Long-term maintenance of species-specific bacterial microbiota in the basal metazoan Hydra.

ABSTRACT: Epithelia in animals are colonized by complex communities of microbes. Although a topic of long-standing interest, understanding the evolution of the microbial communities and their role in triggering innate immune responses has resisted analysis. Cnidaria are among the simplest animals at the tissue grade of organization. To obtain a better understanding of the microbiota associated with phylogenetically ancient epithelia, we have identified the epibiotic and endosymbiotic bacteria of two species of the cnidarian Hydra on the basis of rRNA comparisons. We analyzed individuals of Hydra oligactis and Hydra vulgaris from both laboratory cultures and the wild. We discovered that individuals from both species differ greatly in their bacterial microbiota. Although H. vulgaris polyps have a quit

SUBMITTER: Fraune S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1934924 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature