Diversity of Epiphytic Bacterial Communities on Male and Female Porphyra Haitanensis

PurposeEpiphytic bacteria play an important role in macroalgae growth, development, and morphogenesis. However, epiphytic bacterial communities on male and female macroalgae have not been reported. Porphyra haitanensis is one of the main economic macroalgae.In order to explore the similarities and differences of epiphytic bacterial community structure between male and female macroalgae of Porphyra haitanensis.MethodsWe investigated the composition, diversity of epiphytic bacterial communities between male and female Porphyra haitanensis by 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing.ResultsThe divergences of bacterial community compositions occurred between males and females. Both males and females had their unique bacterial microbiota, such as, Armatimonadetes and Rokubacteria are the unique phyla of male Porphyra haitanensis, Chlamydiae is a unique phylum of female Porphyra haitanensis. The epiphytic bacteria on both male and female Porphyra haitanensis have the similar predictive functions, but they also have their own specific functions, respectively.The specific functions of epiphytic bacteria on female Porphyra haitanensis were sulfite_respiration, nitrogen_fixation, nitrate_ammonification, chlorate_reducers and anoxygenic_photoautotrophy_S_oxidizing. ConclusionsThis study provides a basis for exploring the mechanism of epiphytic bacterial communities on dioecious algae and are of great significance for further understanding the relationships between epiphytic microbial communities and the sex of algae.