scholarly journals Differential Response of the Microbiome of Pocillopora acuta to Reciprocal Transplantation Within Singapore

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsey K. Deignan ◽  
Diane McDougald

AbstractAs corals continue to decline globally, particularly due to climate change, it is vital to understand the extent to which their microbiome may confer an adaptive resilience against environmental stress. Corals that survive on the urban reefs of Singapore are ideal candidates to study the association of scleractinians with their microbiome, which in turn can inform reef conservation and management. In this study, we monitored differences in the microbiome of Pocillopora acuta colonies reciprocally transplanted between two reefs, Raffles and Kusu, within the Port of Singapore, where corals face intense anthropogenic impacts. Pocillopora acuta had previously been shown to host distinct microbial communities between these two reefs. Amplicon sequencing (16S rRNA) was used to assess the coral microbiomes at 1, 2, 4, and 10 days post-transplantation. Coral microbiomes responded rapidly to transplantation, becoming similar to those of the local corals at the destination reef within one day at Raffles and within two days at Kusu. Elevated nitrate concentrations were detected at Raffles for the duration of the study, potentially influencing the microbiome’s response to transplantation. The persistence of corals within the port of Singapore highlights the ability of corals to adapt to stressful environments. Further, coral resilience appears to coincide with a dynamic microbiome which can undergo shifts in composition without succumbing to dysbiosis.

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Maturana-Martínez ◽  
Camila Fernández ◽  
Humberto E. González ◽  
Pierre E. Galand

Microorganisms play a crucial role in biogeochemical processes affecting the primary production and biogeochemical cycles of the ocean. In subpolar areas, the increment of the water temperature induced by climate change could lead to changes in the structure and activity of planktonic microbial communities. To understand how the structure of the microbial community in Chilean Patagonian fjords could be affected by climate change, we analyzed the composition of the prokaryotic community (bacteria-archaea) in two fjords (Pia and Yendegaia) with contrasting morphological and hydrological features. We targeted both the standing stock (16S rRNA genes) and the active fraction (16S rRNA transcripts) of the microbial communities during two consecutive austral winters. Our results showed that in both fjords, the active community had higher diversity and stronger biogeographic patterns when compared to the standing stock. Members of the Alpha-, Gamma-, and Deltaproteobacteria followed by archaea from the Marine Group I (Thaumarchaeota) dominated the active communities in both fjords. However, in Pia fjord, which has a marine-terminating glacier, the composition of the microbial community was directly influenced by the freshwater discharges from the adjacent glacier, and indirectly by a possible upwelling phenomenon that could bring deep sea bacteria such as SAR202 to the surface layer. In turn, in the Yendegaia, which has a land-terminating glacier, microbial communities were more similar to the ones described in oceanic waters. Furthermore, in Yendegaia fjord, inter-annual differences in the taxonomic composition and diversity of the microbial community were observed. In conclusion, Yendegaia fjord, without glacier calving, represents a fjord type that will likely be more common under future climate scenarios. Our results showing distinct Yendegaia communities, with for example more potential nitrogen-fixing microorganisms (Planctomycetes), indicate that as a result of climate change, changing planktonic communities could potentially impact biogeochemical processes and nutrient sources in subantarctic fjords.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kasun H Bodawatta ◽  
Katerina Puzejova ◽  
Katerina Sam ◽  
Michael Poulsen ◽  
Knud A. Jønsson

Abstract Background Comprehensive studies of wild bird microbiomes are often limited by difficulties of sample acquisition. However, widely used non-invasive cloacal swab methods and under-explored museum specimens preserved in alcohol provide promising avenues to increase our understanding of wild bird microbiomes, provided that they accurately portray natural microbial community compositions. To investigate this assertion, we used 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing of Great tit (Parus major) gut microbiomes to compare 1) microbial communities obtained from dissected digestive tract regions and cloacal swabs, and 2) microbial communities obtained from freshly dissected gut regions and from samples preserved in alcohol for two weeks or two months, respectively. Results We found no significant differences in alpha diversities in communities of different gut regions and cloacal swabs (except in OTU richness between the dissected cloacal region and the cloacal swabs), or between fresh and alcohol preserved samples. However, we did find significant differences in beta diversity and community composition of cloacal swab samples compared to different gut regions. Despite these community-level differences, swab samples qualitatively captured the majority of the bacterial diversity throughout the gut better than any single compartment. Bacterial community compositions of alcohol-preserved specimens did not differ significantly from freshly dissected samples, although some low-abundant taxa were lost in the alcohol preserved specimens. Conclusions Our findings suggest that cloacal swabs, similar to non-invasive fecal sampling, qualitatively depict the gut microbiota composition without having to collect birds to extract the full digestive tract. Secondly, the satisfactory depiction of gut microbial communities in alcohol preserved samples opens up for the possibility of using an enormous resource readily available through museum collections to characterize bird gut microbiomes. The use of extensive museum specimen collections of birds for microbial gut analyses would allow for investigations of temporal patterns of wild bird gut microbiomes, including the potential effects of climate change and anthropogenic impacts. Overall, the utilization of cloacal swabs and museum alcohol specimens can positively impact bird gut microbiome research to help increase our understanding of the role and evolution of wild bird hosts and gut microbial communities.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (36) ◽  
Author(s):  
Takeshi Yamada ◽  
Jun Harada ◽  
Yuki Okazaki ◽  
Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi ◽  
Atsushi Nakano

We analyzed the prokaryotes in bulking and healthy sludge from a mesophilic expanded granular sludge bed reactor treating wastewater with high organic content by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. We tabulated the microbiota at the phylum level, providing a framework for avoiding sludge bulking.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sania Arif ◽  
Elias Schliekmann ◽  
Michael Hoppert

ABSTRACT The 16S rRNA amplicons from biofilms inhabiting rocks near various water bodies of Marsberg Copper Mine (Rhenish Massif, Germany) reveal the diversity of their microbial communities. The abundance of Chloroflexi and Cyanobacteria taxa in the biofilms near leachate streams indicated the selective enrichment of Ktedonobacteria and Oxyphotobacteria members.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 1001-1010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathrin Busch ◽  
Lindsay Beazley ◽  
Ellen Kenchington ◽  
Frederick Whoriskey ◽  
Beate M. Slaby ◽  
...  

Abstract Establishment of adequate conservation areas represents a challenging but crucial task in the conservation of genetic diversity and biological variability. Anthropogenic pressures on marine ecosystems and organisms are steadily increasing. Whether and to what extent these pressures influence marine genetic biodiversity is only starting to be revealed. Using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, we analysed the microbial community structure of 33 individuals of the habitat-forming glass sponge Vazella pourtalesii, as well as reference seawater, sediment, and biofilm samples. We assessed how two anthropogenic impacts, i.e. habitat destruction by trawling and artificial substrate provision (moorings made of composite plastic), correspond with in situ V. pourtalesii microbiome variability. In addition, we evaluated the role of two bottom fishery closures in preserving sponge-associated microbial diversity on the Scotian Shelf, Canada. Our results illustrate that V. pourtalesii sponges collected from protected sites within fishery closures contained distinct and taxonomically largely novel microbial communities. At the trawled site we recorded significant quantitative differences in distinct microbial phyla, such as a reduction in Nitrospinae in the four sponges from this site and the environmental references. Individuals of V. pourtalesii growing on the mooring were significantly enriched in Bacteroidetes, Verrucomicrobia and Cyanobacteria in comparison to sponge individuals growing on the natural seabed. Due to a concomitant enrichment of these taxa in the mooring biofilm, we propose that biofilms on artificial substrates may ‘prime’ sponge-associated microbial communities when small sponges settle on such substrates. These observations likely have relevant management implications when considering the increase of artificial substrates in the marine environment, e.g., marine litter, off-shore wind parks, and petroleum platforms.


Author(s):  
Kathrin Busch ◽  
Lindsay Beazley ◽  
Ellen Kenchington ◽  
Frederick Whoriskey ◽  
Beate Slaby ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTEstablishment of adequate conservation areas represents a challenging but crucial task in the conservation of genetic diversity and biological variability. Anthropogenic pressures on marine ecosystems and organisms are steadily increasing. Whether and to what extent these pressures influence marine genetic biodiversity is only starting to be revealed. Using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, we analysed the microbial community structure of 33 individuals of the habitat-forming glass sponge Vazella pourtalesii, as well as reference seawater, sediment, and biofilm samples. We assessed how two anthropogenic impacts, i.e. habitat destruction by trawling and artificial substrate provision (moorings made of composite plastic), correspond with in situ V. pourtalesii microbiome variability. In addition, we evaluated the role of two bottom fishery closures in preserving sponge-associated microbial diversity on the Scotian Shelf, Canada. Our results illustrate that V. pourtalesii sponges collected from pristine sites within fishery closures contained distinct and taxonomically largely novel microbial communities. At the trawled site we recorded significant quantitative differences in distinct microbial phyla, such as a reduction in Nitrospinae in sponges and environmental references. Individuals of V. pourtalesii growing on the mooring were significantly enriched in Bacteroidetes, Verrucomicrobia and Cyanobacteria in comparison to sponge individuals growing on the natural seabed. Due to a concomitant enrichment of these taxa in the mooring biofilm, we propose that biofilms on artificial substrates may ‘prime’ sponge-associated microbial communities when small sponges settle on such substrates. These observations likely have relevant management implications when considering the increase of artificial substrates in the marine environment, e.g., marine litter, off-shore wind parks, and petroleum platforms.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaofen Hu ◽  
Fei Wang ◽  
Shanshan Yang ◽  
Xu Yuan ◽  
Tingyu Yang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Rabbit can produce meat, fur and leather, and serves as an important biomedical animal model. Understanding the microbial community of rabbits helps to raise rabbits healthily and better support their application as animal models. Results In this study, we selected 4 healthy Belgium gray rabbits to collect the microbial samples from 12 body sites, including skin, lung, uterus, mouth, stomach, duodenum, ileum, jejunum, colon, cecum, cecal appendix and rectum. The microbiota across rabbit whole body was investigated via 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. After quality control, 46 samples were retained, and 3,148 qualified ASVs were obtained, representing 23 phyla and 264 genera. Based on the weighted UniFrac distances, these samples were divided into the large intestine (Lin), stomach and small intestine (SSin), uterus (Uter), and skin, mouth and lung (SML) groups. The diversity of Lin microbiota was the highest, followed by those of the SSin, Uter and SML groups. In the whole body, Firmicutes (62.37%), Proteobacteria (13.44%) and Bacteroidota (11.84%) were the most predominant phyla. The relative abundance of Firmicutes in the intestinal tract was significantly higher than that in the non-intestinal site, while Proteobacteria was significantly higher in the non-intestinal site. Among the 264 genera, 35 were the core microbiota distributed in all body sites. Sixty-one genera were specific in the SML group, while 13, 8 and 1 were specifically found in the Lin, SSin and Uter groups, respectively. The Lin group had the most difference with other groups, there were average 72 differential genera between the Lin and other groups. The functional prediction analysis showed that microbial function within each group was similar, but there was a big difference between the intestinal tracts and the non-intestinal group. Notably, the function of microorganism in uterus and mouth were the most different from those in the gastrointestinal sites; rabbit’s coprophagy of consuming soft feces possibly resulted in little differences of microbial function between stomach and large intestinal sites. Conclusion Our findings improve the knowledge about rabbit microbial communities throughout whole body and give insights into the relationship of microbial communities among different body sites in health rabbits.


2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 226-227
Author(s):  
Lucas Koester ◽  
Mark Lyte ◽  
Stephan Schmitz-Esser ◽  
Heather Allen

Abstract Rumen content (RC) stratifies based on particle size and density consisting of the less dense forage within the dorsal and the denser particles in the ventral portions of the rumen and is in constant contact with the microbial communities present on the rumen wall (RW) epithelium. Little is known about the nutrient requirements and functional processes of RW microbial communities. Our hypothesis is that the RW microbial communities stratify mirroring the stratification of RC due to different available nutrients. Five fistulated, milking Holstein cows of the same management conditions were sampled at four rumen layers corresponding to the RC stratification. Epithelial biopsies were taken through the fistula; the uppermost aligned with the dorsal portion of the RC (A), and three other sites, each 10 cm ventral to the previous (B, C and D). Each cow and stratification layer was sampled five times over four months to analyze temporal stability of the RW microbial communities. DNA was extracted using the Qiagen Powerlyzer Powersoil kit and used for 16S rRNA gene Illumina MiSeq sequencing. Sequences were clustered into operational taxonomic units (OTU) based on a 99% similarity cutoff using MOTHUR. After quality control, 2.0 million reads remained for 90 samples which were clustered into 5,016 OTUs with 10 or more reads. 99.2% of the reads were bacterial, whereas 0.8% affiliated to Archaea. Statistical analysis revealed that among the 20 most abundant OTUs, phylotypes classified as Desulfobulbus, unclassified_Cardiobacteraceae, Mogibacterium, Lachnospiraceae-UCG008 and Methanobrevibacter were significantly different in abundance between sites A compared to D. On a whole community level, analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed significant differences between groups A, C and D. Our data reveal first evidence that a stratification of RW microbiota is present in dairy cattle and also reveal high temporal stability of RW microbiota.


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