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  • Genetic examination of the marine bacterium Pseudoalteromonas luteoviolacea and effects of its metamorphosis‐inducing factors
Title: Genetic examination of the marine bacterium Pseudoalteromonas luteoviolacea and effects of its metamorphosis‐inducing factors
Summary Pseudoalteromonas luteoviolaceais a globally distributed marine bacterium that stimulates the metamorphosis of marine animal larvae, an important bacteria–animal interaction that can promote the recruitment of animals to benthic ecosystems. Recently, differentP.luteoviolaceaisolates have been shown to produce two stimulatory factors that can induce tubeworm and coral metamorphosis; Metamorphosis‐Associated Contractile structures (MACs) and tetrabromopyrrole (TBP) respectively. However, it remains unclear what proportion ofP.luteoviolaceaisolates possess the genes encoding MACs, and what phenotypic effect MACs and TBP have on other larval species. Here, we show that 9 of 19 sequencedP.luteoviolaceagenomes genetically encode both MACs and TBP. WhileP.luteoviolaceabiofilms producing MACs stimulate the metamorphosis of the tubewormHydroides elegans, TBP biosynthesis genes had no effect under the conditions tested. Although MACs are lethal to larvae of the cnidarianHydractinia symbiologicarpus,P.luteoviolaceamutants unable to produce MACs are capable of stimulating metamorphosis. Our findings reveal a hidden complexity of interactions between a single bacterial species, the factors it produces and two species of larvae belonging to different phyla.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1942251 1837116
PAR ID:
10455656
Author(s) / Creator(s):
 ;  ;  ;  ;  
Publisher / Repository:
Wiley-Blackwell
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Environmental Microbiology
Volume:
22
Issue:
11
ISSN:
1462-2912
Format(s):
Medium: X Size: p. 4689-4701
Size(s):
p. 4689-4701
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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