title: Phylogenetic diversity and antimicrobial activity of marine bacteria associated with the soft coral Sarcophyton glaucum.
abstract: Coral reefs are the most biodiverse and biologically productive of all marine ecosystems. Corals harbor diverse and abundant prokaryotic groups. However, little is known about the diversity of coral-associated microorganisms. We used molecular techniques to identify and compare the culturable bacterial assemblages associated with the soft coral Sarcophyton glaucum from the Red sea. Different media were utilized for microbial isolation, and the phylogeny of the culturable bacteria associated with the coral was analyzed based on 16S rDNA sequencing. The coral associated bacteria were found to be representatives within the Gammaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes. Antimicrobial activities of twenty bacterial isolates were tested against four pathogenic bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Vibrio fluvialis) and three fungi (Penicillium sp., Aspergillus niger, Candida albicans). A relatively high proportion of bacterial strains displayed distinct antibacterial and antifungal activities, suggesting that soft coral-associated microorganisms may aid their host in protection against marine pathogens. Members of genera Bacillus and Pseudomonas had the highest proportion of antimicrobial activity which supported the hypothesis that they might play a protective role in the coral hosts.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, Department of Botany and Microbiology, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
authors.forename: Amani M D
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: ElAhwany
authors.forename: Hanan A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Ghozlan
authors.forename: Hafed A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: ElSharif
authors.forename: Soraya A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Sabry
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D037421:Anthozoa / Q000382:microbiology*; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000898:Antibiosis; D001407:Bacillus / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D044822:Biodiversity; D057894:Coral Reefs; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D005658:Fungi / Q000254:growth & development; D020563:Gammaproteobacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D019156:Indian Ocean; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae / Q000254:growth & development; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010802:Phylogeny; D011549:Pseudomonas / Q000502:physiology; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000254:growth & development; D013302:Streptomyces / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D014733:Vibrio / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
keywords: 16S rRNA; Antimicrobial activity; Phylogenetic diversity; Sarcophyton glaucum