Changes in the diversity and functionality of viruses that can bleach healthy coral.

ABSTRACT: Coral microbiomes play a crucial role in maintaining the health and functionality of holobionts. Disruption in the equilibrium of holobionts, including bacteria, fungi, and archaea, can result in the bleaching of coral. However, little is known about the viruses that can infect holobionts in coral, especially bacteriophages. Here, we employed a combination of amplicon and metagenomic analyses on Acropora muricata and Galaxea astreata to investigate the diversity and functionality of viruses in healthy and bleached corals. Analysis showed that the alpha diversity of holobionts (bacteria, eukaryotes, zooxanthellae, and lysogenic and lytic viruses) was higher in bleached corals than that in healthy corals. Meanwhile, bleached corals exhibited a relatively higher abundance of spe

SUBMITTER: Zhang Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11656804 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature