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Unique quantitative Symbiodiniaceae signature of coral colonies revealed through spatio-temporal survey in Moorea.

ABSTRACT: One of the mechanisms of rapid adaptation or acclimatization to environmental changes in corals is through the dynamics of the composition of their associated endosymbiotic Symbiodiniaceae community. The various species of these dinoflagellates are characterized by different biological properties, some of which can confer stress tolerance to the coral host. Compelling evidence indicates that the corals' Symbiodiniaceae community can change via shuffling and/or switching but the ecological relevance and the governance of these processes remain elusive. Using a qPCR approach to follow the dynamics of Symbiodiniaceae genera in tagged colonies of three coral species over a 10-18 month period, we detected putative genus-level switching of algal symbionts, with coral species-specific rates of occurrence. However, the dynamics of the corals' Symbiodiniaceae community composition was not driven by environmental parameters. On the contrary, putative shuffling event were observed in two coral species during anomalous seawater temperatures and nutrient concentrations. Most notably, our results reveal that a suit of permanent Symbiodiniaceae genera is maintained in each colony in a specific range of quantities, giving a unique 'Symbiodiniaceae signature' to the host. This individual signature, together with sporadic symbiont switching may account for the intra-specific differences in resistance and resilience observed during environmental anomalies.

SUBMITTER: Rouze H

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6538640 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Unique quantitative Symbiodiniaceae signature of coral colonies revealed through spatio-temporal survey in Moorea.

Rouzé Héloïse H Lecellier Gaël G Pochon Xavier X Torda Gergely G Berteaux-Lecellier Véronique V

Scientific reports 20190528 1

One of the mechanisms of rapid adaptation or acclimatization to environmental changes in corals is through the dynamics of the composition of their associated endosymbiotic Symbiodiniaceae community. The various species of these dinoflagellates are characterized by different biological properties, some of which can confer stress tolerance to the coral host. Compelling evidence indicates that the corals' Symbiodiniaceae community can change via shuffling and/or switching but the ecological releva ...[more]

PMID: 31138834

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Project description:BackgroundTransmission mechanisms of black-band disease (BBD) in coral reefs are poorly understood, although this disease is considered to be one of the most widespread and destructive coral infectious diseases. The major objective of this study was to assess transmission mechanisms of BBD in the field based on the spatio-temporal patterns of the disease.Methodology/principal findings3,175 susceptible and infected corals were mapped over an area of 10x10 m in Eilat (northern Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea) and the distribution of the disease was examined monthly throughout almost two full disease cycles (June 2006-December 2007). Spatial and spatio-temporal analyses were applied to infer the transmission pattern of the disease and to calculate key epidemiological parameters such as (basic reproduction number). We show that the prevalence of the disease is strongly associated with high water temperature. When water temperatures rise and disease prevalence increases, infected corals exhibit aggregated distributions on small spatial scales of up to 1.9 m. Additionally, newly-infected corals clearly appear in proximity to existing infected corals and in a few cases in direct contact with them. We also present and test a model of water-borne infection, indicating that the likelihood of a susceptible coral becoming infected is defined by its spatial location and by the relative spatial distribution of nearby infected corals found in the site.Conclusions/significanceOur results provide evidence that local transmission, but not necessarily by direct contact, is likely to be an important factor in the spread of the disease over the tested spatial scale. In the absence of potential disease vectors with limited mobility (e.g., snails, fireworms) in the studied site, water-borne infection is likely to be a significant transmission mechanism of BBD. Our suggested model of water-borne transmission supports this hypothesis. The spatio-temporal analysis also points out that infected corals surviving a disease season appear to play a major role in the re-introduction of the disease to the coral community in the following season.

Project description:Recent deep-ocean exploration has uncovered a variety of cold-water coral (CWC) ecosystems around the world ocean, but it remains unclear how microbiome is associated with these corals at a molecular levels. This study utilized metabarcoding, tissue section observation, and metatranscriptomes to investigate the microbiome (Symbiodiniaceae and bacteria) of CWC species (Narella versluysi, Heterogorgia uatumani, and Muriceides sp.) from depths ranging from 260 m to 370 m. Warm-water coral (WWC) species (Acropora pruinosa, Pocillopora damicornis, and Galaxea fascicularis) were used as control groups. Results revealed that CWC host diverse bacteria and Symbiodiniaceae cells were observed in endoderm of CWC tissues. Several new candidate bacterial phyla were found in both CWC and WWC, including Coralsanbacteria, Coralqiangbacteria, Coralgsqaceae, Coralgongineae, etc. Both the 16S rRNA gene sequencing and metatranscriptomes revealed that Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria were abundant bacterial phyla in CWC. At the gene transcription level, the CWC-associated Symbiodiniaceae community showed a low-level transcription of genes involved in photosynthesis, CO2 fixation, glycolysis, citric acid cycle, while bacteria associated with CWC exhibited a high-level transcription of genes for carbon fixation via the Wood-Lijungdahl pathway, short chain fatty acids production, nitrogen, and sulfur cycles. IMPORTANCE This study shed new light on the functions of both Symbiodiniaceae and bacteria in cold-water coral (CWC). The results demonstrated that Symbiodiniaceae can survive and actively transcribe genes in CWC, suggesting a possible symbiotic or parasitic relationship with the host. This study also revealed complete non-photosynthetic CO2 fixation pathway of bacteria in CWC, as well as their roles in short chain fatty acids production and assimilation of host-derived organic nitrogen and sulfur. These findings highlight the important role of bacteria in the carbon, nitrogen sulfur cycles in CWC, which were possibly crucial for CWC survival in in deep-water environments.

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Unique quantitative Symbiodiniaceae signature of coral colonies revealed through spatio-temporal survey in Moorea.

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Unique quantitative Symbiodiniaceae signature of coral colonies revealed through spatio-temporal survey in Moorea.

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