Variability in Host Specificity and Functional Potential of Antarctic Sponge-Associated Bacterial Communities

• Published in: Frontiers in Microbiology
• Main Authors: Antonia Cristi, Génesis Parada-Pozo, Felipe Morales-Vicencio, César A. Cárdenas, Nicole Trefault
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2022
• Subjects: Antarctic sponges; symbiosis; high-throughput sequencing; 16S rRNA gene; microbiome; host specificity; Microbiology; QR1-502; Antarctic; Antarctic Peninsula; Palmer Archipelago; South Bay; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2021.771589; https://doaj.org/article/b6ae0be4c9424dc1b365f17a0a682648

Sponge-associated microorganisms are essential for sponge survival. They play an important role in recycling nutrients and, therefore, in the maintenance of the ecosystem. These microorganisms are diverse, species-specific, and different from those in the surrounding seawater. Bacterial sponge symbi...