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The Relationship Between Microbiomes and Selective Regimes in the Sponge Genus Ircinia
Joseph B Kelly1,2, David E Carlson1, Jun Siong Low3,4
1Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States.
Frontiers in Microbiology
|March 29, 2021
Summary
This study reveals that sponge immunity genes show balancing selection, enabling tolerance to dense microbial communities. Distinct Ircinia sponge species each host a unique microbiome, driving ecological divergence.
Area of Science:
- Marine biology
- Genomics
- Microbiome research
Background:
- Sponges host dense microbial communities crucial for nutrition and producing beneficial compounds.
- Sponges must manage microbial toxicity and prevent overgrowth, yet genomic selection patterns for these processes are unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate genomic selection patterns underlying sponge microbiome tolerance and control.
- To delineate species boundaries within the Ircinia genus based on genetic and microbiome data.
Main Methods:
- Population genetic analysis using an F-outlier approach on transcriptome-annotated RADseq loci.
- Comparative analysis of Ircinia sponges from Belize, Florida, and Panama.
- Species boundary delimitation among seven Ircinia growth forms.
Main Results:
- Identified balancing selection in host immunity genes, suggesting a mechanism for tolerating high microbial densities.
- Confirmed that each of the seven Ircinia growth forms represents a distinct species.
- Each distinct Ircinia species was found to harbor a unique microbiome.
Conclusions:
- Genomic selection in immunity genes facilitates stable sponge-microbiome associations.
- Distinct Ircinia species with unique microbiomes may arise through ecological divergence.
- Evolutionary pathways promoting host-microbiome stability and species diversification are illuminated.
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