Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 16, 2026
06:33
Generation and Long-term Maintenance of Nerve-free Hydra
Published on: July 7, 2017
13.1K
Microbial ecology in Hydra: why viruses matter.
Thomas C G Bosch1, Juris A Grasis, Tim Lachnit
1Zoological Institute, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Olshausen Strasse 40, 24098, Kiel, Germany, tbosch@zoologie.uni.kiel.de.
Journal of Microbiology (Seoul, Korea)
|March 4, 2015
Summary
Viruses are vital components of the Hydra holobiont, influencing species-specific microbiomes. This symbiotic relationship between viruses, bacteria, and hosts is crucial for animal development and evolution.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Symbiosis Research
Background:
- Viruses are often studied for negative health impacts.
- Emerging research recognizes viruses as key members of the animal holobiont.
- Cnidaria, like Hydra, offer insights into early animal-host-microbe interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent findings on viruses associated with Hydra and Cnidaria.
- To highlight the role of viruses in shaping the animal holobiont.
- To propose a symbiotic relationship between hosts, viruses, and bacteria.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on Hydra and Cnidaria viromes.
- Analysis of viral community composition in association with host species.
- Examination of host-virus-bacterial interactions within the holobiont.
Main Results:
- Hydra and related Cnidaria exhibit species-specific selection of viral communities.
- The majority of associated viruses are bacteriophages.
- A homeostatic, symbiotic relationship exists between the animal host and its virome.
Conclusions:
- Viruses play an integral role in controlling the species-specific microbiome of Hydra.
- Beneficial virus-bacterial-host interactions are essential for animal development and evolution.
- The viral community is a critical, often overlooked, component of the animal holobiont.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Marine Microbial Ecology
53
Marine microbial ecosystems are shaped by distinct physicochemical limits, including high salinity, low nutrient availability, and fluctuating oxygen levels. These conditions favor smaller microbial cell sizes, which maximize their surface-to-volume ratio for efficient nutrient uptake.Microbial activity and community composition are closely linked to biogeochemical cycles, particularly in dynamic environments like estuaries, where halotolerant microbes thrive in response to variable salinity...
53
01:28Introduction to Microbial Ecology
206
Microbial ecology examines the complex web of interactions and diversity among microorganisms within various ecosystems. This field seeks to understand how microbial populations adapt to and influence their environments and how these interactions shape broader ecological processes. Microbes are integral to ecosystem function, participating in nutrient cycling, energy flow, and the maintenance of environmental homeostasis.An ecosystem represents a dynamic interaction between living organisms...
206
01:25Microbial Mats
60
Microbial communities forming biofilms and mats represent complex, spatially structured ecosystems where metabolic processes are stratified according to light, oxygen, and nutrient gradients. Biofilms are initial colonization stages, only a few millimeters thick, while mature microbial mats can reach centimeter-scale thickness and display intricate vertical organization. Their structural and functional heterogeneity allows microorganisms to occupy distinct ecological niches within a few...
60
01:22Microenvironments
39
Microorganisms inhabit highly localized spaces known as microenvironments, which are defined by distinct physical and chemical characteristics. These include oxygen concentration, pH, temperature, light availability, and nutrient levels. The conditions within a microenvironment can differ markedly from those in the surrounding area and significantly influence microbial growth, metabolism, and community structure.Microenvironments often display sharp physicochemical gradients over small spatial...
39
01:18Deep Sea Microbial Ecology
46
The deep ocean and its underlying sediments represent vast, largely unexplored microbial habitats that extend far beyond the sunlit photic zone. The photic (euphotic) zone typically spans the upper ~100–200 meters of pelagic waters in the open ocean, but its depth varies geographically and seasonally, where sufficient light supports photosynthetic life. Below this lies the deep sea, spanning roughly 1000–6000 meters (bathypelagic to abyssal zones), with deeper hadal trenches...
46
01:24Freshwater Microbial Ecology
49
Freshwater systems such as streams, rivers, and lakes exhibit distinct physical and biological characteristics that influence their microbial communities. These environments are broadly categorized into lotic systems—those with flowing waters like streams and most rivers—and lentic systems, which include still or slow-moving waters such as lakes, ponds, and marshes.In lentic systems, phytoplankton drive primary production, generating autochthonous organic carbon. In contrast, lotic...
49