Microbiomes of the Arctic carnivorous sponges Chondrocladia grandis and Cladorhiza oxeata suggest a specific, but differential involvement of bacterial associates

While sponges are generally known to host a wide range of microbial associates, the composition and specificity of the microbial communities in carnivorous sponges are poorly understood. We used 16S rRNA gene data to examine and compare the bacterial communities associated with distinct anatomical regions of two carnivorous sponge species, Chondrocladia grandis and Cladorhiza oxeata, sampled from Baffin Bay and the Gulf of Maine (C. grandis only). The two sponge species hosted distinct bacterial communities, with taxonomic diversity being greater in C. grandis. Some bacterial taxa (including particular oligotypes) were consistently recovered in multiple host individuals from geographically distant sites, suggesting specificity. Within C. grandis, certain bacterial taxa were enriched in particular anatomical regions, suggesting functional roles in carnivorous sponge metabolism or other biological processes. Stable isotope analysis provided no evidence for methanotrophy in the sponges examined, but Gulf of Maine C. grandis might incorporate 13C-depleted carbon via the bacteria-mediated heterotrophic degradation of other hydrocarbons. Overall, our results demonstrate that the carnivorous sponge microbiome appears host species specific and stable, even over large geographical areas. The observed differences in bacterial community composition and diversity between C. grandis and C. oxeata may reflect differences in trophic adaptability, specialization, and overall reliance on associated bacteria.

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Variability in Host Specificity and Functional Potential of Antarctic Sponge-Associated Bacterial Communities

Frontiers in Microbiology ◽

10.3389/fmicb.2021.771589 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Antonia Cristi ◽

Génesis Parada-Pozo ◽

Felipe Morales-Vicencio ◽

César A. Cárdenas ◽

Nicole Trefault

Keyword(s):

Bacterial Communities ◽

Bacterial Community Composition ◽

Marker Gene ◽

16S Rrna Gene Sequencing ◽

Sponge Species ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Functional Potential ◽

Species Specific ◽

Functional Profiles ◽

Antarctic Sponges

Sponge-associated microorganisms are essential for sponge survival. They play an important role in recycling nutrients and, therefore, in the maintenance of the ecosystem. These microorganisms are diverse, species-specific, and different from those in the surrounding seawater. Bacterial sponge symbionts have been extensively studied in the tropics; however, little is known about these microorganisms in sponges from high-latitude environments. Sponges can cover up to 80% of the benthos in Antarctica and are crucial architects for the marine food web. In this study, we present analyses of the bacterial symbionts of three sponges: Haliclona (Rhizoniera) sp., Hymeniacidon torquata, and Isodictya kerguelenensis from the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) with the aim to determine variations on the specificity of the bacteria–sponge interactions and potential signatures on their predicted functional profiles. We use high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing of 30 sponge individuals inhabiting South Bay (Palmer Archipelago, WAP) to describe their microbiome taxonomy and diversity and predict potential functional profiles based on this marker gene. Our work shows similar bacterial community composition profiles among the same sponge species, although the symbiotic relationship is not equally conserved among the three Antarctic sponges. The number of species-specific core operational taxonomic units (OTUs) of these Antarctic sponges was low, with important differences between the total abundance accounted for these OTUs. Only eight OTUs were shared between the three sponge species. Analyses of the functional potential revealed that despite the high host–symbiont specificity, the inferred functions are conserved among these microbiomes, although with differences in the abundance of specific functions. H. torquata showed the highest level of intra-specificity and a higher potential of pathways related to energy metabolism, metabolisms of terpenoids and polyketides, and biosynthesis of other secondary metabolites. Overall, this work shows variations in the specificity of the sponge-associated bacterial communities, differences in how hosts and symbionts establish their relations, and in their potential functional capabilities.

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Termites Are Associated with External Species-Specific Bacterial Communities

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.02042-20 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 87 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Patrik Soukup ◽

Tomáš Větrovský ◽

Petr Stiblik ◽

Kateřina Votýpková ◽

Amrita Chakraborty ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bacterial Communities ◽

Amplicon Sequencing ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Termite Species ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Operational Taxonomic Units ◽

Wide Range ◽

Species Specific ◽

And Control

ABSTRACT All termites have established a wide range of associations with symbiotic microbes in their guts. Some termite species are also associated with microbes that grow in their nests, but the prevalence of these associations remains largely unknown. Here, we studied the bacterial communities associated with the termites and galleries of three wood-feeding termite species by using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. We found that the compositions of bacterial communities among termite bodies, termite galleries, and control wood fragments devoid of termite activities differ in a species-specific manner. Termite galleries were enriched in bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) belonging to Rhizobiales and Actinobacteria, which were often shared by several termite species. The abundance of several bacterial OTUs, such as Bacillus, Clostridium, Corynebacterium, and Staphylococcus, was reduced in termite galleries. Our results demonstrate that both termite guts and termite galleries harbor unique bacterial communities. IMPORTANCE As is the case for all ecosystem engineers, termites impact their habitat by their activities, potentially affecting bacterial communities. Here, we studied three wood-feeding termite species and found that they influence the composition of the bacterial communities in their surrounding environment. Termite activities have positive effects on Rhizobiales and Actinobacteria abundance and negative effects on the abundance of several ubiquitous genera, such as Bacillus, Clostridium, Corynebacterium, and Staphylococcus. Our results demonstrate that termite galleries harbor unique bacterial communities.

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First Insight into Microbiome Profiles of Myrmecophilous Beetles and Their Host, Red Wood Ant Formica polyctena (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)—A Case Study

Insects ◽

10.3390/insects11020134 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 134 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Agnieszka Kaczmarczyk-Ziemba ◽

Mirosław Zagaja ◽

Grzegorz K. Wagner ◽

Ewa Pietrykowska-Tudruj ◽

Bernard Staniec

Keyword(s):

Bacterial Communities ◽

High Throughput Sequencing ◽

Species Group ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Illumina Platform ◽

Abundance Pattern ◽

Formica Polyctena ◽

Wide Range ◽

Species Specific ◽

Red Wood Ant

Formica polyctena belongs to the red wood ant species group. Its nests provide a stable, food rich, and temperature and humidity controlled environment, utilized by a wide range of species, called myrmecophiles. Here, we used the high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene on the Illumina platform for identification of the microbiome profiles of six selected myrmecophilous beetles (Dendrophilus pygmaeus, Leptacinus formicetorum, Monotoma angusticollis, Myrmechixenus subterraneus, Ptenidium formicetorum and Thiasophila angulata) and their host F. polyctena. Analyzed bacterial communities consisted of a total of 23 phyla, among which Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes were the most abundant. Two known endosymbionts—Wolbachia and Rickettsia—were found in the analyzed microbiome profiles and Wolbachia was dominant in bacterial communities associated with F. polyctena, M. subterraneus, L. formicetorum and P. formicetorum (>90% of reads). In turn, M. angusticollis was co-infected with both Wolbachia and Rickettsia, while in the microbiome of T. angulata, the dominance of Rickettsia has been observed. The relationships among the microbiome profiles were complex, and no relative abundance pattern common to all myrmecophilous beetles tested was observed. However, some subtle, species-specific patterns have been observed for bacterial communities associated with D. pygmaeus, M. angusticollis, and T. angulata.

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Archaeal and bacterial diversity and community composition from 18 phylogenetically divergent sponge species in Vietnam

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.4970 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

pp. e4970 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Ton That Huu Dat ◽

Georg Steinert ◽

Nguyen Thi Kim Cuc ◽

Hauke Smidt ◽

Detmer Sipkema

Keyword(s):

Coastal Region ◽

Illumina Miseq ◽

Sponge Species ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Bacterial Phyla ◽

Prokaryotic Diversity ◽

Class Level ◽

Wide Range ◽

Host Identity ◽

Species Specific

Sponge-associated prokaryotic diversity has been studied from a wide range of marine environments across the globe. However, for certain regions, e.g., Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, and Singapore, an overview of the sponge-associated prokaryotic communities is still pending. In this study we characterized the prokaryotic communities from 27 specimens, comprising 18 marine sponge species, sampled from the central coastal region of Vietnam. Illumina MiSeq sequencing of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene fragments was used to investigate sponge-associated bacterial and archaeal diversity. Overall, 14 bacterial phyla and one archaeal phylum were identified among all 27 samples. The phylumProteobacteriawas present in all sponges and the most prevalent phylum in 15 out of 18 sponge species, albeit with pronounced differences at the class level. In contrast,Chloroflexiwas the most abundant phylum inHalichondriasp., whereasSpirastrellasp. andDactylospongiasp. were dominated byActinobacteria. Several bacterial phyla such asAcidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, Deferribacteres, Gemmatimonadetes, andNitrospiraewere found in two-thirds of the sponge species. Moreover, the phylumThaumarchaeota(Archaea), which is known to comprise nitrifying archaea, was highly abundant among the majority of the 18 investigated sponge species. Altogether, this study demonstrates that the diversity of prokaryotic communities associated with Vietnamese sponges is comparable to sponge-prokaryotic assemblages from well-documented regions. Furthermore, the phylogenetically divergent sponges hosted species-specific prokaryotic communities, thus demonstrating the influence of host identity on the composition and diversity of the associated communities. Therefore, this high-throughput 16S rRNA gene amplicon analysis of Vietnamese sponge-prokaryotic communities provides a foundation for future studies on sponge symbiont function and sponge-derived bioactive compounds from this region.

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Species-specific duplex PCR for the detection of Pratylenchus penetrans

Nematology ◽

10.1163/156854109x428016 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 847-857 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Lieven Waeyenberge ◽

Nicole Viaene ◽

Maurice Moens

Keyword(s):

Internal Control ◽

Dna Sequences ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Duplex Pcr ◽

Specific Primers ◽

5.8S Rrna Gene ◽

5.8S Rrna ◽

Wide Range ◽

Pcr Products ◽

Species Specific

Abstract ITS1, the 5.8S rRNA gene and ITS2 of the rDNA region were sequenced from 20 different Pratylenchus species. Additionally, the same region was sequenced from seven populations of P. penetrans. After purifying, cloning and sequencing the PCR products, all sequences were aligned in order to find unique sites suitable for the design of species-specific primers for P. penetrans. Since ITS regions showed variability between and even within populations of P. penetrans, only three small DNA sequences were suitable for the construction of three potentially useful species-specific primers. New species-specific primers were paired with existing universal ITS primers and tested in all possible primer combinations. The best performing primer set, supplemented with a universal 28S rDNA primer set that served as an internal control, was tested in duplex PCR. The ideal annealing temperature, Mg2+ concentration and primer ratios were then determined for the most promising primer set. The optimised duplex PCR was subsequently tested on a wide range of different Pratylenchus spp. and 25 P. penetrans populations originating from all over the world. To test the sensitivity, the duplex PCR was conducted on DNA extracted from a single P. penetrans nematode mixed with varying amounts of nematodes belonging to another Pratylenchus species. Results showed that a reliable and sensitive P. penetrans species-specific duplex PCR was constructed.

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Sponge-Associated Bacteria Are Strictly Maintained in Two Closely Related but Geographically Distant Sponge Hosts

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.05285-11 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 77 (20) ◽

pp. 7207-7216 ◽

Cited By ~ 76

Author(s):

Naomi F. Montalvo ◽

Russell T. Hill

Keyword(s):

16S Rrna ◽

16S Rrna Gene ◽

Bacterial Communities ◽

Sponge Species ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Gene Sequences ◽

Associated Bacteria ◽

Content Type ◽

Key Species ◽

Sponge Associated Bacteria

ABSTRACTThe giant barrel spongesXestospongiamutaandXestospongiatestudinariaare ubiquitous in tropical reefs of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, respectively. They are key species in their respective environments and are hosts to diverse assemblages of bacteria. These two closely related sponges from different oceans provide a unique opportunity to examine the evolution of sponge-associated bacterial communities. Mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene sequences fromX.mutaandX.testudinariashowed little divergence between the two species. A detailed analysis of the bacterial communities associated with these sponges, comprising over 900 full-length 16S rRNA gene sequences, revealed remarkable similarity in the bacterial communities of the two species. Both sponge-associated communities include sequences found only in the twoXestospongiaspecies, as well as sequences found also in other sponge species and are dominated by three bacterial groups,Chloroflexi,Acidobacteria, andActinobacteria. While these groups consistently dominate the bacterial communities revealed by 16S rRNA gene-based analysis of sponge-associated bacteria, the depth of sequencing undertaken in this study revealed clades of bacteria specifically associated with each of the twoXestospongiaspecies, and also with the genusXestospongia, that have not been found associated with other sponge species or other ecosystems. This study, comparing the bacterial communities associated with closely related but geographically distant sponge hosts, gives new insight into the intimate relationships between marine sponges and some of their bacterial symbionts.

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Endophytic bacterial communities of oilseed rape associate with genotype-specific resistance against Verticillium longisporum

FEMS Microbiology Ecology ◽

10.1093/femsec/fiz188 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 96 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Stefanie P Glaeser ◽

Iulian Gabur ◽

Hossein Haghighi ◽

Jens-Ole Bartz ◽

Peter Kämpfer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oilseed Rape ◽

Relative Abundance ◽

Bacterial Communities ◽

Quantitative Resistance ◽

Bacterial Community Composition ◽

Phylogenetic Group ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Host Genotype ◽

Brassica Napus L ◽

Verticillium Longisporum

ABSTRACT Associations of endophytic bacterial community composition of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) with quantitative resistance against the soil-borne fungal pathogen Verticillium longisporum was assessed by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing in roots and hypocotyls of four plant lines with contrasting genetic composition in regard to quantitative resistance reactions. The plant compartment was found to be the dominating driving factor for the specificity of bacterial communities in healthy plants. Furthermore, V. longisporum infection triggered a stabilization of phylogenetic group abundance in replicated samples suggesting a host genotype-specific selection. Genotype-specific associations with bacterial phylogenetic group abundance were identified by comparison of plant genotype groups (resistant versus susceptible) and treatment groups (healthy versus V. longisporum-infected) allowing dissection into constitutive and induced directional association patterns. Relative abundance of Flavobacteria, Pseudomonas, Rhizobium and Cellvibrio was associated with resistance/susceptibility. Relative abundance of Flavobacteria and Cellvibrio was increased in resistant genotypes according to their known ecological functions. In contrast, a higher relative abundance of Pseudomonas and Rhizobium, which are known to harbor many species with antagonistic properties to fungal pathogens, was found to be associated with susceptibility, indicating that these groups do not play a major role in genetically controlled resistance of oilseed rape against V. longisporum.

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Multipartner Symbiosis across Biological Domains: Looking at the Eukaryotic Associations from a Microbial Perspective

mSystems ◽

10.1128/msystems.00148-19 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 (4) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Marta Turon ◽

Maria J. Uriz ◽

Daniel Martin

Keyword(s):

Bacterial Communities ◽

High Throughput Sequencing ◽

Marine Invertebrates ◽

Single Species ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Polychaete Species ◽

Content Type ◽

Symbiotic Relationships ◽

Host Sponge ◽

Species Specific

ABSTRACTSponges establish tight associations with both micro- and macroorganisms. However, while studies on sponge microbiomes are numerous, nothing is currently known about the microbiomes of sponge-associated polychaetes and their relationships with those of their host sponges. We analyzed the bacterial communities of symbiotic polychaetes (Haplosyllisspp.) and their host sponges (Clathria reinwardti,Amphimedon paraviridis,Neofibularia hartmani, andAaptos suberitoides) to assess the influence of the sponges on the polychaete microbiomes. We identified both eukaryote partners by molecular (16S and COI genes) and morphological features, and we identified their microbial communities by high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene (V4 region). We unravel the existence of sixHaplosyllisspecies (five likely undescribed) associated at very high densities with the study sponge species in Nha Trang Bay (central Vietnam). A single polychaete species inhabitedA. paraviridisand was different from the single species that inhabitedA. suberitoides. Conversely, two different polychaete species were found inC. reinwardtiandN. hartmani, depending on the two host locations. Regardless of the host sponge, polychaete microbiomes were species specific, which is a widespread feature in marine invertebrates. More than half of the polychaete bacteria were also found in the host sponge microbiome but at contrasting abundances. Thus, the associated polychaetes seemed to be able to select, incorporate, and enrich part of the sponge microbiome, a selection that appears to be polychaete species specific. Moreover, the bacterial diversity is similar in both eukaryotic partners, which additionally confirms the influence of food (host sponge) on the structure of the polychaete microbiome.IMPORTANCEThe symbiotic lifestyle represents a fundamental cryptic contribution to the diversity of marine ecosystems. Sponges are ideal targets to improve understanding the symbiotic relationships from evolutionary and ecological points of view, because they are the most ancient metazoans on earth, are ubiquitous in the marine benthos, and establish complex symbiosis with both prokaryotes and animals, which in turn also harbor their own bacterial communities. Here, we study the microbiomes of sponge-polychaete associations and confirm that polychaetes feed on their host sponges. The study worms select and enrich part of the sponge microbiome to shape their own species-specific bacterial communities. Moreover, worm microbiome diversity runs parallel to that of its food host sponge. Considering our results on symbiotic polychaetes and previous studies on fishes and mammals, diet appears to be an important source of bacteria for animals to shape their species-specific microbiomes.

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Impact of Maize–Mushroom Intercropping on the Soil Bacterial Community Composition in Northeast China

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy10101526 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 1526

Author(s):

Xiaoqin Yang ◽

Yang Wang ◽

Luying Sun ◽

Xiaoning Qi ◽

Fengbin Song ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bacterial Communities ◽

Northeast China ◽

Management Practice ◽

Bacterial Community Composition ◽

Soil Microbial Communities ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Crop Productivity ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Soil Bacterial Communities ◽

Soil Bacterial

Conservative agricultural practices have been adopted to improve soil quality and maintain crop productivity. An efficient intercropping of maize with mushroom has been developed in Northeast China. The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the effects of planting patterns on the diversity and structure of the soil bacterial communities at a 0–20 cm depth in the black soil zone of Northeast China. The experiment consisted of monoculture of maize and mushroom, and intercropping in a split-plot arrangement. The characteristics of soil microbial communities were performed by 16S rRNA gene amplicom sequencing. The results showed that intercropping increased soil bacterial richness and diversity compared with maize monoculture. The relative abundances of Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, Saccharibacteria and Planctomycetes were significantly higher, whereas Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were lower in intercropping than maize monoculture. Redundancy analysis suggested that pH, NO3−-N and NH4+-N contents had a notable effect on the structure of the bacterial communities. Moreover, intercropping significantly increased the relative abundance of carbohydrate metabolism pathway functional groups. Overall, these findings demonstrated that intercropping of maize with mushroom strongly impacts the physical and chemical properties of soil as well as the diversity and structure of the soil bacterial communities, suggesting this is a sustainable agricultural management practice in Northeast China.

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Structure and Function of Bacterial Communities Emerging from Different Sources under Identical Conditions

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.72.1.212-220.2006 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 72 (1) ◽

pp. 212-220 ◽

Cited By ~ 118

Author(s):

Silke Langenheder ◽

Eva S. Lindström ◽

Lars J. Tranvik

Keyword(s):

Environmental Conditions ◽

Bacterial Communities ◽

Fragment Length Polymorphism ◽

Bacterial Community Composition ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Polymorphism Analysis ◽

Scale Functions ◽

And Function ◽

Different Sources ◽

The 16S Rrna Gene

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to compare two major hypotheses concerning the formation of bacterial community composition (BCC) at the local scale, i.e., whether BCC is determined by the prevailing local environmental conditions or by “metacommunity processes.” A batch culture experiment where bacteria from eight distinctly different aquatic habitats were regrown under identical conditions was performed to test to what extent similar communities develop under similar selective pressure. Differently composed communities emerged from different inoculum communities, as determined by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the 16S rRNA gene. There was no indication that similarity increased between communities upon growth under identical conditions compared to that for growth at the ambient sampling sites. This suggests that the history and distribution of taxa within the source communities were stronger regulating factors of BCC than the environmental conditions. Moreover, differently composed communities were different with regard to specific functions, such as enzyme activities, but maintained similar broad-scale functions, such as biomass production and respiration.

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