A bacterial pathogen uses dimethylsulfoniopropionate as a cue to target heat-stressed corals

Garren, M; Son, K; Raina, JB; Rusconi, R; Menolascina, F; Shapiro, OH; Tout, J; Bourne, DG; Seymour, JR; Stocker, R

A bacterial pathogen uses dimethylsulfoniopropionate as a cue to target heat-stressed corals

Garren, M Son, K Raina, JB

Rusconi, R Menolascina, F Shapiro, OH Tout, J Bourne, DG Seymour, JR

Stocker, R

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: ISME Journal, 2014, 8 (5), pp. 999 - 1007
Issue Date:: 2014-01-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Garren, M	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Son, K	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Raina, JB https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7508-0004	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Rusconi, R	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Menolascina, F	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Shapiro, OH	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Tout, J	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Bourne, DG	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Seymour, JR https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3745-6541	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Stocker, R	en_US
dc.date.available	2013-10-08	en_US
dc.date.issued	2014-01-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	ISME Journal, 2014, 8 (5), pp. 999 - 1007	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	1751-7362	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/36185
dc.description.abstract	Diseases are an emerging threat to ocean ecosystems. Coral reefs, in particular, are experiencing a worldwide decline because of disease and bleaching, which have been exacerbated by rising seawater temperatures. Yet, the ecological mechanisms behind most coral diseases remain unidentified. Here, we demonstrate that a coral pathogen, Vibrio coralliilyticus, uses chemotaxis and chemokinesis to target the mucus of its coral host, Pocillopora damicornis. A primary driver of this response is the host metabolite dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), a key element in the global sulfur cycle and a potent foraging cue throughout the marine food web. Coral mucus is rich in DMSP, and we found that DMSP alone elicits chemotactic responses of comparable intensity to whole mucus. Furthermore, in heat-stressed coral fragments, DMSP concentrations increased fivefold and the pathogen's chemotactic response was correspondingly enhanced. Intriguingly, despite being a rich source of carbon and sulfur, DMSP is not metabolized by the pathogen, suggesting that it is used purely as an infochemical for host location. These results reveal a new role for DMSP in coral disease, demonstrate the importance of chemical signaling and swimming behavior in the recruitment of pathogens to corals and highlight the impact of increased seawater temperatures on disease pathways. © 2014 International Society for Microbial Ecology All rights reserved.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	ISME Journal	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1038/ismej.2013.210	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Microbiology	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Animals	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Anthozoa	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Vibrio	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Sulfur	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Sulfonium Compounds	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Seawater	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Chemotaxis	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Hot Temperature	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Coral Reefs	en_US
dc.title	A bacterial pathogen uses dimethylsulfoniopropionate as a cue to target heat-stressed corals	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	5	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	8	en_US
utslib.for	050101 Ecological Impacts of Climate Change	en_US
utslib.for	05 Environmental Sciences	en_US
utslib.for	06 Biological Sciences	en_US
utslib.for	10 Technology	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - C3 - Climate Change Cluster
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	5	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	8	en_US

Abstract:

Diseases are an emerging threat to ocean ecosystems. Coral reefs, in particular, are experiencing a worldwide decline because of disease and bleaching, which have been exacerbated by rising seawater temperatures. Yet, the ecological mechanisms behind most coral diseases remain unidentified. Here, we demonstrate that a coral pathogen, Vibrio coralliilyticus, uses chemotaxis and chemokinesis to target the mucus of its coral host, Pocillopora damicornis. A primary driver of this response is the host metabolite dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), a key element in the global sulfur cycle and a potent foraging cue throughout the marine food web. Coral mucus is rich in DMSP, and we found that DMSP alone elicits chemotactic responses of comparable intensity to whole mucus. Furthermore, in heat-stressed coral fragments, DMSP concentrations increased fivefold and the pathogen's chemotactic response was correspondingly enhanced. Intriguingly, despite being a rich source of carbon and sulfur, DMSP is not metabolized by the pathogen, suggesting that it is used purely as an infochemical for host location. These results reveal a new role for DMSP in coral disease, demonstrate the importance of chemical signaling and swimming behavior in the recruitment of pathogens to corals and highlight the impact of increased seawater temperatures on disease pathways. © 2014 International Society for Microbial Ecology All rights reserved.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/36185