Extensive study of nudibranch microbiome diversity
This study investigates the skin-associated microbiome of 54 nudibranch samples representing 22 distinct species, constituting the most diverse and comprehensive survey of nudibranch-associated microbiota conducted to date. The primary objective is to identify potential symbiotic bacteria with the capacity to synthesize bioactive secondary metabolites. An initial assessment of microbial diversity was performed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Based on these results, selected nudibranch species exhibiting evidence of novel or potentially symbiotic bacterial lineages were further analyzed through shotgun metagenomic sequencing. In total, seven samples from the genera Felimare and Polycera were subjected to metagenomic analysis, leading to the recovery of 11 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs). These MAGs represent previously undescribed bacterial taxa that also contain biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) indicative of potential secondary metabolite production.