Abstract
Zooplankton is colonized by quite different microbes compared with free-living and particle-associated bacteria, serving as a non-negligible niche of bacteria in aquatic ecosystems. Yet detailed analysis of these bacterial groups is still less known, especially in freshwater lakes. To widen our knowledge of host-microbe interaction and bacterial ecosystem functions, we chose two specific populations of zooplankton, i.e., cladoceran Moina and copepod Calanoids, as hosts from five natural lakes, and illustrated detailed features of their associated bacteria. Through 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we found microbes colonized on Calanoids presented significantly higher α-diversity, stronger bacterial interaction and metabolic function potentials than for Moina. It was also notable that zooplankton-associated bacteria showed a high potential of fatty acid metabolism, which is beneficial for host’s development. Moreover, we found that zooplankton-associated microbes may exert profound effects on biogeochemical cycles in freshwater lakes, since several bacterial members able to participate in carbon and nitrogen cycles were found abundant. Overall, our study expands current understanding of the host-microbe interaction and underlying ecological dynamics in freshwater ecosystem.
Highlights
Zooplankton is widespread in freshwater lakes as an indispensable component of food webs
This study demonstrated that zooplankton−associated bacteria (ZA) of cladocerans and copepods differed significantly
Our study illustrated different features of microbes colonized on two common crustaceans, i.e., cladoceran Moina and copepod Calanoids in freshwater lakes
Summary
Zooplankton is widespread in freshwater lakes as an indispensable component of food webs. These small aquatic invertebrates can directly prey on phytoplankton, and contribute to inhibiting algal bloom and keeping a clear state of lake [1,2,3]. Zooplankton can feed on microscopic bacteria and a predation link is formed in the microbial loop [4,5]. A new link has been formally reported, that is, zooplankton−associated bacteria (ZA), referring to those bacteria colonized on the exterior and interior parts of zooplankton bodies [6,7]. Providing a special micro−environment, zooplankton might be a biotic selector for specific microbial groups. Zooplankton provides a habitat or a refuge for bacteria [6]
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