Influence of Environmental Stressors on the Microbiota of Zebra Mussels (Dreissena polymorpha).

ABSTRACT: Host-associated microbiota play a critical role in host fitness by providing nutrition, enhancing digestion capabilities, and by providing protection from pathogens. Here, we investigated the effects of two environmental stressors, temperature, and salinity, on the microbiota associated with zebra mussels (ZMs), a highly invasive bivalve in North America. To examine this in detail, lake-collected ZMs were acclimated to laboratory conditions, and subjected to temperature and salinity stress conditions. The impact of these stressors on the diversity, composition, and dynamics of ZM-associated microbiota were assessed by using amplicon- and shotgun-based sequencing, and qPCR-based approaches. Elevated temperature was found to be the primary driver of ZM mortality, although salinity alone also

SUBMITTER: Mathai PP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8062372 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature