[Bleaching of Baikalian Sponge Affects The Taxonomic Composition of Symbiotic Microorganisms]

The diversity of 16S rRNA genes in the microbial community of endemic sponge Lubomirskia baicalensis with bleached patches of tissue was studied. Eight bacterial phyla were identified in the sponge microbiome: Cyanobacteria (27.3%; n = 36; 2 OTU, operational taxonomic unit), Proteobacteria (22.7%; n = 30; 5 OTU), Actinobacteria (16.7%; n = 22; 7 OTU, operation taxonomic unit), Verrucomicrobia (15.2%; n = 20; 4 OTU), Plactomycetes (9%; n = 12; 3 OTU), Bacteroidetes (4.5%; n = 6; 3 OTU), WS5 (3%; n = 4; 1 OTU), and TM7 (1.5%; n = 2; 1 OTU). The basic phyla typical of freshwater sponge microbiomes are present in the community. However, in contrast to previously studied L. baicalensis bacterial associations, a dominance of Cyanobacteria and a low number of representatives of the Bacteroidetes and Betaproteobacteria were observed in the bleached sponge community. Phylotypes exhibiting a high percentage of similarity with the microorganisms inhabiting substrates rich in organic matter were also found. Clearly, the bleaching processes of Baikal sponges affect the composition and the ratio of the major taxonomic groups of sponge-associated bacteria.