Integrated metagenomic and metaproteomic analyses reveal bacterial micro-ecological mechanisms in coral bleaching

作者：Keke Cheng, Xinyang Li, Mengmeng Tong, Mui‐Choo Jong, Zhonghua Cai, Huina Zheng, Baohua Xiao, Jin Zhou · 发表于：mSystems · 年份：2023 · DOI：10.1128/msystems.00505-23 · 被引用次数：18 · 研究领域：Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies、Aquaculture disease management and microbiota、Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology

ABSTRACT Coral bleaching has been rapidly increasing in recent years due to abnormally elevated temperature, leading to massive damage to coral reefs worldwide. Understanding the processes and micro-ecological mechanisms of coral symbionts in response to bleaching is crucial as evidence accumulates that micro-organisms (particularly the bacteria) contribute to the health and recovery of coral, especially during heat stress. However, the exact functional mechanism of bacteria has not yet been fully elucidated. In this study, we performed metagenomic and metaproteomic analyses of healthy and bleached Acropora muricata corals to identify taxonomic and functional shifts in coral symbionts during a natural thermal bleaching event on Hainan Island. The results showed that symbiont species tended to be more abundant in bleached corals than healthy corals, and the bacterial community appeared to be crucial to coral bleaching. The relative abundance of opportunistic pathogens dramatically increased in bleached corals, accompanied by the reduction of beneficial bacteria. In addition, a direct comparison of metagenomic data sets indicated major changes in functional genes, with bleached corals exhibiting significant metabolic enrichment, while healthy corals maintained lower metabolism and energy consumption. Carbohydrate-active enzyme genes were remarkably activated, and virulence factors were highly represented in bleached corals, which was directly related to the increased abundance ...