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Proceraea exoryxae sp. nov. (Annelida, Syllidae, Autolytinae), the first known polychaete miner tunneling into the tunic of an ascidian.

ABSTRACT: While studying organisms living in association with the solitary tunicate Phallusia nigra (Ascidiacea, Ascidiidae) from a shallow fringing reef at Zeytouna Beach (Egyptian Red Sea), one of the collected ascidians showed peculiar perforations on its tunic. Once dissected, the perforations revealed to be the openings of a network of galleries excavated in the inner tunic (atrium) by at least six individuals of a polychaetous annelid. The worms belonged to the Autolytinae (Syllidae), a subfamily that is well known to include specialized predators and/or symbionts, mostly associated with cnidarians. The Red Sea worms are here described as Proceraea exoryxae sp. nov., which are anatomically distinguished by the combination of simple chaetae only in anterior chaetigers, and a unique trepan with 33 teeth in one outer ring where one large tooth alternates with one medium-sized tricuspid tooth, and one inner ring with small teeth located just behind the large teeth. Male and female epitokes were found together with atokous individuals within galleries. Proceraea exoryxae sp. nov. constitutes the first known miner in the Autolytinae and the second species in this taxon known to live symbiotically with ascidians. The implications of finding this specialized parasite are discussed considering that Phallusia nigra has been introduced worldwide, in tropical and sub-tropical ecosystems, where it has the potential of becoming invasive.

SUBMITTER: Martin D

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5457667 | biostudies-other | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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<i>Proceraea exoryxae</i> sp. nov. (Annelida, Syllidae, Autolytinae), the first known polychaete miner tunneling into the tunic of an ascidian.

Martin Daniel D Nygren Arne A Cruz-Rivera Edwin E

PeerJ 20170601

While studying organisms living in association with the solitary tunicate <i>Phallusia nigra</i> (Ascidiacea, Ascidiidae) from a shallow fringing reef at Zeytouna Beach (Egyptian Red Sea), one of the collected ascidians showed peculiar perforations on its tunic. Once dissected, the perforations revealed to be the openings of a network of galleries excavated in the inner tunic (atrium) by at least six individuals of a polychaetous annelid. The worms belonged to the Autolytinae (Syllidae), a subfa ...[more]

PMID: 28584710

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Project description:Corallococcus spp. are common soil-dwelling organisms which kill and consume prey microbes through the secretion of antimicrobial substances. Two species of Corallococcus have been described previously (Corallococcus coralloides and Corallococcus exiguus). A polyphasic approach, including biochemical analysis of fatty acid methyl esters, substrate utilization, and sugar assimilation assays, was taken to characterize eight Corallococcus species strains and the two type strains. The genomes of all strains, including that of C. exiguus DSM 14696T (newly reported here), shared an average nucleotide identity below 95% and digital DNA-DNA hybridization scores of less than 70%, indicating that they belong to distinct species. In addition, we characterized the prey range and antibiotic resistance profile of each strain, illustrating the diversity of antimicrobial activity and, thus, the potential for drug discovery within the Corallococcus genus. Each strain gave a distinct profile of properties, which together with their genomic differences supports the proposal of the eight candidate strains as novel species. The eight candidates are as follows: Corallococcus exercitus sp. nov. (AB043AT = DSM 108849T = NBRC 113887T), Corallococcus interemptor sp. nov. (AB047AT = DSM 108843T = NBRC 113888T), Corallococcus aberystwythensis sp. nov. (AB050AT = DSM 108846T = NBRC 114019T), Corallococcus praedator sp. nov. (CA031BT = DSM 108841T = NBRC 113889T), Corallococcus sicarius sp. nov. (CA040BT = DSM 108850T = NBRC 113890T), Corallococcus carmarthensis sp. nov. (CA043DT = DSM 108842T = NBRC 113891T), Corallococcus llansteffanensis sp. nov. (CA051BT = DSM 108844T = NBRC 114100T), and Corallococcus terminator sp. nov. (CA054AT = DSM 108848T = NBRC 113892T).IMPORTANCE Corallococcus is a genus of predators with broad prey ranges, whose genomes contain large numbers of gene clusters for secondary metabolite biosynthesis. The physiology and evolutionary heritage of eight Corallococcus species strains were characterized using a range of analyses and assays. Multiple metrics confirmed that each strain belonged to a novel species within the Corallococcus genus. The strains exhibited distinct patterns of drug resistance and predatory activity, which mirrored their possession of diverse sets of biosynthetic genes. The breadth of antimicrobial activities observed within the Corallococcus genus highlights their potential for drug discovery and suggests a previous underestimation of both their taxonomic diversity and biotechnological potential. Taxonomic assignment of environmental isolates to novel species allows us to begin to characterize the diversity and evolution of members of this bacterial genus with potential biotechnological importance, guiding future bioprospecting efforts for novel biologically active metabolites and antimicrobials.

Dataset Information

Proceraea exoryxae sp. nov. (Annelida, Syllidae, Autolytinae), the first known polychaete miner tunneling into the tunic of an ascidian.

Publications

<i>Proceraea exoryxae</i> sp. nov. (Annelida, Syllidae, Autolytinae), the first known polychaete miner tunneling into the tunic of an ascidian.

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