title: Characterising the microbiome of Corallina officinalis, a dominant calcified intertidal red alga.
abstract: The living prokaryotic microbiome of the calcified geniculate (articulated) red alga, Corallina officinalis from the intertidal seashore is characterised for the first time based on the V6 hypervariable region of 16S rRNA. Results revealed an extraordinary diversity of bacteria associated with the microbiome. Thirty-five prokaryotic phyla were recovered, of which Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Planctomycetes, Acidobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Firmicutes and Chloroflexi made up the core microbiome. Unclassified sequences made up 25% of sequences, suggesting insufficient sampling of the world's oceans/macroalgae. The greatest diversity in the microbiome was on the upper shore, followed by the lower shore then the middle shore, although the microbiome community composition did not vary between shore levels. The C. officinalis core microbiome was broadly similar in composition to those reported in the literature for crustose coralline algae (CCAs) and free-living rhodoliths. Differences in relative abundance of the phyla between the different types of calcified macroalgal species may relate to the intertidal versus subtidal habit of the taxa and functionality of the microbiome components. The results indicate that much work is needed to identify prokaryotic taxa, and to determine the nature of the relationship of the bacteria with the calcified host spatially, temporally and functionally.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Genomics and Microbial Biodiversity, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7, 5BD, UK j.brodie@nhm.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Juliet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brodie
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Genomics and Microbial Biodiversity, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7, 5BD, UK.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Williamson
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK.
authors.forename: Gary L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Barker
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Genomics and Microbial Biodiversity, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7, 5BD, UK.
authors.forename: Rachel H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Genomics and Microbial Biodiversity, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7, 5BD, UK.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Briscoe
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK.
authors.forename: Marian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yallop
mesh_terms: D039903:Actinobacteria / Q000235:genetics; D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics; D041963:Bacteroidetes / Q000235:genetics; D041862:Chloroflexi / Q000235:genetics; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000235:genetics; D064307:Microbiota; D020560:Proteobacteria / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D000461:Rhodophyta / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
keywords: Actinobacteria; Bacteroidetes; Corallina officinalis; Cyanobacteria; Proteobacteria; prokaryotes