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Microbial aggregates within tissues infect a diversity of corals throughout the Indo-Pacific

By February 11, 2015March 10th, 2015No Comments

Author: Thierry M. Work, Greta S. Aeby

Publication: MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES

Publication Date: 2014

Abstract:Coral reefs are highly diverse eco -systems where symbioses play a pivotal role. Corals contain cell-associated microbial aggregates (CAMA), yet little is known about how widespread they are among coral species or the nature of the symbiotic relationship. Using histology, we found CAMA within 24 species of corals from 6 genera from Hawaii, American Samoa, Palmyra, Johnston Atoll, Guam, and Australia. Prevalence (%) of infection varied among coral genera: Acropora, Porites, and Pocillopora were commonly infected whereas Montipora were not. Acropora from the Western Pacific were significantly more likely to be infected with CAMA than those from the Central Pacific, whereas the reverse was true for Porites. Compared with apparently healthy colonies, tissues from diseased colonies were significantly more likely to have both surface and basal body walls infected. The close association of CAMA with host cells in numerous species of apparently healthy corals and lack of associated cell pathology reveals an intimate agent− host association. Furthermore, CAMA are Gram negative and in some corals may be related to chla mydia or rickettsia. We propose that CAMA in adult corals are facultative secondary symbionts that could play an important ecological role in some dominant coral genera in the Indo-Pacific. CAMA are important in the life histories of other animals, and more work is needed to understand their role in the dis tribution, evolution, physiology, and immunology of reef corals.

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