Année de publication
2020

Journal

Environmental Microbiology
Date de publication
Dec-10-2020
DOI
10.1111/1462-2920.15256
URL
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1462-2920.15256
Numéro ISSN
1462-2912
Catégorie HCERES
ACL - Articles dans des revues internationales ou nationales avec comité de lecture répertoriées par l'HCERES ou dans les bases de données internationales
Résumé

The filamentous chlorophyte Ostreobium sp. dominates shallow marine carbonate microboring communities, and is one of the major agents of reef bioerosion. While its large genetic diversity has emerged, its physiology remains little known, with unexplored relationship between genotypes and phenotypes (endolithic versus free‐living growth forms). Here, we isolated nine strains affiliated to two lineages of Ostreobium (>8% sequence divergence of the plastid gene rbcL), one of which was assigned to the family Odoaceae, from the fast‐growing coral host Pocillopora acuta Lamarck 1816. Free‐living isolates maintained their bioerosive potential, colonizing pre‐bleached coral carbonate skeletons. We compared phenotypes, highlighting shifts in pigment and fatty acid compositions, carbon to nitrogen ratios and stable isotope compositions (δ13C and δ15N). Our data show a pattern of higher chlorophyll b and lower arachidonic acid (20:4ω6) content in endolithic versus free‐living Ostreobium. Photosynthetic carbon fixation and nitrate uptake, quantified via 8 h pulse‐labeling with 13C‐bicarbonate and 15N‐nitrate, showed lower isotopic enrichment in endolithic compared to free‐living filaments. Our results highlight the functional plasticity of Ostreobium phenotypes. The isotope tracer approach opens the way to further study the biogeochemical cycling and trophic ecology of these cryptic algae at coral holobiont and reef scales.