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Small core communities and high variability in bacteria associated with the introduced ascidian Styela plicata

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Abstract

The solitary ascidian Styela plicata is an introduced species in harbors of temperate and tropical oceans around the world. The invasive potential of this species has been studied through reproductive biology and population genetics but no study has yet examined the microbial diversity associated with this ascidian and its potential role in host ecology and invasiveness. Here, we used 16S rRNA gene tag pyrosequencing and transmission electron microscopy to characterize the abundance, diversity and host-specificity of bacteria associated with 3 Mediterranean individuals of S. plicata. Microscopy revealed low bacterial abundance in the inner tunic and their absence from gonad tissues, while pyrosequencing revealed a high diversity of S. plicata-associated bacteria (284 OTUs from 16 microbial phyla) in the inner tunic. The core symbiont community was small and consisted of 16 OTUs present in all S. plicata hosts. This core community included a recently described ascidian symbiont (Hasllibacter halocynthiae) and several known sponge and coral symbionts, including a strictly anaerobic Chloroflexi lineage. Most recovered bacterial OTUs (79.6 %) were present in single S. plicata individuals and statistical analyses of genetic diversity and community structure confirmed high variability of bacterial communities among host individuals. These results suggest that diverse and variable bacterial communities inhabit the tunic of S. plicata, including environmental and host-associated bacterial lineages that appear to be re-established each host generation. We hypothesize that bacterial communities in S. plicata are dynamic and have the potential to aid host acclimation to new habitats by establishing relationships with beneficial, locally sourced bacteria.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the Marie Curie International Reintegration Grant FP7-PEOPLE-2010-RG 277038 within the 7th European Community Framework Program, the Spanish Government projects CTM2010-17755 and CTM2010-22218, and the Catalan Government grant 2009SGR-484 for Consolidated Research Groups.

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  1. Department of Animal Biology, University of Barcelona, Diagonal Avenue 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain

    Patrick M. Erwin, M. Carmen Pineda & Susanna López-Legentil

  2. Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB 3, Townsville Mail Centre, Queensland, 4810, Australia

    Nicole Webster

  3. Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Accés Cala S. Francesc 14, 17300, Blanes, Girona, Spain

    Xavier Turon

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  1. Patrick M. Erwin
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Correspondence to Susanna López-Legentil.

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Erwin, P.M., Carmen Pineda, M., Webster, N. et al. Small core communities and high variability in bacteria associated with the introduced ascidian Styela plicata . Symbiosis 59, 35–46 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13199-012-0204-0

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