Genetic, morphological and growth characterisation of a new Roseofilum strain (Oscillatoriales, Cyanobacteria) associated with coral black band disease

Buerger, Patrick, Alvarez-Roa, Carlos, Weynberg, Karen D., Baekelandt, Sebastien, and van Oppen, Madeleine J.H. (2016) Genetic, morphological and growth characterisation of a new Roseofilum strain (Oscillatoriales, Cyanobacteria) associated with coral black band disease. PeerJ, 4. pp. 1-19.

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Abstract

Black band disease (BBD) is a common disease of reef-building corals with a worldwide distribution that causes tissue loss at a rate of up to 3 cm/day. Critical fora mechanistic understanding of the disease's aetiology is the cultivation of its proposed pathogen, filamentous cyanobacteria (genus Roseofilum). Here, we optimise existing protocols for the isolation and cultivation of Roseofilum cyanobacteria using a new strain from the central Great Barrier Reef. We demonstrate that the isolation of this bacterium via inoculation onto agar plates was highly effective with a low percentage agar of 0.6% and that growth monitoring was most sensitive with fluorescence measurements of chlorophyll-a (440/685 nm). Cell growth curves in liquid and solid media were generated for the first time for this cyanobacterium and showed best growth rates for the previously untested L1-medium (growth rate k = 0.214 biomass/day; doubling time t(gen) = 4.67 days). Our results suggest that the trace metals contained in L1-medium maximise biomass increase over time for this cyanobacteriurn. Since the newly isolated Roseofilum strain is genetically closest to Pseudoscillatoria coralii, but in terms of pigmentation and cell size closer to Roseofilum reptotaenium, we formally merge the two species into a single taxon by providing an emended species description, Roseofilum reptotaenium (Rasoulouniriana) Casamatta emend. Following this optimized protocol is recommended for fast isolation and cultivation of Roseofilum cyanobacteria, for growth curve generation in strain comparisons and for maximisation of biomass in genetic studies.

Item ID: 45560
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 2167-8359
Keywords: cultivation, coral disease, BBD, cyanobacteria isolation, microbial mat, Roseofillum reptotaenium, Pseudoscillatoria coralii, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Additional Information:

Copyright: 2016 Buerger et al. Distributed under Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0. Anyone who re-uses the published content must attribute the author(s) and the original source, but otherwise they are free to re-use it as they see fit. This license meets all definitions of 'true' Open Access, and complies with any institutional or funder OA mandates that may exist.

Funders: AIMS@JCU, Australian Research Council (ARC)
Projects and Grants: AIMS@JCU #17625, ARC #FT100100088, ARC #FS110100034
Date Deposited: 13 Jul 2016 07:32
FoR Codes: 31 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 3107 Microbiology > 310799 Microbiology not elsewhere classified @ 100%
SEO Codes: 97 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 970106 Expanding Knowledge in the Biological Sciences @ 100%
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