Fireworms are a reservoir and potential vector for coral-infecting apicomplexans.

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Autori principali: Bonacolta, Anthony M, Weiler, Bradley A, Grimes, Candace J, Trznadel, Morelia, Vermeij, Mark J A, Keeling, Patrick J, Del Campo, Javier
Natura: Artículo científico
Lingua:en
Pubblicazione: The ISME journal 2025
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author Bonacolta, Anthony M
Weiler, Bradley A
Grimes, Candace J
Trznadel, Morelia
Vermeij, Mark J A
Keeling, Patrick J
Del Campo, Javier
author_facet Bonacolta, Anthony M
Weiler, Bradley A
Grimes, Candace J
Trznadel, Morelia
Vermeij, Mark J A
Keeling, Patrick J
Del Campo, Javier
Bonacolta, Anthony M
Weiler, Bradley A
Grimes, Candace J
Trznadel, Morelia
Vermeij, Mark J A
Keeling, Patrick J
Del Campo, Javier
collection PubMed - marine biology
contents Fireworms are a reservoir and potential vector for coral-infecting apicomplexans. Bonacolta, Anthony M Weiler, Bradley A Grimes, Candace J Trznadel, Morelia Vermeij, Mark J A Keeling, Patrick J Del Campo, Javier Animals Anthozoa Coral Reefs Phylogeny Sequence Analysis, DNA Ecosystem Corals (Cnidaria; Anthozoa) play critical roles as habitat-forming species with a wide range, from warm shallow-water tropical coral reefs to cold-water ecosystems. They also represent a complex ecosystem as intricate holobionts made up of microbes from all domains of the Tree of Life that can play significant roles in host health and fitness. The corallicolids are a clade of apicomplexans that infect a wide variety of anthozoans worldwide and can influence the thermal tolerance of habitat-forming corals. Despite their potentially important impacts on reef ecosystems, much of the basic biology and ecology of corallicolids remains unclear. Apicomplexans often have a closed life cycle, with minimal environmental exposure and sometimes multiple hosts. Corallicolids have only been documented in anthozoan hosts, with no known secondary/reservoir hosts or vectors. Here, we show that abundant corallicolid sequences are recovered from bearded fireworms (Hermodice carunculata) in tropical reef habitats off Curaçao and that they are distinct from corallicolids infecting the corals on which the fireworms were feeding at the time of their collection. These data are consistent with a fireworm-specific corallicolid infection, not merely a byproduct of the worms feeding on infected corals. Furthermore, we suggest that H. carunculata is potentially a vector moving corallicolids among coral hosts through its feces. These findings not only expand our understanding of the ecological interactions within coral reef ecosystems but also highlight the potential role of host-associated parasites in shaping the resilience of reef habitats.
format Artículo científico
id pubmed_40273425
institution PubMed
language en
publishDate 2025
publisher The ISME journal
record_format pubmed
spellingShingle Fireworms are a reservoir and potential vector for coral-infecting apicomplexans.
Bonacolta, Anthony M
Weiler, Bradley A
Grimes, Candace J
Trznadel, Morelia
Vermeij, Mark J A
Keeling, Patrick J
Del Campo, Javier
Animals
Anthozoa
Coral Reefs
Phylogeny
Sequence Analysis, DNA
Ecosystem
Fireworms are a reservoir and potential vector for coral-infecting apicomplexans. Bonacolta, Anthony M Weiler, Bradley A Grimes, Candace J Trznadel, Morelia Vermeij, Mark J A Keeling, Patrick J Del Campo, Javier Animals Anthozoa Coral Reefs Phylogeny Sequence Analysis, DNA Ecosystem Corals (Cnidaria; Anthozoa) play critical roles as habitat-forming species with a wide range, from warm shallow-water tropical coral reefs to cold-water ecosystems. They also represent a complex ecosystem as intricate holobionts made up of microbes from all domains of the Tree of Life that can play significant roles in host health and fitness. The corallicolids are a clade of apicomplexans that infect a wide variety of anthozoans worldwide and can influence the thermal tolerance of habitat-forming corals. Despite their potentially important impacts on reef ecosystems, much of the basic biology and ecology of corallicolids remains unclear. Apicomplexans often have a closed life cycle, with minimal environmental exposure and sometimes multiple hosts. Corallicolids have only been documented in anthozoan hosts, with no known secondary/reservoir hosts or vectors. Here, we show that abundant corallicolid sequences are recovered from bearded fireworms (Hermodice carunculata) in tropical reef habitats off Curaçao and that they are distinct from corallicolids infecting the corals on which the fireworms were feeding at the time of their collection. These data are consistent with a fireworm-specific corallicolid infection, not merely a byproduct of the worms feeding on infected corals. Furthermore, we suggest that H. carunculata is potentially a vector moving corallicolids among coral hosts through its feces. These findings not only expand our understanding of the ecological interactions within coral reef ecosystems but also highlight the potential role of host-associated parasites in shaping the resilience of reef habitats.
title Fireworms are a reservoir and potential vector for coral-infecting apicomplexans.
topic Animals
Anthozoa
Coral Reefs
Phylogeny
Sequence Analysis, DNA
Ecosystem
url https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40273425/