Microbiome · 12 authors, 6 centres
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Using electron microscopy, 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, metagenomics, and metatranscriptomics on five fiddler crab species across a latitudinal gradient, the authors found a consistently low-diversity gill bacterial community dominated by the actinobacterium Ilumatobacter regardless of geographic location. These bacteria encode pathways for ammonia assimilation and detoxification of toxic gases, suggesting a role in host adaptation to the intertidal environment.
This study examined gill-associated bacterial communities in five fiddler crab species sampled across a latitudinal gradient from the central Red Sea to the southern Indian Ocean. Methods included electron microscopy, 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, metagenomics, and metatranscriptomics. Electron microscopy revealed a rod-shaped bacterial layer tightly connected to gill lamellae. The gill bacterial community diversity was consistently low, with the actinobacterial genus Ilumatobacter dominant regardless of host geographic location. Gene-centric analysis indicated that these bacteria can convert ammonium to amino acids via nitrogen cycling pathways and may eliminate toxic sulphur compounds and carbon monoxide through detoxification enzymes. These findings suggest that gill-associated bacteria may contribute to host adaptation in dynamic intertidal ecosystems.
