New paper out

Spatial and temporal dynamics of Pacific oyster hemolymph microbiota across multiple scales

Lokmer, A., Goedknegt, M. A., Thieltges, D. W., Kuenzel, S., Fiorentino D., Baines, J., Wegner, K. M.

Frontiers in Microbiology 7:1-18, doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01367 (2016)

PDF

Unveiling the factors and processes that shape the dynamics of host associatedmicrobial communities (microbiota) under natural conditions is an important part ofunderstanding and predicting an organism’s response to a changing environment.The microbiota is shaped by host (i.e., genetic) factors as well as by the biotic andabiotic environment. Studying natural variation of microbial community composition inmultiple host genetic backgrounds across spatial as well as temporal scales representsa means to untangle this complex interplay. Here, we combined a spatially-stratified with a longitudinal sampling scheme within differentiated host genetic backgrounds byreciprocally transplanting Pacific oysters between two sites in the Wadden Sea (Sylt and Texel). To further differentiate contingent site from host genetic effects, we repeatedly sampled the same individuals over a summer season to examine structure, diversity and dynamics of individual hemolymph microbiota following experimental removal of resident microbiota by antibiotic treatment. While a large proportion of microbiome variation could be attributed to immediate environmental conditions, we observed persistenteffects of antibiotic treatment and translocation suggesting that hemolymph microbial community dynamics is subject to within-microbiome interactions and host population specific factors. In addition, the analysis of spatial variation revealed that the within-site microenvironmental heterogeneity resulted in high small-scale variability, as opposed to large-scale (between-site) stability. Similarly, considerable within-individual temporal variability was in contrast with the overall temporal stability at the site level. Overall, our longitudinal, spatially-stratified sampling design revealed that variation in hemolymph microbiota is strongly influenced by site and immediate environmental conditions,whereas internal microbiome dynamics and oyster-related factors add to their long-termstability. The combination of small and large scale resolution of spatial and temporal observations therefore represents a crucial but underused tool to study host-associated microbiome dynamics.

 

0 replies

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *