen Tilstra
- grid.7704.40000 0001 2297 4381Department of Marine Ecology, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Leobener Str. 6, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Yusuf C. El-Khaled
- grid.7704.40000 0001 2297 4381Department of Marine Ecology, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Leobener Str. 6, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Bianca Thobor
- grid.7704.40000 0001 2297 4381Department of Marine Ecology, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Leobener Str. 6, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Christian Wild
- grid.7704.40000 0001 2297 4381Department of Marine Ecology, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Leobener Str. 6, 28359 Bremen, Germany
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7
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Xiang N, Rädecker N, Pogoreutz C, Cárdenas A, Meibom A, Wild C, Gärdes A, Voolstra CR. Presence of algal symbionts affects denitrifying bacterial communities in the sea anemone Aiptasia coral model. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2022; 2:105. [PMID: 37938763 PMCID: PMC9723753 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-022-00190-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
The coral-algal symbiosis is maintained by a constant and limited nitrogen availability in the holobiont. Denitrifiers, i.e., prokaryotes reducing nitrate/nitrite to dinitrogen, could contribute to maintaining the nitrogen limitation in the coral holobiont, however the effect of host and algal identity on their community is still unknown. Using the coral model Aiptasia, we quantified and characterized the denitrifier community in a full-factorial design combining two hosts (CC7 and H2) and two strains of algal symbionts of the family Symbiodiniaceae (SSA01 and SSB01). Strikingly, relative abundance of denitrifiers increased by up to 22-fold in photosymbiotic Aiptasia compared to their aposymbiotic (i.e., algal-depleted) counterparts. In line with this, while the denitrifier community in aposymbiotic Aiptasia was largely dominated by diet-associated Halomonas, we observed an increasing relative abundance of an unclassified bacterium in photosymbiotic CC7, and Ketobacter in photosymbiotic H2, respectively. Pronounced changes in denitrifier communities of Aiptasia with Symbiodinium linucheae strain SSA01 aligned with the higher photosynthetic carbon availability of these holobionts compared to Aiptasia with Breviolum minutum strain SSB01. Our results reveal that the presence of algal symbionts increases abundance and alters community structure of denitrifiers in Aiptasia. Thereby, patterns in denitrifier community likely reflect the nutritional status of aposymbiotic vs. symbiotic holobionts. Such a passive regulation of denitrifiers may contribute to maintaining the nitrogen limitation required for the functioning of the cnidarian-algal symbiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Xiang
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, 28359, Bremen, Germany.
- Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, 27570, Bremerhaven, Germany.
| | - Nils Rädecker
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Claudia Pogoreutz
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anny Cárdenas
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Anders Meibom
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Advanced Surface Analysis (CASA), Institute of Earth Science, University of Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christian Wild
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, 28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - Astrid Gärdes
- Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, 27570, Bremerhaven, Germany
- Hochschule Bremerhaven, Fachbereich 1, An der Karlstadt 8, 27568, Bremerhaven, Germany
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8
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Thobor B, Tilstra A, Bourne DG, Springer K, Mezger SD, Struck U, Bockelmann F, Zimmermann L, Yánez Suárez AB, Klinke A, Wild C. The pulsating soft coral Xenia umbellata shows high resistance to warming when nitrate concentrations are low. Sci Rep 2022; 12:16788. [PMID: 36202937 PMCID: PMC9537297 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21110-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The resistance of hard corals to warming can be negatively affected by nitrate eutrophication, but related knowledge for soft corals is scarce. We thus investigated the ecophysiological response of the pulsating soft coral Xenia umbellata to different levels of nitrate eutrophication (control = 0.6, medium = 6, high = 37 μM nitrate) in a laboratory experiment, with additional warming (27.7 to 32.8 °C) from days 17 to 37. High nitrate eutrophication enhanced cellular chlorophyll a content of Symbiodiniaceae by 168%, while it reduced gross photosynthesis by 56%. After additional warming, polyp pulsation rate was reduced by 100% in both nitrate eutrophication treatments, and additional polyp loss of 7% d−1 and total fragment mortality of 26% was observed in the high nitrate eutrophication treatment. Warming alone did not affect any of the investigated response parameters. These results suggest that X. umbellata exhibits resistance to warming, which may facilitate ecological dominance over some hard corals as ocean temperatures warm, though a clear negative physiological response occurs when combined with nitrate eutrophication. This study thus confirms the importance of investigating combinations of global and local factors to understand and manage changing coral reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Thobor
- Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, Department of Marine Ecology, University of Bremen, UFT Building, Leobener Str. 6, 28359, Bremen, Germany.
| | - Arjen Tilstra
- Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, Department of Marine Ecology, University of Bremen, UFT Building, Leobener Str. 6, 28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - David G Bourne
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, 1 Angus Smith Drive, Douglas, QLD, 4814, Australia.,Australian Institute of Marine Science, Cape Ferguson, Townsville, QLD, 4810, Australia
| | - Karin Springer
- Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, Marine Botany, University of Bremen, NW2 Building, Leobener Str. 5, 28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - Selma Deborah Mezger
- Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, Department of Marine Ecology, University of Bremen, UFT Building, Leobener Str. 6, 28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - Ulrich Struck
- Museum Für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Invalidenstr. 43, 10115, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Earth Sciences, Free University Berlin, Malteserstr. 74-100, Haus D, 12249, Berlin, Germany
| | - Franziska Bockelmann
- Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, Department of Marine Ecology, University of Bremen, UFT Building, Leobener Str. 6, 28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - Lisa Zimmermann
- Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, Department of Marine Ecology, University of Bremen, UFT Building, Leobener Str. 6, 28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - Ana Belén Yánez Suárez
- Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, Department of Marine Ecology, University of Bremen, UFT Building, Leobener Str. 6, 28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - Annabell Klinke
- Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, Department of Marine Ecology, University of Bremen, UFT Building, Leobener Str. 6, 28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - Christian Wild
- Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, Department of Marine Ecology, University of Bremen, UFT Building, Leobener Str. 6, 28359, Bremen, Germany
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9
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Coral holobiont cues prime Endozoicomonas for a symbiotic lifestyle. THE ISME JOURNAL 2022; 16:1883-1895. [PMID: 35444262 PMCID: PMC9296628 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-022-01226-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Endozoicomonas are prevalent, abundant bacterial associates of marine animals, including corals. Their role in holobiont health and functioning, however, remains poorly understood. To identify potential interactions within the coral holobiont, we characterized the novel isolate Endozoicomonas marisrubri sp. nov. 6c and assessed its transcriptomic and proteomic response to tissue extracts of its native host, the Red Sea coral Acropora humilis. We show that coral tissue extracts stimulated differential expression of genes putatively involved in symbiosis establishment via the modulation of the host immune response by E. marisrubri 6c, such as genes for flagellar assembly, ankyrins, ephrins, and serpins. Proteome analyses revealed that E. marisrubri 6c upregulated vitamin B1 and B6 biosynthesis and glycolytic processes in response to holobiont cues. Our results suggest that the priming of Endozoicomonas for a symbiotic lifestyle involves the modulation of host immunity and the exchange of essential metabolites with other holobiont members. Consequently, Endozoicomonas may play an important role in holobiont nutrient cycling and may therefore contribute to coral health, acclimatization, and adaptation.
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10
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Morrow KM, Pankey MS, Lesser MP. Community structure of coral microbiomes is dependent on host morphology. MICROBIOME 2022; 10:113. [PMID: 35902906 PMCID: PMC9331152 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-022-01308-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The importance of symbiosis has long been recognized on coral reefs, where the photosynthetic dinoflagellates of corals (Symbiodiniaceae) are the primary symbiont. Numerous studies have now shown that a diverse assemblage of prokaryotes also make-up part of the microbiome of corals. A subset of these prokaryotes is capable of fixing nitrogen, known as diazotrophs, and is also present in the microbiome of scleractinian corals where they have been shown to supplement the holobiont nitrogen budget. Here, an analysis of the microbiomes of 16 coral species collected from Australia, Curaçao, and Hawai'i using three different marker genes (16S rRNA, nifH, and ITS2) is presented. These data were used to examine the effects of biogeography, coral traits, and ecological life history characteristics on the composition and diversity of the microbiome in corals and their diazotrophic communities. RESULTS The prokaryotic microbiome community composition (i.e., beta diversity) based on the 16S rRNA gene varied between sites and ecological life history characteristics, but coral morphology was the most significant factor affecting the microbiome of the corals studied. For 15 of the corals studied, only two species Pocillopora acuta and Seriotopora hystrix, both brooders, showed a weak relationship between the 16S rRNA gene community structure and the diazotrophic members of the microbiome using the nifH marker gene, suggesting that many corals support a microbiome with diazotrophic capabilities. The order Rhizobiales, a taxon that contains primarily diazotrophs, are common members of the coral microbiome and were eight times greater in relative abundances in Hawai'i compared to corals from either Curacao or Australia. However, for the diazotrophic component of the coral microbiome, only host species significantly influenced the composition and diversity of the community. CONCLUSIONS The roles and interactions between members of the coral holobiont are still not well understood, especially critical functions provided by the coral microbiome (e.g., nitrogen fixation), and the variation of these functions across species. The findings presented here show the significant effect of morphology, a coral "super trait," on the overall community structure of the microbiome in corals and that there is a strong association of the diazotrophic community within the microbiome of corals. However, the underlying coral traits linking the effects of host species on diazotrophic communities remain unknown. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen M Morrow
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, 03824, USA
- Present address: Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, 6560 Braddock Rd, Alexandria, VA, 22312, USA
| | - M Sabrina Pankey
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, 03824, USA
| | - Michael P Lesser
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, 03824, USA.
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11
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Cardini U, Marín-Guirao L, Montilla LM, Marzocchi U, Chiavarini S, Rimauro J, Quero GM, Petersen JM, Procaccini G. Nested interactions between chemosynthetic lucinid bivalves and seagrass promote ecosystem functioning in contaminated sediments. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:918675. [PMID: 35937361 PMCID: PMC9355091 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.918675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In seagrass sediments, lucinid bivalves and their chemoautotrophic bacterial symbionts consume H2S, relying indirectly on the plant productivity for the presence of the reduced chemical. Additionally, the role of lucinid bivalves in N provisioning to the plant (through N2 fixation by the symbionts) was hypothesized. Thus, lucinids may contribute to sediment detoxification and plant fitness. Seagrasses are subject to ever-increasing human pressure in coastal environments. Here, disentangling nested interactions between chemosynthetic lucinid bivalves and seagrass exposed to pollution may help to understand seagrass ecosystem dynamics and to develop successful seagrass restoration programs that consider the roles of animal-microbe symbioses. We evaluated the capacity of lucinid bivalves (Loripes orbiculatus) to promote nutrient cycling and seagrass (Cymodocea nodosa) growth during a 6-week mesocosm experiment. A fully crossed design was used to test for the effect of sediment contamination (metals, nutrients, and hydrocarbons) on plant and bivalve (alone or interacting) fitness, assessed by mortality, growth, and photosynthetic efficiency, and for the effect of their nested interaction on sediment biogeochemistry. Plants performed better in the contaminated sediment, where a larger pool of dissolved nitrogen combined with the presence of other trace elements allowed for an improved photosynthetic efficiency. In fact, pore water nitrogen accumulated during the experiment in the controls, while it was consumed in the contaminated sediment. This trend was accentuated when lucinids were present. Concurrently, the interaction between clams and plants benefitted both organisms and promoted plant growth irrespective of the sediment type. In particular, the interaction with lucinid clams resulted in higher aboveground biomass of C. nodosa in terms of leaf growth, leaf surface, and leaf biomass. Our results consolidate the notion that nested interactions involving animal-microbe associations promote ecosystem functioning, and potentially help designing unconventional seagrass restoration strategies that exploit chemosynthetic symbioses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulisse Cardini
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn - National Institute of Marine Biology, Ecology and Biotechnology, Naples, Italy
| | - Lazaro Marín-Guirao
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn - National Institute of Marine Biology, Ecology and Biotechnology, Naples, Italy
- Centro Oceanográfico de Murcia, Instituto Español de Oceanografia (IEO-CSIC), Murcia, Spain
| | - Luis M. Montilla
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn - National Institute of Marine Biology, Ecology and Biotechnology, Naples, Italy
| | - Ugo Marzocchi
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn - National Institute of Marine Biology, Ecology and Biotechnology, Naples, Italy
- Department of Biology, Center for Water Technology (WATEC), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Salvatore Chiavarini
- Division Protection and Enhancement of the Natural Capital - Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Rome, Italy
| | - Juri Rimauro
- Division Protection and Enhancement of the Natural Capital - Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Rome, Italy
| | - Grazia Marina Quero
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn - National Institute of Marine Biology, Ecology and Biotechnology, Naples, Italy
- Institute for Biological Resources and Marine Biotechnology, National Research Council (IRBIM-CNR), Ancona, Italy
| | - Jillian M. Petersen
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gabriele Procaccini
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn - National Institute of Marine Biology, Ecology and Biotechnology, Naples, Italy
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12
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Roik A, Reverter M, Pogoreutz C. A roadmap to understanding diversity and function of coral reef-associated fungi. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2022; 46:6615459. [PMID: 35746877 PMCID: PMC9629503 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuac028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Tropical coral reefs are hotspots of marine productivity, owing to the association of reef-building corals with endosymbiotic algae and metabolically diverse bacterial communities. However, the functional importance of fungi, well-known for their contribution to shaping terrestrial ecosystems and global nutrient cycles, remains underexplored on coral reefs. We here conceptualize how fungal functional traits may have facilitated the spread, diversification, and ecological adaptation of marine fungi on coral reefs. We propose that functions of reef-associated fungi may be diverse and go beyond their hitherto described roles of pathogens and bioeroders, including but not limited to reef-scale biogeochemical cycles and the structuring of coral-associated and environmental microbiomes via chemical mediation. Recent technological and conceptual advances will allow the elucidation of the physiological, ecological, and chemical contributions of understudied marine fungi to coral holobiont and reef ecosystem functioning and health and may help provide an outlook for reef management actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Roik
- Corresponding author: Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity at the University of Oldenburg (HIFMB), Ammerländer Heerstrasse 231, D-26129 Oldenburg, Germany. E-mail:
| | - Miriam Reverter
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Wilhelmshaven, 26046, Germany,School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth PL4 8AA, United Kingdom
| | - Claudia Pogoreutz
- Corresponding author: Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.,
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13
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Glaze TD, Erler DV, Siljanen HMP. Microbially facilitated nitrogen cycling in tropical corals. THE ISME JOURNAL 2022; 16:68-77. [PMID: 34226659 PMCID: PMC8692614 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-021-01038-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Tropical scleractinian corals support a diverse assemblage of microbial symbionts. This 'microbiome' possesses the requisite functional diversity to conduct a range of nitrogen (N) transformations including denitrification, nitrification, nitrogen fixation and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA). Very little direct evidence has been presented to date verifying that these processes are active within tropical corals. Here we use a combination of stable isotope techniques, nutrient uptake calculations and captured metagenomics to quantify rates of nitrogen cycling processes in a selection of tropical scleractinian corals. Denitrification activity was detected in all species, albeit with very low rates, signifying limited importance in holobiont N removal. Relatively greater nitrogen fixation activity confirms that corals are net N importers to reef systems. Low net nitrification activity suggests limited N regeneration capacity; however substantial gross nitrification activity may be concealed through nitrate consumption. Based on nrfA gene abundance and measured inorganic N fluxes, we calculated significant DNRA activity in the studied corals, which has important implications for coral reef N cycling and warrants more targeted investigation. Through the quantification and characterisation of all relevant N-cycling processes, this study provides clarity on the subject of tropical coral-associated biogeochemical N-cycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas D Glaze
- Centre for Coastal Biogeochemistry Research, School of Environment Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, Australia.
| | - Dirk V Erler
- Centre for Coastal Biogeochemistry Research, School of Environment Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, Australia
| | - Henri M P Siljanen
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
- Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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14
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Moynihan MA, Goodkin NF, Morgan KM, Kho PYY, Lopes Dos Santos A, Lauro FM, Baker DM, Martin P. Coral-associated nitrogen fixation rates and diazotrophic diversity on a nutrient-replete equatorial reef. THE ISME JOURNAL 2022; 16:233-246. [PMID: 34294880 PMCID: PMC8692400 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-021-01054-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The role of diazotrophs in coral physiology and reef biogeochemistry remains poorly understood, in part because N2 fixation rates and diazotrophic community composition have only been jointly analyzed in the tissue of one tropical coral species. We performed field-based 15N2 tracer incubations during nutrient-replete conditions to measure diazotroph-derived nitrogen (DDN) assimilation into three species of scleractinian coral (Pocillopora acuta, Goniopora columna, Platygyra sinensis). Using multi-marker metabarcoding (16S rRNA, nifH, 18S rRNA), we analyzed DNA- and RNA-based communities in coral tissue and skeleton. Despite low N2 fixation rates, DDN assimilation supplied up to 6% of the holobiont's N demand. Active coral-associated diazotrophs were chiefly Cluster I (aerobes or facultative anaerobes), suggesting that oxygen may control coral-associated diazotrophy. Highest N2 fixation rates were observed in the endolithic community (0.20 µg N cm-2 per day). While the diazotrophic community was similar between the tissue and skeleton, RNA:DNA ratios indicate potential differences in relative diazotrophic activity between these compartments. In Pocillopora, DDN was found in endolithic, host, and symbiont compartments, while diazotrophic nifH sequences were only observed in the endolithic layer, suggesting a possible DDN exchange between the endolithic community and the overlying coral tissue. Our findings demonstrate that coral-associated diazotrophy is significant, even in nutrient-rich waters, and suggest that endolithic microbes are major contributors to coral nitrogen cycling on reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly A Moynihan
- Earth Observatory of Singapore, Interdisciplinary Graduate School, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.
- Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Nathalie F Goodkin
- Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Earth Observatory of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kyle M Morgan
- Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Phyllis Y Y Kho
- Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Federico M Lauro
- Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - David M Baker
- Division for Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China
| | - Patrick Martin
- Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
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15
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Rädecker N, Pogoreutz C, Gegner HM, Cárdenas A, Perna G, Geißler L, Roth F, Bougoure J, Guagliardo P, Struck U, Wild C, Pernice M, Raina JB, Meibom A, Voolstra CR. Heat stress reduces the contribution of diazotrophs to coral holobiont nitrogen cycling. THE ISME JOURNAL 2021; 16:1110-1118. [PMID: 34857934 PMCID: PMC8941099 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-021-01158-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Efficient nutrient cycling in the coral-algal symbiosis requires constant but limited nitrogen availability. Coral-associated diazotrophs, i.e., prokaryotes capable of fixing dinitrogen, may thus support productivity in a stable coral-algal symbiosis but could contribute to its breakdown when overstimulated. However, the effects of environmental conditions on diazotroph communities and their interaction with other members of the coral holobiont remain poorly understood. Here we assessed the effects of heat stress on diazotroph diversity and their contribution to holobiont nutrient cycling in the reef-building coral Stylophora pistillata from the central Red Sea. In a stable symbiotic state, we found that nitrogen fixation by coral-associated diazotrophs constitutes a source of nitrogen to the algal symbionts. Heat stress caused an increase in nitrogen fixation concomitant with a change in diazotroph communities. Yet, this additional fixed nitrogen was not assimilated by the coral tissue or the algal symbionts. We conclude that although diazotrophs may support coral holobiont functioning under low nitrogen availability, altered nutrient cycling during heat stress abates the dependence of the coral host and its algal symbionts on diazotroph-derived nitrogen. Consequently, the role of nitrogen fixation in the coral holobiont is strongly dependent on its nutritional status and varies dynamically with environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Rädecker
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia. .,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany. .,Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Claudia Pogoreutz
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Hagen M Gegner
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.,Metabolomics Core Technology Platform, Centre for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anny Cárdenas
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Gabriela Perna
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Laura Geißler
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Florian Roth
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.,Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.,Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jeremy Bougoure
- Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Paul Guagliardo
- Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Ulrich Struck
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Earth Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian Wild
- Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, Marine Ecology Department, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Mathieu Pernice
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jean-Baptiste Raina
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Anders Meibom
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Center for Advanced Surface Analysis, Institute of Earth Sciences, Université de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christian R Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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16
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Contrasting microbiome dynamics of putative denitrifying bacteria in two octocoral species exposed to dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and warming. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 88:e0188621. [PMID: 34788073 PMCID: PMC8788706 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01886-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutualistic nutrient cycling in the coral-algae symbiosis depends on limited nitrogen (N) availability for algal symbionts. Denitrifying prokaryotes capable of reducing nitrate or nitrite to dinitrogen could thus support coral holobiont functioning by limiting N availability. Octocorals show some of the highest denitrification rates among reef organisms; however, little is known about the community structures of associated denitrifiers and their response to environmental fluctuations. Combining 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing with nirS in-silico PCR and quantitative PCR, we found differences in bacterial community dynamics between two octocorals exposed to excess dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and concomitant warming. Although bacterial communities of the gorgonian Pinnigorgia flava remained largely unaffected by DOC and warming, the soft coral Xenia umbellata exhibited a pronounced shift toward Alphaproteobacteria dominance under excess DOC. Likewise, the relative abundance of denitrifiers was not altered in P. flava but decreased by 1 order of magnitude in X. umbellata under excess DOC, likely due to decreased proportions of Ruegeria spp. Given that holobiont C:N ratios remained stable in P. flava but showed a pronounced increase with excess DOC in X. umbellata, our results suggest that microbial community dynamics may reflect the nutritional status of the holobiont. Hence, denitrifier abundance may be directly linked to N availability. This suggests a passive regulation of N cycling microbes based on N availability, which could help stabilize nutrient limitation in the coral-algal symbiosis and thereby support holobiont functioning in a changing environment. IMPORTANCE Octocorals are important members of reef-associated benthic communities that can rapidly replace scleractinian corals as the dominant ecosystem engineers on degraded reefs. Considering the substantial change in the (a)biotic environment that is commonly driving reef degradation, maintaining a dynamic and metabolically diverse microbial community might contribute to octocoral acclimatization. Nitrogen (N) cycling microbes, in particular denitrifying prokaryotes, may support holobiont functioning by limiting internal N availability, but little is known about the identity and (a)biotic drivers of octocoral-associated denitrifiers. Here, we show contrasting dynamics of bacterial communities associated with two common octocoral species, the soft coral Xenia umbellata and the gorgonian Pinnigorgia flava after a 6-week exposure to excess dissolved organic carbon under concomitant warming conditions. The specific responses of denitrifier communities of the two octocoral species aligned with the nutritional status of holobiont members. This suggests a passive regulation based on N availability in the coral holobiont.
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17
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Lesser MP. Eutrophication on Coral Reefs: What Is the Evidence for Phase Shifts, Nutrient Limitation and Coral Bleaching. Bioscience 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biab101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Coral reefs continue to experience extreme environmental pressure from climate change stressors, but many coral reefs are also exposed to eutrophication. It has been proposed that changes in the stoichiometry of ambient nutrients increase the mortality of corals, whereas eutrophication may facilitate phase shifts to macroalgae-dominated coral reefs when herbivory is low or absent. But are corals ever nutrient limited, and can eutrophication destabilize the coral symbiosis making it more sensitive to environmental stress because of climate change? The effects of eutrophication are confounded not just by the effects of climate change but by the presence of chemical pollutants in industrial, urban, and agricultural wastes. Because of these confounding effects, the increases in nutrients or changes in their stoichiometry in coastal environments, although they are important at the organismal and community level, cannot currently be disentangled from each other or from the more significant effects of climate change stressors on coral reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael P Lesser
- University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, United States
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18
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Meunier V, Geissler L, Bonnet S, Rädecker N, Perna G, Grosso O, Lambert C, Rodolfo-Metalpa R, Voolstra CR, Houlbrèque F. Microbes support enhanced nitrogen requirements of coral holobionts in a high CO 2 environment. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:5888-5899. [PMID: 34473860 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Ocean acidification is posing a threat to calcifying organisms due to the increased energy requirements of calcification under high CO2 conditions. The ability of scleractinian corals to cope with future ocean conditions will thus depend on their ability to fulfil their carbon requirement. However, the primary productivity of coral holobionts is limited by low nitrogen (N) availability in coral reef waters. Here, we employed CO2 seeps of Tutum Bay (Papua New Guinea) as a natural laboratory to understand how coral holobionts offset their increased energy requirements under high CO2 conditions. Our results demonstrate for the first time that under high pCO2 conditions, N assimilation pathways of Pocillopora damicornis are jointly modified. We found that diazotroph-derived N assimilation rates in the Symbiodiniaceae were significantly higher in comparison to an ambient CO2 control site, concomitant with a restructured diazotroph community and the specific prevalence of an alpha-proteobacterium. Further, corals at the high CO2 site also had increased feeding rates on picoplankton and in particular exhibited selective feeding on Synechococcus sp., known to be rich in N. Given the high abundance of picoplankton in oligotrophic waters at large, our results suggest that corals exhibiting flexible diazotrophic communities and capable of exploiting N-rich picoplankton sources to offset their increased N requirements may be able to cope better in a high pCO2 world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentine Meunier
- Centre IRD Nouméa, UMR ENTROPIE (IRD, Université de La Réunion, CNRS, Université de La Nouvelle-Calédonie, Ifremer), Nouméa, New Caledonia
| | - Laura Geissler
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Sophie Bonnet
- Aix-Marseille Université, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, Marseille, France
| | - Nils Rädecker
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Gabriela Perna
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Olivier Grosso
- Aix-Marseille Université, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, Marseille, France
| | | | - Riccardo Rodolfo-Metalpa
- Centre IRD Nouméa, UMR ENTROPIE (IRD, Université de La Réunion, CNRS, Université de La Nouvelle-Calédonie, Ifremer), Nouméa, New Caledonia
| | | | - Fanny Houlbrèque
- Centre IRD Nouméa, UMR ENTROPIE (IRD, Université de La Réunion, CNRS, Université de La Nouvelle-Calédonie, Ifremer), Nouméa, New Caledonia
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19
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Bednarz VN, van de Water JAJM, Grover R, Maguer JF, Fine M, Ferrier-Pagès C. Unravelling the Importance of Diazotrophy in Corals - Combined Assessment of Nitrogen Assimilation, Diazotrophic Community and Natural Stable Isotope Signatures. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:631244. [PMID: 34248863 PMCID: PMC8264265 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.631244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
There is an increasing interest in understanding the structure and function of the microbiota associated with marine and terrestrial organisms, because it can play a major role in host nutrition and resistance to environmental stress. Reef-building corals live in association with diazotrophs, which are microbes able to fix dinitrogen. Corals are known to assimilate diazotrophically-derived nitrogen (DDN), but it is still not clear whether this nitrogen source is derived from coral-associated diazotrophs and whether it substantially contributes to the coral’s nitrogen budget. In this study, we aimed to provide a better understanding of the importance of DDN for corals using a holistic approach by simultaneously assessing DDN assimilation rates (using 15N2 tracer technique), the diazotrophic bacterial community (using nifH gene amplicon sequencing) and the natural δ15N signature in Stylophora pistillata corals from the Northern Red Sea along a depth gradient in winter and summer. Overall, our results show a discrepancy between the three parameters. DDN was assimilated by the coral holobiont during winter only, with an increased assimilation with depth. Assimilation rates were, however, not linked to the presence of coral-associated diazotrophs, suggesting that the presence of nifH genes does not necessarily imply functionality. It also suggests that DDN assimilation was independent from coral-associated diazotrophs and may instead result from nitrogen derived from planktonic diazotrophs. In addition, the δ15N signature presented negative values in almost all coral samples in both seasons, suggesting that nitrogen sources other than DDN contribute to the nitrogen budget of corals from this region. This study yields novel insight into the origin and importance of diazotrophy for scleractinian corals from the Northern Red Sea using multiple proxies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa N Bednarz
- Marine Department, Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Monaco City, Monaco
| | | | - Renaud Grover
- Marine Department, Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Monaco City, Monaco
| | - Jean-François Maguer
- Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Environnement Marin (LEMAR), UMR 6539 UBO/CNRS/IRD/IFREMER, Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer, Plouzané, France
| | - Maoz Fine
- Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.,The Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences, Eilat, Israel
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20
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Tilstra A, Roth F, El-Khaled YC, Pogoreutz C, Rädecker N, Voolstra CR, Wild C. Relative abundance of nitrogen cycling microbes in coral holobionts reflects environmental nitrate availability. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:201835. [PMID: 34109033 PMCID: PMC8170195 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.201835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Recent research suggests that nitrogen (N) cycling microbes are important for coral holobiont functioning. In particular, coral holobionts may acquire bioavailable N via prokaryotic dinitrogen (N2) fixation or remove excess N via denitrification activity. However, our understanding of environmental drivers on these processes in hospite remains limited. Employing the strong seasonality of the central Red Sea, this study assessed the effects of environmental parameters on the proportional abundances of N cycling microbes associated with the hard corals Acropora hemprichii and Stylophora pistillata. Specifically, we quantified changes in the relative ratio between nirS and nifH gene copy numbers, as a proxy for seasonal shifts in denitrification and N2 fixation potential in corals, respectively. In addition, we assessed coral tissue-associated Symbiodiniaceae cell densities and monitored environmental parameters to provide a holobiont and environmental context, respectively. While ratios of nirS to nifH gene copy numbers varied between seasons, they revealed similar seasonal patterns in both coral species, with ratios closely following patterns in environmental nitrate availability. Symbiodiniaceae cell densities aligned with environmental nitrate availability, suggesting that the seasonal shifts in nirS to nifH gene abundance ratios were probably driven by nitrate availability in the coral holobiont. Thereby, our results suggest that N cycling in coral holobionts probably adjusts to environmental conditions by increasing and/or decreasing denitrification and N2 fixation potential according to environmental nitrate availability. Microbial N cycling may, thus, extenuate the effects of changes in environmental nitrate availability on coral holobionts to support the maintenance of the coral-Symbiodiniaceae symbiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjen Tilstra
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Florian Roth
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Tvärminne Zoological Station, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Yusuf C. El-Khaled
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Claudia Pogoreutz
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Nils Rädecker
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christian R. Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Christian Wild
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
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21
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Mutalipassi M, Riccio G, Mazzella V, Galasso C, Somma E, Chiarore A, de Pascale D, Zupo V. Symbioses of Cyanobacteria in Marine Environments: Ecological Insights and Biotechnological Perspectives. Mar Drugs 2021; 19:227. [PMID: 33923826 PMCID: PMC8074062 DOI: 10.3390/md19040227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are a diversified phylum of nitrogen-fixing, photo-oxygenic bacteria able to colonize a wide array of environments. In addition to their fundamental role as diazotrophs, they produce a plethora of bioactive molecules, often as secondary metabolites, exhibiting various biological and ecological functions to be further investigated. Among all the identified species, cyanobacteria are capable to embrace symbiotic relationships in marine environments with organisms such as protozoans, macroalgae, seagrasses, and sponges, up to ascidians and other invertebrates. These symbioses have been demonstrated to dramatically change the cyanobacteria physiology, inducing the production of usually unexpressed bioactive molecules. Indeed, metabolic changes in cyanobacteria engaged in a symbiotic relationship are triggered by an exchange of infochemicals and activate silenced pathways. Drug discovery studies demonstrated that those molecules have interesting biotechnological perspectives. In this review, we explore the cyanobacterial symbioses in marine environments, considering them not only as diazotrophs but taking into consideration exchanges of infochemicals as well and emphasizing both the chemical ecology of relationship and the candidate biotechnological value for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirko Mutalipassi
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy; (G.R.); (C.G.); (D.d.P.)
| | - Gennaro Riccio
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy; (G.R.); (C.G.); (D.d.P.)
| | - Valerio Mazzella
- Department of Integrated Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy;
| | - Christian Galasso
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy; (G.R.); (C.G.); (D.d.P.)
| | - Emanuele Somma
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Via Licio Giorgieri, 34127 Trieste, Italy;
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, Ischia Marine Centre, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Punta San Pietro, 80077 Naples, Italy;
| | - Antonia Chiarore
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia, 80126 Naples, Italy;
| | - Donatella de Pascale
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy; (G.R.); (C.G.); (D.d.P.)
| | - Valerio Zupo
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, Ischia Marine Centre, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Punta San Pietro, 80077 Naples, Italy;
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22
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Dittami SM, Arboleda E, Auguet JC, Bigalke A, Briand E, Cárdenas P, Cardini U, Decelle J, Engelen AH, Eveillard D, Gachon CMM, Griffiths SM, Harder T, Kayal E, Kazamia E, Lallier FH, Medina M, Marzinelli EM, Morganti TM, Núñez Pons L, Prado S, Pintado J, Saha M, Selosse MA, Skillings D, Stock W, Sunagawa S, Toulza E, Vorobev A, Leblanc C, Not F. A community perspective on the concept of marine holobionts: current status, challenges, and future directions. PeerJ 2021; 9:e10911. [PMID: 33665032 PMCID: PMC7916533 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Host-microbe interactions play crucial roles in marine ecosystems. However, we still have very little understanding of the mechanisms that govern these relationships, the evolutionary processes that shape them, and their ecological consequences. The holobiont concept is a renewed paradigm in biology that can help to describe and understand these complex systems. It posits that a host and its associated microbiota with which it interacts, form a holobiont, and have to be studied together as a coherent biological and functional unit to understand its biology, ecology, and evolution. Here we discuss critical concepts and opportunities in marine holobiont research and identify key challenges in the field. We highlight the potential economic, sociological, and environmental impacts of the holobiont concept in marine biological, evolutionary, and environmental sciences. Given the connectivity and the unexplored biodiversity specific to marine ecosystems, a deeper understanding of such complex systems requires further technological and conceptual advances, e.g., the development of controlled experimental model systems for holobionts from all major lineages and the modeling of (info)chemical-mediated interactions between organisms. Here we propose that one significant challenge is to bridge cross-disciplinary research on tractable model systems in order to address key ecological and evolutionary questions. This first step is crucial to decipher the main drivers of the dynamics and evolution of holobionts and to account for the holobiont concept in applied areas, such as the conservation, management, and exploitation of marine ecosystems and resources, where practical solutions to predict and mitigate the impact of human activities are more important than ever.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon M Dittami
- Integrative Biology of Marine Models (LBI2M), Station Biologique de Roscoff, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Roscoff, France
| | - Enrique Arboleda
- FR2424, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Roscoff, France
| | | | - Arite Bigalke
- Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Bioorganic Analytics, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Enora Briand
- Laboratoire Phycotoxines, Ifremer, Nantes, France
| | - Paco Cárdenas
- Pharmacognosy, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ulisse Cardini
- Integrative Marine Ecology Dept, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Napoli, Italy
| | - Johan Decelle
- Laboratoire de Physiologie Cellulaire et Végétale, Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, INRA, Grenoble, France
| | | | - Damien Eveillard
- Laboratoire des Sciences Numériques de Nantes (LS2N), Université de Nantes, CNRS, Nantes, France
| | - Claire M M Gachon
- Scottish Marine Institute, Scottish Association for Marine Science, Oban, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah M Griffiths
- School of Science and the Environment, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | | | - Ehsan Kayal
- FR2424, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Roscoff, France
| | | | - François H Lallier
- Adaptation and Diversity in the Marine Environment, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Roscoff, France
| | - Mónica Medina
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, United States of America
| | - Ezequiel M Marzinelli
- Ecology and Environment Research Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.,Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Mosman, Australia
| | | | - Laura Núñez Pons
- Section Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Napoli, Italy
| | - Soizic Prado
- Molecules of Communication and Adaptation of Microorganisms (UMR 7245), National Museum of Natural History, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - José Pintado
- Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas, CSIC, Vigo, Spain
| | - Mahasweta Saha
- Benthic Ecology, Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany.,Marine Ecology and Biodiversity, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Plymouth, United Kingdom
| | - Marc-André Selosse
- National Museum of Natural History, Département Systématique et Evolution, Paris, France.,Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Derek Skillings
- Philosophy Department, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States of America
| | - Willem Stock
- Laboratory of Protistology & Aquatic Ecology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Shinichi Sunagawa
- Dept. of Biology, Institute of Microbiology and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, ETH, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Eve Toulza
- IHPE, Univ. de Montpellier, CNRS, IFREMER, UPDV, Perpignan, France
| | - Alexey Vorobev
- CEA - Institut de Biologie François Jacob, Genoscope, Evry, France
| | - Catherine Leblanc
- Integrative Biology of Marine Models (LBI2M), Station Biologique de Roscoff, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Roscoff, France
| | - Fabrice Not
- Adaptation and Diversity in the Marine Environment, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Roscoff, France
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23
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Boilard A, Dubé CE, Gruet C, Mercière A, Hernandez-Agreda A, Derome N. Defining Coral Bleaching as a Microbial Dysbiosis within the Coral Holobiont. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8111682. [PMID: 33138319 PMCID: PMC7692791 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8111682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Coral microbiomes are critical to holobiont health and functioning, but the stability of host–microbial interactions is fragile, easily shifting from eubiosis to dysbiosis. The heat-induced breakdown of the symbiosis between the host and its dinoflagellate algae (that is, “bleaching”), is one of the most devastating outcomes for reef ecosystems. Yet, bleaching tolerance has been observed in some coral species. This review provides an overview of the holobiont’s diversity, explores coral thermal tolerance in relation to their associated microorganisms, discusses the hypothesis of adaptive dysbiosis as a mechanism of environmental adaptation, mentions potential solutions to mitigate bleaching, and suggests new research avenues. More specifically, we define coral bleaching as the succession of three holobiont stages, where the microbiota can (i) maintain essential functions for holobiont homeostasis during stress and/or (ii) act as a buffer to mitigate bleaching by favoring the recruitment of thermally tolerant Symbiodiniaceae species (adaptive dysbiosis), and where (iii) environmental stressors exceed the buffering capacity of both microbial and dinoflagellate partners leading to coral death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélie Boilard
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (A.B.); (C.G.)
| | - Caroline E. Dubé
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (A.B.); (C.G.)
- California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Drive, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA;
- Correspondence: (C.E.D.); (N.D.)
| | - Cécile Gruet
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (A.B.); (C.G.)
| | - Alexandre Mercière
- PSL Research University: EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Université de Perpignan, 66860 Perpignan CEDEX, France;
- Laboratoire d’Excellence “CORAIL”, 98729 Papetoai, Moorea, French Polynesia
| | | | - Nicolas Derome
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (A.B.); (C.G.)
- Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences et de Génie, Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Correspondence: (C.E.D.); (N.D.)
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24
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25
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Roth F, Karcher DB, Rädecker N, Hohn S, Carvalho S, Thomson T, Saalmann F, Voolstra CR, Kürten B, Struck U, Jones BH, Wild C. High rates of carbon and dinitrogen fixation suggest a critical role of benthic pioneer communities in the energy and nutrient dynamics of coral reefs. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Florian Roth
- Red Sea Research Center King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Thuwal Saudi Arabia
- Baltic Sea Centre Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences Tvärminne Zoological Station University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - Denis B. Karcher
- Marine Ecology Faculty of Biology and Chemistry University of Bremen Bremen Germany
| | - Nils Rädecker
- Red Sea Research Center King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Thuwal Saudi Arabia
- Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry School of Architecture Civil and Environmental Engineering Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Sönke Hohn
- Systems Ecology Group Department of Theoretical Ecology and Modelling Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research Bremen Germany
| | - Susana Carvalho
- Red Sea Research Center King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Timothy Thomson
- Red Sea Research Center King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Franziska Saalmann
- Marine Ecology Faculty of Biology and Chemistry University of Bremen Bremen Germany
- Faculty of Science and Engineering University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Christian R. Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Thuwal Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
| | - Benjamin Kürten
- Red Sea Research Center King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Thuwal Saudi Arabia
- Jülich Research Centre GmbHProject Management Jülich Rostock Germany
| | - Ulrich Struck
- Museum für Naturkunde Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science Berlin Germany
- Department of Earth Sciences Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Burton H. Jones
- Red Sea Research Center King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Christian Wild
- Marine Ecology Faculty of Biology and Chemistry University of Bremen Bremen Germany
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26
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Tilstra A, El-Khaled YC, Roth F, Rädecker N, Pogoreutz C, Voolstra CR, Wild C. Denitrification Aligns with N 2 Fixation in Red Sea Corals. Sci Rep 2019; 9:19460. [PMID: 31857601 PMCID: PMC6923481 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55408-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Denitrification may potentially alleviate excess nitrogen (N) availability in coral holobionts to maintain a favourable N to phosphorous ratio in the coral tissue. However, little is known about the abundance and activity of denitrifiers in the coral holobiont. The present study used the nirS marker gene as a proxy for denitrification potential along with measurements of denitrification rates in a comparative coral taxonomic framework from the Red Sea: Acropora hemprichii, Millepora dichotoma, and Pleuractis granulosa. Relative nirS gene copy numbers associated with the tissues of these common corals were assessed and compared with denitrification rates on the holobiont level. In addition, dinitrogen (N2) fixation rates, Symbiodiniaceae cell density, and oxygen evolution were assessed to provide an environmental context for denitrification. We found that relative abundances of the nirS gene were 16- and 17-fold higher in A. hemprichii compared to M. dichotoma and P. granulosa, respectively. In concordance, highest denitrification rates were measured in A. hemprichii, followed by M. dichotoma and P. granulosa. Denitrification rates were positively correlated with N2 fixation rates and Symbiodiniaceae cell densities. Our results suggest that denitrification may counterbalance the N input from N2 fixation in the coral holobiont, and we hypothesize that these processes may be limited by photosynthates released by the Symbiodiniaceae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjen Tilstra
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, 28359, Germany.
| | - Yusuf C El-Khaled
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, 28359, Germany
| | - Florian Roth
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Nils Rädecker
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Claudia Pogoreutz
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Christian R Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, 78464, Germany
| | - Christian Wild
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, 28359, Germany
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27
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Pernice M, Raina JB, Rädecker N, Cárdenas A, Pogoreutz C, Voolstra CR. Down to the bone: the role of overlooked endolithic microbiomes in reef coral health. ISME JOURNAL 2019; 14:325-334. [PMID: 31690886 PMCID: PMC6976677 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-019-0548-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Revised: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Reef-building corals harbour an astonishing diversity of microorganisms, including endosymbiotic microalgae, bacteria, archaea, and fungi. The metabolic interactions within this symbiotic consortium are fundamental to the ecological success of corals and the unique productivity of coral reef ecosystems. Over the last two decades, scientific efforts have been primarily channelled into dissecting the symbioses occurring in coral tissues. Although easily accessible, this compartment is only 2–3 mm thick, whereas the underlying calcium carbonate skeleton occupies the vast internal volume of corals. Far from being devoid of life, the skeleton harbours a wide array of algae, endolithic fungi, heterotrophic bacteria, and other boring eukaryotes, often forming distinct bands visible to the bare eye. Some of the critical functions of these endolithic microorganisms in coral health, such as nutrient cycling and metabolite transfer, which could enable the survival of corals during thermal stress, have long been demonstrated. In addition, some of these microorganisms can dissolve calcium carbonate, weakening the coral skeleton and therefore may play a major role in reef erosion. Yet, experimental data are wanting due to methodological limitations. Recent technological and conceptual advances now allow us to tease apart the complex physical, ecological, and chemical interactions at the heart of coral endolithic microbial communities. These new capabilities have resulted in an excellent body of research and provide an exciting outlook to further address the functional microbial ecology of the “overlooked” coral skeleton.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Pernice
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jean-Baptiste Raina
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Nils Rädecker
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Anny Cárdenas
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Claudia Pogoreutz
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Christian R Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia. .,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany.
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Pootakham W, Mhuantong W, Yoocha T, Putchim L, Jomchai N, Sonthirod C, Naktang C, Kongkachana W, Tangphatsornruang S. Heat-induced shift in coral microbiome reveals several members of the Rhodobacteraceae family as indicator species for thermal stress in Porites lutea. Microbiologyopen 2019; 8:e935. [PMID: 31544365 PMCID: PMC6925168 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2019] [Revised: 08/25/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The coral holobiont is a complex ecosystem consisting of coral animals and a highly diverse consortium of associated microorganisms including algae, fungi, and bacteria. Several studies have highlighted the importance of coral‐associated bacteria and their potential roles in promoting the host fitness and survival. Recently, dynamics of coral‐associated microbiomes have been demonstrated to be linked to patterns of coral heat tolerance. Here, we examined the effect of elevated seawater temperature on the structure and diversity of bacterial populations associated with Porites lutea, using full‐length 16S rRNA sequences obtained from Pacific Biosciences circular consensus sequencing. We observed a significant increase in alpha diversity indices and a distinct shift in microbiome composition during thermal stress. There was a marked decline in the apparent relative abundance of Gammaproteobacteria family Endozoicomonadaceae after P. lutea had been exposed to elevated seawater temperature. Concomitantly, the bacterial community structure shifted toward the predominance of Alphaproteobacteria family Rhodobacteraceae. Interestingly, we did not observe an increase in relative abundance of Vibrio‐related sequences in our heat‐stressed samples even though the appearance of Vibrio spp. has often been detected in parallel with the increase in the relative abundance of Rhodobacteraceae during thermal bleaching in other coral species. The ability of full‐length 16S rRNA sequences in resolving taxonomic uncertainty of associated bacteria at a species level enabled us to identify 24 robust indicator bacterial species for thermally stressed corals. It is worth noting that the majority of those indicator species were members of the family Rhodobacteraceae. The comparison of bacterial community structure and diversity between corals in ambient water temperature and thermally stressed corals may provide a better understanding on how bacteria symbionts contribute to the resilience of their coral hosts to ocean warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wirulda Pootakham
- National Omics Center, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Wuttichai Mhuantong
- Enzyme Technology Research Team, Biorefinery and Bioproduct Technology Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Thippawan Yoocha
- National Omics Center, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | | | - Nukoon Jomchai
- National Omics Center, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Chutima Sonthirod
- National Omics Center, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Chaiwat Naktang
- National Omics Center, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Wasitthee Kongkachana
- National Omics Center, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Sithichoke Tangphatsornruang
- National Omics Center, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathum Thani, Thailand
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Ziegler M, Roik A, Röthig T, Wild C, Rädecker N, Bouwmeester J, Voolstra CR. Ecophysiology of Reef-Building Corals in the Red Sea. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-05802-9_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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30
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Morris LA, Voolstra CR, Quigley KM, Bourne DG, Bay LK. Nutrient Availability and Metabolism Affect the Stability of Coral-Symbiodiniaceae Symbioses. Trends Microbiol 2019; 27:678-689. [PMID: 30987816 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2019.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Coral reefs rely upon the highly optimized coral-Symbiodiniaceae symbiosis, making them sensitive to environmental change and susceptible to anthropogenic stress. Coral bleaching is predominantly attributed to photo-oxidative stress, yet nutrient availability and metabolism underpin the stability of symbioses. Recent studies link symbiont proliferation under nutrient enrichment to bleaching; however, the interactions between nutrients and symbiotic stability are nuanced. Here, we demonstrate how bleaching is regulated by the forms and ratios of available nutrients and their impacts on autotrophic carbon metabolism, rather than algal symbiont growth. By extension, historical nutrient conditions mediate host-symbiont compatibility and bleaching tolerance over proximate and evolutionary timescales. Renewed investigations into the coral nutrient metabolism will be required to truly elucidate the cellular mechanisms leading to coral bleaching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke A Morris
- AIMS@JCU, Australian Institute of Marine Science, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia; Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Australia; College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia. https://twitter.com/ReefLuke
| | - Christian R Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia. https://twitter.com/reefgenomics
| | - Kate M Quigley
- AIMS@JCU, Australian Institute of Marine Science, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia; Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Australia. https://twitter.com/la__cientifica
| | - David G Bourne
- AIMS@JCU, Australian Institute of Marine Science, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia; Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Australia; College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
| | - Line K Bay
- AIMS@JCU, Australian Institute of Marine Science, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia; Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Australia.
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31
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Bernasconi R, Stat M, Koenders A, Huggett MJ. Global Networks of Symbiodinium-Bacteria Within the Coral Holobiont. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2019; 77:794-807. [PMID: 30218130 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-018-1255-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Scleractinian corals form the framework of coral reefs and host abundant and diverse microbial communities that are fundamental to their success. A very limited number of studies have examined the co-occurrence of multiple partners within the coral 'holobiont' and their pattern of specificity over different geographical scales. In this study, we explored two molecular sequence datasets representing associations between corals and dinoflagellates in the genus Symbiodinium and between corals and bacteria, across the globe. Through a network theory approach, we characterised patterns of co-occurrences between bacteria and Symbiodinium with 13 coral genera across six water basins. The majority of the bacteria-Symbiodinium co-occurrences were specific to either a coral genus or water basin, emphasising both coral host and environment as important factors driving the diversity of coral assemblages. Yet, results also identified bacteria and Symbiodinium that were shared by multiple coral genera across several water basins. The analyses indicate that shared co-occurrences are independent of the phylogenetic and biogeographic relationship of coral hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachele Bernasconi
- Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research, School of Science, Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondalup Dr, Joondalup, Western Australia, 6027, Australia.
| | - Michael Stat
- Trace and Environmental DNA Laboratory, Department of Environment and Agriculture Curtin University, Bentley, 6102, Western Australia
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, 2109, Australia
| | - Annette Koenders
- Centre for Ecosystem Management, School of Science, Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondalup Dr, Joondalup, Western Australia, 6027, Australia
| | - Megan J Huggett
- Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research, School of Science, Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondalup Dr, Joondalup, Western Australia, 6027, Australia
- Centre for Ecosystem Management, School of Science, Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondalup Dr, Joondalup, Western Australia, 6027, Australia
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Newcastle, PO Box 127, Ourimbah, New South Wales, 2258, Australia
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32
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Radice VZ, Hoegh‐Guldberg O, Fry B, Fox MD, Dove SG. Upwelling as the major source of nitrogen for shallow and deep reef‐building corals across an oceanic atoll system. Funct Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Z. Radice
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Queensland St. Lucia Queensland Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies The University of Queensland St. Lucia Queensland Australia
- Global Change Institute The University of Queensland St. Lucia Queensland Australia
| | - Ove Hoegh‐Guldberg
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Queensland St. Lucia Queensland Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies The University of Queensland St. Lucia Queensland Australia
- Global Change Institute The University of Queensland St. Lucia Queensland Australia
| | - Brian Fry
- Australian Rivers Institute Griffith University Nathan Queensland Australia
| | - Michael D. Fox
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Woods Hole Massachusetts USA
| | - Sophie G. Dove
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Queensland St. Lucia Queensland Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies The University of Queensland St. Lucia Queensland Australia
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Bednarz VN, van de Water JAJM, Rabouille S, Maguer JF, Grover R, Ferrier-Pagès C. Diazotrophic community and associated dinitrogen fixation within the temperate coral Oculina patagonica. Environ Microbiol 2018; 21:480-495. [PMID: 30452101 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2017] [Accepted: 10/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Dinitrogen (N2 ) fixing bacteria (diazotrophs) are an important source of new nitrogen in oligotrophic environments and represent stable members of the microbiome in tropical corals, while information on corals from temperate oligotrophic regions is lacking. Therefore, this study provides new insights into the diversity and activity of diazotrophs associated with the temperate coral Oculina patagonica from the Mediterranean Sea by combining metabarcoding sequencing of amplicons of both the 16S rRNA and nifH genes and 15 N2 stable isotope tracer analysis to assess diazotroph-derived nitrogen (DDN) assimilation by the coral. Results show that the diazotrophic community of O. patagonica is dominated by autotrophic bacteria (i.e. Cyanobacteria and Chlorobia). The majority of DDN was assimilated into the tissue and skeletal matrix, and DDN assimilation significantly increased in bleached corals. Thus, diazotrophs may constitute an additional nitrogen source for the coral host, when nutrient exchange with Symbiodinium is disrupted (e.g. bleaching) and external food supply is limited (e.g. oligotrophic summer season). Furthermore, we hypothesize that DDN can facilitate the fast proliferation of endolithic algae, which provide an alternative carbon source for bleached O. patagonica. Overall, O. patagonica could serve as a good model for investigating the importance of diazotrophs in coral recovery from bleaching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa N Bednarz
- Marine Department, Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 8 Quai Antoine Ier, MC-98000, Monaco, Principality of Monaco
| | - Jeroen A J M van de Water
- Marine Department, Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 8 Quai Antoine Ier, MC-98000, Monaco, Principality of Monaco
| | - Sophie Rabouille
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR 7093, LOV, Observatoire océanologique, F-06230, Villefranche/mer, France.,CNRS, UMR 7093, LOV, Observatoire océanologique, F-06230, Villefranche/mer, France
| | - Jean-François Maguer
- LEMAR - UMR 6539 UBO/CNRS/IRD, Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer, Place Nicolas Copernic, Plouzané 29280, France
| | - Renaud Grover
- Marine Department, Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 8 Quai Antoine Ier, MC-98000, Monaco, Principality of Monaco
| | - Christine Ferrier-Pagès
- Marine Department, Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 8 Quai Antoine Ier, MC-98000, Monaco, Principality of Monaco
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Tilstra A, van Hoytema N, Cardini U, Bednarz VN, Rix L, Naumann MS, Al-Horani FA, Wild C. Effects of Water Column Mixing and Stratification on Planktonic Primary Production and Dinitrogen Fixation on a Northern Red Sea Coral Reef. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:2351. [PMID: 30327648 PMCID: PMC6174798 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The northern Red Sea experiences strong annual differences in environmental conditions due to its relative high-latitude location for coral reefs. This allows the study of regulatory effects by key environmental parameters (i.e., temperature, inorganic nutrient, and organic matter concentrations) on reef primary production and dinitrogen (N2) fixation, but related knowledge is scarce. Therefore, this study measured environmental parameters, primary production and N2 fixation of phytoplankton groups in the water overlying a coral reef in the Gulf of Aqaba. To this end, we used a comparative approach between mixed and stratified water column scenarios in a full year of seasonal observations. Findings revealed that inorganic nutrient concentrations were significantly higher in the mixed compared to the stratified period. While gross photosynthesis and N2 fixation rates remained similar, net photosynthesis decreased from mixed to stratified period. Net heterotrophic activity of the planktonic community increased significantly during the stratified compared to the mixed period. While inorganic nitrogen (N) availability was correlated with net photosynthesis over the year, N2 fixation only correlated with N availability during the mixed period. This emphasizes the complexity of planktonic trophodynamics in northern Red Sea coral reefs. Comparing mixed and stratified planktonic N2 fixation rates with those of benthic organisms and substrates revealed a close seasonal activity similarity between free-living pelagic and benthic diazotrophs. During the mixed period, N2 fixation potentially contributed up to 3% of planktonic primary production N demand. This contribution increased by ca. one order of magnitude to 21% during the stratified period. Planktonic N2 fixation is likely a significant N source for phytoplankton to maintain high photosynthesis under oligotrophic conditions in coral reefs, especially during stratified conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjen Tilstra
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Nanne van Hoytema
- Coral Reef Ecology Group, Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research, Bremen, Germany
| | - Ulisse Cardini
- Coral Reef Ecology Group, Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research, Bremen, Germany
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Vanessa N. Bednarz
- Coral Reef Ecology Group, Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research, Bremen, Germany
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Monaco, Monaco
| | - Laura Rix
- Coral Reef Ecology Group, Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research, Bremen, Germany
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Malik S. Naumann
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- Coral Reef Ecology Group, Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research, Bremen, Germany
| | | | - Christian Wild
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- Coral Reef Ecology Group, Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research, Bremen, Germany
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Bednarz VN, Naumann MS, Cardini U, van Hoytema N, Rix L, Al-Rshaidat MMD, Wild C. Contrasting seasonal responses in dinitrogen fixation between shallow and deep-water colonies of the model coral Stylophora pistillata in the northern Red Sea. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0199022. [PMID: 29902263 PMCID: PMC6002246 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0199022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 05/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Tropical corals are often associated with dinitrogen (N2)-fixing bacteria (diazotrophs), and seasonal changes in key environmental parameters, such as dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) availability and seawater temperature, are known to affect N2 fixation in coral-microbial holobionts. Despite, then, such potential for seasonal and depth-related changes in N2 fixation in reef corals, such variation has not yet been investigated. Therefore, this study quantified seasonal (winter vs. summer) N2 fixation rates associated with the reef-building coral Stylophora pistillata collected from depths of 5, 10 and 20 m in the northern Gulf of Aqaba (Red Sea). Findings revealed that corals from all depths exhibited the highest N2 fixation rates during the oligotrophic summer season, when up to 11% of their photo-metabolic nitrogen demand (CPND) could be met by N2 fixation. While N2 fixation remained seasonally stable for deep corals (20 m), it significantly decreased for the shallow corals (5 and 10 m) during the DIN-enriched winter season, accounting for less than 2% of the corals’ CPND. This contrasting seasonal response in N2 fixation across corals of different depths could be driven by 1) release rates of coral-derived organic matter, 2) the community composition of the associated diazotrophs, and/or 3) nutrient acquisition by the Symbiodinium community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa N. Bednarz
- Coral Reef Ecology Group, Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), Bremen, Germany
- Marine Department, Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Principality of Monaco
- * E-mail:
| | - Malik S. Naumann
- Coral Reef Ecology Group, Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), Bremen, Germany
| | - Ulisse Cardini
- Coral Reef Ecology Group, Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), Bremen, Germany
- Integrative Marine Ecology Department, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Naples, Italy
| | - Nanne van Hoytema
- Coral Reef Ecology Group, Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), Bremen, Germany
| | - Laura Rix
- Coral Reef Ecology Group, Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), Bremen, Germany
- RD3 Marine Microbiology, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany
| | - Mamoon M. D. Al-Rshaidat
- Laboratory for Molecular Microbial Ecology, Marine Science Station, Aqaba, Jordan
- Molecular and Microbial Ecology, Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
| | - Christian Wild
- Coral Reef Ecology Group, Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), Bremen, Germany
- Marine Ecology Group, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
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36
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Metaorganisms in extreme environments: do microbes play a role in organismal adaptation? ZOOLOGY 2018; 127:1-19. [DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2018.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Revised: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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37
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How Does the Coral Microbiome Cause, Respond to, or Modulate the Bleaching Process? ECOLOGICAL STUDIES 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-75393-5_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Abstract
Tropical scleractinian corals are dependent to varying degrees on their photosymbiotic partners. Under normal levels of temperature and irradiance, they can provide most, but not all, of the host's nutritional requirements. Heterotrophy is required to adequately supply critical nutrients, especially nitrogen and phosphorus. Scleractinian corals are known as mesozooplankton predators, and most employ tentacle capture. The ability to trap nano- and picoplankton has been demonstrated by several coral species and appears to fulfill a substantial proportion of their daily metabolic requirements. The mechanism of capture likely involves mucociliary activity or extracoelenteric digestion, but the relative contribution of these avenues have not been evaluated. Many corals employ mesenterial filaments to procure food in various forms, but the functional morphology and chemical activities of these structures have been poorly documented. Corals are capable of acquiring nutrition from particulate and dissolved organic matter, although the degree of reliance on these sources generally has not been established. Corals, including tropical, deep- and cold-water species, are known as a major source of carbon and other nutrients for benthic communities through the secretion of mucus, despite wide variation in chemical composition. Mucus is cycled through the planktonic microbial loop, the benthos, and the microbial community within the sediments. The consensus indicates that the dissolved organic fraction of mucus usually exceeds the insoluble portion, and both serve as sources for the growth of nano- and picoplankton. As many corals employ mucus to trap food, a portion is taken back during feeding. The net gain or loss has not been evaluated, although production is generally thought to exceed consumption. The same is true for the net uptake and loss of dissolved organic matter by mucus secretion. Octocorals are thought not to employ mucus capture or mesenterial filaments during feeding and generally rely on tentacular filtration of weakly swimming mesozooplankton, particulates, dissolved organic matter, and picoplankton. Nonsymbiotic species in the tropics favor phytoplankton and weakly swimming zooplankton. Azooxanthellate soft corals are opportunistic feeders and shift their diet according to the season from phyto- and nanoplankton in summer to primarily particulate organic matter (POM) in winter. Cold-water species favor POM, phytodetritus, microplankton, and larger zooplankton when available. Antipatharians apparently feed on mesozooplankton but also use mucus nets, possibly for capture of POM. Feeding modes in this group are poorly known.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter M Goldberg
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA.
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39
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Diazotroph diversity and nitrogen fixation in the coral Stylophora pistillata from the Great Barrier Reef. ISME JOURNAL 2017; 12:813-824. [PMID: 29222444 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-017-0008-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2017] [Revised: 10/15/2017] [Accepted: 10/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Diazotrophs, both Bacteria and Archaea, capable of fixing nitrogen (N2), are present in the tissues and mucous, of corals and can supplement the coral holobiont nitrogen budget with fixed nitrogen (N) in the form of ammonia (NH3). Stylophora pistillata from Heron Island on the Great Barrier Reef collected at 5 and 15 m, and experimentally manipulated in the laboratory, showed that the rates of net photosynthesis, steady state quantum yields of photosystem II (PSII) fluorescence (∆Fv/Fm') and calcification varied based on irradiance as expected. Rates of N2 fixation were, however, invariant across treatments while the amount of fixed N contributing to Symbiodinium spp. N demand is irradiance dependent. Additionally, both the Symbiodinium and diazotrophic communities are significantly different based on depth, and novel Cluster V nifH gene phylotypes, which are not known to fix nitrogen, were recovered. A functional analysis using PICRUSt also showed that shallow corals were enriched in genes involved in nitrogen metabolism, and N2 fixation specifically. Corals have evolved a number of strategies to derive nitrogen from organic (e.g., heterotrophic feeding) and inorganic sources (e.g., N2 fixation) to maintain critical pathways such as protein synthesis to succeed ecologically in nitrogen-limited habitats.
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40
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Jarett JK, MacManes MD, Morrow KM, Pankey MS, Lesser MP. Comparative Genomics of Color Morphs In the Coral Montastraea cavernosa. Sci Rep 2017; 7:16039. [PMID: 29167578 PMCID: PMC5700045 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-16371-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2017] [Accepted: 11/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Montastraea cavernosa is a common coral in the Caribbean basin found in several color morphs. To investigate the causes for brown and orange morphs we undertook a genomics approach on corals collected at the same time and depth in the Bahamas. The coral holobiont includes the host, symbiotic dinoflagellates (Symbiodinium spp.), and a diverse microbiome. While the coral host showed significant genetic differentiation between color morphs both the composition of the Symbiodinium spp. communities and the prokaryotic communities did not. Both targeted and global gene expression differences in the transcriptome of the host show no difference in fluorescent proteins while the metatranscriptome of the microbiome shows that pigments such as phycoerythrin and orange carotenoid protein of cyanobacterial origin are significantly greater in orange morphs, which is also consistent with the significantly greater number of cyanobacteria quantified by 16S rRNA reads and flow cytometry. The microbiome of orange color morphs expressed significantly more nitrogenase (nifH) transcripts consistent with their known ability to fix nitrogen. Both coral and Symbiodinium spp. transcriptomes from orange morphs had significantly increased expression of genes related to immune response and apoptosis, which may potentially be involved in maintaining and regulating the unique symbiont population in orange morphs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica K Jarett
- Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, 03824, USA
- US Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA, 94598, USA
| | - Matthew D MacManes
- Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, 03824, USA
| | - Kathleen M Morrow
- Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, 03824, USA
| | - M Sabrina Pankey
- Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, 03824, USA
| | - Michael P Lesser
- Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, 03824, USA.
- School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, 03824, USA.
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Tilstra A, Wijgerde T, Dini-Andreote F, Eriksson BK, Salles JF, Pen I, Osinga R, Wild C. Light induced intraspecific variability in response to thermal stress in the hard coral Stylophora pistillata. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3802. [PMID: 29038747 PMCID: PMC5640979 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2017] [Accepted: 08/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent research suggests that prior exposure of several months to elevated irradiance induces enhanced thermal tolerance in scleractinian corals. While this tolerance has been reported at the species level, individual coral colonies may react differently due to individual variability in thermal tolerance. As thermal anomalies are predicted to become common in the upcoming future, intraspecific variation may be key to the survival of coral populations. In order to study light-history based thermal stress responses on individual colonies, we developed a preliminary microcosm experiment where three randomly chosen, aquacultured colonies of the model coral Stylophora pistillata were exposed to two irradiance treatments (200 and 400 μmol photons m-2 s-1) for 31 days, followed by artificially induced heat stress (∼33.4 °C). We found different responses to occur at both the intraspecific and the intracolonial levels, as indicated by either equal, less severe, delayed, and/or even non-necrotic responses of corals previously exposed to the irradiance of 400 compared to 200 μmol photons m-2 s-1. In addition, all individual colonies revealed light-enhanced calcification. Finally, elevated irradiance resulted in a lower chlorophyll a concentration in one colony compared to the control treatment, and the same colony displayed more rapid bleaching compared to the other ones. Taken together, this study highlights the potential importance of intra-individual variability in physiological responses of scleractinian corals and provides recommendations for improving methodological designs for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjen Tilstra
- Department of Marine Benthic Ecology & Evolution, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Marine Ecology Group, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | | | - Francisco Dini-Andreote
- Microbial Ecology cluster, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Britas Klemens Eriksson
- Department of Marine Benthic Ecology & Evolution, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Joana Falcão Salles
- Microbial Ecology cluster, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ido Pen
- Theoretical Research in Evolutionary Life Sciences, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ronald Osinga
- Marine Animal Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Christian Wild
- Marine Ecology Group, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
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Pogoreutz C, Rädecker N, Cárdenas A, Gärdes A, Voolstra CR, Wild C. Sugar enrichment provides evidence for a role of nitrogen fixation in coral bleaching. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2017; 23:3838-3848. [PMID: 28429531 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2016] [Revised: 03/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The disruption of the coral-algae symbiosis (coral bleaching) due to rising sea surface temperatures has become an unprecedented global threat to coral reefs. Despite decades of research, our ability to manage mass bleaching events remains hampered by an incomplete mechanistic understanding of the processes involved. In this study, we induced a coral bleaching phenotype in the absence of heat and light stress by adding sugars. The sugar addition resulted in coral symbiotic breakdown accompanied by a fourfold increase of coral-associated microbial nitrogen fixation. Concomitantly, increased N:P ratios by the coral host and algal symbionts suggest excess availability of nitrogen and a disruption of the nitrogen limitation within the coral holobiont. As nitrogen fixation is similarly stimulated in ocean warming scenarios, here we propose a refined coral bleaching model integrating the cascading effects of stimulated microbial nitrogen fixation. This model highlights the putative role of nitrogen-fixing microbes in coral holobiont functioning and breakdown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Pogoreutz
- Coral Reef Ecology Group (CORE), Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry (FB 2), University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- Department of Ecology, Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology, Bremen, Germany
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nils Rädecker
- Coral Reef Ecology Group (CORE), Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry (FB 2), University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Anny Cárdenas
- Coral Reef Ecology Group (CORE), Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry (FB 2), University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biogeochemistry, Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology, Bremen, Germany
| | - Astrid Gärdes
- Department of Biogeochemistry, Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology, Bremen, Germany
| | - Christian R Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Christian Wild
- Coral Reef Ecology Group (CORE), Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry (FB 2), University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- Department of Ecology, Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology, Bremen, Germany
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43
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Godoy-Vitorino F, Ruiz-Diaz CP, Rivera-Seda A, Ramírez-Lugo JS, Toledo-Hernández C. The microbial biosphere of the coral Acropora cervicornis in Northeastern Puerto Rico. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3717. [PMID: 28875073 PMCID: PMC5580386 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 07/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Coral reefs are the most biodiverse ecosystems in the marine realm, and they not only contribute a plethora of ecosystem services to other marine organisms, but they also are beneficial to humankind via, for instance, their role as nurseries for commercially important fish species. Corals are considered holobionts (host + symbionts) since they are composed not only of coral polyps, but also algae, other microbial eukaryotes and prokaryotes. In recent years, Caribbean reef corals, including the once-common scleractinian coral Acropora cervicornis, have suffered unprecedented mortality due to climate change-related stressors. Unfortunately, our basic knowledge of the molecular ecophysiology of reef corals, particularly with respect to their complex bacterial microbiota, is currently too poor to project how climate change will affect this species. For instance, we do not know how light influences microbial communities of A. cervicornis, arguably the most endangered of all Caribbean coral species. To this end, we characterized the microbiota of A. cervicornis inhabiting water depths with different light regimes. Methods Six A. cervicornis fragments from different individuals were collected at two different depths (three at 1.5 m and three at 11 m) from a reef 3.2 km off the northeastern coast of Puerto Rico. We characterized the microbial communities by sequencing the 16S rRNA gene region V4 with the Illumina platform. Results A total of 173,137 good-quality sequences were binned into 803 OTUs with a 97% similarity. We uncovered eight bacterial phyla at both depths with a dominance of 725 Rickettsiales OTUs (Proteobacteria). A fewer number (38) of low dominance OTUs varied by depth and taxa enriched in shallow water corals included Proteobacteria (e.g. Rhodobacteraceae and Serratia) and Firmicutes (Streptococcus). Those enriched in deeper water corals featured different Proteobacterial taxa (Campylobacterales and Bradyrhizobium) and Firmicutes (Lactobacillus). Discussion Our results confirm that the microbiota of A. cervicornis inhabiting the northeastern region of Puerto Rico is dominated by a Rickettsiales-like bacterium and that there are significant changes in less dominant taxa at different water depths. These changes in less dominant taxa may potentially impact the coral’s physiology, particularly with respect to its ability to respond to future increases in temperature and CO2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filipa Godoy-Vitorino
- Department of Natural Sciences, Microbial Ecology and Genomics Lab, Inter American University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR, USA
| | - Claudia P Ruiz-Diaz
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan, PR, USA.,Sociedad Ambiente Marino, San Juan, PR, USA
| | - Abigail Rivera-Seda
- Department of Natural Sciences, Microbial Ecology and Genomics Lab, Inter American University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR, USA
| | - Juan S Ramírez-Lugo
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras Campus, San Juan, PR, USA
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44
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Pogoreutz C, Rädecker N, Cárdenas A, Gärdes A, Wild C, Voolstra CR. Nitrogen Fixation Aligns with nifH Abundance and Expression in Two Coral Trophic Functional Groups. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:1187. [PMID: 28702013 PMCID: PMC5487474 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 06/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial nitrogen fixation (diazotrophy) is a functional trait widely associated with tropical reef-building (scleractinian) corals. While the integral role of nitrogen fixation in coral nutrient dynamics is recognized, its ecological significance across different coral functional groups remains yet to be evaluated. Here we set out to compare molecular and physiological patterns of diazotrophy (i.e., nifH gene abundance and expression as well as nitrogen fixation rates) in two coral families with contrasting trophic strategies: highly heterotrophic, free-living members of the family Fungiidae (Pleuractis granulosa, Ctenactis echinata), and mostly autotrophic coral holobionts with low heterotrophic capacity (Pocilloporidae: Pocillopora verrucosa, Stylophora pistillata). The Fungiidae exhibited low diazotroph abundance (based on nifH gene copy numbers) and activity (based on nifH gene expression and the absence of detectable nitrogen fixation rates). In contrast, the mostly autotrophic Pocilloporidae exhibited nifH gene copy numbers and gene expression two orders of magnitude higher than in the Fungiidae, which coincided with detectable nitrogen fixation activity. Based on these data, we suggest that nitrogen fixation compensates for the low heterotrophic nitrogen uptake in autotrophic corals. Consequently, the ecological importance of diazotrophy in coral holobionts may be determined by the trophic functional group of the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Pogoreutz
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST),Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.,Marine Ecology and Coral Reef Ecology Group, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of BremenBremen, Germany.,Department of Ecology, Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine ResearchBremen, Germany
| | - Nils Rädecker
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST),Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.,Marine Ecology and Coral Reef Ecology Group, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of BremenBremen, Germany
| | - Anny Cárdenas
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST),Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.,Tropical Marine Microbiology Group, Department of Biogeochemistry and Geology, Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine ResearchBremen, Germany
| | - Astrid Gärdes
- Tropical Marine Microbiology Group, Department of Biogeochemistry and Geology, Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine ResearchBremen, Germany
| | - Christian Wild
- Marine Ecology and Coral Reef Ecology Group, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of BremenBremen, Germany
| | - Christian R Voolstra
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST),Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
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45
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Gajigan AP, Diaz LA, Conaco C. Resilience of the prokaryotic microbial community of Acropora digitifera to elevated temperature. Microbiologyopen 2017; 6. [PMID: 28425179 PMCID: PMC5552946 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2016] [Revised: 02/22/2017] [Accepted: 03/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The coral is a holobiont formed by the close interaction between the coral animal and a diverse community of microorganisms, including dinoflagellates, bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses. The prokaryotic symbionts of corals are important for host fitness but are also highly sensitive to changes in the environment. In this study, we used 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequencing to examine the response of the microbial community associated with the coral, Acropora digitifera, to elevated temperature. The A. digitifera microbial community is dominated by operational taxonomic unit (OTUs) affiliated with classes Alphaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria. The prokaryotic community in the coral tissue is distinct from that of the mucus and the surrounding seawater. Remarkably, the overall microbial community structure of A. digitifera remained stable for 10 days of continuous exptosure at 32°C compared to corals maintained at 27°C. However, the elevated temperature regime resulted in a decrease in the abundance of OTUs affiliated with certain groups of bacteria, such as order Rhodobacterales. On the other hand, some OTUs affiliated with the orders Alteromonadales, Vibrionales, and Flavobacteriales, which are often associated with diseased and stressed corals, increased in abundance. Thus, while the A. digitifera bacterial community structure appears resilient to higher temperature, prolonged exposure and intensified stress results in changes in the abundance of specific microbial community members that may affect the overall metabolic state and health of the coral holobiont.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrian P Gajigan
- Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
| | - Leomir A Diaz
- Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
| | - Cecilia Conaco
- Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
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46
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Peixoto RS, Rosado PM, Leite DCDA, Rosado AS, Bourne DG. Beneficial Microorganisms for Corals (BMC): Proposed Mechanisms for Coral Health and Resilience. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:341. [PMID: 28326066 PMCID: PMC5339234 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 233] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2016] [Accepted: 02/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The symbiotic association between the coral animal and its endosymbiotic dinoflagellate partner Symbiodinium is central to the success of corals. However, an array of other microorganisms associated with coral (i.e., Bacteria, Archaea, Fungi, and viruses) have a complex and intricate role in maintaining homeostasis between corals and Symbiodinium. Corals are sensitive to shifts in the surrounding environmental conditions. One of the most widely reported responses of coral to stressful environmental conditions is bleaching. During this event, corals expel Symbiodinium cells from their gastrodermal tissues upon experiencing extended seawater temperatures above their thermal threshold. An array of other environmental stressors can also destabilize the coral microbiome, resulting in compromised health of the host, which may include disease and mortality in the worst scenario. However, the exact mechanisms by which the coral microbiome supports coral health and increases resilience are poorly understood. Earlier studies of coral microbiology proposed a coral probiotic hypothesis, wherein a dynamic relationship exists between corals and their symbiotic microorganisms, selecting for the coral holobiont that is best suited for the prevailing environmental conditions. Here, we discuss the microbial-host relationships within the coral holobiont, along with their potential roles in maintaining coral health. We propose the term BMC (Beneficial Microorganisms for Corals) to define (specific) symbionts that promote coral health. This term and concept are analogous to the term Plant Growth Promoting Rhizosphere (PGPR), which has been widely explored and manipulated in the agricultural industry for microorganisms that inhabit the rhizosphere and directly or indirectly promote plant growth and development through the production of regulatory signals, antibiotics and nutrients. Additionally, we propose and discuss the potential mechanisms of the effects of BMC on corals, suggesting strategies for the use of this knowledge to manipulate the microbiome, reversing dysbiosis to restore and protect coral reefs. This may include developing and using BMC consortia as environmental "probiotics" to improve coral resistance after bleaching events and/or the use of BMC with other strategies such as human-assisted acclimation/adaption to shifting environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel S. Peixoto
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Instituto Museu Aquário Marinho do Rio de Janeiro-AquaRio (IMAM/AquaRio) – Rio de Janeiro Marine Aquarium Research CenterRio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Phillipe M. Rosado
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Instituto Museu Aquário Marinho do Rio de Janeiro-AquaRio (IMAM/AquaRio) – Rio de Janeiro Marine Aquarium Research CenterRio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Alexandre S. Rosado
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Instituto Museu Aquário Marinho do Rio de Janeiro-AquaRio (IMAM/AquaRio) – Rio de Janeiro Marine Aquarium Research CenterRio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - David G. Bourne
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, TownsvilleQLD, Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, TownsvilleQLD, Australia
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The Assimilation of Diazotroph-Derived Nitrogen by Scleractinian Corals Depends on Their Metabolic Status. mBio 2017; 8:mBio.02058-16. [PMID: 28074021 PMCID: PMC5241398 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02058-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Tropical corals are associated with a diverse community of dinitrogen (N2)-fixing prokaryotes (diazotrophs) providing the coral an additional source of bioavailable nitrogen (N) in oligotrophic waters. The overall activity of these diazotrophs changes depending on the current environmental conditions, but to what extent it affects the assimilation of diazotroph-derived N (DDN) by corals is still unknown. Here, in a series of 15N2 tracer experiments, we directly quantified DDN assimilation by scleractinian corals from the Red Sea exposed to different environmental conditions. We show that DDN assimilation strongly varied with the corals’ metabolic status or with phosphate availability in the water. The very autotrophic shallow-water (~5 m) corals showed low or no DDN assimilation, which significantly increased under elevated phosphate availability (3 µM). Corals that depended more on heterotrophy (i.e., bleached and deep-water [~45 m] corals) assimilated significantly more DDN, which contributed up to 15% of the corals’ N demand (compared to 1% in shallow corals). Furthermore, we demonstrate that a substantial part of the DDN assimilated by deep corals was likely obtained from heterotrophic feeding on fixed N compounds and/or diazotrophic cells in the mucus. Conversely, in shallow corals, the net release of mucus, rich in organic carbon compounds, likely enhanced diazotroph abundance and activity and thereby the release of fixed N to the pelagic and benthic reef community. Overall, our results suggest that DDN assimilation by corals varies according to the environmental conditions and is likely linked to the capacity of the coral to acquire nutrients from seawater. Tropical corals are associated with specialized bacteria (i.e., diazotrophs) able to transform dinitrogen (N2) gas into a bioavailable form of nitrogen, but how much of this diazotroph-derived nitrogen (DDN) is assimilated by corals under different environmental conditions is still unknown. Here, we used 15N2 labeling to trace the fate of DDN within the coral symbiosis. We show that DDN is assimilated by both the animal host and the endosymbiotic algae. In addition, the amount of assimilated DDN was significantly greater in mesophotic, bleached, or phosphorus-enriched corals than in surface corals, which almost did not take up this nitrogen form. DDN can thus be of particular importance for the nutrient budget of corals whenever they are limited by the availability of other forms of dissolved nutrients.
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48
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Petersen JM, Kemper A, Gruber-Vodicka H, Cardini U, van der Geest M, Kleiner M, Bulgheresi S, Mußmann M, Herbold C, Seah BKB, Antony CP, Liu D, Belitz A, Weber M. Chemosynthetic symbionts of marine invertebrate animals are capable of nitrogen fixation. Nat Microbiol 2016; 2:16195. [PMID: 27775707 PMCID: PMC6872982 DOI: 10.1038/nmicrobiol.2016.195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 09/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Chemosynthetic symbioses are partnerships between invertebrate animals
and chemosynthetic bacteria. The latter are the primary producers, providing most of
the organic carbon needed for the animal host's nutrition. We sequenced genomes of
the chemosynthetic symbionts from the lucinid bivalve Loripes lucinalis and the stilbonematid nematode Laxus oneistus. The symbionts of both host species
encoded nitrogen fixation genes. This is remarkable as no marine chemosynthetic
symbiont was previously known to be capable of nitrogen fixation. We detected
nitrogenase expression by the symbionts of lucinid clams at the transcriptomic and
proteomic level. Mean stable nitrogen isotope values of Loripes lucinalis were within the range expected for fixed atmospheric
nitrogen, further suggesting active nitrogen fixation by the symbionts. The ability
to fix nitrogen may be widespread among chemosynthetic symbioses in oligotrophic
habitats, where nitrogen availability often limits primary productivity. The chemosynthetic symbionts of the bivalve Loripes lucinalis and nematode Laxus
oneistus are found to encode nitrogen fixation genes, with evidence for
active nitrogen fixation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jillian M Petersen
- Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, Research Network Chemistry meets Microbiology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, Vienna 1090, Austria.,Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Celsiusstrasse 1, Bremen 28359, Germany
| | - Anna Kemper
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Celsiusstrasse 1, Bremen 28359, Germany
| | - Harald Gruber-Vodicka
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Celsiusstrasse 1, Bremen 28359, Germany
| | - Ulisse Cardini
- Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, Research Network Chemistry meets Microbiology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Matthijs van der Geest
- Centre for Marine Biodiversity, Exploitation and Conservation (MARBEC), UMR 9190, IRD-IFREMER-CNRS-UM, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier Cedex 5 34095, France.,Department of Coastal Systems and Utrecht University, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, PO Box 59, 1790 AB Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Manuel Kleiner
- Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive Northwest, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Silvia Bulgheresi
- Archaea Biology and Ecogenomics Division, Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Marc Mußmann
- Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, Research Network Chemistry meets Microbiology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Craig Herbold
- Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, Research Network Chemistry meets Microbiology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Brandon K B Seah
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Celsiusstrasse 1, Bremen 28359, Germany
| | - Chakkiath Paul Antony
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Celsiusstrasse 1, Bremen 28359, Germany
| | - Dan Liu
- Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive Northwest, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Alexandra Belitz
- Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, Research Network Chemistry meets Microbiology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Miriam Weber
- HYDRA Institute for Marine Sciences, Elba Field Station, Campo nell'Elba, Livorno 54037, Italy
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Kellogg CA, Ross SW, Brooke SD. Bacterial community diversity of the deep-sea octocoral Paramuricea placomus. PeerJ 2016; 4:e2529. [PMID: 27703865 PMCID: PMC5047221 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2016] [Accepted: 09/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Compared to tropical corals, much less is known about deep-sea coral biology and ecology. Although the microbial communities of some deep-sea corals have been described, this is the first study to characterize the bacterial community associated with the deep-sea octocoral, Paramuricea placomus. Samples from five colonies of P. placomus were collected from Baltimore Canyon (379–382 m depth) in the Atlantic Ocean off the east coast of the United States of America. DNA was extracted from the coral samples and 16S rRNA gene amplicons were pyrosequenced using V4-V5 primers. Three samples sequenced deeply (>4,000 sequences each) and were further analyzed. The dominant microbial phylum was Proteobacteria, but other major phyla included Firmicutes and Planctomycetes. A conserved community of bacterial taxa held in common across the three P. placomus colonies was identified, comprising 68–90% of the total bacterial community depending on the coral individual. The bacterial community of P. placomus does not appear to include the genus Endozoicomonas, which has been found previously to be the dominant bacterial associate in several temperate and tropical gorgonians. Inferred functionality suggests the possibility of nitrogen cycling by the core bacterial community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina A Kellogg
- St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, US Geological Survey , St. Petersburg , FL , United States of America
| | - Steve W Ross
- Center for Marine Science, University of North Carolina at Wilmington , Wilmington , NC , United States of America
| | - Sandra D Brooke
- Coastal and Marine Laboratory, Florida State University , St. Teresa , FL , United States of America
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Bourne DG, Morrow KM, Webster NS. Insights into the Coral Microbiome: Underpinning the Health and Resilience of Reef Ecosystems. Annu Rev Microbiol 2016; 70:317-40. [PMID: 27482741 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-102215-095440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 339] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Corals are fundamental ecosystem engineers, creating large, intricate reefs that support diverse and abundant marine life. At the core of a healthy coral animal is a dynamic relationship with microorganisms, including a mutually beneficial symbiosis with photosynthetic dinoflagellates (Symbiodinium spp.) and enduring partnerships with an array of bacterial, archaeal, fungal, protistan, and viral associates, collectively termed the coral holobiont. The combined genomes of this coral holobiont form a coral hologenome, and genomic interactions within the hologenome ultimately define the coral phenotype. Here we integrate contemporary scientific knowledge regarding the ecological, host-specific, and environmental forces shaping the diversity, specificity, and distribution of microbial symbionts within the coral holobiont, explore physiological pathways that contribute to holobiont fitness, and describe potential mechanisms for holobiont homeostasis. Understanding the role of the microbiome in coral resilience, acclimation, and environmental adaptation is a new frontier in reef science that will require large-scale collaborative research efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- David G Bourne
- Marine Biology and Aquaculture, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia 4811; .,Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia 4810
| | - Kathleen M Morrow
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia 4810.,Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03824
| | - Nicole S Webster
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia 4810
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