Exploring the Diversity and Biotechnological Potential of Cultured and Uncultured Coral-Associated Bacteria

Abstract

Coral-associated microbes are crucial for the biology of their hosts, contributing to nutrient cycling, adaptation, mitigation of toxic compounds, and biological control of pathogens. Natural products from coral-associated micro-organisms (CAM) may possess unique traits. Despite this, the use of CAM for biotechnological purposes has not yet been adequately explored. Here, we investigated the production of commercially important enzymes by 37 strains of bacteria isolated from the coral species Mussismilia braziliensis, Millepora alcicornis, and Porites astreoides. In-vitro enzymatic assays showed that up to 56% of the isolates produced at least one of the seven enzymes screened (lipase, caseinase, keratinase, cellulase, chitinase, amylase, and gelatinase); one strain, identified as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens produced all these enzymes. Additionally, coral species-specific cultured and uncultured microbial communities were identified. The phylum Firmicutes predominated among the isolates, including the genera Exiguobacterium, Bacillus, and Halomonas, among others. Next-generation sequencing and bacteria culturing produced similar but also complementary data, with certain genera detected only by one or the other method. Our results demonstrate the importance of exploring different coral species as sources of specific micro-organisms of biotechnological and industrial interest, at the same time reinforcing the economic and ecological importance of coral reefs as reservoirs of such diversity.

Lipase from coral associated bacteria: screening, optimizing lipase production, and molecular characterization

“…This research showed that coral-associated bacteria with high potential of lipolysis activity were identified as Staphylococcus haemolyticus. This is similar to previous research that showed high lipolytic activity in coral associated bacteria, identified as the Staphylococcus genus [21].…”

Bacterial Community Shifts during Polyp Bail-Out Induction in Pocillopora Corals

“…Thalassospira bacteria were found in association with healthy corals such as Cladocora caespitosa , Millepora alcicornis , and Sinularia sp. ( 57 – 60 ) and genetic studies have suggested their possible roles in phosphorus and iron cycles ( 57 , 61 ). On the other hand, OTU0012, OTU0036, and OTU0080 best matched Marisediminitalea aggregata (NR_116838.1; 98.97% gene identity), Allosediminivita pacifica (NR_126266.1; 98.63% gene identity), and Sandaracinus amylolyticus (NR_118001.1; 93.15% gene identity), respectively.…”

The baseline is already shifted: marine microbiome restoration and rehabilitation as essential tools to mitigate ecosystem decline

“…capacities for restoration (de Jesus et al, 2015;Berg et al, 2021;Peixoto et al, 2021), biotechnological application (Cross et al, 2019;Modolon et al, 2020;Vilela et al, 2021), and promotion of organismal health and resilience (Sanders et al, 2019;Woodhams et al, 2020;Berg et al, 2021;Peixoto et al, 2021), predominantly from a anthropocentric point of view (Cavicchioli et al, 2019).…”