Open AccessDiverse profiles of N ‐acyl‐homoserine lactone molecules found in cnidarians
Author(s) -
Ransome Emma,
Munn Colin B.,
Halliday Nigel,
Cámara Miguel,
Tait Karen
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
fems microbiology ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.377
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 1574-6941
pISSN - 0168-6496
DOI - 10.1111/1574-6941.12226
Subject(s) - biology , quorum sensing , homoserine , bacteria , autoinducer , microbiology and biotechnology , symbiodinium , temperature gradient gel electrophoresis , symbiosis , biochemistry , botany , 16s ribosomal rna , genetics , biofilm
Many marine habitats, such as the surface and tissues of marine invertebrates, including corals, harbour diverse populations of microorganisms, which are thought to play a role in the health of their hosts and influence mutualistic and competitive interactions. Investigating the presence and stability of quorum sensing ( QS ) in these ecosystems may shed light on the roles and control of these bacterial communities. Samples of 13 cnidarian species were screened for the presence and diversity of N ‐acyl‐homoserine lactones ( AHL s; a prevalent type of QS molecule) using thin‐layer chromatography and an A grobacterium tumefaciens NTL4 biosensor. Ten of 13 were found to harbour species‐specific, conserved AHL profiles. AHL s were confirmed in Anemonia viridis using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. To assess temporal role and stability, AHL s were investigated in A. viridi s from intertidal pools over 16 h. Patterns of AHLs showed conserved profiles except for two mid‐chain length AHLs, which increased significantly over the day, peaking at 20:00, but had no correlation with pool chemistry. Denaturing gel electrophoresis of RT ‐ PCR ‐amplified bacterial 16S rRNA showed the presence of an active bacterial community that changed in composition alongside AHL profiles and contained a number of bands that affiliate with known AHL ‐producing bacteria. Investigations into the quorum sensing‐controlled, species‐specific roles of these bacterial communities and how these regulatory circuits are influenced by the coral host and members of the bacterial community are imperative to expand our knowledge of these interactions with respect to the maintenance of coral health.