Role of environment and host genotype on the microbial and viral diversity of the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis

The estuarine environment has a plethora of microorganisms that allow for diverse animal-microbe interactions which may impact the behavior and physiology of host animals. The sea anemone Nematostella vectensis, is a model cnidarian found along the east coast of North America, ranging from Nova Scotia to Florida. Previous research has shown that anemones from different locations have unique microbial communities and that some of these differences are maintained in the laboratory for long periods of time. However, how the genotype of individuals impacts the association with bacteria and viruses in more natural environmental conditions remains unexplored. Here we used mesocosms in two locations (New Hampshire and South Carolina) to determine holobiont variation for anemones originating from different locations along the Atlantic coast. Using a combination of flow cytometry, metagenomics, and metatranscriptomics, we compared the number and diversity of bacteria and viruses in individuals exposed to a common environment. We identified significant differences in anemone gene expression as well as microbial and viral communities, some of which separate along a latitudinal cline. A portion of the observed variations correlate with genomic structural variants, including copy number variation of several immune genes. We will present our current findings and future plans for this research which is focused on characterizing how genomic variation can help explain the diversity of the associated microbes and viruses of coastal invertebrates.

Presentation Preference: Poster

Primary Presenter: Adam Reitzel, University of North Carolina at Charlotte (areitze2@charlotte.edu)

Authors:

Sydney Birch, University of North Carolina at Charlotte  (sbirch1@charlotte.edu)

Hannah Justin, University of North Carolina at Charlotte  (hjustin@charlotte.edu)

Adam Reitzel, University of North Carolina at Charlotte  (areitze2@charlotte.edu)