RNA-seq sheds light on "who is doing what" in the coral Porites lutea.

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Main Authors: Tandon, Kshitij, Hu, Juntong, Ricci, Francesco, Blackall, Linda Louise, Medina, Mónica, Kühl, Michael, Verbruggen, Heroen
Format: Artículo científico
Language:en
Published: Microbiome 2026
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author Tandon, Kshitij
Hu, Juntong
Ricci, Francesco
Blackall, Linda Louise
Medina, Mónica
Kühl, Michael
Verbruggen, Heroen
author_facet Tandon, Kshitij
Hu, Juntong
Ricci, Francesco
Blackall, Linda Louise
Medina, Mónica
Kühl, Michael
Verbruggen, Heroen
Tandon, Kshitij
Hu, Juntong
Ricci, Francesco
Blackall, Linda Louise
Medina, Mónica
Kühl, Michael
Verbruggen, Heroen
collection PubMed - marine biology
contents RNA-seq sheds light on "who is doing what" in the coral Porites lutea. Tandon, Kshitij Hu, Juntong Ricci, Francesco Blackall, Linda Louise Medina, Mónica Kühl, Michael Verbruggen, Heroen The coral holobiont functions as a complex biogeochemical system, sustained by intricate metabolic exchanges between the host and its associated microbiome. While the taxonomic diversity of these communities is well documented, the specific metabolic roles and biogeochemical contributions of microorganisms across distinct coral compartments, particularly within the endolithic habitats, remain poorly understood. Using RNA-seq, we investigated the active microbiome of healthy stony coral Porites lutea, focusing on the coral tissue, the green endolithic algal layer (Ostreobium layer), and the deeper coral skeleton. We identified distinct, metabolically active communities within these compartments and highlight substantial metabolic redundancy across carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur pathways. Our study provides the first transcriptomic evidence of Ostreobium's ability to transfer fixed carbon to other holobiont members and the coral host. We highlight the critical roles of diverse coral holobiont members in nutrient cycling and maintaining homeostasis through scavenging of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. This study provides a novel molecular-level understanding of the functional roles played by diverse coral holobiont members in their respective compartments and underscores that corals harbor distinct microbiomes with wide-ranging functions. Video Abstract.
format Artículo científico
id pubmed_42069621
institution PubMed
language en
publishDate 2026
publisher Microbiome
record_format pubmed
spellingShingle RNA-seq sheds light on "who is doing what" in the coral Porites lutea.
Tandon, Kshitij
Hu, Juntong
Ricci, Francesco
Blackall, Linda Louise
Medina, Mónica
Kühl, Michael
Verbruggen, Heroen
RNA-seq sheds light on "who is doing what" in the coral Porites lutea. Tandon, Kshitij Hu, Juntong Ricci, Francesco Blackall, Linda Louise Medina, Mónica Kühl, Michael Verbruggen, Heroen The coral holobiont functions as a complex biogeochemical system, sustained by intricate metabolic exchanges between the host and its associated microbiome. While the taxonomic diversity of these communities is well documented, the specific metabolic roles and biogeochemical contributions of microorganisms across distinct coral compartments, particularly within the endolithic habitats, remain poorly understood. Using RNA-seq, we investigated the active microbiome of healthy stony coral Porites lutea, focusing on the coral tissue, the green endolithic algal layer (Ostreobium layer), and the deeper coral skeleton. We identified distinct, metabolically active communities within these compartments and highlight substantial metabolic redundancy across carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur pathways. Our study provides the first transcriptomic evidence of Ostreobium's ability to transfer fixed carbon to other holobiont members and the coral host. We highlight the critical roles of diverse coral holobiont members in nutrient cycling and maintaining homeostasis through scavenging of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. This study provides a novel molecular-level understanding of the functional roles played by diverse coral holobiont members in their respective compartments and underscores that corals harbor distinct microbiomes with wide-ranging functions. Video Abstract.
title RNA-seq sheds light on "who is doing what" in the coral Porites lutea.
url https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42069621/