Bacterial lipopolysaccharide induces settlement and metamorphosis in a marine larva

Abstract

Significance New surfaces in the sea are quickly populated by dense communities of invertebrate animals, whose establishment and maintenance require site-specific settlement of larvae from the plankton. Larvae selectively settle in sites where they can metamorphose and thrive largely due to inductive cues from bacteria residing on these surfaces. However, the nature of the cues used to identify “right places” has remained enigmatic. Here, we demonstrate that lipopolysaccharide, the main component of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria from the bacterium Cellulophaga lytica , induces metamorphosis for a marine worm. We then discuss the likelihood that lipopolysaccharide provides the variation necessary to explain settlement site selectivity for many of the bottom-living invertebrate animals that metamorphose in response to bacterial biofilms.

Bacterial biofilm colonization and succession in tropical marine waters are similar across different types of stone materials used in seawall construction

“…Before any invertebrates or other eukaryotic organisms settle on the seawall surface, it is known that microbial colonizers begin to form “conditioning” biofilms. These biofilms are a vital first step in the recruitment of other organisms ( Freckelton et al, 2017 ), as the biofilms and species therein have been shown to have a role in regulating the settlement of sessile organisms onto the substratum ( Hadfield, 2011 ; Freckelton et al, 2022 ). However, it is unclear whether manipulating the seawall construction material has any substantial impact on the biofilms that initially form on the seawall surface.…”

Chemically mediated rheotaxis of endangered tri-spine horseshoe crab: potential dispersing mechanism to vegetated nursery habitats along the coast

“…Although not addressed in our study, biofilm available on the plants and other substrata can also act as settlement cues for a broad variety of marine invertebrate larvae, including mollusks ( Liang et al, 2020 ), crustaceans ( Siddik & Satheesh, 2019 ), polychaetes ( Freckelton et al, 2022 ), gastropods ( La Marca et al, 2018 ), cnidarians ( Petersen et al, 2021 ) and echinoderms ( Huggett et al, 2006 ). Marine biofilms are complex, heterogenic microbial communities, mainly bacteria and diatoms, surrounded by a matrix of extracellular polymeric substances ( Antunes, Leão & Vasconcelos, 2019 ).…”

Signalling molecules inducing metamorphosis in marine organisms

“…The biochemical structure-function analysis of cells and OMVs produced by C. lytica led to the identication of a C. lytica specic lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as an inducing factor, which is the main component of the outer membrane and OMVs of C. lytica. 118,119 Here, it is intriguing to note that LPS from the symbiont V. sheri strongly inuenced the postembryonic development of the squid Euprymna scolopes by inducing developmental apoptosis, but not complete morphogenesis of the host organ. 120 However, the combination of bacterial peptidoglycan (PGN) monomer and tracheal cytotoxin (TCT, 84, Fig.…”

“…The biochemical structure–function analysis of cells and OMVs produced by C. lytica led to the identification of a C. lytica specific lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as an inducing factor, which is the main component of the outer membrane and OMVs of C. lytica . 118,119…”