LAUSR.org creates dashboard-style pages of related content for over 1.5 million academic articles. Sign Up to like articles & get recommendations!

Compositional variation between high and low prokaryotic diversity coral reef biotopes translates to different predicted metagenomic gene content

Photo from wikipedia

In a previous study, we identified host species that housed high and low diversity prokaryotic communities. In the present study, we expand on this and assessed the prokaryotic communities associated… Click to show full abstract

In a previous study, we identified host species that housed high and low diversity prokaryotic communities. In the present study, we expand on this and assessed the prokaryotic communities associated with seawater, sediment and 11 host species from 7 different phyla in a Taiwanese coral reef setting. The host taxa sampled included hard, octo- and black corals, molluscs, bryozoans, flatworms, fish and sea urchins. There were highly significant differences in composition among host species and all host species housed distinct communities from those found in seawater and sediment. In a hierarchical clustering analysis, samples from all host species, with the exception of the coral Galaxea astreata , formed significantly supported clusters. In addition to this, the coral G. astreata and the bryozoan Triphyllozoon inornatum on the one hand and the coral Tubastraea coccinea , the hermit crab Calcinus laevimanus and the flatworm Thysanozoon nigropapillosum on the other formed significantly supported clusters. In addition to composition, there were highly pronounced differences in richness and evenness among host species from the most diverse species, the bryozoan T. inornatum at 2518 ± 240 OTUs per 10,000 sequences to the least diverse species, the octocoral Cladiella sp. at 142 ± 14 OTUs per 10,000 sequences. In line with the differences in composition, there were significant differences in predicted metagenomic gene counts among host species. Furthermore, there were pronounced compositional and predicted functional differences between high diversity hosts ( Liolophura japonica , G. astreata , T. coccinea , C. laevimanus , T. inornatum ) and low diversity hosts ( Antipathes sp., Pomacentrus coelestis , Modiolus auriculatus , T. nigropapillosum , Cladiella sp. and Diadema savigny ). In particular, we found that all tested low diversity hosts were predicted to be enriched for the phosphotransferase system compared to high diversity hosts.

Keywords: predicted metagenomic; host species; high low; diversity; coral reef; host

Journal Title: Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
Year Published: 2019

Link to full text (if available)


Share on Social Media:                               Sign Up to like & get
recommendations!

Related content

More Information              News              Social Media              Video              Recommended



                Click one of the above tabs to view related content.