Special Issue "Gut Microorganisms of Aquatic Animals 2.0"

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Gut Microbiota".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 January 2022.

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Konstantinos Ar. Kormas
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Ichthyology & Aquatic Environment, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Thessaly, 384 46 Volos, Greece
Interests: aquatic microbial ecology
Special Issues and Collections in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The last decade has seen rapid and spectacular ongoing progress in the multiple roles of gut microorganisms in humans. This knowledge and its concomitant technological progress are attracting increasing scientific interest for the investigation of animal gut microbiota and microbiomes. Aquatic animals are no exception for various reasons are related to, e.g., eco-evolutionary history and the economic significance and ecological vulnerability of these animals and their habitats in marine and fresh waters. The Special Issue entitled “Gut Microorganisms of Aquatic Animals” aims to present recent research on any aspect of aquatic animal gut microbiology. Some of its focal points include but are not limited to the following:

  • Gut microbes of animals living in extreme aquatic environments;
  • Aquatic animal ontogeny and microbial succession;
  • Gut microbiology of farmed aquatic animals;
  • Gut Archaea and microscopic eukaryotes of aquatic animals;
  • Novel methodologies for investigating gut microbes of aquatic animals;
  • Pollution and other environmental stress factors on gut microbes of aquatic animals;
  • Insights into the hologenome theory of evolution of aquatic animals.

Prof. Dr. Konstantinos Ar. Kormas
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • Gut
  • Microorganism
  • Prokaryote
  • Eukaryote
  • Aquatic
  • Animal
  • Marine
  • Freshwater
  • Bacteria
  • Archaea
  • Microbiota
  • Microbiome

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

Article
Microbial Shift in the Enteric Bacteriome of Coral Reef Fish Following Climate-Driven Regime Shifts
Microorganisms 2021, 9(8), 1711; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9081711 - 11 Aug 2021
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Abstract
Replacement of coral by macroalgae in post-disturbance reefs, also called a “coral-macroalgal regime shift”, is increasing in response to climate-driven ocean warming. Such ecosystem change is known to impact planktonic and benthic reef microbial communities but few studies have examined the effect on [...] Read more.
Replacement of coral by macroalgae in post-disturbance reefs, also called a “coral-macroalgal regime shift”, is increasing in response to climate-driven ocean warming. Such ecosystem change is known to impact planktonic and benthic reef microbial communities but few studies have examined the effect on animal microbiota. In order to understand the consequence of coral-macroalgal shifts on the coral reef fish enteric bacteriome, we used a metabarcoding approach to examine the gut bacteriomes of 99 individual fish representing 36 species collected on reefs of the Inner Seychelles islands that, following bleaching, had either recovered to coral domination, or shifted to macroalgae. While the coral-macroalgal shift did not influence the diversity, richness or variability of fish gut bacteriomes, we observed a significant effect on the composition (R2 = 0.02; p = 0.001), especially in herbivorous fishes (R2 = 0.07; p = 0.001). This change is accompanied by a significant increase in the proportion of fermentative bacteria (Rikenella, Akkermensia, Desulfovibrio, Brachyspira) and associated metabolisms (carbohydrates metabolism, DNA replication, and nitrogen metabolism) in relation to the strong turnover of Scarinae and Siganidae fishes. Predominance of fermentative metabolisms in fish found on macroalgal dominated reefs indicates that regime shifts not only affect the taxonomic composition of fish bacteriomes, but also have the potential to affect ecosystem functioning through microbial functions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gut Microorganisms of Aquatic Animals 2.0)
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Article
Probiotics Improve Eating Disorders in Mandarin Fish (Siniperca chuatsi) Induced by a Pellet Feed Diet via Stimulating Immunity and Regulating Gut Microbiota
Microorganisms 2021, 9(6), 1288; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9061288 - 12 Jun 2021
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Abstract
Eating disorders are directly or indirectly influenced by gut microbiota and innate immunity. Probiotics have been shown to regulate gut microbiota and stimulate immunity in a variety of species. In this study, three kinds of probiotics, namely, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus and [...] Read more.
Eating disorders are directly or indirectly influenced by gut microbiota and innate immunity. Probiotics have been shown to regulate gut microbiota and stimulate immunity in a variety of species. In this study, three kinds of probiotics, namely, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Clostridium butyricum, were selected for the experiment. The results showed that the addition of three probiotics at a concentration of 108 colony forming unit/mL to the culture water significantly increased the ratio of the pellet feed recipients and survival rate of mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi) under pellet-feed feeding. In addition, the three kinds of probiotics reversed the decrease in serum lysozyme and immunoglobulin M content, the decrease in the activity of antioxidant enzymes glutathione and catalase and the decrease in the expression of the appetite-stimulating regulator agouti gene-related protein of mandarin fish caused by pellet-feed feeding. In terms of intestinal health, the three probiotics reduced the abundance of pathogenic bacteria Aeromonas in the gut microbiota and increased the height of intestinal villi and the thickness of foregut basement membrane of mandarin fish under pellet-feed feeding. In general, the addition of the three probiotics can significantly improve eating disorders of mandarin fish caused by pellet feeding. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gut Microorganisms of Aquatic Animals 2.0)
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Article
Does the Composition of the Gut Bacteriome Change during the Growth of Tuna?
Microorganisms 2021, 9(6), 1157; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9061157 - 27 May 2021
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Abstract
In recent years, a growing number of studies sought to examine the composition and the determinants of the gut microflora in marine animals, including fish. For tropical tuna, which are among the most consumed fish worldwide, there is scarce information on their enteric [...] Read more.
In recent years, a growing number of studies sought to examine the composition and the determinants of the gut microflora in marine animals, including fish. For tropical tuna, which are among the most consumed fish worldwide, there is scarce information on their enteric bacterial communities and how they evolve during fish growth. In this study, we used metabarcoding of the 16S rDNA gene to (1) describe the diversity and composition of the gut bacteriome in the three most fished tuna species (skipjack, yellowfin and bigeye), and (2) to examine its intra-specific variability from juveniles to larger adults. Although there was a remarkable convergence of taxonomic richness and bacterial composition between yellowfin and bigeyes tuna, the gut bacteriome of skipjack tuna was distinct from the other two species. Throughout fish growth, the enteric bacteriome of yellowfin and bigeyes also showed significant modifications, while that of skipjack tuna remained relatively homogeneous. Finally, our results suggest that the gut bacteriome of marine fish may not always be subject to structural modifications during their growth, especially in species that maintain a steady feeding behavior during their lifetime. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gut Microorganisms of Aquatic Animals 2.0)
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Article
Effects of a Bioprocessed Soybean Meal Ingredient on the Intestinal Microbiota of Hybrid Striped Bass, Morone chrysops x M. saxatilis
Microorganisms 2021, 9(5), 1032; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9051032 - 11 May 2021
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Abstract
The hybrid striped bass (Morone chrysops x M. saxatilis) is a carnivorous species and a major product of US aquaculture. To reduce costs and improve resource sustainability, traditional ingredients used in fish diets are becoming more broadly replaced by plant-based products; [...] Read more.
The hybrid striped bass (Morone chrysops x M. saxatilis) is a carnivorous species and a major product of US aquaculture. To reduce costs and improve resource sustainability, traditional ingredients used in fish diets are becoming more broadly replaced by plant-based products; however, plant meals can be problematic for carnivorous fish. Bioprocessing has improved nutritional quality and allowed higher inclusions in fish diets, but these could potentially affect other systems such as the gut microbiome. In this context, the effects of bioprocessed soybean meal on the intestinal bacterial composition in hybrid striped bass were investigated. Using high-throughput sequencing of amplicons targeting the V1–V3 region of the 16S rRNA gene, no significant difference in bacterial composition was observed between fish fed a control diet, and fish fed a diet with the base bioprocessed soybean meal. The prominent Operational Taxonomic Unit (OTU) in these samples was predicted to be a novel species affiliated to Peptostreptococcaceae. In contrast, the intestinal bacterial communities of fish fed bioprocessed soybean meal that had been further modified after fermentation exhibited lower alpha diversity (p < 0.05), as well as distinct and more varied composition patterns, with OTUs predicted to be strains of Lactococcus lactis, Plesiomonas shigelloides, or Ralstonia pickettii being the most dominant. Together, these results suggest that compounds in bioprocessed soybean meal can affect intestinal bacterial communities in hybrid striped bass. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gut Microorganisms of Aquatic Animals 2.0)
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