<i>Vibrio harveyi</i> as a causative agent of the White Syndrome in tropical stony corals

Luna, Gian Marco; Bongiorni, Lucia; Gili, Claudia; Biavasco, Francesca; Danovaro, Roberto

doi:10.1111/j.1758-2229.2009.00114.x

Cited by 94 publications

(92 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Vibrio bacteria have been associated with white band disease (40)(41)(42) and have been shown to cause WS-like disease signs in aquarium-based infection experiments (20,(22)(23)(24). In the current study, however, we found no significant difference in the relative abundance of sequences affiliated with Vibrio bacteria between health states.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 55%

“…Tissue loss associated with Indo-Pacific WSs has been attributed to a number of etiological agents, including Vibrio bacteria (20)(21)(22)(23)(24), apoptosis (25), ciliates (11,26), helminths (11), viruses (27), and intraspecific chimeric parasites (11,28), suggesting that distinct and potentially distinguishable forms of WSs exist. Based on logical deduction, we contend that the WS lesions observed in this study are not the result of apoptosis or infection by Vibrio bacteria, ciliates, fungi, cyanobacteria, or helminths, because of the low levels and inconsistent presence of these organisms at WS lesion fronts.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Members of the genus Vibrio have received a great deal of attention for their potential role in WS pathogenesis (20,22,23,(40)(41)(42). Vibrio bacteria have been associated with white band disease (40)(41)(42) and have been shown to cause WS-like disease signs in aquarium-based infection experiments (20,(22)(23)(24).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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White Syndrome-Affected Corals Have a Distinct Microbiome at Disease Lesion Fronts

Pollock

Wada

Torda

et al. 2017

Appl Environ Microbiol

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Coral tissue loss diseases, collectively known as white syndromes (WSs), induce significant mortality on reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific, yet definitive confirmation of WS etiologies remains elusive. In this study, we integrated ecological disease monitoring, bacterial community profiling, in situ visualization of microbehost interactions, and cellular responses of the host coral through an 18-month repeated-sampling regime. We assert that the observed pathogenesis of WS lesions on acroporid corals at Lizard Island (Great Barrier Reef) is not the result of apoptosis or infection by Vibrio bacteria, ciliates, fungi, cyanobacteria, or helminths. Histological analyses detected helminths, ciliates, fungi, and cyanobacteria in fewer than 25% of WS samples, and helminths and fungi were also observed in 12% of visually healthy samples. The abundances of Vibrio-affiliated sequences (assessed using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing) did not differ significantly between health states and never exceeded 3.3% of reads in any individual sample. In situ visualization detected Vibrio bacteria only in summer WS lesion samples and revealed no signs of these bacteria in winter disease samples (or any healthy tissue samples), despite continued disease progression year round. However, a 4-fold increase in Rhodobacteraceaeaffiliated bacterial sequences at WS lesion fronts suggests that this group of bacteria could play a role in WS pathogenesis and/or serve as a diagnostic criterion for disease differentiation. While the causative agent(s) underlying WSs remains elusive, the microbial and cellular processes identified in this study will help to identify and differentiate visually similar but potentially distinct WS etiologies.IMPORTANCE Over the past decade, a virulent group of coral diseases known as white syndromes have impacted coral reefs throughout the Indian and Pacific Oceans. This article provides a detailed case study of white syndromes to combine disease ecology, high-throughput microbial community profiling, and cellular-scale host-microbe visualization over seasonal time scales. We provide novel insights into the etiology of this devastating disease and reveal new diagnostic criteria that could be used to differentiate visually similar but etiologically distinct forms of white syndrome.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 55%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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White Syndrome-Affected Corals Have a Distinct Microbiome at Disease Lesion Fronts

Pollock

Wada

Torda

et al. 2017

Appl Environ Microbiol

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“…The pathogenic role of V. harveyi in aquarium corals was convincingly demonstrated (Luna et al, 2007(Luna et al, , 2010; it is the main causative agent of RTN and most likely is involved in other white syndromes as well. Fungi are the main suspects with regard to causation of BJS.…”

Section: Agents Causing Diseases and Syndromesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The CORALZOO project: a synopsis of four years of public aquarium science

et al. 2012

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In order to improve the methodology for growing and maintaining corals in captivity, a consortium of European zoos, aquaria and academia executed a four-year public/private collaborative research and innovation project (CORALZOO) on the breeding and husbandry of stony corals. CORALZOO comprised the following topics: (1) sexual and asexual breeding of corals in captivity, including techniques for propagation, feeding and induction of natural coral colony morphogenesis; and (2) coral husbandry: development of generic bioassays to evaluate biotic and abiotic husbandry parameters and to monitor coral health, elaboration of methods for identification and treatment of coral diseases and optimization of transport and acclimation procedures. The results of this project are reviewed.

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“…strain CO41 (family Shewanellaceae); and in the class Alphaproteobacteria: Paracoccus denitrificans strain JB11 (family Rhodobacteraceae) and Pseudovibrio denitrificans strain JB12 (100% identity, family Rhodobacteraceae). Also, in the class Gammaproteobacteria, isolates of Vibrio coralliilyticus (P1 wild-type strain LMG 23696) and V. harveyi (strain DSM 19623), which have previously been linked to coral disease or are thought to be opportunistic (V. coralliilyticus [82][83][84] and V. harveyi [85,86]), were used as examples of potential pathogens.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Allelochemicals Produced by Brown Macroalgae of the Lobophora Genus Are Active against Coral Larvae and Associated Bacteria, Supporting Pathogenic Shifts to Vibrio Dominance

Morrow

Bromhall

Motti

et al. 2017

Appl Environ Microbiol

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Pervasive environmental stressors on coral reefs are attributed with shifting the competitive balance in favor of alternative dominants, such as macroalgae. Previous studies have demonstrated that macroalgae compete with corals via a number of mechanisms, including the production of potent primary and secondary metabolites that can influence coral-associated microbial communities. The present study investigates the effects of the Pacific brown macroalga Lobophora sp. (due to the shifting nature of the Lobophora species complex, it will be referred to here as Lobophora sp.) on coral bacterial isolates, coral larvae, and the microbiome associated with the coral Porites cylindrica. Crude aqueous and organic macroalgal extracts were found to inhibit the growth of coral-associated bacteria. Extracts and fractions were also shown to inhibit coral larval settlement and cause mortality at concentrations lower (Ͻ0.3 mg · ml Ϫ1 ) than calculated natural concentrations (4.4 mg · ml Ϫ1 ). Microbial communities associated with coral tissues exposed to aqueous (e.g., hydrophilic) crude extracts demonstrated a significant shift to Vibrio dominance and a loss of sequences related to the putative coral bacterial symbiont, Endozoicomonas sp., based on 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. This study contributes to growing evidence that macroalgal allelochemicals, dissolved organic material, and native macroalgal microbial assemblages all play a role in shifting the microbial equilibrium of the coral holobiont away from a beneficial state, contributing to a decline in coral fitness and a shift in ecosystem structure.IMPORTANCE Diverse microbial communities associate with coral tissues and mucus, providing important protective and nutritional services, but once disturbed, the microbial equilibrium may shift from a beneficial state to one that is detrimental or pathogenic. Macroalgae (e.g., seaweeds) can physically and chemically interact with corals, causing abrasion, bleaching, and overall stress. This study contributes to a growing body of evidence suggesting that macroalgae play a critical role in shifting the coral holobiont equilibrium, which may promote the invasion of opportunistic pathogens and cause coral mortality, facilitating additional macroalgal growth and invasion in the reef. Thus, macroalgae not only contribute to a decline in coral fitness but also influence coral reef ecosystem structure.KEYWORDS DNA sequencing, Lobophora, Porites, QIIME, coral larvae, coral reef, holobiont, macroalgae, metagenomics, pathogens

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Vibrio harveyi as a causative agent of the White Syndrome in tropical stony corals

Cited by 94 publications

References 34 publications

White Syndrome-Affected Corals Have a Distinct Microbiome at Disease Lesion Fronts

White Syndrome-Affected Corals Have a Distinct Microbiome at Disease Lesion Fronts

The CORALZOO project: a synopsis of four years of public aquarium science

Allelochemicals Produced by Brown Macroalgae of the Lobophora Genus Are Active against Coral Larvae and Associated Bacteria, Supporting Pathogenic Shifts to Vibrio Dominance

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