Biology subjects

Vogel, M. A.

Publications and source records attributed to Vogel, M. A..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Symbiont diversity within Loripes orbiculatus and the case for multiple hosts

Seagrasses support immense biodiversity and are critical for maintaining coastal ecosystem health. These foundation species benefit from a three-way facultative relationship with one of the common inhabitants of seagrass meadows, lucinid bivalves, which host specific bacterial Ca. Thiodiazotropha symbionts. Relatives of the bivalve symbionts have been detected on seagrass roots raising the possibility that these symbionts may colonize both animals and plants; however, no study has yet compared bivalve- and seagrass-associated symbionts at the same site and time. Our combination of 16S rRNA amplicon and metagenome sequencing revealed a greater diversity than was previously observed within both lucinid bivalves and on seagrass roots from the Adriatic Sea. We show that two of the Ca. Thiodiazotropha ASVs found on seagrass roots are identical to those found in bivalve hosts at the same site. This suggests that symbiont sharing may occur in the seagrass habitat between these two species, which has important evolutionary and ecological implications for both hosts and symbionts, as well as thin response to climate change.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2025

Microbes release lower-value metabolites at higher rates

Microbial interactions are shaped by the exchange of metabolites, ranging from intermediates in central carbon metabolism to amino acids, vitamins and fermentation by-products. While specific metabolic processes such as overflow metabolism are well documented, a general principle explaining the chemical diversity of metabolite release and the variation in individual release rates remains elusive. Here, using a combination of computational and experimental approaches on seven different microbes, we show that release rates are negatively correlated with the value of metabolites, and that this relationship explains more variability in release rates than other frequently associated factors. By measuring metabolite release from 67 E. coli mutants lacking individual transport genes, we find that transporters both cause and counteract net metabolite release. These findings suggest that metabolite release constitutes a fitness cost that microbes have evolved to reduce, while revealing the underlying transport mechanism. This unifying explanation reshapes our understanding of how microbial interactions emerge and persist.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2020

Host and environmental determinants of microbial community structure in the marine phyllosphere

Although seagrasses are economically and ecologically critical species, little is known about their blade surface microbial communities and how these communities relate to the plant host. To determine microbial community composition and diversity on seagrass blade surfaces and in the surrounding seawater,16S rRNA gene sequencing (iTag) was used for samples collected at five sites along a gradient of freshwater input in the northern Gulf of Mexico on three separate sampling dates. Additionally, seagrass surveys were performed and environmental parameters were measured to characterize host characteristics and the abiotic conditions at each site. Results showed that Thalassia testudinum (turtle grass) blades hosted unique microbial communities that were distinct in composition and diversity from the water column. Additionally, results suggested that environmental conditions, including water depth, salinity, and temperature, were the major driver of community structure as blade surface microbial communities varied among sites and over sampling dates. Host condition may be a secondary driver of community structure as compositional changes were also correlated with host characteristics, including leaf growth rates and blade nutrient composition, Additionally, 21 microorganisms from five phyla (Cyanobacteria, Proteobacteria, Planctomycetes, Chloroflexi, and Bacteroidetes) were present in all blade surface samples and may represent a core community for T. testudinum. Members of this core community may have ecological importance for determining community structure or in performing key community functions. This study provides new insights and understanding of the processes that influence the structure of marine phyllosphere communities, how these microbial communities relate to their host, and their role as a part of the seagrass holobiont, which is an important contribution given the current decline of seagrass coverage worldwide.

microbiology↗