Structural and Functional Impacts of Microbiota on Pyropia yezoensis and Surrounding Seawater in Cultivation Farms along Coastal Areas of the Yellow Sea.

Junhao Wang,Anam Khurshid,Yunxiang Mao,Arsalan Ahmed,Tehsin Ullah Khan,Xianghai Tang

doi:10.3390/microorganisms9061291

Junhao Wang, Anam Khurshid + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9061291

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Abstract

Pyropia yezoensis is the most important commercial edible red algae in China, carrying a variety of resident microbes at its surface. To understand microbiome diversity, community structure, interactions and functions with hosts in this regard, thalli and seawater sampleswere collected from Yantai and Rizhao cultivation farms in the Yellow Sea. The thalli and seawater samples (n = 12) were collected and studied using an Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform and 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing, along with the consideration of environmental factors. Bacterial communities in association with P. yezoensis and surrounding seawater were predominated by Cyanobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. The variability of bacterial communities related to P. yezoensis and seawater were predominantly shaped by nitrate (NO3), ammonium (NH4), and temperature. Cluster analysis revealed a close relationship between thalli (RTH and YTH) and seawater (RSW and YSW) in terms of the residing bacterial communities, respectively. PICRUSt analysis revealed the presence of genes associated with amino acid transportation and metabolism, which explained the bacterial dependence on algal-provided nutrients. This study reveals that the diversity of microbiota for P. yezoensis is greatly influenced by abiotic factors and algal organic exudates which trigger chemical signaling and transportation responses from the bacterial community, which in turn activates genes to metabolize subsequent substrates.

Highlights

P. yezoensis, an economically important red seaweed, is a popular food and condiment that has a long history of cultivation and consumption in Asia [1] and is widely used around the world nowadays [2]
We have identified genes related to the peptide/nickel transport system (K02035) that are involved in the quorum sensing pathway (K02024)
Our study provides evidence for complex and diverse associations of microbial communities with P. yezoensis and surrounding seawater, displaying an exceptional metabolic, transport, and biosynthetic functions that are essential for favorable interactions and adaptability to the ecological environment

Summary

Introduction

P. yezoensis (laver), an economically important red seaweed, is a popular food and condiment that has a long history of cultivation and consumption in Asia [1] and is widely used around the world nowadays [2]. Laver seaweeds have been considered as staple foods in limited regions of Asia, but an increased understanding of health benefits and the global availability of processed food products has led to a dramatic increase in consumption worldwide [3]. Worldwide laver production has increased from 517,739 t/USD 945.1 billion in 1987 to 2,563,048 t/USD. South Korea, and Japan were the three largest producers, accounting for almost 99.87% of total world production in 2017 [5]. This represents the typical laver consumption in these countries, as well as the favorable regional aquaculture environmental conditions [6]

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