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Hiding in Plain Sight: The Globally Distributed Bacterial Candidate Phylum PAUC34f.
Michael L Chen1,2, Eric D Becraft1,3, Maria Pachiadaki1,4
1Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, East Boothbay, ME, United States.
Frontiers in Microbiology
|April 1, 2020
Summary
Bacterial candidate phylum PAUC34f, initially found in sponges, also thrives freely in diverse environments like the deep ocean. This suggests independent evolution of host associations and distinct free-living lineages.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Environmental Science
- Genomics
Background:
- Bacterial candidate phylum PAUC34f was first identified in marine sponges.
- It has been predominantly considered a group of sponge symbionts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the ecological distribution of PAUC34f beyond marine sponges.
- To determine if PAUC34f exists as free-living organisms in various environments.
- To explore the evolutionary history of PAUC34f host associations.
Main Methods:
- Acquisition and analysis of 21 single amplified genomes (SAGs) of PAUC34f.
- Metagenome fragment recruitment from diverse environmental samples.
- Phylogenetic and biogeographic analyses.
- Genome content analysis.
Main Results:
- PAUC34f SAGs were recovered from marine, freshwater, and terrestrial aquifer environments.
- Metagenome data indicated abundant free-living PAUC34f in the deep ocean and other non-sponge habitats.
- Phylogenetic and genomic data supported multiple independent origins of host association in PAUC34f.
Conclusions:
- PAUC34f is not exclusively a sponge symbiont; distinct free-living lineages are widespread.
- The phylum exhibits a flexible lifestyle with both symbiotic and free-living strategies.
- Evolutionary analyses reveal repeated independent adaptation to host-associated lifestyles within PAUC34f.
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