Untapped sponge microbiomes: structure specificity at host order and family levels

Area of Science:

• Marine Biology
• Microbial Ecology
• Genomics

Background:

• Sponges are complex holobionts with largely uncharacterized microbiome structures.
• Understanding host-microbiome specificity is crucial for marine ecosystem research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate sponge microbiome specificity at the host order and family levels.
• To identify unique microbial signatures within sponge communities.

Main Methods:

• Analyzed 33 sponge species across 19 families and five orders.
• Utilized three primer sets for comprehensive 16S rRNA gene sequencing (V1-V8 regions).
• Employed operational taxonomic unit (OTU) analysis to assess microbial diversity and structure.

Main Results:

• Sponge microbiome diversity and structure are highly specific to host phylogeny (order and family).
• Dominant OTUs (>1% relative abundance) are shared within families/orders but show dissimilarity between higher taxa.
• Unique OTUs serve as a 'signature identity' for specific sponge families/orders.

Conclusions:

• Demonstrates significant host-specificity in sponge microbiomes beyond the species level.
• Identifies a substantial reservoir of uncharacterized, affiliated microbiota in sponges.
• Highlights the importance of host phylogeny in shaping sponge-associated microbial communities.