Frontiers in Microbiology (Feb 2024)
Microbiomes of Thalassia testudinum throughout the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico are influenced by site and region while maintaining a core microbiome
- Kelly Ugarelli,
- Justin E. Campbell,
- Justin E. Campbell,
- O. Kennedy Rhoades,
- O. Kennedy Rhoades,
- O. Kennedy Rhoades,
- Calvin J. Munson,
- Calvin J. Munson,
- Andrew H. Altieri,
- Andrew H. Altieri,
- James G. Douglass,
- Kenneth L. Heck,
- Valerie J. Paul,
- Savanna C. Barry,
- Lindsey Christ,
- James W. Fourqurean,
- Thomas K. Frazer,
- Samantha T. Linhardt,
- Charles W. Martin,
- Charles W. Martin,
- Ashley M. McDonald,
- Ashley M. McDonald,
- Ashley M. McDonald,
- Vivienne A. Main,
- Vivienne A. Main,
- Sarah A. Manuel,
- Candela Marco-Méndez,
- Candela Marco-Méndez,
- Laura K. Reynolds,
- Alex Rodriguez,
- Lucia M. Rodriguez Bravo,
- Yvonne Sawall,
- Khalil Smith,
- Khalil Smith,
- William L. Wied,
- William L. Wied,
- Chang Jae Choi,
- Ulrich Stingl
Affiliations
- Kelly Ugarelli
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Davie, FL, United States
- Justin E. Campbell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Environment, Coastlines and Oceans Division, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
- Justin E. Campbell
- Smithsonian Marine Station, Fort Pierce, FL, United States
- O. Kennedy Rhoades
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Environment, Coastlines and Oceans Division, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
- O. Kennedy Rhoades
- Smithsonian Marine Station, Fort Pierce, FL, United States
- O. Kennedy Rhoades
- Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Calvin J. Munson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Environment, Coastlines and Oceans Division, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
- Calvin J. Munson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States
- Andrew H. Altieri
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Andrew H. Altieri
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
- James G. Douglass
- The Water School, Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, FL, United States
- Kenneth L. Heck
- Dauphin Island Sea Lab, University of South Alabama, Dauphin Island, AL, United States
- Valerie J. Paul
- Smithsonian Marine Station, Fort Pierce, FL, United States
- Savanna C. Barry
- 0University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Nature Coast Biological Station, University of Florida, Cedar Key, FL, United States
- Lindsey Christ
- 1International Field Studies, Inc., Andros, Bahamas
- James W. Fourqurean
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Environment, Coastlines and Oceans Division, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
- Thomas K. Frazer
- 2College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL, United States
- Samantha T. Linhardt
- Dauphin Island Sea Lab, University of South Alabama, Dauphin Island, AL, United States
- Charles W. Martin
- Dauphin Island Sea Lab, University of South Alabama, Dauphin Island, AL, United States
- Charles W. Martin
- 0University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Nature Coast Biological Station, University of Florida, Cedar Key, FL, United States
- Ashley M. McDonald
- Smithsonian Marine Station, Fort Pierce, FL, United States
- Ashley M. McDonald
- 0University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Nature Coast Biological Station, University of Florida, Cedar Key, FL, United States
- Ashley M. McDonald
- 3Soil and Water Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Vivienne A. Main
- Smithsonian Marine Station, Fort Pierce, FL, United States
- Vivienne A. Main
- 1International Field Studies, Inc., Andros, Bahamas
- Sarah A. Manuel
- 4Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Government of Bermuda, Hamilton Parish, Bermuda
- Candela Marco-Méndez
- Dauphin Island Sea Lab, University of South Alabama, Dauphin Island, AL, United States
- Candela Marco-Méndez
- 5Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes (Spanish National Research Council), Girona, Spain
- Laura K. Reynolds
- 6Soil, Water and Ecosystem Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Alex Rodriguez
- Dauphin Island Sea Lab, University of South Alabama, Dauphin Island, AL, United States
- Lucia M. Rodriguez Bravo
- 7King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- Yvonne Sawall
- 8Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS), St. George's, Bermuda
- Khalil Smith
- Smithsonian Marine Station, Fort Pierce, FL, United States
- Khalil Smith
- 4Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Government of Bermuda, Hamilton Parish, Bermuda
- William L. Wied
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Environment, Coastlines and Oceans Division, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
- William L. Wied
- Smithsonian Marine Station, Fort Pierce, FL, United States
- Chang Jae Choi
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Davie, FL, United States
- Ulrich Stingl
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Davie, FL, United States
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1357797
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 15
Abstract
Plant microbiomes are known to serve several important functions for their host, and it is therefore important to understand their composition as well as the factors that may influence these microbial communities. The microbiome of Thalassia testudinum has only recently been explored, and studies to-date have primarily focused on characterizing the microbiome of plants in a single region. Here, we present the first characterization of the composition of the microbial communities of T. testudinum across a wide geographical range spanning three distinct regions with varying physicochemical conditions. We collected samples of leaves, roots, sediment, and water from six sites throughout the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico. We then analyzed these samples using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. We found that site and region can influence the microbial communities of T. testudinum, while maintaining a plant-associated core microbiome. A comprehensive comparison of available microbial community data from T. testudinum studies determined a core microbiome composed of 14 ASVs that consisted mostly of the family Rhodobacteraceae. The most abundant genera in the microbial communities included organisms with possible plant-beneficial functions, like plant-growth promoting taxa, disease suppressing taxa, and nitrogen fixers.
Keywords
