Diversity of filamentous fungi associated with coral and sponges in coastal reefs of northeast Brazil

Abstract

Fungi are known to form associations with various marine organisms and substrata such as sponges and corals, both as potential symbionts or pathogens.These microorganisms occupy an ecological niche that has recently attracted great attention due to their potential in either ecological or pharmaceutical advances. However, the interaction between marine invertebrates and fungi is still poorly understood, including how they are affected by anthropogenic actions. Here, we identified 89 fungal isolates through sequencing of the ITS rDNA region obtained from the various sponge and coral species collected at two northeast Brazilian reefs. We found 43 species of fungi from 16 genera, all belonging to phylum Ascomycota. The sponges and coral shared four genera: Aspergillus, Penicillium, Trichoderma, and Cladosporium, all commonly found in terrestrial habitats and associated with marine invertebrates. We observed some unusual species in relation to the marine environment, such as Clonostachys rosea and Neopestalotiopsis clavispora, most of them related to plants, either as saprophytic or pathogenic, suggesting that these species were transported from the surrounding terrestrial environment to the reefs. In addition, some isolates represent possible undescribed species, reinforcing the importance of studying the marine environment in relation to its ecological and biotechnological importance. K E Y W O R D S culturable fungi, marine invertebrates, pH and coliforms How to cite this article: Paulino GVB, Félix CR, Landell MF. Diversity of filamentous fungi associated with coral and sponges in coastal reefs of northeast Brazil. J Basic Microbiol. 2020;60:103-111.

The Presence of Marine Filamentous Fungi on a Copper-Based Antifouling Paint

“…The genera Aspergillus and Cladosporium are commonly found in the marine environment [39][40][41]. Additionally, Aspergillus and Cladosporium are associated with marine sponges [42,43]. There is limited information about marine derived filamentous fungi in Oman, but we have been able to isolate Aspergillus terreus from mangrove areas [44].…”

“…This suggests that isolates from the copper-based antifouling paint are adapted to high copper concentrations and could grow and play an important role in biofilms. sponges [42,43]. There is limited information about marine derived filamentous fungi in Oman, but we have been able to isolate Aspergillus terreus from mangrove areas [44].…”

Methods and Strategies to Uncover Coral-Associated Microbial Dark Matter

“…To date, the known coral-associated fungi include members of the Ascomycota (dominant phylum), Basidiomycota, Mucoromycota, and Chytridiomycota phyla, with Aspergillus and Penicillium being the most frequently found genera (134,(136)(137)(138). Fungal associations with the coral species Palythoa caribaeorum, Zoanthus sociatus, Palythoa variabilis, and Favia gravida from shallow waters of southern Brazil were investigated by Paulino et FIG 1 "Coral juice" preparation for cultivation of coral-associated microorganisms.…”

“…al. (137); 50 strains were isolated and molecularly identified as Aspergillus, Candida, Cladosporium, Clonostachys, Cordyceps, Hyphopichia, Microsphaeropsis, Neopestalotiopsis, Penicillium, Pestalotiopsis, Phoma, Pyrenochaetopsis, Talaromyces, Trichoderma, and Xylaria. Similarly, these genera were also isolated from coral specimens collected in the Red Sea (136).…”

Seasonal Variations in the Culturable Mycobiome of Acropora loripes along a Depth Gradient

“…Fungi are now considered part and parcel of the microbiome present in a variety of constituents of the coral reef [5,6]. A growing number of studies report on the presence and isolation of fungi from corals and sponges, using culture-and DNA sequencing-based techniques [7][8][9][10]. Some of these have been shown to have ecological significance in microbe-microbe and microbe-host interactions [11][12][13].…”