The microbiota of diapause: How host-microbe associations are formed after dormancy in an aquatic crustacean

1. A critical question in symbiosis research is where and how organisms obtain beneficial microbial symbionts in different ecological contexts. Microbiota of juveniles are often derived directly from their mother or from the immediate environment. The origin of beneficial symbionts, however, is less...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of animal ecology 2018-03, Vol.87 (2), p.400-413
Main Authors: Mushegian, Alexandra A., Walser, Jean-Claude, Sullam, Karen E., Ebert, Dieter
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Bacteria
Bacteria - classification
Bacterial Physiological Phenomena
Crustaceans
Daphnia
Daphnia - microbiology
Diapause
Diapause - physiology
Disease transmission
Dispersal
Dispersion
Dormancy
Drought
Ecology
Eggs
Environmental Microbiology
Freezing
Host Microbial Interactions - physiology
Microbiota
Microorganisms
Mutualistic or commensal - host interactions
Offspring
Parents
Resting stages
Seeds
Shellfish
Symbionts
Symbiosis
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Summary:1. A critical question in symbiosis research is where and how organisms obtain beneficial microbial symbionts in different ecological contexts. Microbiota of juveniles are often derived directly from their mother or from the immediate environment. The origin of beneficial symbionts, however, is less obvious in organisms with diapause and dispersal stages, such as plants with dormant seeds and animals in ephemeral or strongly seasonal habitats. In these cases, parents and offspring are separated in time and space, which may affect opportunities for both vertical and horizontal transmission of symbionts. 2. The planktonic crustacean Daphnia produces long-lasting resting eggs to endure winter freezing and summer droughts and requires microbiota for growth and reproduction. It is unknown how hatchlings from resting stages form associations with microbial consorts after diapause. 3. Using natural samples of D. magna resting eggs after several years of storage, we show that the total bacterial community derived from both the exterior and interior of the eggs' ephippial cases is sufficiently beneficial to ensure normal Daphnia functioning in otherwise bacteria-free conditions. We do not find direct evidence that the required bacteria are of maternal origin, though sequencing reveals that the resting stage is accompanied by bacterial taxa previously found in association with adult animals. 4. These findings suggest that although Daphnia are strongly dependent on environmental bacteria for normal functioning, host-bacteria associations are somewhat general and availability of specific bacteria is not a strong constraint on host ecology. Nevertheless, animals and microbes may be ecologically linked through co-dispersal.
ISSN:0021-8790
1365-2656
DOI:10.1111/1365-2656.12709