Host-microbe interactions in non-native estuarine anemones: biogeography and temperature
Lund, P.K. (2023). Host-microbe interactions in non-native estuarine anemones: biogeography and temperature. Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects. 628. MSc Thesis. Faculty of California State Polytechnic University: Humboldt. 143 pp.
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Document type: Dissertation
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| Abstract |
Non-native species are increasing in prevalence around the world, resulting in negative economic and ecological impacts. However, the broad distributions of non-native species also offer a system for investigating the response of host-associated microbial communities to environmental factors across a range of ecological scales. At the broadest scale, I investigated the geography of microbial communities in the non-native estuarine anemone Diadumene lineata on the west coast of the United States of America. Across latitudes, microbial community composition was very similar and displayed a high percentage of Klebsiella spp. at all sites. However, the communities in California tended to exhibit higher richness, Shannon-Wiener diversity, and beta-dispersion than the communities in Oregon and Washington, driven by an abundance of Desulfobacterota. In a stress experiment, where three anemone species (Diadumene lineata, Diadumene leucolena, and Metridium senile) were subjected to a gradient from 0-40°C to evaluate each species’ capacity for buffering their microbial community against thermal stress, I found species-specific patterns across temperatures, with only M. senile exhibiting evidence of buffering at moderate temperatures. In contrast, D. lineata and D. leucolena did not appear to be buffering their microbial communities, with D. lineata displaying unique community compositions across temperatures, while the communities on D. leucolena generally exhibited high beta-dispersion. Finally, I isolated anemone-associated bacteria on a novel medium made of anemone tissue and measured their growth from 30-40°C, identifying candidates for beneficial host-microbe interactions in warm environments. The anemone-based medium overwhelmingly selected for the genera Pseudoalteromonas and Peribacillis, regardless of anemone host species. Peribacillus spp. were particularly thermal tolerant, growing similarly from 30-40°C, while Pseudoalteromonas spp. grew well from 30-35°C. The remaining tested genera preferred 30°C, however one of the Litoreibacter sp. produced a putative melanin that may protect cells against thermal stress. This is the first study exploring microbial communities in the non-native estuarine anemone D. lineata and lays the foundation for an expanded global assessment of latitudinal gradients, investigating how additional abiotic factors like genotype and pH drive microbial community composition, and directly testing beneficial host-microbe interactions with isolated bacteria. |
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