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Host-specific adaptation governs the interaction of the marine diatom, Pseudo-nitzschia and their microbiota.

ABSTRACT: The association of phytoplankton with bacteria is ubiquitous in nature and the bacteria that associate with different phytoplankton species are very diverse. The influence of these bacteria in the physiology and ecology of the host and the evolutionary forces that shape the relationship are still not understood. In this study, we used the Pseudo-nitzschia-microbiota association to determine (1) if algal species with distinct domoic acid (DA) production are selection factors that structures the bacterial community, (2) if host-specificity and co-adaptation govern the association, (3) the functional roles of isolated member of microbiota on diatom-hosts fitness and (4) the influence of microbiota in changing the phenotype of the diatom hosts with regards to toxin production. Analysis of the pyrosequencing-derived 16S rDNA data suggests that the three tested species of Pseudo-nitzschia, which vary in toxin production, have phylogenetically distinct bacterial communities, and toxic Pseudo-nitzschia have lower microbial diversity than non-toxic Pseudo-nitzschia. Transplant experiments showed that isolated members of the microbiota are mutualistic to their native hosts but some are commensal or parasitic to foreign hosts, hinting at co-evolution between partners. Moreover, Pseudo-nitzschia host can gain protection from algalytic bacteria by maintaining association with its microbiota. Pseudo-nitzschia also exhibit different phenotypic expression with regards to DA production, and this depends on the bacterial species with which the host associates. Hence, the influences of the microbiota on diatom host physiology should be considered when studying the biology and ecology of marine diatoms.

SUBMITTER: Sison-Mangus MP

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3869016 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Host-specific adaptation governs the interaction of the marine diatom, Pseudo-nitzschia and their microbiota.

Sison-Mangus Marilou P MP Jiang Sunny S Tran Kevin N KN Kudela Raphael M RM

The ISME journal 20130829 1

The association of phytoplankton with bacteria is ubiquitous in nature and the bacteria that associate with different phytoplankton species are very diverse. The influence of these bacteria in the physiology and ecology of the host and the evolutionary forces that shape the relationship are still not understood. In this study, we used the Pseudo-nitzschia-microbiota association to determine (1) if algal species with distinct domoic acid (DA) production are selection factors that structures the b ...[more]

PMID: 23985747

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Project description:BackgroundPseudo-nitzschia multiseries Hasle (Hasle) (Ps-n) is distinctive among the ecologically important marine diatoms because it produces the neurotoxin domoic acid. Although the biology of Ps-n has been investigated intensely, the characterization of the genes and biochemical pathways leading to domoic acid biosynthesis has been limited. To identify transcripts whose levels correlate with domoic acid production, we analyzed Ps-n under conditions of high and low domoic acid production by cDNA microarray technology and reverse-transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) methods. Our goals included identifying and validating robust reference genes for Ps-n RNA expression analysis under these conditions.ResultsThrough microarray analysis of exponential- and stationary-phase cultures with low and high domoic acid production, respectively, we identified candidate reference genes whose transcripts did not vary across conditions. We tested eleven potential reference genes for stability using RT-qPCR and GeNorm analyses. Our results indicated that transcripts encoding JmjC, dynein, and histone H3 proteins were the most suitable for normalization of expression data under conditions of silicon-limitation, in late-exponential through stationary phase. The microarray studies identified a number of genes that were up- and down-regulated under toxin-producing conditions. RT-qPCR analysis, using the validated controls, confirmed the up-regulation of transcripts predicted to encode a cycloisomerase, an SLC6 transporter, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, glutamate dehydrogenase, a small heat shock protein, and an aldo-keto reductase, as well as the down-regulation of a transcript encoding a fucoxanthin-chlorophyll a-c binding protein, under these conditions.ConclusionOur results provide a strong basis for further studies of RNA expression levels in Ps-n, which will contribute to our understanding of genes involved in the production and release of domoic acid, an important neurotoxin that affects human health as well as ecosystem function.

Dataset Information

Host-specific adaptation governs the interaction of the marine diatom, Pseudo-nitzschia and their microbiota.

Publications

Host-specific adaptation governs the interaction of the marine diatom, Pseudo-nitzschia and their microbiota.

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