Oh Ren Min, Bollati Elena, Maithani Prasha, Huang Danwei, Wainwright Benjamin J
Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117558, Singapore.
Centre for Nature-Based Climate Solutions, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117558, Singapore.
Microorganisms. 2021 Apr 22;9(5):898. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms9050898.
The large canopy-forming macroalga, , provides shelter and food for numerous coral reef species, but it can also be detrimental at high abundances where it outcompetes other benthic organisms for light and space. Here, we investigate the microbial communities associated with in Singapore, where it is an abundant and important member of coral reef communities. We collected eight complete thalli from eight island locations along an approximate 14 km east-to-west transect. Each thallus was dissected into three separate parts: holdfast, vesicles, and leaves. We then characterized the bacterial communities associated with each part via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the 16S rRNA gene V4 region. We then inferred predicted metagenome functions using METAGENassist. Despite the comparatively short distances between sample sites, we show significant differences in microbial community composition, with communities further differentiated by part sampled. Holdfast, vesicles and leaves all harbor distinct microbial communities. Functional predictions reveal some separation between holdfast and leaf communities, with higher representation of sulphur cycling taxa in the holdfast and higher representation of nitrogen cycling taxa in the leaves. This study provides valuable baseline data that can be used to monitor microbial change, and helps lay the foundation upon which we can begin to understand the complexities of reef-associated microbial communities and the roles they play in the functioning and diversity of marine ecosystems.
形成大型冠层的大型藻类为众多珊瑚礁物种提供了庇护所和食物，但在高丰度情况下，它也可能有害，因为它会与其他底栖生物竞争光照和空间。在这里，我们调查了新加坡与该大型藻类相关的微生物群落，在那里它是珊瑚礁群落中丰富且重要的成员。我们沿着一条约14公里的东西向样带从八个岛屿地点收集了八个完整的藻体。每个藻体被解剖成三个单独的部分：固着器、气囊和叶片。然后，我们通过对16S rRNA基因V4区域进行聚合酶链反应（PCR）扩增，对与每个部分相关的细菌群落进行了表征。然后，我们使用METAGENassist推断预测的宏基因组功能。尽管采样地点之间的距离相对较短，但我们发现微生物群落组成存在显著差异，且群落因采样部分的不同而进一步分化。固着器、气囊和叶片都拥有独特的微生物群落。功能预测显示固着器和叶片群落之间存在一些差异，固着器中硫循环类群的代表性较高，而叶片中氮循环类群的代表性较高。这项研究提供了可用于监测微生物变化的宝贵基线数据，并有助于奠定基础，使我们能够开始理解与珊瑚礁相关的微生物群落的复杂性及其在海洋生态系统功能和多样性中所起的作用。
