The Swire Institute of Marine Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
The Swire Institute of Marine Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China; Department of Civil Engineering, Environmental Microbiome Engineering and Biotechnology Lab, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
Aquat Toxicol. 2023 Mar;256:106413. doi: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2023.106413. Epub 2023 Feb 18.
Ocean acidification (OA) has important effects on the intrinsic phenotypic characteristics of many marine organisms. Concomitantly, OA can alter the extended phenotypes of these organisms by perturbing the structure and function of their associated microbiomes. It is unclear, however, the extent to which interactions between these levels of phenotypic change can modulate the capacity for resilience to OA. Here, we explored this theoretical framework assessing the influence of OA on intrinsic (immunological responses and energy reserve) and extrinsic (gut microbiome) phenotypic characteristics and the survival of important calcifiers, the edible oysters Crassostrea angulata and C. hongkongensis. After one-month exposure to experimental OA (pH 7.4) and control (pH 8.0) conditions, we found species-specific responses characterised by elevated stress (hemocyte apoptosis) and decreased survival in the coastal species (C. angulata) compared with the estuarine species (C. hongkongensis). Phagocytosis of hemocytes was not affected by OA but in vitro bacterial clearance capability decreased in both species. Gut microbial diversity decreased in C. angulata but not in C. hongkongensis. Overall, C. hongkongensis was capable of maintaining the homeostasis of the immune system and energy supply under OA. In contrast, C. angulata's immune function was suppressed, and the energy reserve was imbalanced, which might be attributed to the declined microbial diversity and the functional loss of essential bacteria in the guts. This study highlights a species-specific response to OA determined by genetic background and local adaptation, shedding light on the understanding of host-microbiota-environment interactions in future coastal acidification.
海洋酸化（OA）对许多海洋生物的固有表型特征有重要影响。同时，OA 通过破坏其相关微生物组的结构和功能，改变这些生物的扩展表型。然而，尚不清楚这些表型变化水平之间的相互作用在多大程度上可以调节对 OA 的恢复能力。在这里，我们探讨了这一理论框架，评估了 OA 对内在（免疫反应和能量储备）和外在（肠道微生物组）表型特征以及重要钙化生物，即食用牡蛎 Crassostrea angulata 和 C. hongkongensis 的生存的影响。在一个月的时间里，我们将这些牡蛎暴露于实验性 OA（pH7.4）和对照（pH8.0）条件下，发现了具有物种特异性的反应，其特征是沿海物种（C. angulata）的应激水平升高（血细胞凋亡）和生存能力下降，而与河口物种（C. hongkongensis）相比则降低。OA 并未影响血细胞的吞噬作用，但在两种物种中，体外细菌清除能力均下降。C. angulata 的肠道微生物多样性下降，但 C. hongkongensis 没有。总的来说，C. hongkongensis 能够在 OA 下维持免疫系统和能量供应的体内平衡。相比之下，C. angulata 的免疫功能受到抑制，能量储备失衡，这可能归因于微生物多样性下降和肠道中必需细菌的功能丧失。本研究强调了由遗传背景和局部适应决定的对 OA 的物种特异性反应，为未来沿海酸化中宿主-微生物群-环境相互作用的理解提供了依据。
