Composition of Bacterial Communities Associated with Aurelia aurita Changes with Compartment, Life Stage, and Population.

ABSTRACT: The scyphozoan Aurelia aurita is recognized as a key player in marine ecosystems and a driver of ecosystem change. It is thus intensely studied to address ecological questions, although its associations with microorganisms remain so far undescribed. In the present study, the microbiota associated with A. aurita was visualized with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis, and community structure was analyzed with respect to different life stages, compartments, and populations of A. aurita by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. We demonstrate that the composition of the A. aurita microbiota is generally highly distinct from the composition of communities present in ambient water. Comparison of microbial communities from different developmental stages reveals evidence for life stage

SUBMITTER: Weiland-Brauer N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4551246 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature