Fluorescence in situ hybridization of uncultured zoosporic fungi: Testing with clone-FISH and application to freshwater samples using CARD-FISH.
Recently, molecular environmental surveys of the eukaryotic microbial community in lakes have revealed a high diversity of sequences belonging to uncultured zoosporic fungi commonly known as chytrids. These microorganisms have two different stages in their life cycle and are known as algal parasites (i.e. host-attached infective sporangia) and as food sources for zooplankton (i.e. free-living zooflagellate propagules) in aquatic systems. However, because of their small size and their lack of distinctive morphological features, traditional microscopy does not allow the detection of chytrids, particularly of zoospores which have probably been misidentified as phagotrophic flagellates in previous studies. Hence, quantitative data on chytrids in natural environments is missing. We have adapted a clone-FISH approach known from prokaryotes to optimize the hybridization conditions of a designed oligonucleotidic probe specific to Chytridiales (i.e. the largest group of the true-fungal division of Chytridiomycota), before application to natural samples using the CARD-FISH approach. When these conditions were applied, the CARD-FISH assay demonstrated high specificity and sensitivity, and offers a promising tool for quantitative assessment of natural zoosporic fungi, primarily of zoospores which contributed up to 60% of the total abundance of heterotrophic flagellates. Although the field results from the CARD-FISH approach were considered preliminary and mainly as 'proof of concept', findings were consistent with ecological considerations known from pelagic habitats and host versus parasite populations, with recurrent ecological patterns in two contrasting lake ecosystems. We conclude that this approach will contribute to a better understanding of the ecological significance of zoosporic organisms in microbial food webs of pelagic ecosystems.
Jobard
Marlène
M
LMGE, Laboratoire Microorganismes: Génome & Environnement, UMR CNRS 6023, Université Blaise Pascal, Clermont-Ferrand II, 63177 Aubière Cedex, France.
Rasconi
Serena
S
Sime-Ngando
Télesphore
T
D005618:Fresh Water / Q000382:microbiology*; D005658:Fungi / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D009172:Mycology / Q000379:methods*; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes / Q000235:genetics; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes