Different Ribotypes of <i>Akashiwo sanguinea</i> Harbor Distinct Bacterial Communities in Their Phycospheres

The unarmored dinoflagellate <i>Akashiwo sanguinea</i> is a cosmopolitan harmful algal species known for forming intense blooms leading to mass mortality of fish, shellfish, and seabirds. Globally distributed populations of <i>A. sanguinea</i> have been classified into four r...

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Main Authors: Hanying Zou, Fengting Li, Jiaqi Lu, Zhangxi Hu, Lixia Shang, Ying Zhong Tang, Yunyan Deng
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Diversity
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/17/6/400
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author Hanying Zou
Fengting Li
Jiaqi Lu
Zhangxi Hu
Lixia Shang
Ying Zhong Tang
Yunyan Deng
author_facet Hanying Zou
Fengting Li
Jiaqi Lu
Zhangxi Hu
Lixia Shang
Ying Zhong Tang
Yunyan Deng
author_sort Hanying Zou
collection DOAJ
description The unarmored dinoflagellate <i>Akashiwo sanguinea</i> is a cosmopolitan harmful algal species known for forming intense blooms leading to mass mortality of fish, shellfish, and seabirds. Globally distributed populations of <i>A. sanguinea</i> have been classified into four ribotypes based on their characteristic sequences in LSU rRNA gene and primary geographic distributions. In this study, we compared the bacterial communities co-existing with the six strains of <i>A. sanguinea</i> from China and the USA (belonging to two ribotypes) using high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons. Generally, a bacterial microbiome with high diversity was found to be associated with laboratory-cultured <i>A. sanguinea</i> strains from different geographic origins. Based on ribotype classification, the six samples were divided into two groups (ribotype A: AsCHINA; ribotype C: AsUSA) for subsequent comparative analyses of their bacterial communities. Beta diversity analysis revealed a clear separation between the two groups, reflecting significant differences in bacterial community composition between the two ribotypes. Significantly higher abundance of nitrogen-fixing bacteria was found in the AsUSA group, suggesting that ribotype C may benefit from external nitrogen sources provided by their bacterial associates. If this also holds true in natural environments, this nitrogen-fixing partnership likely confers a competitive advantage to ribotype C in oligotrophic offshore waters, and potentially extends bloom duration when environmental nitrogen is depleted. Our study raised the possibility that different ribotypes of <i>A. sanguinea</i> may harbor distinct prokaryotic microbiomes in their phycospheres under stable cultivation conditions. Further comprehensive comparison among more isolates across all four ribotypes is highly necessary to validate this hypothesis.
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spelling doaj-art-773fa59872ed4f0e9c9feb8f26a601302025-08-20T03:27:14ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182025-06-0117640010.3390/d17060400Different Ribotypes of <i>Akashiwo sanguinea</i> Harbor Distinct Bacterial Communities in Their PhycospheresHanying Zou0Fengting Li1Jiaqi Lu2Zhangxi Hu3Lixia Shang4Ying Zhong Tang5Yunyan Deng6CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, ChinaCAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, ChinaQingdao Innovation and Development Center, Harbin Engineering University, Qingdao 266000, ChinaCollege of Fisheries, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, ChinaCAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, ChinaCAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, ChinaCAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, ChinaThe unarmored dinoflagellate <i>Akashiwo sanguinea</i> is a cosmopolitan harmful algal species known for forming intense blooms leading to mass mortality of fish, shellfish, and seabirds. Globally distributed populations of <i>A. sanguinea</i> have been classified into four ribotypes based on their characteristic sequences in LSU rRNA gene and primary geographic distributions. In this study, we compared the bacterial communities co-existing with the six strains of <i>A. sanguinea</i> from China and the USA (belonging to two ribotypes) using high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons. Generally, a bacterial microbiome with high diversity was found to be associated with laboratory-cultured <i>A. sanguinea</i> strains from different geographic origins. Based on ribotype classification, the six samples were divided into two groups (ribotype A: AsCHINA; ribotype C: AsUSA) for subsequent comparative analyses of their bacterial communities. Beta diversity analysis revealed a clear separation between the two groups, reflecting significant differences in bacterial community composition between the two ribotypes. Significantly higher abundance of nitrogen-fixing bacteria was found in the AsUSA group, suggesting that ribotype C may benefit from external nitrogen sources provided by their bacterial associates. If this also holds true in natural environments, this nitrogen-fixing partnership likely confers a competitive advantage to ribotype C in oligotrophic offshore waters, and potentially extends bloom duration when environmental nitrogen is depleted. Our study raised the possibility that different ribotypes of <i>A. sanguinea</i> may harbor distinct prokaryotic microbiomes in their phycospheres under stable cultivation conditions. Further comprehensive comparison among more isolates across all four ribotypes is highly necessary to validate this hypothesis.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/17/6/400<i>Akashiwo sanguinea</i>algae-associated bacterial community<i>Brevundimonas</i>dinoflagellate<i>Mesorhizobium</i>nitrogen-fixing bacteria
spellingShingle Hanying Zou
Fengting Li
Jiaqi Lu
Zhangxi Hu
Lixia Shang
Ying Zhong Tang
Yunyan Deng
Different Ribotypes of <i>Akashiwo sanguinea</i> Harbor Distinct Bacterial Communities in Their Phycospheres
Diversity
<i>Akashiwo sanguinea</i>
algae-associated bacterial community
<i>Brevundimonas</i>
dinoflagellate
<i>Mesorhizobium</i>
nitrogen-fixing bacteria
title Different Ribotypes of <i>Akashiwo sanguinea</i> Harbor Distinct Bacterial Communities in Their Phycospheres
title_full Different Ribotypes of <i>Akashiwo sanguinea</i> Harbor Distinct Bacterial Communities in Their Phycospheres
title_fullStr Different Ribotypes of <i>Akashiwo sanguinea</i> Harbor Distinct Bacterial Communities in Their Phycospheres
title_full_unstemmed Different Ribotypes of <i>Akashiwo sanguinea</i> Harbor Distinct Bacterial Communities in Their Phycospheres
title_short Different Ribotypes of <i>Akashiwo sanguinea</i> Harbor Distinct Bacterial Communities in Their Phycospheres
title_sort different ribotypes of i akashiwo sanguinea i harbor distinct bacterial communities in their phycospheres
topic <i>Akashiwo sanguinea</i>
algae-associated bacterial community
<i>Brevundimonas</i>
dinoflagellate
<i>Mesorhizobium</i>
nitrogen-fixing bacteria
url https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/17/6/400
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