Intracellular Bacterial Symbionts in Corals: Challenges and Future Directions

Maire, Justin; Blackall, Linda L.; Oppen, Madeleine J. H. van

doi:10.3390/microorganisms9112209

Cited by 25 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 190 publications

(268 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Rather than being a structural feature of dinoflagellates, the small number of DE genes previously detected might be related to the complexity of coral holobionts that obscures transcriptional regulation (e.g. [57][21][58]). A large fraction of DE genes was either subject to RNA editing, or subject to alternative exon usage, two mechanisms of posttranscriptional regulation generating functional diversity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multi-omics analysis reveals the molecular response to heat stress in a “red tide” dinoflagellate

Dougan

Deng

Woehlbrand

et al. 2022

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Dinoflagellates are a large, ecologically important phylum of marine unicellular algae. Their huge genomes make it highly challenging to decipher the genetic basis of key processes such as harmful algal bloom (HAB) formation and response to warming oceans. To address these issues, we generated a high quality genome assembly from Prorocentrum cordatum, a globally abundant, HAB forming dinoflagellate. Our analyses demonstrate massive expansion of the gene inventory to 85,849 predicted genes, primarily driven by unusually long and frequent introns and dispersed duplicates enriched for bloom relevant functions. We find that cell yield is reduced at higher culture temperatures. To understand this response, we integrated transcriptome, proteome and metabolome data and identified both a global and a temperature specific heat-stress response. The underlying metabolic changes reflect damage to photosynthesis and central metabolism. The transcriptome data show that 25% of genes are differentially expressed under heat stress, with concomittant extensive RNA editing and alternative exon usage. Multi-codon genes and transcripts for HSP70 and RuBisCo suggest a polycistronic gene organisation. Our work represents the first genome based analysis of a red tide dinoflagellate and demonstrates that temperature resilience in P. cordatum is mediated by a unique genome structure and multi-level transcriptional regulation.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multi-omics analysis reveals the molecular response to heat stress in a “red tide” dinoflagellate

Dougan

Deng

Woehlbrand

et al. 2022

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Bacteria can colonize all microhabitats in corals and are most abundant and diverse in the mucus and skeleton ( 3, 4 ). Tissue-associated bacteria are less diverse ( 9, 11 ) and some are known to form large, dense clusters termed cell-associated microbial aggregates (CAMAs). Initially described in the early 1980s, they were thought to be linked to coral disease in Acropora palmata ( 12, 13 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Endozoicomonas-chlamydiae interactions in cell-associated microbial aggregates of the coralPocillopora acuta

Maire

Tandon

Collingro

et al. 2022

Preprint

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Corals are associated with a variety of bacteria, which occur in the surface mucus layer, gastrovascular cavity, skeleton, and tissues. Some tissue-associated bacteria form clusters, termed cell-associated microbial aggregates (CAMAs), which are poorly studied. Here, we provide a comprehensive characterization of CAMAs in the coral Pocillopora acuta. Combining imaging techniques, laser capture microdissection, and amplicon and metagenome sequencing we show that CAMAs: (i) are located in the tentacle tips and may be intracellular; (ii) contain Endozoicomonas, Kistimonas (both Gammaproteobacteria), and Simkania (Chlamydiota) bacteria; (iii) Endozoicomonas may provide vitamins to its host and use secretion systems and/or pili for colonization and aggregation; (iv) Endozoicomonas and Simkania occur in distinct, but adjacent, CAMAs; (v) Simkania may rely on acetate and heme provided by neighboring Endozoicomonas. Our study provides detailed insight into coral endosymbionts, which will guide the assessment of their suitability for probiotic approaches to mitigate coral bleaching.

show abstract

“…The relatively low number of studies for these underexplored microbes is partly due to technical challenges, such as their low abundance, and the inability to specifically sequence their genomic material (e.g., 18S rRNA coral or Symbiodiniaceae sequences would far outweigh similar sequences from other micro-eukaryotes, making the latter harder to characterize). However, techniques such as fluorescence-activated cell-sorting, or laser capture-microdissection for the bigger symbionts, can be used to stain and sort different cell populations and enrich targeted symbionts ( Rosental et al, 2017 ; Maire et al, 2021a ). These populations can subsequently be used for meta-omics experiments, while minimizing host or Symbiodiniaceae contamination.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Ocean Warming on the Underexplored Members of the Coral Microbiome

Maire

Buerger

Chan

et al. 2022

Integrative and Comparative Biology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The climate crisis is one of the most significant threats to marine ecosystems. It is leading to severe increases in sea surface temperatures and in the frequency and magnitude of marine heatwaves. These changing conditions are directly impacting coral reef ecosystems, which are among the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth. Coral-associated symbionts are particularly affected because summer heatwaves cause coral bleaching—the loss of endosymbiotic microalgae (Symbiodiniaceae) from coral tissues, leading to coral starvation and death. Coral-associated Symbiodiniaceae and bacteria have been extensively studied in the context of climate change, especially in terms of community diversity and dynamics. However, data on other microorganisms and their response to climate change are scarce. Here, we review current knowledge on how increasing temperatures affect understudied coral-associated microorganisms such as archaea, fungi, viruses, and protists other than Symbiodiniaceae, as well as microbe-microbe interactions. We show that the coral-microbe symbiosis equilibrium is at risk under current and predicted future climate change and argue that coral reef conservation initiatives should include microbe-focused approaches.

show abstract

Intracellular Bacterial Symbionts in Corals: Challenges and Future Directions

Cited by 25 publications

References 190 publications

Multi-omics analysis reveals the molecular response to heat stress in a “red tide” dinoflagellate

Multi-omics analysis reveals the molecular response to heat stress in a “red tide” dinoflagellate

Endozoicomonas-chlamydiae interactions in cell-associated microbial aggregates of the coralPocillopora acuta

Effects of Ocean Warming on the Underexplored Members of the Coral Microbiome

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About