BRC-BIO: Defining metabolic complementation within the sea anemone microbiome

University Of California - Merced, Merced CA

Investigators

Abstract

Most animals house a complex assortment of microbial species, collectively known as a microbiome. Yet, it is unclear how these microorganisms cooperate to elevate the fitness, health, and survival of eukaryotic hosts. This proposal seeks to advance the understanding of metabolic cooperation within the microbiome of the sea anemone, aiptasia. Aiptasia is an important models system for studying cnidarian-algal symbioses and is commonly used to better understand bleaching phenomena on coral reefs. One expected outcome of this research is to develop an integrative understanding of the role of the microbiome in cnidarian symbiosis. Considering the rapid decline of coral reefs and the increasing attention towards engineering the microbiome to better protect and enhance the survival of these iconic ecosystems, the proposed work will help to guide probiotic solutions that are currently being implemented in reef restoration efforts. This project will also provide both short and long term training for young researchers across career stages. Student researchers will be recruited from the student population at the University of California, Merced which is a Hispanic Serving Institution. As a centerpiece to the proposed work, the research activities will be directly integrated into a course undergraduate research experience (CURE) that will provide training to approximately 40 undergraduates in microbial ecology research. Long term support is provided to three undergraduates and one graduate student. Finally, the project will support one beginning faculty member by creating the needed infrastructure to support a sustainable research program. The microbiome is a collection of sentinel, microscopic species that interact with one another and their hosts, effectively forming a metaorganism. At the basis of microbial interactions within a microbiome, lies an complex web of metabolic pathways mediated by the exchange of small molecules. One gap in the understanding of how microbiomes work to benefit the overall health and wellbeing of a metaorganism is identifying the metabolic exchanges, or syntropies, between cellular organisms. The overall goal of this project is to identify which combinations of microbial species are essential towards maintaining the health and survival of the sea anemone, Exaiptasia diaphana. Specifically, the proposed research will (1) quantify the impact of the microbiome on host fitness by generating gnotobiotic sea anemones, (2) reintroduce varying combinations of microbial isolates back to the host to determine which partners are required to rescue and maintain host fitness and (3) compare shifts in metaorganism metabolism using ‘omics techniques before and after the re-introduction of select combinations of microbial species. Resulting meta’omic and physiological data will be integrated using a systems biology approach to better explore metabolic interactions between eukaryotic hosts and their microbiomes. This research will advance microbial ecology theory by undercovering mechanisms, via the integration of cellular metabolisms, that enable complex microbiomes to contribute to the health of the metaorganism. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.