Bacterial regulation of coral larval metamorphosis and settlement in Pocillopora damicornis

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Abstract
Bacteria play a significant role in triggering coral larval metamorphosis and settlement in many coral species. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms behind coral larval metamorphosis and settlement triggered by bacteria remain enigmatic. Thus, we perform a bacteria-induced metamorphosis and settlement experiment using larvae of Pocillopora damicornis along with high-throughput sequencing, proteomic, and metabolomic analyses. Our results demonstrate that the Metabacillus indicus strain cB07 significantly alters the composition of the microbial community in cultured seawater and coral larvae. Genera associated with promoting coral larval metamorphosis and settlement, including Leisingera and Thalassobius, along with the anti - fouling genus Winogradskyella, undergo notable changes in the coral larvae and culture water. Differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) and metabolites (DEMs) in the cB07 - induced coral larvae are significantly enriched in the immune system, signal transduction, and energy metabolism. According to a protein and metabolite change model, strain cB07 induces coral larval settlement and metamorphosis through retinoic aldehyde pathway, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and GABA synthesis. Our findings together help to elucidate how associated bacteria interact with coral holobionts and how M. indicus cB07 triggers coral larval metamorphosis and settlement, providing insight into the role bacteria play in marine invertebrates.
Funding Information
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China (41976147)
  • National Science Foundation of China | National Natural Science Foundation of China-Yunnan Joint Fund (2022YFC3103602)

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