Article
Microbiology
Jan Taubenheim, Mate Miklos, Jacint Toekoelyi, Sebastian Fraune
Summary: The diversity of host-associated bacterial communities in Hydra in the Central European water bodies is primarily determined by sampling location, with minor effects from host species and reproductive modes.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Julia D. D. Meredith, Michael J. J. Gray
Summary: The pseudohypohalous acid hypothiocyanite/hypothiocyanous acid (OSCN-/HOSCN) has been widely investigated for its antimicrobial properties in mammalian immunity. Generated by peroxidase enzymes from thiocyanate (SCN-) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), HOSCN has potential applications in food preservation, pathogen control, and oral care. However, the mechanisms by which bacteria sense and respond to HOSCN remain largely unknown. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the role of HOSCN in host-pathogen interactions and discusses recent findings regarding bacterial responses to this antimicrobial agent, focusing on three model organisms: Escherichia coli, Streptococcus spp., and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kelly A. Speer
Summary: Parasitic and parasitoid organisms rely on chemical cues to locate a host. Recent research suggests that the microbiome can emit volatile organic compounds that attract or repel parasites. This innovative mechanism changes our understanding of host-parasite coevolution and highlights the role of the microbiome as a third actor in this interaction.
Review
Microbiology
Mengshi Zhang, Marvin Whiteley, Gina R. Lewin
Summary: The diversity and importance of the oral microbiome play a vital role in oral and overall health, and studying oral diseases can provide insights into the complexity and dynamics of polymicrobial interactions.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Georgina Wood, Peter D. Steinberg, Alexandra H. Campbell, Adriana Verges, Melinda A. Coleman, Ezequiel M. Marzinelli
Summary: Interactions between hosts and their microbiota are important for the functioning and resilience of macro-organisms. This study investigated the influence of host traits and the environment on microbial communities associated with the seaweed Phyllospora comosa. The results showed that both host traits and the local environment play a significant role in shaping the associated microbial community structure. Key genetic loci and phenotypic traits were identified, providing valuable insights into the relationship between the host and its microbiota. These findings enhance our understanding of holobiont structure and can inform management strategies for important and vulnerable habitats.
Article
Microbiology
Ben O. Oyserman, Viviane Cordovez, Stalin Sarango Flores, Marcio F. A. Leite, Harm Nijveen, Marnix H. Medema, Jos M. Raaijmakers
Summary: The phenotype of an organism is determined by its genotype, environment, and their interactions. The traditional model does not account for the contribution of the microbiome to the host phenotype, leading to the development of the GEM model as an expansion. The GEM model captures the nuanced ecological interactions between host, environment, and microbiome.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Alice Risely, Nadine Mueller-Klein, Dominik W. Schmid, Kerstin Wilhelm, Tim H. Clutton-Brock, Marta B. Manser, Simone Sommer
Summary: Climate change and climate-driven increases in infectious disease pose a threat to wildlife populations worldwide. This study examines the response of gut microbial communities in meerkats to long-term climate shifts and their consequences for host survival. The results show that the population's faecal microbiota has become enriched in Bacteroidia and impoverished in lactic acid bacteria, which is associated with tuberculosis exposure, the dry season, and poorer body condition. These changes may amplify the negative impacts of climate change through the loss of gut mutualists. This study provides evidence of climate change restructuring wildlife gut microbiota and its potential impact on host survival.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Maria do Carmo Gouveia Peluzio, J. Alfredo Martinez, Fermin I. Milagro
Summary: Postbiotics, produced through the fermentation of dietary components, play a crucial role in influencing human health. Short-chain fatty acids serve as a primary energy source for colonocytes, polyamines promote homeostasis, and bile acids are involved in regulating glucose metabolism and the host immune response.
TRENDS IN FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Michael T. Connelly, Crystal J. McRae, Pi-Jen Liu, Cecily E. Martin, Nikki Traylor-Knowles
Summary: This study investigates the impact of coral-associated bacteria communities on the heat tolerance of coral holobionts. The researchers found that antibiotics treatment significantly altered coral-associated bacteria communities and caused major changes in both coral and algal symbiont gene expression. Heat stress impaired protein translation and activated DNA repair processes, while antibiotics treatments caused downregulation of amino acid and ion transport and metabolism genes. Combined antibiotics-heat stress treatments exacerbated the response to heat stress, indicating the importance of coordinated metabolic interactions between corals and their associated microbial communities for coral holobiont health and heat tolerance.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Plant Sciences
Clara Martinez-Arias, Johanna Witzell, Alejandro Solla, Juan Antonio Martin, Jesus Rodriguez-Calcerrada
Summary: The number and intensity of flood events are expected to increase in the future, leading to greater flooding stress in terrestrial plants. Reduced oxygen supply hampers the plant and its associated microbes, but adaptive responses and beneficial microbes can alleviate the stress.
PLANT CELL AND ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Z. B. Randolph Quek, Jani T. I. Tanzil, Sudhanshi S. Jain, Wei Long Ow Yong, Denise Ching Yi Yu, Zen Soh, Yan Xiang Ow, Karenne Tun, Danwei Huang, Benjamin J. Wainwright
Summary: The study found that coral-associated bacteria and Symbiodiniaceae are crucial for the health of coral hosts. The bacterial communities showed high dynamics over time and space, but were not affected by monsoon seasons, while the Symbiodiniaceae communities remained consistent. Both bacteria and Symbiodiniaceae played important roles in supporting the functioning of the coral holobiont.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wen Liu, Huixi Zou, Shengwei Wu, Nan Li, Qiuying Pang, Xiufeng Yan
Summary: Despite no detectable variance in abiotic factors, profound growth differences are often observed during the cultivation of Sargassum fusiforme, highlighting the importance of biotic factors such as epiphytic microbiota in controlling seedling growth. This study used Illumina sequencing to compare the physicochemical properties of S. fusiforme seedlings with different lengths and found significantly different epiphytic bacterial communities among seedlings of different lengths. Longer seedlings had higher bacterial diversity and enriched taxa, as well as enhanced microbial interspecific interactions. Additionally, longer seedlings exhibited up-regulation of microbial functional potentials involved in nutrient and ion transportation compared to shorter ones.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Matthew A. Lemay, Katherine M. Davis, Patrick T. Martone, Laura Wegener Parfrey
Summary: This study found differences in microbial community structure across different anatomical regions of seaweed, with younger tissues harboring lower microbial richness that is more consistent. These microbial differences are established early and may be a common feature of seaweed microbiomes.
JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Hanne Griem-Krey, Carola Petersen, Inga K. Hamerich, Hinrich Schulenburg
Summary: The microbiota plays a crucial role in shaping host biology, including protection against pathogens. This study investigates the triangular interaction between a nematode, a protective symbiont, and a pathogen, and finds that immunity has a greater influence on the fitness of the host-microbe assemblage than microbial colonization. However, the presence of the protective microbe still improves fitness in most cases.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Javad Sadeghi, Subba Rao Chaganti, Timothy B. Johnson, Daniel D. Heath
Summary: Analyzing the gut and skin mucus microbiota across diverse fish species in complex natural ecosystems such as the LGLs provides insights into the potential for habitat and species-specific effects on the microbiome, and ultimately the health, of the host.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hua Ying, David C. Hayward, Alexander Klimovich, Thomas C. G. Bosch, Laura Baldassarre, Teresa Neeman, Sylvain Foret, Gavin Huttley, Adam M. Reitzel, Sebastian Fraune, Eldon E. Ball, David J. Miller
Summary: Recent studies have shown that DNA methylation plays a protective role against harmful effects of transposon activity in cnidarians, with younger transposons being more highly methylated and transposons in longer and active genes preferentially methylated. There is a strong correlation between the overall extent of methylation and transposon content in Cnidaria and other invertebrates.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
T. M. Morganti, B. M. Slaby, A. de Kluijver, K. Busch, U. Hentschel, J. J. Middelburg, H. Grotheer, G. Mollenhauer, J. Dannheim, H. T. Rapp, A. Purser, A. Boetius
Summary: This study reports the discovery of dense sponge gardens on extinct seamounts and remnants of a now extinct seep ecosystem. The study suggests that the sponges use refractory organic matter from the extinct seep community as their energy source. The findings highlight the uniqueness of this ecosystem and its association with the extinct seep biota.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Review
Biology
Tyler J. Carrier, Manuel Maldonado, Lara Schmittmann, Lucia Pita, Thomas C. G. Bosch, Ute Hentschel
Summary: This article integrates embryology and microbiology to review the transmission of symbiotic microorganisms in marine sponges. The study finds that vertical transmission is common but not universal, and that transmission occurs during specific developmental stages. Additionally, the microbial abundance in sponges influences the properties of the developmental microbiome.
Article
Oceanography
Sergi Taboada, Pilar Rios, Alex Mitchell, Alex Cranston, Kathrin Busch, Vanina Tonzo, Paco Cardenas, Francisco Sanchez, Carlos Leiva, Vasiliki Koutsouveli, Javier Cristobo, Joana R. Xavier, Ute Hentschel, Hans-Tore Rapp, Christine Morrow, Jim Drewery, Pedro E. Romero, Connie Whiting, Ana Riesgo, Maria Belen Arias
Summary: Deep-sea North Atlantic sponge grounds play a crucial role in ecosystem functioning. A study on two congeneric sponge species revealed their genetic diversity, molecular connectivity patterns, and the occurrence of hybridization, highlighting the importance of next-generation techniques for conservation efforts.
DEEP-SEA RESEARCH PART I-OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH PAPERS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Jan Taubenheim, Mate Miklos, Jacint Toekoelyi, Sebastian Fraune
Summary: The diversity of host-associated bacterial communities in Hydra in the Central European water bodies is primarily determined by sampling location, with minor effects from host species and reproductive modes.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Laura Baldassarre, Hua Ying, Adam Reitzel, Soren Franzenburgq, Sebastian Fraune
Summary: This study shows that sea anemones acclimated to high temperatures demonstrate increased resistance to thermal stress and that this improved adaptation can be transferred through microbiome transplantation. The findings suggest that microbiome plasticity may play a crucial role in thermal adaptations in animals.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Editorial Material
Ecology
Katalin Patonai, Ursula Scharler, Marco Scotti, Ferenc Jordan
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kathrin Busch, Beate M. Slaby, Wolfgang Bach, Antje Boetius, Ina Clefsen, Ana Colaco, Marie Creemers, Javier Cristobo, Luisa Federwisch, Andre Franke, Asimenia Gavriilidou, Andrea Hethke, Ellen Kenchington, Furu Mienis, Sadie Mills, Ana Riesgo, Pilar Rios, Emyr Martyn Roberts, Detmer Sipkema, Lucia Pita, Peter J. Schupp, Joana Xavier, Hans Tore Rapp, Ute Hentschel
Summary: This study presents a large-scale analysis of microbial diversity in deep-sea sponges. They show that sponge microbial abundance status, geographic distance, sponge phylogeny and the physical-biogeochemical environment drive microbiome composition, in descending order of relevance. The uniqueness of each deep-sea sponge ground stresses the need for their strategic preservation.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Correction
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kathrin Busch, Beate M. Slaby, Wolfgang Bach, Antje Boetius, Ina Clefsen, Ana Colaco, Marie Creemers, Javier Cristobo, Luisa Federwisch, Andre Franke, Asimenia Gavriilidou, Andrea Hethke, Ellen Kenchington, Furu Mienis, Sadie Mills, Ana Riesgo, Pilar Rios, Emyr Martyn Roberts, Detmer Sipkema, Lucia Pita, Peter J. Schupp, Joana Xavier, Hans Tore Rapp, Ute Hentschel
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Marco Scotti, Silvia Opitz, Liam MacNeil, Axel Kreutle, Christian Pusch, Rainer Froese
Summary: This study presents the first mass-balanced ecosystem model focused on the western Baltic Sea (WBS) and explores the impact of different fishery scenarios. The results show that ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) promotes the recovery of species and fisheries resources, as well as increasing carbon sequestration.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Carlos Lozano Fondon, Marco Scotti, Michele Innangi, Cristina Bondavalli, Anna De Marco, Amalia Virzo De Santo, Antonietta Fioretto, Cristina Menta, Antonio Bodini
Summary: Forest soils are home to diverse organisms that play a crucial role in processing organic matter and sustaining soil ecosystem functioning. This study investigates how soil food webs shape carbon flows and highlights the importance of indirect interactions and generalist feeding habits in carbon transfer efficiency and network resilience. Furthermore, the findings suggest that food web structure rather than environmental variability is the main factor affecting carbon flows in beech forests.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Sun-Hee Lee, Marco Scotti, Sukgeun Jung, Jiang-Shiou Hwang, Juan Carlos Molinero
Summary: Temperate fisheries are affected by the combined effects of jellyfish blooms and fishing pressure. This study explores the link between climate variability, jellyfish blooms, and their impact on Japanese anchovy in Korean coastal waters. The results show that climate phenomena explain approximately half of jellyfish variability, and jellyfish blooms have a significant negative effect on anchovy interannual changes. The intensity of jellyfish blooms, rather than their duration, has the predominant effect on anchovy and coastal fisheries production.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Laura Baldassarre, Adam M. Reitzel, Sebastian Fraune
Summary: Most multicellular organisms have microbial colonizers that provide benefits to the hosts. This study examines the relative contribution of environment and host genotype to bacterial community composition in Nematostella vectensis, a marine organism. The results show that bacterial communities in N. vectensis respond to changes in ambient temperature and are influenced by host genotype. This study highlights the importance of understanding the plasticity of microbial communities in response to environmental changes.
Article
Microbiology
Laura Ulrich, Christoph Giez, Leon X. Steiner, Ute Hentschel, Tim Lachnit
Summary: In this study, we isolated and sequenced the Curvibacter phage PCA1 to understand its interaction with Curvibacter sp. AEP1.3. Our findings suggest that the susceptibility of Curvibacter sp. AEP1.3 to PCA1 phage infection is influenced by its adaptive lifestyle, providing insights into phage research and therapy.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Ioannis Keramidas, Donna Dimarchopoulou, Eyal Ofir, Marco Scotti, Athanassios C. Tsikliras, Gideon Gal
Summary: The aim of the study was to develop food web models using the EwE software tool to describe European marine ecosystems. A total of 195 Ecopath models based on 168 scientific publications were reviewed. Most models and publications focused on the western Mediterranean Sea. The EwE modelling approach provides a quantitative framework to analyze ecosystem structure and dynamics.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)