Putative promiscuous symbionts in deep-sea corals and crinoids may contribute to nitrogen cycling.

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Hauptverfasser: Modolon, Flúvio, N Garritano, Alessandro, J Hill, Lilian, Duarte, Gustavo, Bendia, Amanda, de Moura, Rafael, Pellizari, Vivian, Thomas, Torsten, Peixoto, Raquel S
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Veröffentlicht: Microbiome 2025
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author Modolon, Flúvio
N Garritano, Alessandro
J Hill, Lilian
Duarte, Gustavo
Bendia, Amanda
de Moura, Rafael
Pellizari, Vivian
Thomas, Torsten
Peixoto, Raquel S
author_facet Modolon, Flúvio
N Garritano, Alessandro
J Hill, Lilian
Duarte, Gustavo
Bendia, Amanda
de Moura, Rafael
Pellizari, Vivian
Thomas, Torsten
Peixoto, Raquel S
Modolon, Flúvio
N Garritano, Alessandro
J Hill, Lilian
Duarte, Gustavo
Bendia, Amanda
de Moura, Rafael
Pellizari, Vivian
Thomas, Torsten
Peixoto, Raquel S
collection PubMed - marine biology
contents Putative promiscuous symbionts in deep-sea corals and crinoids may contribute to nitrogen cycling. Modolon, Flúvio N Garritano, Alessandro J Hill, Lilian Duarte, Gustavo Bendia, Amanda de Moura, Rafael Pellizari, Vivian Thomas, Torsten Peixoto, Raquel S Anthozoa Animals Symbiosis Nitrogen Cycle Metagenomics Microbiota Brazil Bacteria Phylogeny RNA, Ribosomal, 16S In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence Crinoids (feather stars) are frequently found in association with corals, yet the physiological and microbial interactions between these organisms remain poorly understood. Both corals and crinoids host symbiotic microorganisms, but the functional roles of these symbionts, particularly in deep-sea environments, are largely unexplored. This study characterizes the microbiomes of the deep-sea corals Desmophyllum pertusum and Solenosmilia variabilis and their associated crinoid Koehlermetra sp. (Thalassometridae) from the Campos Basin, Brazil, to investigate potential cross-host microbial interactions and their ecological implications. We used multiple approaches for this investigation, including amplicon sequencing surveys, genome-resolved metagenomics, and fluorescence in situ hybridization. We found that the same endosymbiotic members of the families Endozoicomonadaceae and Nitrosopumilaceae inhabit both corals and the crinoids, suggesting promiscuity in host-symbiont relationships. Metagenomic analysis revealed a novel and dominant Endozoicomonas species (E. promiscua sp. nov.), whose genome encodes pathways for dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonia (DNRA). This metabolic capability could provide a substrate for ammonia-oxidizing archaea (Nitrosopumilaceae), indicating a potential cross-host nitrogen-cycling network. Shared microbial taxa between corals and crinoids further support the hypothesis of symbiont promiscuity, where metabolic redundancy may facilitate colonization across species. Our findings suggest that nitrogen cycling plays a key role in structuring microbial symbioses in deep-sea coral-crinoid holobionts. The promiscuous distribution of symbionts across hosts implies that metabolic interactions, such as DNRA-driven ammonia provisioning, could underpin resilience in nutrient-limited environments. This study highlights the importance of microbial versatility in deep-sea ecosystems and provides new insights into how cross-host symbiosis may contribute to biogeochemical cycling in the ocean. Video Abstract.
format Artículo científico
id pubmed_41233936
institution PubMed
language en
publishDate 2025
publisher Microbiome
record_format pubmed
spellingShingle Putative promiscuous symbionts in deep-sea corals and crinoids may contribute to nitrogen cycling.
Modolon, Flúvio
N Garritano, Alessandro
J Hill, Lilian
Duarte, Gustavo
Bendia, Amanda
de Moura, Rafael
Pellizari, Vivian
Thomas, Torsten
Peixoto, Raquel S
Anthozoa
Animals
Symbiosis
Nitrogen Cycle
Metagenomics
Microbiota
Brazil
Bacteria
Phylogeny
RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence
Putative promiscuous symbionts in deep-sea corals and crinoids may contribute to nitrogen cycling. Modolon, Flúvio N Garritano, Alessandro J Hill, Lilian Duarte, Gustavo Bendia, Amanda de Moura, Rafael Pellizari, Vivian Thomas, Torsten Peixoto, Raquel S Anthozoa Animals Symbiosis Nitrogen Cycle Metagenomics Microbiota Brazil Bacteria Phylogeny RNA, Ribosomal, 16S In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence Crinoids (feather stars) are frequently found in association with corals, yet the physiological and microbial interactions between these organisms remain poorly understood. Both corals and crinoids host symbiotic microorganisms, but the functional roles of these symbionts, particularly in deep-sea environments, are largely unexplored. This study characterizes the microbiomes of the deep-sea corals Desmophyllum pertusum and Solenosmilia variabilis and their associated crinoid Koehlermetra sp. (Thalassometridae) from the Campos Basin, Brazil, to investigate potential cross-host microbial interactions and their ecological implications. We used multiple approaches for this investigation, including amplicon sequencing surveys, genome-resolved metagenomics, and fluorescence in situ hybridization. We found that the same endosymbiotic members of the families Endozoicomonadaceae and Nitrosopumilaceae inhabit both corals and the crinoids, suggesting promiscuity in host-symbiont relationships. Metagenomic analysis revealed a novel and dominant Endozoicomonas species (E. promiscua sp. nov.), whose genome encodes pathways for dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonia (DNRA). This metabolic capability could provide a substrate for ammonia-oxidizing archaea (Nitrosopumilaceae), indicating a potential cross-host nitrogen-cycling network. Shared microbial taxa between corals and crinoids further support the hypothesis of symbiont promiscuity, where metabolic redundancy may facilitate colonization across species. Our findings suggest that nitrogen cycling plays a key role in structuring microbial symbioses in deep-sea coral-crinoid holobionts. The promiscuous distribution of symbionts across hosts implies that metabolic interactions, such as DNRA-driven ammonia provisioning, could underpin resilience in nutrient-limited environments. This study highlights the importance of microbial versatility in deep-sea ecosystems and provides new insights into how cross-host symbiosis may contribute to biogeochemical cycling in the ocean. Video Abstract.
title Putative promiscuous symbionts in deep-sea corals and crinoids may contribute to nitrogen cycling.
topic Anthozoa
Animals
Symbiosis
Nitrogen Cycle
Metagenomics
Microbiota
Brazil
Bacteria
Phylogeny
RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence
url https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41233936/