Ultrastructure, Molecular Phylogenetics, and Chlorophyll a Content of Novel Cyanobacterial Symbionts in Temperate Sponges

Erwin, Patrick M.; López‐Legentil, Susanna; Turon, Xavier

doi:10.1007/s00248-012-0047-5

Cited by 35 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…The most notable example is a Synechocystis-related cyanobacterium in Ircinia fasciculata. A previous report has shown that this cyanobacterium represented a distinct clade of sponge symbionts specific to I. fasciculata yet occurred in only one of three I. fasciculata individuals studied (17). Here, we report similar findings, with the same Synechocystis phylotype recovered in only one of six host individuals, and we showed that this association was stable over time, as the cyanobacterium was recovered in winter and summer clone libraries and present in all symbiont profiles for this particular sponge host.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

“…Cyanobacteria are a key functional guild in the sponge microbiota, capable of photosynthetic carbon assimilation and the transfer of surplus carbon stores to their hosts (59). A recent study reported higher photosynthetic activity of cyanobacterial symbionts in I. fasciculata than in I. variabilis, with differences in symbiont functionality related to ambient irradiance levels in preferred host habitats rather than symbiont composition (17). Here, we show that I. variabilis exhibited minimal seasonal fluctuations in chl a content, consistent with reduced irradiance levels in the shaded habitats where this species thrives.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Tissue samples for chl a quantification were collected from ectosomal regions of I. fasciculata (n ϭ 48) and I. variabilis (n ϭ 47) and processed following previously described methods (17). Due to the absence of photosymbionts in I. oros (15), this species was not included in chlorophyll analysis.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These sponges are common members of coastal benthic communities in the Mediterranean Sea and harbor diverse, host-specific communities of bacterial and cyanobacterial symbionts (15,17,46,63). Replicate individuals of each sponge species were tagged in situ and sampled quarterly for 1.5 years to monitor their bacterial symbiont communities, using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) and clone library analyses of bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Stability of Sponge-Associated Bacteria over Large Seasonal Shifts in Temperature and Irradiance

Erwin

Pita

López‐Legentil

et al. 2012

Appl Environ Microbiol

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169

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bComplex microbiomes reside in marine sponges and consist of diverse microbial taxa, including functional guilds that may contribute to host metabolism and coastal marine nutrient cycles. Our understanding of these symbiotic systems is based primarily on static accounts of sponge microbiota, while their temporal dynamics across seasonal cycles remain largely unknown. Here, we investigated temporal variation in bacterial symbionts of three sympatric sponges (Ircinia spp.) over 1.5 years in the northwestern (NW) Mediterranean Sea, using replicated terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) and clone library analyses of bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences. Bacterial symbionts in Ircinia spp. exhibited host species-specific structure and remarkable stability throughout the monitoring period, despite large fluctuations in temperature and irradiance. In contrast, seawater bacteria exhibited clear seasonal shifts in community structure, indicating that different ecological constraints act on free-living and on symbiotic marine bacteria. Symbiont profiles were dominated by persistent, sponge-specific bacterial taxa, notably affiliated with phylogenetic lineages capable of photosynthesis, nitrite oxidation, and sulfate reduction. Variability in the sponge microbiota was restricted to rare symbionts and occurred most prominently in warmer seasons, coincident with elevated thermal regimes. Seasonal stability of the sponge microbiota supports the hypothesis of host-specific, stable associations between bacteria and sponges. Further, the core symbiont profiles revealed in this study provide an empirical baseline for diagnosing abnormal shifts in symbiont communities. Considering that these sponges have suffered recent, episodic mass mortalities related to thermal stresses, this study contributes to the development of model sponge-microbe symbioses for assessing the link between symbiont fluctuations and host health. Sponges are sessile invertebrates that form a species-rich phylum at the base of the metazoan tree of life (Ͼ8,500 valid species [65]). Renowned for their efficient filter-feeding capabilities and bioactive secondary metabolite production, sponges have important ecological and biotechnological relevance as major players in marine nutrient cycles (11,12,26) and the most prolific producers of marine natural products (Ͼ6,600 secondary metabolites [16]). The discovery and characterization of diverse microbial symbionts inhabiting the sponge body have prompted the adoption of the holobiont concept, thereby incorporating microbial symbionts in the study of sponge ecology and evolution (55). The resulting field of sponge microbiology has grown rapidly in the past 2 decades (59) and revealed a tight ecological link between host health and symbiont composition. Indeed, sponge-associated microbes have been implicated in host metabolism and growth (20,22,75), chemical defense production (21), and susceptibility to biotic (e.g., disease) and abiotic (e.g., temperature stress) stressors (33,66,72).The remarkable...

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Stability of Sponge-Associated Bacteria over Large Seasonal Shifts in Temperature and Irradiance

Erwin

Pita

López‐Legentil

et al. 2012

Appl Environ Microbiol

Self Cite

169

158

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“…Mutualism between invertebrates and photosynthetic symbionts (algae and cyanobacteria) are generally known in cnidarians (especially corals) (e.g., Fransolet et al 2012), sponges (e.g., Weissenfles 1989Venn et al 2008;Erwin et al 2012), mussels (Gray et al 1999) and also in ascidians (Erwin et al 2012). However, coexistence of algae and bryozoa are poorly understood.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecology of Pectinatella magnifica and associated algae and cyanobacteria

et al. 2013

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Abstract:The freshwater bryozoan species Pectinatella magnifica was found in 6 sandpits and in 19 mostly extensively managed ponds in the Protected Landscape Area and Biosphere Reserve Třeboňsko (Czech Republic) from its first record (in 2003) to 2012. Mean fresh biomass and abundance of P. magnifica colonies were 0.6 ± 1.5 kg m −2 and 0.7 ± 1.1 colony m −2 (± SD), respectively, in the shoreline zone during the growing season 2006-2011. The maximum biomass was mostly recorded during the first half of August in all basins. Colonization of further localities was recorded rather than increasing of P. magnifica biomass or abundance in 2012. There were no correlations between water temperature or water transparency and biomass/abundance of P. magnifica during the growing season. P. magnifica colonies preferred to grow on the branches or roots (especially of Salix sp.) to aquatic macrophytes and stones. Most of the water bodies, where this bryozoan species occurred, had lower concentration of total phosphorus in the water when compared with the typical fishponds in the Czech Republic. Inner space of colonies of P. magnifica provided suitable higher trophic level substrate when compared with the water of the sandpits/fishponds especially for green coccal algae. A massive algal colonization was indentified in decomposing colonies at the end of the growing season.

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